A First Class Helmet

It stands to reason that the next piece of equipment to be covered is the helmet.  The piece of gear that’s a life saver, I can still remember my first fibreglass helmet.  In fact I have still got it, it lives in the attack and is still in great condition with the original visor.  Helmet technology has really moved on since then, lighter, stronger and quieter.  

One thing I learnt at a very early age was to respect and look after my helmet, it’s still with me today.  Why spend hundreds of pounds on a piece of equipment and throw it on the floor and never clean it when you’re finished with it.  I’ve seen helmets on their side in car parks, left on garage floors, visors so bad I’m surprised they can see through them.

Like most of my equipment I have a favourite one, I’ve been using a Shark for the best part of my biking career.  I can’t actually remember when I started using a Shark but I have my reasons for staying with them as we will discover very shortly.

The process of buying a helmet is again a lengthy one.  I believe you should do your home work and you need to find out what the experts say about a certain make.  Again you need to know what the purpose is.  Are you touring, is it a race bike you ride and will you do any track days ?  Are you going to be going cross country at any point on your bike ?  All these questions will decide what type of helmet you need.

What is your budget ?  Now this is a topic that can go on for some time.  I’m very opinionated about this one and it’s very close to my heart.  Why get excited about the price of a helmet ?  Well how much is your head worth ?  There are a number of things you need to consider when you are deciding what your budget is going to be.  You must have a clear budget long before you start your research or walk into a shop.

The choice of helmet on the market is vast and all shops will push a certain make for whatever reason it is.  A rough guide would be between £250 - £500 and you already know what I’m going to say next.  If you have £500 for a helmet, spend it, I hope and pray you never put it to the test but with the best quality helmet available on your head you are cutting down the possibility of brain damage.  There are helmets on the market for over £1000, it just depends on what you want from your helmet and who is your favourite rider.

It’s not just the simple fact that a helmet will prevent external damage to the face but a good quality helmet will reduce and in some cases stop brain shear.  Shearing of the brain is the stretching and tearing of the tiny nerve cells that encompass the brain.  Shearing can occur throughout the brain, including the brain stem and the cortex and can result in serious brain damage.

That fact alone should make you want to buy the best you can afford and when you have the best you need to look after it, look after your helmet and it will look after you.  It is totally beyond my comprehension why someone would want to travel on the road at speed with a helmet that cost £30 from Aldi, with a substandard visor.  It’s normally the same person who is wearing a t-shirt.

Once you have done your research and decided what make you want it’s time to go to the shops.  Keep in mind that you may have to sacrifice some parts of your research once you start trying on helmets.  Why do I say that ?  You may have decided that the helmet for you is going to be the new Shoei, it has all the removable pads for cleaning, it has the buckle and fastening device you like with the best visor locking mec and so on.  But the moment you put it on it’s the wrong shape, the chin guard is too close to your mouth.  It’s important that you try as many helmets on as possible.  Once you have found the correct size of helmet for your head, now you have to find the make that fits the shape of your head.  It’s not a case of one size fits all.  Any good bike shop with assistance that know what they are doing will take the time to go through the process of finding the right helmet for you.  It’s a very important decision and once again should not be rushed or taken lightly.  An ill fitting helmet is as bad as not wearing a helmet at all.

Like I said earlier I wear a Shark helmet and I’ve had a few over the years.  Why have I stayed with them ?  There after care sales is second to none.  My helmet at the time was about 18 months old, I came in from a long ride and in my rush to get to the loo I placed my helmet down and ran upstairs.  I returned to discover I had placed it on a hot ring on the cooker, it was like mozzarella cheese.  The helmet was a mess and the smell was terrible.  I went to the local bike shop and explained what I had done, very red faced but it wasn’t a problem.  I was given a stand in helmet and mine was sent to Shark for repair.    It was like a brand new helmet and at no cost to me.  What a great service.

In 2001 my big off could have been my last, I hit the road at 140 mph and the first thing to hit the tarmac was my head.  The helmet was destroyed but my helmet never moved a millimeter.  No strap marks nothing not even a headache and in my last off my head hit the tarmac quite hard and although I need to get another helmet it most defiantly be another Shark.

It’s important to do your research and on line is probably the quickest method but never buy your helmet on line unless you know the helmet you are getting.  The choice of helmet on the market is massive and that’s for a good reason.  We are all individuals with different needs and different shaped heads.  Make sure the helmet you buy is the best you can afford and make sure it is a perfect fit.

Keep your helmet in a clean and serviceable state at all times.  There are plenty of products on the market for external cleaning and maintaining the padding inside the helmet.  Never throw your helmet in the garage or leave it perched on the seat of your bike.

If you drop your helmet you should be looking at getting it replaced, you have no idea what damage has been caused to the main structure of the carcase.  Make sure your gear is insured, dropping your £350 helmet can be very painful.  I would never recommend buying a second hand helmet and avoid Aldi at all costs.

When you speak to most bikers you will quickly establish that they treat their helmets with the same respect they have for their bike if not more.  The same can be said for the visor, it does the same job as a windscreen on a car, only better.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Boots are not made for walking !!

