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In the Saddle is an eNewsletter for motorcycle enthusiasts that is produced several times a year.

Skill Centre

Riding with awareness

“A lot of people think of someone as a skillful rider if they have physical prowess,” says Ken Condon, motorcycle riding instructor and author of Riding in the zone: Advanced techniques for skillful motorcycling. “But it’s really mental skills that help you make good judgements and use your physical skills to their fullest.”

To elaborate, Condon adds: “The first thing about developing excellent mental skills is having the right attitude. More than that, it’s essential to know the right strategies.”

In his book, Condon outlines a series of strategies to help you manage risk and become a more proficient and confident rider. Here are six skills that should be part of every rider’s mental skill set. 

Ride and be seen

Don’t assume that drivers will see you. Wear brightly-coloured clothing and a conspicuous helmet. Taught by all rider-safety training programs, this basic precaution bears frequent repeating.

Ride within your limits

“A lot of people don’t know how to gauge their ability,” Condon observes. He suggests this rule-of-thumb: “If you feel tension when negotiating a manoeuvre, you’re approaching being over your head. If you feel panic, you’re definitely over your head.”

Choose favourable lane positioning

Smart lane positioning not only enhances your own visibility, but also helps you see what’s coming. “I see too many riders tailgating a vehicle such as a van, or riding too close to the middle of the lane,” says Condon.

When riding behind a vehicle, the optimum position is in the left- hand portion of your lane, where oncoming drivers can see you. However, if a driver is waiting to turn across traffic from the right, riding in the right portion of your lane is best so that the driver can clearly see you.

Another aspect of lane positioning is using a cornering line, or path, when riding through a curve. A basic cornering line (known as an outside-inside-outside path) helps “straighten” a corner and affords increased visibility through the curve.

Learn to recognize and manage high-risk situations

One of the most common traffic hazards you can face is when a driver turns left across your lane at an intersection. “It’s particularly dangerous at the start of the riding season when drivers don’t expect to see you,” says Condon.

Another contributing factor is your approach speed. “If you ride any faster than the surrounding drivers expect you to go, the risk increases because it’s hard for drivers to judge just how fast you’re coming.”

Especially in springtime, road surfaces are fraught with dangers. If you encounter a hazardous surface while riding through a curve, straighten your bike, ride over the slippery patch, then return to the lean when you are back on clean pavement.

Peer pressure is another peril. “It can cause the most risk-averse riders to act out of character and move outside their comfort zone,” says Condon. If riding in a group, for example, “resist the temptation of high-risk conduct by riding at the back of the pack.”

Sharpen your visual awareness

Practise being visually attentive and actively search for hazards on the road. “By scanning continually, you can assess multiple hazards in a short amount of time,” advises Condon. The farther ahead you scan, the earlier you will detect dangers.

Just as important is the ability to avoid target fixation, a term used to describe the panic response when you look at what you fear. Try to minimize fixation by continuously looking for alternative routes around the obstacles you suddenly encounter in the road.

Develop a sense of traction

“Understanding the dynamics of how your motorcycle works is essential to knowing when you have enough grip, or traction, to brake and how load affects traction,” Condon points out.

“To preserve traction, for example, it’s important to avoid abrupt shifts in load. Brake early and progressively to minimize fork dive, and ease off brakes smoothly to minimize abrupt spring reload,” he says.

“It’s also important to remember that if you use 90% of traction for braking, there’s only 10% remaining grip to perform evasive manoeuvres like swerving.”

“A huge part of being a motorcyclist is understanding the intimate connection between you and the road,” says Condon. “Honing your mental riding skills will help you do that and make you a better rider.”

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