• What you are able to make your bike do
• What you choose to make your bike do
In the US, many riders first learn machine control skills on a MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation®) course. That gives a great start to novice riders and gets them up to the level to go out and gain practical experience of riding on the street. There are similar schemes in other countries.
You master the basics, learn to survive in a hostile environment where you are the only one without a steel cage as armor and become a competent street rider. What’s the next step? How do you go from competent to good? From good to skilled?
If you have deep pockets and no time to lose, go to race school. Heck, some kids start competing so young that they don’t qualify for a license to ride on the street. But those kids are a tiny minority. Most riders are not driven to race; it’s not an overriding goal. If you enjoy motorcycling and want to improve your skills, raise your game without having it take over your whole life... then this guide is for you.
When you can control your motorcycle well, you can:• Ride with confidence
• Go faster, safer
• Command respect from drivers and riders
• Deal with the unexpected
• Have more options in any situation
• Have a bigger safety margin with the same time and space limits
When you see an expert rider, whatever the circumstances, straight away you get the impression of ‘man and machine in perfect harmony’. I say man, but when the helmet comes off you may find it’s ‘woman and machine in perfect harmony’. There are not so many women motorcycle riders but the ones there are tend to be good, very good.