/ Featured Article
Four non-motorcycle-related activities that can improve your riding skills
As they say, balance is key, and when it comes to motorcycles, this is applicable both literally and figuratively.
Riding a motorcycle may seem like a rather mundane, effortless task. Indeed, with today’s crop of ultra-lightweight and tech-laden commuter scooters, this could be true. However, when it comes to piloting bigger, more powerful machines, an entirely different arsenal of skills is required to keep you safe on the road, trail, track, or anywhere you choose to ride.
That being said, practice makes progress, but fixating on riding and riding alone can lead to frustration and burnout. As such, here are four non-motorcycle related activities that could help you develop the skills necessary for becoming a safer, more competent motorcyclist.
Ride a bicycle
The first, and likely most common-sensical thing would be to ride a bicycle—but I don’t mean just ride a bicycle, I mean get good at it. Most of your motor skills, particularly your balance, as well as the way you maneuver a motorcycle, is similar to that of a bicycle, so getting good at biking is an especially effective way to get good on a motorcycle. Personally, I recommend riding off-road—i.e., on a mountain bike or gravel bike. Cycling not only gears you up for the balance needed to ride a bike, it improves your health and fitness, too. Who doesn’t love a double-win?
Get some exercise
This takes us to our next point. Unlike driving a car, which practically anyone—even a couch potato—could do, riding a motorcycle, especially a big, heavy machine, takes a lot of physical effort. Indeed, riding for hours can take its toll on you, and it isn’t uncommon for big bike riders to succumb to fatigue while out on a ride. This can result in you losing focus, and sometimes even be the cause of an accident. Needless to say, improving your physical fitness by going to the gym will not only strengthen your muscles to handle the weight of a big bike, but also provide you the endurance to ride longer distances.
Drive a car
While driving a car is most of the time easier than riding a motorcycle, that isn’t to say that there’s nothing to learn when driving. In fact, the more relaxed conditions when driving could be the perfect way for you to familiarize yourself with the road, especially if you’re new to a certain area. Sitting in your car allows you to observe traffic conditions, pay attention to traffic rules, as well as get your bearings on the roads around you. This is particularly useful when you transition to two wheels, as you’ll be hitting the ground running.
Practice mindfulness
With the seemingly endless traffic in Manila, as well as many other metropolitan areas in the country, it can be all too easy to lose focus and become overwhelmed by our surroundings. In reality, traffic and changing road conditions is something all road-users go through on a daily basis. Mindfulness is an effective way of dealing with seemingly unbearable traffic, as it sets you up with the right frame of mind.
Contrary to popular belief, riding a motorcycle isn’t a manic, panic-inducing activity—it’s more of a calming, relaxing lifestyle that lets you tap into your inner zen. Mindfulness entails being aware of your surroundings, while at the same time taking control of your actions and reactions in a deliberate manner. This means not succumbing to triggering factors such as inattentive drivers, heckling pedestrians, and changing road conditions.
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