Long time with no posts. Long time with not much riding. I've got a new job that is pretty intense and time demanding. My beloved Versys has been a little difficult, and is, in fact, in the shop right now for a weird electrical gremlin. However, the weather could not be better, and the Hypermotard has new tires, so today was a day to ride, and ride I did.
Have I mentioned how much I love new tires? Something about the Hyper, these multi-compound tires, and maybe the way I ride, makes tires get REAL ugly before they wear out. I mean scary ugly. The most recent set of tires on the Hyper, Dunlop Roadsmarts, wore in the same pattern I've seen on Bridgestones (14's, 16's, 20's, 21's, 23's, they all do it) in which the sides wear off before the centers, leaving a tire with a profile that looks something like a stop sign. Lots of tread in the middle, wear bars showing on the sides, and a frightening transition as you fall off the center, and plummet to the side. Not confidence inspiring. You have to flick over hard and get on the gas like you mean it to catch it. New tires are so much nicer. Pirellis Scorpion Trails, which I've run on the Versys, but not on the Hyper before now. They were nice today.
A couple of great goat trails were on order today. Fairfax-Bolinas - running that direction - was delightful. Not much in the way of cars, plenty of bicycles, and only a handful of motos. The coast side was chip sealed late last year, and you'd think the winter rains - that we hadn't had much of - would have washed away more of the gravel than is the case, but it was still a good time.
Then I headed north to try out a highly recommended goat that starts near Guerneville and goes over near Healdsburg called Sweetwater Springs Road. This was really a good time. No cars, two bicycles, one other motorcycle that I passed. The road was technical and fun. Lots to keep you busy. Dirty, narrow, rough, short sightlines. Life is good!
One of the treats of living in Northern California, is that the great roads attract some neat vehicles. Today was no exception. How about what appeared to an Allard J2x? That's pretty unusual anywhere. Okay, how about a brace of Alfa GTA's? A gaggle of Morgans? And just for spice, a Ferrari 365 GTC, and at the other end of the spectrum, an MGA coupe? To top it all off, coming home from work on Thursday on the San Pablo Dam road, I see a red Vincent coming the other way!
Last but not least, I staggered into a nice little diner today at the edge of Sebastopol called D's - Diner. Great hamburger and malt, and neat ambiance. Not cheap, but definitely very good. Check it out.
Have a great riding season.
PS: The Aerostich folks have been in town for the past week. Went and got measured for Roadcrafter. Nice folks. Got to meet the founder, Andy Goldfine, the new CEO, Mark, and the fitter extraordinaire, Stephanie, not to leave out, Oora (sp?). The technical term is "Minnesota Nice". Oh, and Andy introduced me too well-known moto-journalist, Marc Cook. It was a great visit.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards
Oh jeez, not another end of the year special?! Sure, why not?
Highlights for me of 2012?
Got to ride Europe again, and that's always a treat. Picked up my Versys from the garage of my late riding pal, Colin Barlow. Visited with his wife and friends before heading out to ride the Chunnel to France.
Met up with my good friend, Matthias in Dole, France, and the two of us had a lovely ride through rural France on tiny roads between Dole and Lyon. In some ways it was the best single day of riding for me in Europe this year. Matthias sorted it all through his GPS, and we had a ball zinging up and down tiny lanes.
Once in Lyon we were hosted at the home of a fellow whose videos I'd admired on YouTube, BenDYd. That was enough of an introduction that he invited us to stop by and spend the evening. He and his boys cooked us a delightful French meal enjoyed on a perfect summer evening, and providing us a good night's sleep before launching off into the Alps.
Best new-to-me pass this year? Colle Sampeyre in far northwestern Italy. At least I think it was new to me. It reminds me of a road we ran in the 2006 Centopassi. Not sure. If you like the goaty stuff, try it out.
After the Alps it was time to rendezvous with my lovely wife at her sister's home in North Yorkshire. It turns out that one of Colin's best mates - Stuart, who we rode with in 2010 - lives close by. That meant we got a brilliant guided tour of the Yorkshire moors and a lovely evening out. So fun to watch Stuart's effortless speed on the wild and nadgery lanes and humpback bridges of the rural UK.
