TEAM Arizona Riding Tip: Writing to Improve Your Riding
Last Updated: December 1st, 2020
Riders, no matter their level of experience, all face points in time where they hit plateaus in their skill development. These plateaus have their roots in various places. Fear, motorcycle limitations, physical limitations, or other sources currently unknown to the rider can all play a factor. How can rider achieve a breakthrough with their riding?
One simple approach is to keep a journal regarding your experience. The content in the journal will differ from rider to rider, but one thing is for sure, being able to reflect upon your experience and mental state can help a rider in reaching their next level of development. Here are different environments in which journaling can improve your riding.
THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT
We often hear from riders they just want to work on one thing when they come for advanced training. It could be high speed corners. It could be low speed maneuvers. It could be how to use their vision when riding. Regardless of what they want to work on, participants invariably leave the training environment with not just one element to improve, but a myriad of elements. How to sort through it all?
We recommend keeping a log through the training process which is why we provide handouts to keep notes. Then we recommend just selecting one element to focus upon for practice. Obtaining a private range session can be critical to making the desired improvements. Private instruction allows the participant and RiderCoach to work on one element at a time. By working on one element, we can build a strong foundation before moving to the next element.
TOURING
Our experience is that keeping a journal while on the road helps us remember the little things that we may easily forget in the future. From best practices for packing the motorcycle to road strategies we can use our record keeping to improve future road trips. A quick glance at a ride journal reminded the author to pack some nitrile gloves in case the ride up to Alpine, Arizona, turned cold. Sure enough, the weather changed and the gloves came in handy.
RACETRACK
Writing down information about the riding experience is nothing new for riders at the track. For the most part in the professional motorcycling world, data logging and hi-tech sensors have filled in to help the rider understand what the motorcycle is doing on the track. With that said, journaling can be a great way for riders to understand their mental state when riding around the track. Where to make passes; where to hold the throttle open longer; where to brake later are all elements riders can write down to help them improve their racing.
For us mere mortals who are approaching a track day, we can simplify things and start out by focusing on improving how we navigate just one of the corners at the track. Before going out for a first session, we might have this as a goal: Turn 2; Enter at XX mph; Start breaking at brake marker 3; turn point at brake marker 1, hit apex and exit.
We can then record how well performed at Turn 2. We can record our mental state, how we felt, and what we think we can do to improve our cornering at Turn 2.
THE STREET
Do you commute? Do you take short trips on the weekend? Recording the good, the bad, and the ugly can help you become a better rider. If you have close calls with motorists, record each incident, analyze your actions and reflect upon what you may have done differently. How could you change your strategy to maximize your time and space on the road? How can you improve your riding gear to increase comfort and safety? What skills can you practice to give you more riding confidence?
A little bit of introspection about these incidents can go a long way towards reducing future incidents.
If you decide to start writing to improve your riding will you keep us in the loop? Tell us your thoughts: bill@motorcycletraining.com
