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Motorcycling is risky and the proficient motorcyclist knows that most of what matters on the road is what’s going on in the brain. If the saying “only the strong survive” is true, then the strongest biker will be the one with the most intelligence and knowledge! It will not be the motorcyclist with the most years or miles under his belt! It will be the rider with the most skill. In this case skill being the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively. 

A person’s physical strength, speed and size might matter on the football field… but not on a motorcycle! Riding ability can be instinctual but it can also be aquired. How? Most will probably tell you that experience is the best way to aquire skills. They will claim that years of experience results in skillfullness. Is that true? Does a more experienced rider have more skills than a less experienced rider if both are of equal inteligence? If you define experience strictly as time in the saddle then I would say ”no”! However if you define experience as any activity leading to increased knowledge and ability then I would say “yes”.

There is a lot to learn when it comes to riding a motorcycle safely on the roadways. There are weather, traffic and road hazzards waiting to trip you up. Small mistakes on the road can cost an arm and a leg! I would rather not have to ride a million miles and experience each and every road hazard in order to gain knowledge of them! A friend might teach a new motorcyclist the fundamentals of how to operate a motorcycle and then say “the only way to learn more is through experience.” This could be good or bad advice depending on the above mentioned definitions of “experience”. I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to wait until I have racked up a million miles before I consider myself a skilled rider. I choose to speed up the process and gain experience and knowledge through additional opportunities.

Look for opportunities to increase your knowledge of motorcycling. Fill your head with information during the cold winter months (if not all year round). Get yourself some good books to read and possibly some training DVD’s you can watch at home. Sign up for training classes at the beginning of the ride season. Then go out and practice. Take some trips and get that much sought after experience. Learn all you can, practice and become a strong rider! Remember the saying: “Only the strong survive!”. I’m sure you want to survive so get strong damn it! Also remember: “Knowledge is power!”

You can click the above banner advertisement to shop for Ride Like A Pro products at my online store: www.RoadCaptainUSA.com

You can also find out if there is a Ride Like A Pro course being taught in your area by clicking this link: www.ridelikeapro.com/locations

You can find a good selection of motorcycle related books at my Amazon store: Click here to see the books I read and recommend and here for other books.

You can go through our previous blog posts that focus on rider skills: www.roadcaptainusa.com/category/motorcycle-rider-skills/

You can visit other blogs that emphasize skills, safety and knowledge such as: http://intrepidcommuter.blogspot.com/

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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It’s already the last night of the year and time for my inner reflections here on Road Captain USA! 2011 was busy and went by fast! I was hoping 2011 would be the year I could shake off the disturbing feelings left from the motorcycle accident that happened in 2009. It was not. In fact I witnessed another fatal motorcycle accident while driving to a doctor’s appointment. Not as disturbing as losing a dear friend but still disturbing to see a dead rider in the middle of an intersection and a motorcycle in flames in the middle of the road.

So we did not shake off the blues and ride to our hearts content as we were hoping to do. Instead we worked our butts off and didn’t ride nearly as much as we had wanted to. There were a lot of car road trips as well as a fair amount of weekend motorcycle trips… but nothing epic to write about. It was my last year as Director of First State Chapter and I put a lot of work into making sure it was a quality year for the chapter. We had a record number of overnight trips with Diana organising and leading more than half of them. My career seems to have turned up a notch and I worked harder at work than ever before. Between my responsibilities at work and my making HOG a volunteer job I was working all the time and have lost touch with fun. ”Ride and Have Fun” was my mantra but now it doesn’t seem so easy to live it. I know how to make things fun for other people, but have never been good at having fun. Work, work, work! I made motorcycling into work! I don’t even like to ride anymore! I know, heresy! I have been on break from riding and hoping that backing off from the HOG chapter and starting fresh in the spring will be a good strategy. No cold weather riding this year; I haven’t done any riding since September. The tactic is to miss it so much that come spring I’ll be in love again with the open road.

There is a lot going on in my head regarding group riding and my involvement with HOG but I still can’t organise those thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, I am still involved with HOG! In 2011 I helped John Hardison with a proposal for the 2012 Maryland Delaware rally proposal and the proposal was voted in. Diana and I are both serving on the 2012 rally committee. The rally is in 6 months and that will be our focus from now through mid June. In July and August we will attend two HOG rallies as participants. That should be fun!