Every year the high points have to include the BARF rallies, and thanks must be extended to those adventurous souls who trustingly follow me on all the most treacherous roads I can find en route to our rally destinations. I love you folks for your enthusiastic comradeship!
There's no way to pick a favorite rally. Hawthorne is always its own thing, not really comparable to any other rally. Paso Robles was fun, as always. One little highlight at Hawthorne this year was the opportunity to stop by to see Andy's (tzrider) vacation home and tree house. Not only was the tree house at least as cool as the photos, but Andy had a bigger treat for me. We had the chance to discuss my 2011 crash, and Andy offered a possible diagnosis of the contributing inputs that - in addition to excessive exuberance - put me on the ground. After reflecting on Andy's suggestion, it became clear that he'd nailed it (no wonder he's such a superb coach!), and now I have something to work on to keep me out of trouble.
It's always a treat to get some advanced training in each year, and in 2012 it was provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's training center and their civilian motorcycle training class. It's a bargain in motorcycle training, where they introduce you to the fundamentals of cop bike training (make sure to rent one of cop Kawasakis - they're a blast!)
Looking forward, what does 2013 have in store?
More training for sure. Maybe a return to something I've done before, like Rich Oliver, or CSS, or Lee Parks. Maybe something new. At least go back to the Alameda County Sheriff's training. There is so much opportunity to improve.
Hoping to get a small dual sport some time in 2013 so I can get some more off-road riding in. Partly for skill improvement, partly for the chance to do fun and challenging riding that keeps me away from cars, and where fun happens at lower speeds.
Back to Europe seems likely. The Versys awaits in the garage there. Not sure about the Alps in 2013. Maybe. Maybe Scotland or the IOM instead. Thinking that it would be fun to see the Southern 100 road race there in July.
Obviously, the BARF rallies, but I can't say whether I'll be able to rallymaster in 2013. Life gets busy. Still, the rallies are so much fun that there must be a way to participate even if I may not be able to lead.
Group rides with my friends are always a highpoint, and not to be missed. In that mix of group rides has to include the legendary highways 36, 162, and 25.
If all those things come to pass, 2013 will be at least as wonderful as 2012.
How about you? What was the best part of 2012 for you? What did you learn? What do you treasure? What do you want to make happen in 2013?
Highlights for me of 2012?
Got to ride Europe again, and that's always a treat. Picked up my Versys from the garage of my late riding pal, Colin Barlow. Visited with his wife and friends before heading out to ride the Chunnel to France.
Met up with my good friend, Matthias in Dole, France, and the two of us had a lovely ride through rural France on tiny roads between Dole and Lyon. In some ways it was the best single day of riding for me in Europe this year. Matthias sorted it all through his GPS, and we had a ball zinging up and down tiny lanes.
Once in Lyon we were hosted at the home of a fellow whose videos I'd admired on YouTube, BenDYd. That was enough of an introduction that he invited us to stop by and spend the evening. He and his boys cooked us a delightful French meal enjoyed on a perfect summer evening, and providing us a good night's sleep before launching off into the Alps.
Best new-to-me pass this year? Colle Sampeyre in far northwestern Italy. At least I think it was new to me. It reminds me of a road we ran in the 2006 Centopassi. Not sure. If you like the goaty stuff, try it out.
After the Alps it was time to rendezvous with my lovely wife at her sister's home in North Yorkshire. It turns out that one of Colin's best mates - Stuart, who we rode with in 2010 - lives close by. That meant we got a brilliant guided tour of the Yorkshire moors and a lovely evening out. So fun to watch Stuart's effortless speed on the wild and nadgery lanes and humpback bridges of the rural UK.
Every year the high points have to include the BARF rallies, and thanks must be extended to those adventurous souls who trustingly follow me on all the most treacherous roads I can find en route to our rally destinations. I love you folks for your enthusiastic comradeship!
There's no way to pick a favorite rally. Hawthorne is always its own thing, not really comparable to any other rally. Paso Robles was fun, as always. One little highlight at Hawthorne this year was the opportunity to stop by to see Andy's (tzrider) vacation home and tree house. Not only was the tree house at least as cool as the photos, but Andy had a bigger treat for me. We had the chance to discuss my 2011 crash, and Andy offered a possible diagnosis of the contributing inputs that - in addition to excessive exuberance - put me on the ground. After reflecting on Andy's suggestion, it became clear that he'd nailed it (no wonder he's such a superb coach!), and now I have something to work on to keep me out of trouble.
