“Wow, did you see that?

Wish I was that good.”

Hmmm…I’ve heard many variations of this statement.  The ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ we’ve all expelled over seeing someone riding a motorcycle with the dexterity and skill we all wish we possessed. However long we’ve been riding or what our personal experiences, we all want to be better riders – we all want to be that ‘good’.

‘Good’ is tricky.  The lure of ‘good’ will snare you – don’t get caught up in its deceptive net.  When we see someone ‘good’ and have that moment of wistfulness, that is simply envy catching hold of us.  ‘Good’ is a subjective distinction and too easily misused.  When we begin to exclaim over someone else’s skills, we don’t often stop to consider what it is that we are really looking at. Perhaps our goal should be something more attainable – something more easily defined and more readily acquired beyond that simplified idea of ‘good’.

I’ve got a better word.

Effective.

Apply it the next time you see a rider whose skill you feel exceeds your own.

What made you think the rider was ‘good’?  Was it a trick performed?  Some aggressive riding? Was it a skill you lack that they demonstrated apparently easily? Whatever they did to impress you, just how useful would it be in a real-world situation?  Flash in adventure riding is largely insubstantial, it is technique that is necessary.  Effective use of technique even more so.  Riding wheelies down the street is great, looks amazing and for that ten seconds is a feat of wished for prowess.

1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10

Now take that same rider and put them in the dirt. Effective riding encompasses more beyond the simple act of riding, those subtle points may elude most, but for those that are mindful of them, adventure riding truly becomes something to aspire to.

Ride smart.  Riding is such a physical endeavor it is easy to forget how much thinking comes into play, and how that thinking can positively influence the outcome.  Many riders simply ‘survive’ the ride.  That is, they rely on strength and the push-hard-til-it-moves mindset to get them through.  Understand the engineering of your motorcycle.  Acquire through training and practice the mental skill set necessary to refine how you ride.

Ride safe.  Application of technique conserves energy not only by extending your endurance but by allowing you to efficiently spend your energy so that you can do more than survive the ride, you can enjoy the experience.

Training is everything.

It shows you how to mentally and physically prepare yourself for adventure riding.

It transforms your ride from the road to the trail.

It is the beginning of whatever journey you imagine taking.

Like everything else you’ve learned to do in your life, it begins with the process of observation and application.  You’ll make mistakes along the way, and those small and large corrections will build your confidence on your journey towards mastery.

— BlackSwanMoto