Self control...

[Chrislost]

i say go get yourself a 1000.
no shit you will learn control or die within a week!

[terbang]

I've been thinking along these lines a bit lately, is our ACC system partially to blame for our own lack of care. I've just come back from Florida where I did a lot a of driving. I had only been back in NZ for 5 mins and I was tailgated, had a guy pull out and just observed lots of, in comparison, sloppy driving. I also remember when I lived in Switzerland that if you crashed your bike, they would pick you up off the road and stop you from dying but no more until you or your insurer could pay. And if you had been riding like a tit outside of the law, hurt yourself or perhaps someone else then the insurer wasn't going to pay either and you faced not only a criminal case but a civil one as well. A good incentive for you, or those responsible for you, to remain disciplined with your driving habits. No cotton wool there and you could easily, like in the USA, get your arse sued off for being a dickhead. Is the attitude we have here partially to blame by the ACC safety net we have here that allows us to go out and kill someone else and only face criminal charges.
Interesting comment of Snipers about self discipline and I reckon that comes hand in hand with self respect. At 19, I joined the New Zealand Army and I must admit, with a bit of pain and a shock, to learning a lot more about self respect and discipline there, perhaps that is why I'm still riding while my unfortunate friend has missed out on 30 years of awesome riding.

[Crisis management]

I'll throw $20 towards it. I think that's a bloody brilliant idea.

MDU, I think you'll be throwing your money away. Nice thought, but surely everyone realises what a tosser this young man is by now. All we get is a constant stream of "look at me posts" as he carries on behaving like a wanker of the first order.
About a year ago I gave Mark my advice (via PM) and have declined to join in the zoo that his threads are since then but this is surely getting a bit pathetic.
What has really brought me out this time is the fact that the bastards on the dole, won't get a job and yet here we (KB) are paying attention to him.

How about we just ignore him?

[terbang]

When I was 15 I can remember thinking that my old man was the dumbest bastard around. He knew nothing and I treated him with the contempt that I thought he deserved.
By the time I had turned 20 I was quite surprised at how much he had learned in the last five years...!

[Tank]

You could of course drain your wrists into a bucket... it is a valid option. No more police, no more judges, no more annoying parents, no more rent, electricity, hangovers. No more fast motorbikes to tempt you, no nothing... just long term bliss....

Sorry - this is in bad taste even if its said tongue in cheek.

Back to the question in hand - Mark, from reading your threads even I can see you need to change (everyone sees it).

If you TRUELY believe that you have a problem with this and honestly cannot control it - then seek some professional help. There are people out there that can help you. I used to have a wee anger issue that resulted in a number of GBH charges. My red mist was your race face.

Get help - or something will happen that will change your life - and its not going to be in a good way.

On the other hand if your just trolling looking for post- then forget everything you have read - its your funeral.

[Paul in NZ]

Self control?? Impossible without some empathy towards other people and their needs and I suspect thats what is lacking.

I've never met this guy, don't want to but I'm met a 1000 others just like you over the years and never enjoyed riding with any of them one little bit. Usually these pricks ruin a good day out for everyone by crashing stupidly, breaking down, causing trouble with the law or the locals and generally just being arseholes. I always find it funny that they are in a blinding hurry to get someplace but once there never seem to enjoy it without causing some drama...

Success in life is about endurance and selflessness - bury your ego and start thinking about how you can make other peoples lives, especially those with real problems, a little easier. It will make you a better person and we need better people, they are always in short supply - arseholes? Fully stocked mate...

[MSTRS:Me]

All the advice here (and in the past) won't make a blind bit of difference.
Some people just have to learn the hard way. Just like some of us did.
The others can be visited during daylight. Don't be surprised if they aren't talking though.

[Blue Velvet]

"Everything you do is guided by your basic beliefs, and controlling danger is much easier with the right ones.

What you do is subject to two types of control - external and internal. External controls are the rules that come from someone else. Internal control is exercised from your own beliefs about what is right.

Of the two, your internal beliefs are the deeper influence. They are the values you live by. They shape your reasoning and judgement and govern your "voluntary" actions.

Your beliefs about riding are, therefore, vital

and act as a directing hand over everything you think and do on the road. And they cannot be faked either, because the acid test is in what you actually do. Whatever you say you believe, or think you should believe do not count at all.

No one else can tell you what to believe. Trying to do so just triggers resistance. Someone may successfully tell you what to do, but not what to believe."

