Cdogman
Bad Boy
Sometimes simple works too. Take the unpretentious simple Islay Scotch. What does it want you ask. Water, not in the glass, just close enough to see it through the glass........ Oh, Wait, wrong board.... Nevermind
Pre-flight mantra / affirmation?
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Sometimes simple works too. Take the unpretentious simple Islay Scotch. What does it want you ask. Water, not in the glass, just close enough to see it through the glass........ Oh, Wait, wrong board.... Nevermind
Howardrg
Well-known member
"I must be one seriously simple sumanabitch because I just do what comes natural and get on the bike and ride...leaving all my troubles behind."
Axman that makes two of us.
Axman that makes two of us.
drc32-0
Well-known member
Great thread Lee...and very important.Many riders crash simply because they are not paying enough attention.
Whenever I get on the bike I repeatedly tell myself to concentrate!"Keep your head in the game,sure it's fun,but it can also be deadly.ALWAYS stay alert."
Mental check list;road conditons,animals,traffic,bike,self,distractions-STAY ALERT.
Whenever I get on the bike I repeatedly tell myself to concentrate!"Keep your head in the game,sure it's fun,but it can also be deadly.ALWAYS stay alert."
Mental check list;road conditons,animals,traffic,bike,self,distractions-STAY ALERT.
i just try to remind myself that my head isn't really into the ride for the first 10 or 15 minutes. it seems to take me about that long before that calm focused zone sets in. until then, whatever worries the world has me busy with are still bouncing around in my helmet. i know that i'm most vulnerable then, so for me it's an effort rather than habit to stay focused at the beginning of a ride. occasionally, i have to pull over and have a little chat with myself. i won't ride angry and i won't ride if i'm so preoccupied with my problem of the day that my right hand disconects from my brain.
i wonder how long i'd have to push the damned snowblower before that calm focused zone sets in.
snow sucks.
derek
i wonder how long i'd have to push the damned snowblower before that calm focused zone sets in.
snow sucks.
derek
Loki
Well-known member
madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
You dreamin' big, again? :red_bandana:
I wish I could say that I do the same. In reality I have found my mind wandering....not a good thing when one has the limited capacity I exhibit sometimes. That's when I began my pre-ride ritual. Not that it has become a formal mantra, being spoken by rote, but that it creates a scenario in which I begin to focus so when I physically begin the ride, my mind is coming into agreement as it talks with my muscles so I am prepared to act.
It is a scary world in which we exercise this passion.
Oh yeah....practice, practice, practice: Emergency stops, turns, weaves, etc., before you need them.
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exskibum
~<>~<>~<>~<>~
I'm kinda simple, too. About the only thing that I consistently remind myself of as I start out is that the tires are cold. Other than that, I do pretty much as WC said.
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Hawk28
Active member
Bike: Tires, oil level, general look-see.
Self: Head in the game. SIPDE. Ride your own ride. Don't let extraneous
hassles filter back in to break concentration on ride.
Self: Head in the game. SIPDE. Ride your own ride. Don't let extraneous
hassles filter back in to break concentration on ride.
GAPS
Well-known member
In a fake scandanavian accent I yell inside my helmet 'YOU COULD FOR TO DIE!'.....I dunno, it makes me laugh while keeping me mindful of the risks....or something.
Badcat
Well-known member
I check tires, fluids, fuel, lights, controls and anything else on the bike I can think of before departure. That starts the brain in gear and gets me ready to tempt fate and ride again.
jaybird
Well-known member
When I got the FJR a fellow rider gave me a metal key fob that has "strength" and "peace" on it, and it helps remind me to ask for a safe journey from the good Man above. I never ride without that thought. Religious or not, it helps set my mind up properly.
While I let the bike warm up, I get my mind "in gear" prior to getting into 1st gear and hitting the road. I weave a bit prior to leaving the neighborhood just to get the feel of the bike.
And then I just enjoy, while constantly think about being alert -- and we all know that the world needs more lerts.... :lol: Good thread and good reading. Jay
While I let the bike warm up, I get my mind "in gear" prior to getting into 1st gear and hitting the road. I weave a bit prior to leaving the neighborhood just to get the feel of the bike.