It's always a treat to get some advanced training in each year, and in 2012 it was provided by the Alameda County Sheriff's training center and their civilian motorcycle training class. It's a bargain in motorcycle training, where they introduce you to the fundamentals of cop bike training (make sure to rent one of cop Kawasakis - they're a blast!)
Looking forward, what does 2013 have in store?
More training for sure. Maybe a return to something I've done before, like Rich Oliver, or CSS, or Lee Parks. Maybe something new. At least go back to the Alameda County Sheriff's training. There is so much opportunity to improve.
Hoping to get a small dual sport some time in 2013 so I can get some more off-road riding in. Partly for skill improvement, partly for the chance to do fun and challenging riding that keeps me away from cars, and where fun happens at lower speeds.
Back to Europe seems likely. The Versys awaits in the garage there. Not sure about the Alps in 2013. Maybe. Maybe Scotland or the IOM instead. Thinking that it would be fun to see the Southern 100 road race there in July.
Obviously, the BARF rallies, but I can't say whether I'll be able to rallymaster in 2013. Life gets busy. Still, the rallies are so much fun that there must be a way to participate even if I may not be able to lead.
Group rides with my friends are always a highpoint, and not to be missed. In that mix of group rides has to include the legendary highways 36, 162, and 25.
If all those things come to pass, 2013 will be at least as wonderful as 2012.
How about you? What was the best part of 2012 for you? What did you learn? What do you treasure? What do you want to make happen in 2013?
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Riding With Friends
Today was highlighted by participating in a ride celebrating a friend's birthday. Fourteen riders, some I knew, most I didn't. The birthday boy wanted oysters for his birthday, and you really can't beat fresh oysters from Tomales Bay enjoyed outside on a brilliantly sunny late November afternoon. It was wonderful!
Like lots of riders, I can be a little uncomfortable riding with folks for the first time. Plus, it was a little damp under the trees from recent rain, so when the route was planned to go straight up Hwy 1 from Point Reyes Station to Marshall, I separated myself from the group to go ride Marshall-Petaluma, a local favorite, then reunited with the group at the Marshall Store.
Listening to talk over lunch, it was clear I'd missed out some by riding apart from the group, so when the birthday boy said he wanted to ride Fairfax-Bolinas on the way home, it was time to re-integrate with the group. As it turned out, the group of fourteen fractured a bit going south, and I ended up in a group of four, all of whom I knew, but only one of whom I'd ridden with. As it turned out, all were superb riders, beautiful and smooth arcing down 1, sharp and surefooted over Fairfax-Bolinas.
Once we were over the top of the ridge and down the other side we stopped to talk, trade stories, ask question, and review the highlights of what we'd just ridden. The conversation was full of laughter, sharing the raw joy of a great ride in a way that can't be fully shared with anyone who wasn't there. What a pleasure!
It brought up a number of recent rides, with old friends and new, small groups and large, in which the intensity of the experience, combined with the need to be flexible and ride in concert with others over the road in a sort of dance, brings to light a part of the motorcycling experience that one can't really get riding by oneself all the time. There is much to be said for the quiet and introspection of the solo ride, and they are an important part of the riding experience. That said, the afterglow of today's ride is a vivid reminder that joy shared is joy squared. Enjoy.
Like lots of riders, I can be a little uncomfortable riding with folks for the first time. Plus, it was a little damp under the trees from recent rain, so when the route was planned to go straight up Hwy 1 from Point Reyes Station to Marshall, I separated myself from the group to go ride Marshall-Petaluma, a local favorite, then reunited with the group at the Marshall Store.
Listening to talk over lunch, it was clear I'd missed out some by riding apart from the group, so when the birthday boy said he wanted to ride Fairfax-Bolinas on the way home, it was time to re-integrate with the group. As it turned out, the group of fourteen fractured a bit going south, and I ended up in a group of four, all of whom I knew, but only one of whom I'd ridden with. As it turned out, all were superb riders, beautiful and smooth arcing down 1, sharp and surefooted over Fairfax-Bolinas.
