Riding a motorcycle is a complex process. There’s a lot going on. That’s why we train and develop “muscle memory.” Muscle memory, the ability to repeat a procedure or movement without conscious thought, is great. Right? Well, yes and no.
Riding habitually “without conscious thought” can get us in trouble. It’s easy to get dulled into mindless riding. We form stagnant habits, don’t pay attention, and then disaster strikes.
It’s essential that we cultivate a mindset of curiosity. This means opening to new, different, and unfamiliar ideas. It means being mindful, aware, and present to our habits, our muscle memory.
In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg states a habit loop consists of three steps: trigger, behavior and reward.
A trigger may be a “curve on the road.” Our reflex behavior may be to slow down, ride the smooth flat line, counterbalance, coast through the turn, and accelerate gently on exit. The reward is successfully navigating the corner.
But is there another, perhaps a better, way? There are many cornering techniques: brake sliding, squaring the turn, railing the berm, or even (gasp) applying the front brake in the turn while accelerating, etc. Consider a pie with one slice representing “What We Know,” another slice of “What We Know We Don’t Know,” and the rest of the pie is “What We Don’t Know We Don’t Know.” This isan immense field of opportunity! Being mindful and curious encourages us to watch others, ask questions, and take classes in both familiar and unfamiliar riding disciplines. When we become curious, we learn and grow.
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Klim Badlands Pro Jacket and Pant
Many companies offer ADV gear, but when you whittle it down to RTW-expedition-grade quality, only a handful of brands stand up to the test.
YAMAHA TENERE 700
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HOLIDAY HEROES
Nonprofits in the Moto CommunityWho Deserve Your Support
DESERT ODYSSEY
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A REACH TOO FAR
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3 KEYS TO HAVING A STUDENT MINDSET
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2020 KTM 390 ADVENTURE
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It was late afternoon, high on a ridge in the Rockie s, and I must have come into signal range, as my phone lit up with a message. Stopped in the middle of the trail, it indicated that my youngest had tried calling. She wanted me to come home, as she was ill. Although concerned, I also felt relief that this would give me a valid reason to jump ship. Fo r several weeks I’d been riding nothing but gnarly trails day in and day out and had begun to question whether taking on one Backcountry Discovery Route after another was a good idea.
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NBA COACHES ATTIRE: MASKS ARE IN, JACKETS ARE OPTIONAL
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THE URGENT NEED FOR SOPHISTICATED LEADERSHIP
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THE THIRD Coming
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STATE of the UNION
CHRIS PAUL HAS BEEN A NATURAL LEADER SINCE AS FAR BACK AS HE CAN REMEMBER. BUT THROUGH 2020, AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NBPA, PAUL HAS LED ALL 450 NBA PLAYERS THROUGH THE MOST TURBULENT OF TIMES—THROUGH A PANDEMIC, A SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT, A BUBBLE, AND A SEASON THAT SOMEHOW STRETCHED 355 DAYS—AND THOSE LEADERSHIP ABILITIES HAVE BEEN MORE CRUCIAL THAN EVER. WE SPOKE WITH CP3 ABOUT THE LEGACY OF THE PAST YEAR AND MUCH MORE.
Back For More
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PROS AND CONS
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THE GAMES MUST GO ON
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ZEROING IN
with DWYANE WADE