And then I just enjoy, while constantly think about being alert -- and we all know that the world needs more lerts.... :lol: Good thread and good reading. Jay
Mike-H
Independent
1st ride of the day I start with a circle check (just like flying or racing)....then put on all gear except my helmet, ear plugs & gloves, start the bike & listen to it for 5-15 seconds....then my earplugs, helmet & gloves go on, once the helmet is strapped on the mind set goes into two wheel mode, then I roll out nice & easy until everything is @ operating temperature.....from there the game is afoot & the ride is on....(hey it works for me)....
Thanks to all for sharing their (perhaps personal) pre-ride thoughts. As a longtime student of the science of the mind called Zen (I wrote a book about it...search Amazon for "ZenWise"), I also appreciate those who don't have a ritual, and simply ride. Riders who live to ripe old ages are probably those who combine a bit of luck with a lot of "in the moment" focus, and that doesn't come easily...pre-flight mantra / affirmation or not.
Yes, sometimes I meditate in the "conventional" sense (cross-legged, eyes half closed, focus on deep breath control, eliminating unwanted "pop-up" thoughts). There are countless forms of active meditation: running, skating, dancing, mountain climbing, etc. For me, (and, I'm guessing, many of you) motorcycling is one of the most intense forms of "being here, now." Drift off once too often, though (ex: "Wow, what a beautiful sunset!"), and it's game over.
Yes, sometimes I meditate in the "conventional" sense (cross-legged, eyes half closed, focus on deep breath control, eliminating unwanted "pop-up" thoughts). There are countless forms of active meditation: running, skating, dancing, mountain climbing, etc. For me, (and, I'm guessing, many of you) motorcycling is one of the most intense forms of "being here, now." Drift off once too often, though (ex: "Wow, what a beautiful sunset!"), and it's game over.
SilveradoSlick
Well-known member
My mantra is "Oh shit, I'm late!"
James Burleigh
Well-known member
This reminds me: I work with another full-time rider, and one evening as we were breaking from work I was telling him how I had to get to a store an hour away before it closed, and said, "I like to go fast on a motorcycle, but I hateto be in a hurry."
And he told me that just the night before when he got off work he was running late so he stepped up the, uh, aggressive riding behavior. In this case to get on the freeway he went to the front of the line at the light and went wide around the cars turning sharp right to get on the on-ramp. He said he hit some gravel that was out there, which he encountered because of the deeper entry point and harder acceleration. He didn't go down, thankfully, but he said "amen" to that hating to be in a hurry on a motorcycle.
Jb
airboss
Well-known member
I gear up, take a long hard look at the bike, tell her she's one beautiful, dangerous bitch, then we ride.
turbodave_98
TurboDave_98
If it Don't look right, DON'T DO IT!
BrunDog
Well-known member
I'm glad you started this thread, Lee. I thought I was crazy and the only one who said a little prayer.
I am with smokeFJR06 on this one. I stop and run the reality through my head that it may be the last time I am at home. It may be the last time I see my kids and kiss my wife. Then I think about what it would look like if I weren't around. I consider how their life would change. Admittedly, I do this in hopes that my desire to ride becomes overshadowed by these very real potential consequences.
And with all that, even not being a religious guy in the classical sense, I close my eyes and whisper a little wish to the God I believe in. I do hope someday he leads me to realize it is not worth the risk for me and my family. But in the meantime, it helps me just to say my prayer.
-BD
I am with smokeFJR06 on this one. I stop and run the reality through my head that it may be the last time I am at home. It may be the last time I see my kids and kiss my wife. Then I think about what it would look like if I weren't around. I consider how their life would change. Admittedly, I do this in hopes that my desire to ride becomes overshadowed by these very real potential consequences.
And with all that, even not being a religious guy in the classical sense, I close my eyes and whisper a little wish to the God I believe in. I do hope someday he leads me to realize it is not worth the risk for me and my family. But in the meantime, it helps me just to say my prayer.
-BD
Silver Penguin
Silver Penguin
+1 on the inseam thing. I have to walk my bike out of the garage because of my 27" inseam. The custom saddle from Ojai didn't help with my reach, but it made all the difference in the world for comfort. Rocky (seat maker) will warn you that the seat takes a lot of miles to get comfy, and he's right.
As for the pre-flight mantra, I take a few moments to collect my thoughts, get my head in the game and devote my attention to the ride. I often add a prayer, but most of all I try to banish distractions and bring 100% of my attention to where it is needed.
Jill
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