Once we were over the top of the ridge and down the other side we stopped to talk, trade stories, ask question, and review the highlights of what we'd just ridden. The conversation was full of laughter, sharing the raw joy of a great ride in a way that can't be fully shared with anyone who wasn't there. What a pleasure!
It brought up a number of recent rides, with old friends and new, small groups and large, in which the intensity of the experience, combined with the need to be flexible and ride in concert with others over the road in a sort of dance, brings to light a part of the motorcycling experience that one can't really get riding by oneself all the time. There is much to be said for the quiet and introspection of the solo ride, and they are an important part of the riding experience. That said, the afterglow of today's ride is a vivid reminder that joy shared is joy squared. Enjoy.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Ride It/Pay It Forward Day
November 24th. What a great day to remember all the folks who have help us out along our way as motorcyclists.
Time to remember that friend who used to let you rip around on his minibike because he had one and your parents forbid you having one. Time to remember the guys down at the moto shop who let you hang around. Time to remember the folks who helped you figure out how to work the throttle and the clutch - at the same time! Time to remember the friend who helped you do your first valve adjustment. Time to remember the folks who stopped to help you when you were broken down on the side of the road. Time to remember the cool guys who let you come on their rides when you were just starting out, and then made sure you didn't get lost or dropped when you fell behind. Time to remember the cop who cut you some slack when you were being a fool on your bike.
The list goes on and on, doesn't it? Folks often tend to view motorcycling as this intensely individual activity. When you're riding it's all up to you. Head in your helmet, by yourself (often), iPod blasting in your ears (sometimes), captaining your own ship (always), encapsulated in experience if not in steel. Yet when I think back, motorcycling has often depended on other people to a great degree. Not just the folks who helped, but the folks who've been there, who've shared the moment, the view, the road food, the buzz of a twisty road ridden quickly. The folks who helped us keep going. The folks who took care of us when we were hurt or broken down. The folks who showed us the way when we were learning or lost. The folks whose kindness made it all so much better.
Today is a good day to remember those folks, and having remembered them and all their many kindnesses to us, today is a day to make sure we pay those kindnesses forward. Today is a good day to help a newbie rider, to share a favorite backroad, to buy another rider's lunch, to help someone work on a broken bike, to show the smooth way through a turn, to stop to help a broken down rider, to lead or sweep a group ride. Today is a day to remember everyone who made motorcycling so much more than an intensely individual experience, and do the same for another rider. Ride it forward.
Miss you, Colin.
Time to remember that friend who used to let you rip around on his minibike because he had one and your parents forbid you having one. Time to remember the guys down at the moto shop who let you hang around. Time to remember the folks who helped you figure out how to work the throttle and the clutch - at the same time! Time to remember the friend who helped you do your first valve adjustment. Time to remember the folks who stopped to help you when you were broken down on the side of the road. Time to remember the cool guys who let you come on their rides when you were just starting out, and then made sure you didn't get lost or dropped when you fell behind. Time to remember the cop who cut you some slack when you were being a fool on your bike.
The list goes on and on, doesn't it? Folks often tend to view motorcycling as this intensely individual activity. When you're riding it's all up to you. Head in your helmet, by yourself (often), iPod blasting in your ears (sometimes), captaining your own ship (always), encapsulated in experience if not in steel. Yet when I think back, motorcycling has often depended on other people to a great degree. Not just the folks who helped, but the folks who've been there, who've shared the moment, the view, the road food, the buzz of a twisty road ridden quickly. The folks who helped us keep going. The folks who took care of us when we were hurt or broken down. The folks who showed us the way when we were learning or lost. The folks whose kindness made it all so much better.
Today is a good day to remember those folks, and having remembered them and all their many kindnesses to us, today is a day to make sure we pay those kindnesses forward. Today is a good day to help a newbie rider, to share a favorite backroad, to buy another rider's lunch, to help someone work on a broken bike, to show the smooth way through a turn, to stop to help a broken down rider, to lead or sweep a group ride. Today is a day to remember everyone who made motorcycling so much more than an intensely individual experience, and do the same for another rider. Ride it forward.