We bought a 4×4 truck today! Our hope is this purchase opens up a new chapter in motorcycling for us called: Trailering! I know there are hard core riders who frown on trailering. Many of you proudly wear your “I rode to Daytona” and similar patches and turn your noses up at traler queens. I’m sure you can argue that riding to the destination IS the experience. Everyone is different! I’m not a biker! I’m a recreational rider and a Harley enthusiast. I don’t like to get up early and I don’t like to ride after dusk. I don’t want to travel the highways on my motorcycle with Diana knowing the fatality that can result from the smallest obstacle, misjudgement or cager at highway speeds. I do love traveling on my schedule, hitting the backroads and riding all day in the mountains with my wife (and sometimes friends). So trailering is appealing. The 4×4 pick up truck also opens up other passtimes like camping and boating which could enhance or even replace riding. I know, heresy!

In 2012 I will continue to work hard but I’m hoping to play hard too! I hope you can join us at the 2012 Maryland Delaware State Rally in Deep Creek Lake on June 14, 15, 16 and 17th at The Wisp Resort in McHenry, Maryland. Make your reservations now as the resort is filling up quick and we have special rates. Click here to go to the Wisp Resort website. There are only about 160 rooms available at the resort, so hurry!

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts by Jay Green
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So you’ve taken the plunge and bought a motorcycle.  You have instantly become a part of arguably the largest fraternity on earth – the brotherhood of bikers…or have you?  You cruise down the road and other motorcyclists drop you a “low two” or give you a nod in acknowledgment.  People talk to you at gas stations about how cool your chrome looks, how many miles you get to the tank full, or how much they’ve always wanted to get a bike.  But somehow you always seem to be riding alone.

Somehow these “brothers” seem more like random passers-by than people with whom you share a deep bond.  But yet you see large groups of them riding together down the street, and there are all kinds of group insignia worn on the backs of the dudes at your local bike night.  That, my friend, is where my story begins…

There are countless motorcycle organizations across the globe.  Most are drawn together by some bond such as firefighters, law enforcement, military/veterans, races, religions, or even the brand of bike they ride.  Some are family-oriented.  Some worship leather, spikes, and tattoos.  The beauty of it all is that there are so many motorcycling organizations out there that you are sure to find one that fits your niche.

Once you find a group that suits you, you are very likely to get much more than you bargained for when you joined.  A riding organization or club can offer some of the deepest friendships you’ll ever find, a support system for whatever tragedies life throws your way, and a wealth of information on places to ride, motorcycle safety, gear & accessories, getting through the inspection lanes at the DMV, and even the best insurance, breakdown cover, and roadside assistance plans!

The best part of all is that when you are a member of a motorcycle riding organization, you will never have to ride alone again.

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts, Mrs Road Captain by Diana Green
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It’s been two years since April 24th 2009 when our friend Karen Fortner was killed. I will never forget that day, my friend or the first responders that helped us.

If you are a reader of our blog you may know that Tami Walker of Diva Customs collected 101 inspirational stories of women riders and published them in Why We Ride. Karen’s story is on page 78. Her words still speak to me:

“While on long rides, I listen to my music, do lots of soul searching, remember those who are no longer with me, and enjoy the beauty of the world like never before.  I have never known honeysuckle, flowers, and the great outdoors to smell so sweet!  There is nothing like fresh air and two wheels under you to make you feel like one with the universe.  Motorcycling has taught me to slow down, stop and smell the flowers and enjoy life.  Many special people have come into my life due to riding.  People in the motorcycling community are some of the nicest, thoughtful and inspiring people there are, and I feel so very blessed to be a part of this special group!”

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts by Jay Green
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I have always felt that those who grew up on dirtbikes as kids have a far greater ability to ride motorcycles than those who started as adults on the street. I thought this was because we got to play in the dirt without the worry of damaging a $30,000 Harley-Davidson with fancy paint and chrome. I also thought it was the lessons of traction learned by pushing a dirtbike until one knew the breaking point of traction. Not to mention one tends to bounce back up pretty quickly while in their teens. Not now though! I don’t even think I can bounce back after some light yardwork, never mind a spill on a dirtbike.

