Da Rules

A number of my co-workers are getting motorcycles...in fact, lots. I've been commute riding the longest in this company (by far, ~10yrs) so I've been getting a lot of feels for what bikes to buy, rules of thumb, etc. I actually have a lot to offer, most of which I won't pile on here simply because it's basic stuff other writers cover better (I suggest Lee Parks and David Hough, BTW). I do find, however, I have a short list of axioms I observe that seems compact and useful enough to relate here.

In no particular order, save the first (the most important, easily):

• Ride Your Own Ride. No matter what one takes from their training, friends, literature, or their own ego, this is the beginning and the end. Beyond accepted technique (*yes* you countersteer, etc.), what one feels in their own gut is the best choice of line, speed, when, where, and whom one rides with, etc. are what they should go with. Nobody has a right to tell them differently, because the bike and the rider are unique and their survival entirely up to them.
• 5P's (Poor Preparation Leads to Piss-Poor Performance). Helmet and gear fits, works, and holds together, bike is a known quantity, one consciously picks a braking and lean-in point every turn, favors clutch over brake and throttle, mirror/head-checks obsessively, updates their escape routes constantly, etc. And even when the rider does *everything* right in the material realm, their head -- energy reserves, focus, attitude -- will make or break the whole experience.
• Faith. A corollary to the 5P's. Nobody should ride a motorcycle -- cars and other riders don't see us, the roads weren't made for us, and even mother nature seems to have a bone to pick. So fucking what, we do it anyway. The give is, however, that as clever as we are and as good as the gear is, there will always be points where we must let go and place our lives in the hands of circumstance -- brakes will apply, tires won't blow, that semi won't change lanes *this second*, etc.
• Commit To the Pass. There are irrevocable decisions in every ride. The rider is going *there*, *then*, at *this speed*. Beyond two seconds from an act, one can mull over alternatives. Within that, there's only doing, but with a caveat. Every strategy has a partner -- the out, the escape route, and they go down the chute together. If the situation unfolds badly, that's what one turns to, but doubt and the conscious mind only screw things up.
• Own The Road. This has a double meaning. On the one hand, assertion, regarding other vehicles as unreasoning and ignorant, embracing one's power and agility, along with vulnerability. On the other, citizenship. When one  *is* seen, they can't let their alertness and natural anxiety translate into aggression. Nothing on the road is personal, even when it is. I've had people try and run me off the road, and others actually do it without ever seeing me. Neither matters in the end.
• No Shame. I screw up a lot, visibly -- cheesy lines, awkward passes, too-abrupt braking, a stumble at a stop or in a u-turn, etc. Practically speaking, none of these are noticed by others except when I'm riding with a group, but such things feel like they're going to be on the news because we're not in cars. Along the lines of "ride your own ride", as well, if one takes a turn like their tires are square or engine is at half displacement, it's no big thing when we get home in one piece.
• Smooth and Quick. On the more realistic road courses, the biggest, meanest classes in AMA-sanctioned racing (ridden by the best riders) are only a second or two quicker than the smallest. If one does a club track day with a large sportbike, in fact, they will be humiliated by compartively primitive, tiny motorcycles ridden well. This means all that power, plastic, and chrome mean jack compared throttle control, lines, and braking (i.e.: "it's better to ride a small bike fast, then a big bike slow.").

Geez. Seven...sorry about that...not exactly a short list. Hope *I* can remember them :)