Miss you, Colin.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Weekdays
Weekday riding is for some riders a rare luxury, and this week I was reminded just how luxurious they can be. I'm not working right now, and Monday night a friend reached out to see if I could show some visiting Brazilians some of our local roads. So on Tuesday I met up with Lynn and Lygia who were visiting from Rio on their Moto Guzzi Stelvio.
My friend who'd contacted me had highlighted a map of great Marin and Sonoma country roads for Lynn and Lygia to follow, and it included some of my favorite backroads, but since it was a weekday, and they'd never been here before, it seemed worthwhile to try out some of the routes I usually avoid due to overcrowding. We rode straight to Tam Junction to pick up Hwy 1, then over the hill towards Stinson Beach. A brilliant road, and recently re-paved! Normally I avoid that section of Hwy 1 like the plague due to its usual crowding with frightened sightseers, overloaded minivans, stoned out surfers, and HOG chapter rides. On Tuesday is was nearly empty at 11 AM. Woo-Hoo!
Hwy 1 was so empty I even agreed to ride through Bodega Bay! And even better, my head didn't explode!
In the end, it was a great day of riding. Lynn and Lygia fly down the road on that Stelvio. We only rode goat trails for fun, not for the purpose of avoiding crowds. If you get a day off, you should try a weekday ride on a road that's normally too crowded. Like me, you may find you'd forgotten just how much fun can be had on a tourist road when the tourists are gone.
My friend who'd contacted me had highlighted a map of great Marin and Sonoma country roads for Lynn and Lygia to follow, and it included some of my favorite backroads, but since it was a weekday, and they'd never been here before, it seemed worthwhile to try out some of the routes I usually avoid due to overcrowding. We rode straight to Tam Junction to pick up Hwy 1, then over the hill towards Stinson Beach. A brilliant road, and recently re-paved! Normally I avoid that section of Hwy 1 like the plague due to its usual crowding with frightened sightseers, overloaded minivans, stoned out surfers, and HOG chapter rides. On Tuesday is was nearly empty at 11 AM. Woo-Hoo!
Hwy 1 was so empty I even agreed to ride through Bodega Bay! And even better, my head didn't explode!
In the end, it was a great day of riding. Lynn and Lygia fly down the road on that Stelvio. We only rode goat trails for fun, not for the purpose of avoiding crowds. If you get a day off, you should try a weekday ride on a road that's normally too crowded. Like me, you may find you'd forgotten just how much fun can be had on a tourist road when the tourists are gone.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
RAIN! AGAIN!
I posted about rain back in July when I had just returned from a trip to France that featured a couple of heavy rainfalls. Back here in California, it's been the usual weather pattern of a dry summer followed by the resumption of rain in the autumn. Any of you who saw the Giants defeat the Cardinals in the NLCS know that rain has returned to northern California in earnest. With that in mind, what are some things to think about when riding goat trails during or after rain storms?
Since most of the roads here that we call goat trails are on hillsides, the number one concern regards run-off. What has run off the hillside and on to the road surface? It can be mud, sand, gravel, manure, etc. All slippery. With short sightlines and and the possibility of poor visibility when riding in the rain, it's good to be cognizant of the risks of run-off and adjust your speed accordingly. While you're at it, give some to where on the road the run-off is likely to be, beginning with the uphill side of the road surface.
Next, since one of the characteristics of California that gives us such fun roads is our area's geological instability, it's good to think about what that means - particularly if it's been raining heavily for some time. Sometimes what it means are mudslides, and while some of those can be similar to the debris on the road mentioned above, they can also turn into the road you're on sliding away down the hillside. No fun to round a turn and find there's no road! Another thing to consider when choosing the entry speed for a corner.
As the rain falls this time of year, it will also bring leaves and pine needles down on the road, creating a very slippery surface, and one which may take months to clear on the less traveled roads. Add to the the falling of some of the branches that held those leaves coming down in big storms, and in really big storms, even the trees that held the branches that held the leaves can be waiting to give you a surprise around that next bend.
Last for today, though we won't have to worry about it for a while, after a long damp period, roads that don't get much sun can develop moss. Moss is another one of those slippery items that can deliver a nasty surprise. Running in the tire tracks can help, but you need to be aware that the path your head takes around a corner won't be the same as the paths your tires take. If you cross over the area between the tracks, you'll find yourself in the mother lode of slippery!