I've only just received this book but it has some valuable content regarding the above and more. It may sound obvious at first, it may even sound naff, but the more I read the more I realise that unless you learn this stuff, it's like an emergency braking situation - if you don't know how to brake properly, your brain doesn't know how to react when the time comes.

Mark, you say you don't want to do a course but it sounds to me like you'd benefit from some instruction. Even if you just get a book like Mind Driving and read it. Some books are useful for getting you to think. I have some more info if you're interested.

You have to want to change.

[The Pastor]

go to the track.

[skidMark]

Yup... 2 things

1) LooseBruce will be in no hurry to see you again. He'll be watching I'm sure, and you guys can catch up soon enough... but give it another 70 years ok?
2) Come visit a morgue with me and a few squids. I want you guys to see the slabs you'll end up on if you can't stop this impulsive stupidity.

I want you squids to see the needles they use to drain your blood then pump in the embalming fliuids. Come and take a look at the stainless steel table with the drain at one end to stop a mess being made while any other bodily fluids escape.

Come and smell the clinical smell of the room, and feel the cold.

Come and see the makeup they apply to make you look as normal as possible so your relatives don't reel in horror at a smashed up face on the front of their loved one.

Come and meet the guy that would probably use the needles and makeup on your sorry arse while he stands over yet another young guy that died trying to impress his mates, or save 1 minute on a journey from A to B.

You up for it? Serious offer... c'mon. I did it at 17 and it was an absolute eye opener.

hellllllllllllllllllllllllll no, you aint getting me near that place!

[90s]

and no i'm not going to do ride right ride safe or any of that crap.

You and Zero go do RRRS.

The reason you don't want to do it is because you think its like basic handling, and yoos got the mad skillz with all your stoppies etc.

But this is NOT why YOU should do the course.

The reason you should do it is because you will find it dreadfully frustrating. You will be asked to do things such as counter steer down a line of tennis balls at a reasonable clip (50k). You will think you can do it at triple the speed. In fact its odds-on you won't actually be able to do it at 50k at first because you do not have quite the control you think you have.

But this is besides the point. The point is you will both want to rip down the line to show how beneath you the exercise is.

Your learning will come from doing as you are told, being in control, and then the surprise of satisfaction that you will get from feeling that:

a) you did it
b) in fact your control did improve a bit.

If all this was not true you are zero would not be off your bikes, and zero wouldn't have stacked in his 'escape' from the police.

A final word - if you are still reading - all the other advice is also good. Inspired by zero I pulled a quick 10k on the mtn bike last night after a long hiatus (in which I gained 15kgs ... ). Along exhibition drive I managed a few 60k sprints, but only when the way was clear ahead on the straights. What, I kept thinking - however much fun I was suddenly having - would be the consequence of taking the next bend and piling into a dog; person; other bike or going over the edge. For what? Nada.

Prove you are taking some of this advice on board by swallowing your pride and getting to a course.

[Sniper]

hellllllllllllllllllllllllll no, you aint getting me near that place!

There we go.

skidMark is back. Not accepting anyway that might help him grow into a better person unless it suits him

Mark, you need to sit down, and start SERIOUSLY thinking about your life and how to improve it. Take everyones suggestions here and realise they are all here to help you grow up

Stuart

[ManDownUnder]

hellllllllllllllllllllllllll no, you aint getting me near that place!

On one hand I see why, and on the other... it's a dose of reality that's not going to hurt you. Help me understand why not - why wouldn't you go there with me? You asked for life changing experiences - I give it to you.

c'mon - be a man, step up to the challenge.

I'm happy to put in the effort and arrange it if you are willing to take a step or two beyond your comfort zone. If you can't stomach the whole thing that's fine, we can do it in steps. The thing is this though - that is reality. If you are unable to face that it could explain why you do some risky stuff...

Dumb riding + obstacle = visit to the morgue.

[Paul in NZ]

hellllllllllllllllllllllllll no, you aint getting me near that place!

Keep riding the way you do (apparently) and you will be making a guest appearance mate!

Then again - we all will eventually.... I'd like to put it off for a bit though!

[Harry33]

Self control is something you learn over time. The things I think about when it comes to riding is.

1. I don't want to kill myself, leave my friends/family behind
2. I don't want to wreck my bike
3. I don't want to lose my licence
4. I don't want to pay for speed tickets, So keep within the speed limits.
5. I make sure I give myself plenty of time to get to where ever I need to get to so I don't temp myself with all of the above.
6. As a lot of people say treat everyone on the road as if they are out to get you.

If your into speed take it to the track.