Hey Man, What’s the Plan, What Was that You Said?

by John Reblin

The balance of life is probably one of the hardest things that we all do now a days. Making sure everything is done to the best of our ability is goal one. This month some family issues cut into the time and caused cutting back on some, and pushing the limits on others, but so far everything is done.

The State Meeting is peaking an eye around the corner and in a blink of an eye, it seems, it will be here. Pauline has been working hard to make this a memorable weekend with plenty of things to do and for those that wish to kick back and chill, that should be doable also. Hopefully, I will see you there, and we will be able to talk, laugh and have fun together.

The election season is heating up with the Wisconsin Primaries done. Hopefully, you did what all should be doing, and you took the time to vote. Now we have a couple of months of commercials, speeches and thinking to do to decide who we want to fill the slots that are open at this time. Look at the candidates and see what their stance is on the things that are important to us, motorcyclist issues.

Speaking of elections, congratulations to those that ran for and won District Director. We have returning faces, along with a new face as District Director. We have a few open seats, so those will be filled with “at large” people and the officers will be seated at the State Meeting. As we roll into the finish of filling the board, it gets to be interesting how the new dynamic will work together, gel and get everyone situated on a committee, hopefully.

I like to spend part of the day by having some me time. I enjoy getting up early, get a workout in while listening to some music or a podcast, on all types of discussions. Depending on the day and goal it can be anywhere from 15-20 minutes up to an hour or two, giving me some time to let my mind wander and think of other things while doing something monotonous. Then there is the digging around trying to find things to change it up. Maybe a magazine or a newsletter that gives a tip or an idea to give a different way to do something.

I saw an article that compared running to golf, and it said “Both require continuous practice to get better. They both have a standard form, and each participant has their own variation that works for them. When done well, running and golf can look effortless and actually, pretty simple, when in reality they both require a fair amount of dedication.”

“One of the coolest similarities for running and golfing is that the everyday amateur can size themselves up against the pros. In a lot of cases golfers can play the exact same course that the professionals play, minus the crowds and tv cameras.”

You can use this same thought for riding a motorcycle and Ride Your Own Ride. To be ready for what the road offers you, you really need to practice riding a motorcycle. You cannot drag that bike out every 5 years that Harley Davidson has their anniversary in Milwaukee and expect to have a good ride. Even over the course of the winter your muscle memory relaxes, your reflexes are a touch slower. And when on your bike, those little things can make that fun Sunday afternoon ride something you want to forget or worse. Information that we are gathering so far for this year is that over half of the motorcycle crashes are single vehicle crashes. No car turning left in front of you, no animal that you were not able to dodge, just the rider and the motorcycle not making it through a curve successfully or missing a stop sign or some other obstacle. Maybe a little alcohol changed the reflex time or maybe allowed a bad decision to come to the throttle or brake. Maybe switch up to a soda or an NA beer if you are planning on sitting around to socialize. If we could correct our single bike crashes that would be huge. But it is not just a Wisconsin thing, it is a national trend also.

That’s why we are always reminding you to take a rider education course. Have that trained professional look at your riding habits and skills. Listen to the tips that they share and keep practicing. Before going for that ride on Saturday or Sunday take the bike to the local church or school and practice some maneuvers. Grab some tennis balls that you throw for the dog and cut them in half to make a practice circle and some other designs on the pavement to check if you can execute properly and practice the turns and leans that will make you a better rider.

Invite a friend or three, or as Regional Representative Buell Bob did this past spring, invite the region along with other riders and the local motorcycle officers from the police department to watch over and share tips on how to ride better on the road. It builds a great relationship with the community, competition is good, and it pushes you to be better. And you in the end, become a better rider and feel more comfortable on the road.

See you at the State Meeting and remember to vote!

Ride Your Own Ride.

John