Just a few thoughts rattling around in my head as I get ready to go out for a ride following our first real rain of the season. What did I miss?
Since most of the roads here that we call goat trails are on hillsides, the number one concern regards run-off. What has run off the hillside and on to the road surface? It can be mud, sand, gravel, manure, etc. All slippery. With short sightlines and and the possibility of poor visibility when riding in the rain, it's good to be cognizant of the risks of run-off and adjust your speed accordingly. While you're at it, give some to where on the road the run-off is likely to be, beginning with the uphill side of the road surface.
Next, since one of the characteristics of California that gives us such fun roads is our area's geological instability, it's good to think about what that means - particularly if it's been raining heavily for some time. Sometimes what it means are mudslides, and while some of those can be similar to the debris on the road mentioned above, they can also turn into the road you're on sliding away down the hillside. No fun to round a turn and find there's no road! Another thing to consider when choosing the entry speed for a corner.
As the rain falls this time of year, it will also bring leaves and pine needles down on the road, creating a very slippery surface, and one which may take months to clear on the less traveled roads. Add to the the falling of some of the branches that held those leaves coming down in big storms, and in really big storms, even the trees that held the branches that held the leaves can be waiting to give you a surprise around that next bend.
Last for today, though we won't have to worry about it for a while, after a long damp period, roads that don't get much sun can develop moss. Moss is another one of those slippery items that can deliver a nasty surprise. Running in the tire tracks can help, but you need to be aware that the path your head takes around a corner won't be the same as the paths your tires take. If you cross over the area between the tracks, you'll find yourself in the mother lode of slippery!
Just a few thoughts rattling around in my head as I get ready to go out for a ride following our first real rain of the season. What did I miss?
Friday, October 12, 2012
Visual Discipline
It's a truism in motorcycling that where you look determines where you go. If you focus on a a tree, the edge of the road, the bumper of the car in front of you, that's exactly where you'll steer the bike. You can find lots of discussion out there on motorcycle forums and in other literature that explains that, but let's just call it a given, and refer to it as target fixation. Below is a classic, if somewhat chilling, example. The rider visually locks on to something that frightens him, then crashes straight into it.
There may be riders who've never experienced target fixation, but I'm not one of them. Come to think of it, most riders I know well will admit to having experienced it one time or another. Truth be told, I've experienced target fixation at least once per year for as long as I've been riding. Yet for me and most of these same riders, target fixation does not always result in crashing. Why is that?
Looking at the above video gives us a classic example of how target fixation typically begins. In the video it appears that the rider brakes for the upcoming turn / intersection and inadvertently looks the rear brake causing the rear wheel to slide, and the rider to panic - stiffen up, foot off the peg, etc. - the rider sees the wall, stares at the wall, and proceeds straight into the wall. Ouch! The critical point being that target fixation is typically preceded by something happening that scares the rider, causing the rider to stare at whatever is the object of fright, then steering straight into it.
If it's fairly common for riders to target fixate, but not that common for them to crash as a result, what is it that enables a rider to recover from target fixation incident, and safely avoid a crash? My experience is that somehow the rider recognizes what is happening, and breaks the fixation by choosing to look where he wants to go rather than at what he wants to avoid.
This ties to the topic of visual discipline - knowing where you're looking, knowing where you need to be looking in order to safely pilot your motorcycle, having the presence of mind to recognize when the two don't match and that corrective action is required, and having the discipline in the face to fear to put your eyes where you need them to be. No mean feat.
How do you accomplish this? Going back to an earlier post on self-awareness, it begins with knowing where you're looking as you ride. Where am I looking? Are my eyes scanning the road out to the vanishing point? Am I looking at the ground just ahead of my front wheel? Am I locking on to roadside objects that scare me? Some self-awareness and self-critiquing will go a long way towards establishing a baseline of experiential knowledge regarding where you need to look.
The next step is recognizing when your normal pattern of looking at the road has been disrupted. A good clue for this can be seen in the video - it's noticing that you're frightened. Have you suddenly stiffened up, stopped breathing, felt a jolt of adrenaline and a rise in your heart rate? Are you staring at something?
