What it takes to be a good rider.

[Mike Duluth]

I know this has been covered before, but every season I learn something new about being a good street rider.
  At my age I'm finding out I'm not getting faster, I'm getting slower. So at this point I would like to become a better rider if that's possible at my age. What makes a good street rider, and why?
  I think this will make for a good off season topic. Plus what can it hurt to rehash what it is that makes a good rider.

[KGB]

You bring up your getting slower and not faster...how does that equate with being a better rider?

[Vander]

 
That's a big question, Mike!
Could I clarify a bit?

Would you consider the goal of a good rider to:

• Not to ever crash; even if it means to ride slower than usual
• Be as fast as possible w/o crashing
• Keep yourself out of the hospital

[Mike Duluth]

You bring up your getting slower and not faster...how does that equate with being a better rider?

It doesn't, I'm not sure being fast has anything to do with being a good rider.

[KGB]

"Good rider" is subjective, racers might say street guys are nuts for navigating through gravel and wild life and street guys might think racers have a death wish and  adrenaline fueled speed junkies. Both may have excellent skills but may completely disregard the others. What is it in your style of riding that you wish to improve?

[Vander]

I could share what I think makes a good rider:

Leave your inadequacy issues at home
If you have daddy-didn't-hug-me-enough (or too much) issues, seek therapy from a counselor, not a motorcycle.

Ride with muted confidence.
Be assertive, not aggressive

Ride with SMART gear
Be critical of ALL gear.  Study, research and experiment with fit/wear/ protective elements.  Just because it costs the most doesn't mean it's the best.

Understand and ACCEPT all of your vulnerabilities
Be introspective and critical of yourself.  Rectify what you can, and come to terms with what you can't.  Adjust your situation accordingly.


That's my short list.

[Mike Duluth]

I'm not comparing street and track here. In my opinion there as different as sport bikes and dirt bikes. I'm looking for opinions on what makes a good street rider and how that can make me a better rider.

[Jvs]

What it takes to be a good rider:

1) Stay out of the ditch but if you insist, aim for a soft landing.
2) Stay cool. Think clearly.
3) if your slow, your slow. End of story. No need to keep up at the front of the pack if this is your first ever group ride.
4) no your suspension settings and tire pressures were not the reason why we had to wait 5 minutes at the stop sign for you.
5) no one cares that you can do stand up wheelies
6) 0-60 times, Horsepower and top speeds are all irrelevant. Period.
7) older doesn't mean slower.
oh you spent 1500 on that new ohlins suspension? Lets ride, I'm willing to bet you'll still be slower than Vander (had to poke some fun buddy)
9) I would keep adding to the list but its time to punch out and go take my afternoon nap.

[Mike Duluth]

Maybe it's like Vander said, I might be throwing a large net here.

[Jvs]

Sorry my post with a little ADD lol. Boredom at work does crazy things to you.

 
Do some reading over the winter and spend some time online watching some instructional videos.

Sign up for a trackday/advanced riders course in the beginning of next season. Both the reading and Lloyd's track days did wonders for me in terms of riding.

There's a lot of different areas for growth it's just a matter of what specifically needs to be addressed. Yes very broad net.

Jeff

[Tim...]

Simple, risk management and common sense.  The application of which, not so simple.

I'm not comparing street and track here. In my opinion there as different as sport bikes and dirt bikes. I'm looking for opinions on what makes a good street rider and how that can make me a better rider.

[Ray916MN]

Over time I've become much more sensitive to how well or how poorly I'm riding and what works and doesn't work as well when riding. Riding well is a combination of a myriad of inputs and decisions and increasingly I think it is critical to develop more and more sensitivity to the feedback you get from the bike, your body, your mind, where you end up in a lane and what happens to you while riding to become a better rider and to ride well. When you pay attention to the feedback, the signs are everywhere of your successes and failures and paying attention to the feedback is essential to raising your riding standards and the level of your riding.

I notice more often when I have to exert extra mental or physical effort to make it do what I want/need it to do, versus when it does what I want/need effortlessly, when I do not end up on the roadway where I wanted to end up, when I fail to correctly anticipate something or fail to evaluate a situation as well as I could have. While many think the feedback they need to pay the most attention to is how fast they can go through a section of twisting road, for me, what is more important is how effortlessly and in control I can go through a section of twisting road. Figuring out how to exert less effort and achieve greater control while riding is what helps me ride better. Speed comes as a byproduct.

Once you learn to pay attention to the feedback, learning to be a good rider becomes easier as long as every time you get bad feedback, you use the feedback to figure out how to do things better.

[Mike Duluth]

That's a good one Ray, what sort of feedback are you talkin about, and what does the different feedback feel like.
   And Jeff your comment was great.

My hope is people will share what they have learned through there years of riding. There are some great riders in this group, and I for one would like to know how they do it.

[GUZZI JOHN]

  Ray's reply was excellent! I'd ad a concept I try to follow-If you're familiar w the old Battlestar Galactica(w Lorne Greene) recall the Cylon robots that had a red eye which constantly scanned from side to side.  I try to keep that sort of environmental awareness while on the road. On the track there are corner crews watching out for oil,rocks,turtles or whatever so the racers can concentrate on their lines and competitors. On the back roads or in town it is all up to me. This has kept me alive for 50+ years of riding including 35 commuting to work. $.02 from this Old/Slow Fart. GJ

[carlson_mn]

When do I feel like a good rider?  When I'm able to have as much fun as possible and still feel comfortable and safe. 

Having as much fun as possible would probably entail finding a road that is really twisty and leaning over far.  That's what I enjoy!

Oh and master throttle control in order to do wheelies while smiling at Jeff makes me feel good too.