Motorcycling and An Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

Serendipity: ‘Gift for Discovery – a natural gift for making useful discoveries quite by accident.’

DEE-FAP:
Discipline - Focus - Attention - Personal

Now in 2009 and looking back to 2006, the following article ‘DEE-FAP Discipline - Focus - Attention – Personal’ of all the entries in the original Newbie Training Update, this article stands out for several reasons:

1. DEE-FAP was written during the three weeks before my Mentor lost his life riding his motorcycle.

2. The article provides a reasonable insight to my obsessive compulsive personality disorder – briefly I gained my Restricted Licence and was very keen to pull together my new found knowledge and skills and take this to the next level.

3. The step up from the regulation 70kph to 100kph limit on a 250cc motorcycle can be looked at with a ‘Yeah – Right’ attitude or in my case genuinely looking at it as another challenge that requires the same amount of respect, care, consideration and enthusiasm, as the day I got on the very first bike I bought immediately after a Basic Handling Skills course.

4. In my own mind, the way in which I tackled the first six months of riding was indeed enhanced by having a Mentor, in many respects the article was a consolidation of the numerous feedback comments I received from him.

15 November 2006

Got The Restricted Licence Today

Passed the restricted today and will give thought to my initial progress to the next level and keep the Newbie Training Update running periodically.

First thoughts being 'Don't get ahead of my/yourself', being disciplined and focus on strategies/vigilance and new reaction requirements.

Heads Up and Enjoy [watch this space]

15 November 2006
Well done Buck Buck.
You'll be able to enjoy summer that bit further (and faster)

Mentor thanks for your role leading up to the Restricted.

Listen up every newbie, make sure you seek out a mentor during your early months of riding. Mentor that goes for me too, just because I have moved up to Restricted doesn't mean I should not continue to take time out with my mentor - will touch base to set a time for a mentor review ride before xmas.

17 November 2006
Sure thing BuckBuck.
Name a time/place and we'll go from there.

Author's Note:
Sadly, that was my last post from my Mentor...

[End of Serendipity Part 1. In the next Part 2 I present an approach to riding and without a shadow of a doubt my Mentor shaped my attitude to riding.]