And this is where the "discipline" part comes in. Having noticed this, it's time to force yourself to look where you want to go. There are times when I've felt like I need to reach up and grab the chin bar of my own helmet to yank my head in the direction I needed to look! You know what? If that's what it takes, that's what you do.
Lee Parks has an exercise he describes in his book, Total Control, that helps out with this. You'll need a friend and a parking lot to pull this off, but it will greatly help you in developing the ability to recover once you target fixate. Lee suggests that you figure out where you can comfortably ride in a circle with your friend standing in the middle. As you ride around the circle, your friend rotates in the middle so that the two of you can maintain eye contact. Every time you break eye contact your friend will point it out and tell you, "look at me." Keep doing this until you can consistently ride the circle without breaking eye contact. When you can do that, tighten the radius of the circle until it begins to be difficult to maintain eye contact, then stay at that radius until you master it, then tighten the circle again. Do this turning both clockwise and counter-clockwise, trading places with your friend so that you both gain experience looking consistently where you want to go, and recovering if you get distracted.
This is a great way to develop and sharpen the visual discipline that will help you recover when you start to target fixate, assuring that your ride home is on the bike and not in an ambulance.
There may be riders who've never experienced target fixation, but I'm not one of them. Come to think of it, most riders I know well will admit to having experienced it one time or another. Truth be told, I've experienced target fixation at least once per year for as long as I've been riding. Yet for me and most of these same riders, target fixation does not always result in crashing. Why is that?
Looking at the above video gives us a classic example of how target fixation typically begins. In the video it appears that the rider brakes for the upcoming turn / intersection and inadvertently looks the rear brake causing the rear wheel to slide, and the rider to panic - stiffen up, foot off the peg, etc. - the rider sees the wall, stares at the wall, and proceeds straight into the wall. Ouch! The critical point being that target fixation is typically preceded by something happening that scares the rider, causing the rider to stare at whatever is the object of fright, then steering straight into it.
If it's fairly common for riders to target fixate, but not that common for them to crash as a result, what is it that enables a rider to recover from target fixation incident, and safely avoid a crash? My experience is that somehow the rider recognizes what is happening, and breaks the fixation by choosing to look where he wants to go rather than at what he wants to avoid.
This ties to the topic of visual discipline - knowing where you're looking, knowing where you need to be looking in order to safely pilot your motorcycle, having the presence of mind to recognize when the two don't match and that corrective action is required, and having the discipline in the face to fear to put your eyes where you need them to be. No mean feat.
How do you accomplish this? Going back to an earlier post on self-awareness, it begins with knowing where you're looking as you ride. Where am I looking? Are my eyes scanning the road out to the vanishing point? Am I looking at the ground just ahead of my front wheel? Am I locking on to roadside objects that scare me? Some self-awareness and self-critiquing will go a long way towards establishing a baseline of experiential knowledge regarding where you need to look.
The next step is recognizing when your normal pattern of looking at the road has been disrupted. A good clue for this can be seen in the video - it's noticing that you're frightened. Have you suddenly stiffened up, stopped breathing, felt a jolt of adrenaline and a rise in your heart rate? Are you staring at something?
And this is where the "discipline" part comes in. Having noticed this, it's time to force yourself to look where you want to go. There are times when I've felt like I need to reach up and grab the chin bar of my own helmet to yank my head in the direction I needed to look! You know what? If that's what it takes, that's what you do.
Lee Parks has an exercise he describes in his book, Total Control, that helps out with this. You'll need a friend and a parking lot to pull this off, but it will greatly help you in developing the ability to recover once you target fixate. Lee suggests that you figure out where you can comfortably ride in a circle with your friend standing in the middle. As you ride around the circle, your friend rotates in the middle so that the two of you can maintain eye contact. Every time you break eye contact your friend will point it out and tell you, "look at me." Keep doing this until you can consistently ride the circle without breaking eye contact. When you can do that, tighten the radius of the circle until it begins to be difficult to maintain eye contact, then stay at that radius until you master it, then tighten the circle again. Do this turning both clockwise and counter-clockwise, trading places with your friend so that you both gain experience looking consistently where you want to go, and recovering if you get distracted.
This is a great way to develop and sharpen the visual discipline that will help you recover when you start to target fixate, assuring that your ride home is on the bike and not in an ambulance.
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