However I didn’t think of this: Larry Grodsky says in his book Stayin’ Safe that “even limited experience during the formative years rapidly establishes neuro-motor connections which the brain stores almost indefinitely. So an older novice might have more total miles, yet have to think about actions that the re-entry rider does instinctively.” In other words those who learn to ride motorcycles at a young age have a strong advantage because the brain is younger and still forming. The ability to learn comes more naturally at a young age. Instincts are wired into the brain and never forgotten. That explains why some people have that natural duck to water ability to ride and others have to work a little harder at it. Some riders whip their bikes around on a dime and some need a good fifteen minutes to get into a parking position. Some instinctively know how to roll on and off the throttle, feather the clutch and apply the brakes without thinking. Those are the ones who are always explaining the methods to the other ones who have to think about it. The same ones who have to learn it and practice to get on par with those who learned it in the formative years.

I wish I had spent time learning about something valuable back then when my brain was formative. Instead I was riding (and crashing) my dirtbike every chance I got. If the MSF could develop a time machine we could all go back in time and all learn to Ride Like A Pro.

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts, Rider Skills by Jay Green
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I’m not sure how to describe the past year. It whizzed by and I’m not sure I can remember it. All I can think of is that it was a healing year. A year of recovery. I’m still affected by the fatal accident that took the life of our friend during a motorcycle trip on April 24th, 2009. The realization of how fragile life is, still has me in a strange spell. Back when I had nothing, I had nothing to lose. I lived life with more swagger then. A little more in your face attitude. Since Diana came into my life and helped me get the things I wanted my attitude is different. The combination of having so much combined with the knowledge that it can all be lost in a split second has made me live life too carefully. The in your face guy was replaced by the scared guy. Scared to lose what I have gained. Hopefully I can get my swagger back. Hopefully I’ll remember how to say “Screw it! Let’s Ride!”

Although I still don’t enjoy riding as much as I did prior to the accident, we did a lot of miles this year. We did a lot of fun things! Diana and I felt a little more experienced in 2010 and struck out on our own a few times. We rode the Blue Ridge Parkway both in the spring and in the fall; just the two of us. We went to Gettysburg Bike Week too. Diana lead a chapter overnight trip to western Maryland. She earned her Road Captain patch. She impressed the heck out of me when we were challenged on the road with life threatening road and weather conditions on two occasions.

The economy sucked ass. Although I am one of the lucky ones who is still employed the ominous recession is depressing. Friends keep losing their jobs. A year ago Diana and I worked feverishly to remodel her townhouse to put it up for sale. We would travel out of state on weekends to do as much work as possible in 48 hours. We removed wallpaper with a steamer, we put in new flooring, we painted, we wired, we did everything until we were too sore to move. Unfortunately the house has been on the market all year and has not sold yet. We could lose it to foreclosure. It has messed with my credit. I have experienced the the unpleasantness of collection calls for the first time in my life. If we manage to sell it we don’t make a dime off the sale. It totally sucks how hard we worked and it seems like it was for nothing. It’s heartbreaking.

I took an active role in the the 2010 Delaware and Maryland State HOG Rally as the Volunteer Coordinator. It was an interesting experience. My fellow First State members came up big in the volunteer area to make sure I didn’t fall on my face. I’m sorry the rally itself didn’t turn out to be the event I was hoping it would be. I am inspired to take the lead on planning a better HOG rally in the future… but not 100% committed to the concept at this time. More like 95%

The year went by fast. We did a lot of riding and other things with our HOG chapter that left us exhausted by the end of the summer. I got depressed and almost decided to step down from being Director. My friends helped me get my head out of my butt, pick myself up and get psyched up for my final year as Director. It was a good year for the chapter. We set participation records all year long! Especially at the big events like our annual picnic and holiday party.

I know this year will go by fast. I have new experiences ahead of me that I am eager to jump into. I look forward to doing more writing, possibly working on a HOG state rally proposal and even getting more involved with the motorcycle community on a deeper level.

Tags: Deep Biker Thoughts by Jay Green
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