"Proficient Motorcycling"
Following a discussion on KB, I have been contemplating the challenges that may arise with motorcycling as one gets older. The American author David L Hough was involved in the discussion, if indirectly, so I thought the least I could do was read his books.
The books “Proficient Motorcycling: The Ulitimate Guide To Riding Well” and “More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering The Ride” are written for Americans so some of the information has to be translated into right-hand-drive English.
Mr Hough has ridden in many countries including this one. He compares riding styles and accident rates in the US and Europe and his conclusions as to the differences are interesting and not without relevance to us.
Both books are oriented to road riding rather than track skills and Mr Hough
raises some interesting points. He doesn't always indicate what is correct and what is not, sometimes leaving it up to the reader to make their own decision after careful consideration. This particularly in instances where the apparent safest choice may actually be illegal.
There are two instances in which he discusses things that have been occupying my mind of late. One such involves speed of overtaking and the possibility that it may be safer to overtake at an illegal speed rather than spend an inordinately long time on the wrong side of the road. After all it really is the “wrong” side of the road. In the USA, as in New Zealand, however, the Police officer will likely remain unimpressed with your explanation as to the rationale for your increased velocity.
Recently while on an intercity ride I was overtaken by another rider, we'll refer to him as Bigbike Bob. I had been aware of Bob in my mirrors for a while but was somewhat underwhelmed by the manner in which he overtook me as well as the cars in the vicinity. For the next 100ks or so I had a good oportunity to observe Bob's style.
Bobs riding was very dignified and unhurried, he seemed to be cruising at about 115kph, when he came upon another vehicle he overtook it presumably still doing 115. Wherever the other vehicle was at the time. Many of his passing maneuvers were made in places I would not have attempted to make a pass because of insufficient visibility or oncoming traffic. It was almost as if Bob was confident that his bike was big enough to flatten the latter.
In comparison to Bobs dignified progress, my style seemed almost frenetic.
If I didn't feel there was sufficient clear road ahead I would slow to the speed of the obstructing vehicle until a suitable opportunity arose which then necessitated a downchange, or two, and rapid acceleration to a speed probably considerably in excess of Bob's.
To the car drivers being passed I may well have appeared a hoon in comparison to Bob, I felt a bit that way myself. It's probable that the Highway Patrol would concur with that view too. I have thought about this a lot since, and still don't have a definitive answer so I guess this remains a work in progress.
More controversially perhaps, Mr Hough also discusses overtaking on yellow lines . In the USA, as here, there were places where it was patently unsafe to overtake. People were hired, paint was purchased, and yellow lines were painted.
These guys need to be kept busy though, and there is a big stock of paint, so they keep on painting. There are now yellow lines where there has never been an accident, nor is there any great likelihood of there ever being one. To rub salt into the wound, in recent years one such has appeared right outside my gate.
In some circumstances Mr Hough postulates that the elevated view and superior performance available to the motorcyclist may permit an overtake to be made in safety despite the yellow line. He is not advocating stupid riding or dangerous overtaking, and again the Police officer will remain unimpressed by your explanation, whatever that is.
Ultimately I found Mr Hough's books wide ranging and thought provoking, and thinking about your riding can't really be a bad thing. I was told that nobody in NZ has the rights to import the books so mine came from amazon.com
There is a grey blur, and a green blur. I try to stay on the grey one. - Joey Dunlop
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Originally Posted by pritch
I have seen copies of it at Borders a long while ago.
, some days you are the windshield 
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