It’s been good to get some feedback from my last Blog on gloves.  Like gloves, boots are a very personnel piece of kit and it all depends on what you want from them.  On average you should be looking at spending anything from £90-£300. 

For the past 18 years I have been wearing Sidi boots and in my opinion the best you can buy and fantastic value for the money.  Typical Italian quality and comfy from the moment you put them on.

It all depends on your budget and what you need or expect from them.  At the high end of the market and a fabulous race tec boot is the Sidi Vortice with top end parts like shine plates, toe sliders, calf tensioners, shock absorber heel cups, air ventilation system, instep tensioners and ankle support braces to mention a few.  If you want more and have the money why not go the full hog and get the new Sidi ST Boot. 

My personnel favourite is the Sidi Vertigo, it has all the replaceable parts and air vents with none of the fancy straps just a good honest well fitting boot that does what it says on the box.  If you have been reading my Blogs you will have noticed that I have hit the tarmac on the odd occasion.  In 2001 I had a major off, the doc who put me back together said it was my race boot that saved my left ankle even though it still needed pinning.  I dread to think what would have been the end result if I had bought a cheaper boot.  Sidi boots are easy to put on, that may sound silly but some other boots are a nightmare, my sons boots have pull cords inside them with big waterproof flaps and so on.  He screams at them and he hates the zip just to add insult.  I can change the ankle and the calf fit, I can change them on the move with my gloves on, I don’t recommend it but it shows how user friendly they are.  I change my toe sliders on a regular basis and very quickly.  Sidi even do boots to match your leathers or your bike the choice is yours.

Sidi do boots for all occasions from racing to touring to moto cross and Gortex for wet weather riding.  They even do a great range in push bike shoes.  Sidi also do a short boot for the commuter, a boot you can wear on the bike and with your suit for your next meeting.  See, you can always rely on the Italians to produce great styles and performance all in one package.

Buying bike boots isn’t like buying a pair of shoes, no kidding Sherlock !!  There are hundreds of makes to choose from and at different price ranges.  It’s important not to rush or be impatient when you make your purchase.  It’s not just about comfort and walking around the shop for two minutes. 

As daft as it sounds you need to make a rough plan of action and more importantly, stick to it.  Like all good plans they only last the first few seconds of contact.  You do need to be flexible but not at the cost of your safety or pocket.

Rough Plan.

1.       What do you need from your boots?

2.       Do they need to be water proof?

3.       Are they just for summer riding?

4.       What is the budget?

5.       What make do you want?

If you go to buy the boots you want (Sidi Vertigo) don’t settle for another make because they don’t have your size.  Wait until they come in or go else were.  Or you will end up with a pair of boots that you haven’t researched, don’t do up the way you like or provide the protection you waned.  4 months down the line you do get the boots you wanted because your first pair have really p****d you off.  £200 down the drain and all because you didn’t stick to your plane.

There are so many makes of boots that all provide different levels of protection and quality like Sidi, RST, Weise, TCX, Spada to Alpinestars, you must do your home work.  The best place to start is http://motorbikeboots.org.uk/ a great site with lots of info on all the best boots available. 

Remember to take your time a good pair of boots will last you a few years and if you rush in and buy the wrong ones at £*** it can be very expensive.

Good luck.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Gloves Off !!

I’ve spent the last few days trying to make my mind up as to what bike I get next.  I’ve even done some insurance checks to make sure it is all possible.  I was worried about the price of my insurance due to my last crash.  As it turns out it hasn’t really changed the price and I’m still under the £200 mark for a full year’s insurance and protecting my no claims.

I think I need to put my bike choice on hold for the time being until I can get some test rides done.  I love the look of the MT01 but I have no idea how the ride is.  Would you buy a bike without a test ride ?  I wouldn’t, a picture speaks a thousand words but it want tell you the truth.  A good photo will hide the scratches and dents and those telltale signs that the bike has been down the road on its side or dropped in the garage.

My next task is to find a good pair of gloves; I’m very fussy about the gloves I wear.  They need to be comfy but serve a purpose.  All too often people ignore the job your gloves do, they are just as important as your helmet or boots, if not more so.

My last gloves were race tec kangaroo skin.  Very comfy from the day I bought them.  With hardened knuckles and extra padding in all the right places, it’s not just the comfort that is important to a good set of gloves.  When they hit the floor at speed that’s when you need your gloves to come into their own.

9 times out of 10, it’s the first thing you do; you put your hands out for protection when you fall.  Anything above 30 mph and it’s like placing your hand on a sanding belt.  The palms of your hands take the full force and then fingers and knuckles as you roll.

Its catch 22, the road surface needs to be rough to provide grip and traction but when it comes into contact with leather it shreds it like paper.  My knees cringe when I see riders on the road with no gloves on.  It’s estimated that skin will be removed at a rate of 1mm per second travelled.  At 30 mph, that means you will be down to the bone in less than 10 yards.  You will never be able to hold a pen, let alone ride and control a bike.  It’s a complete waste and all because the individual in question couldn’t be bothered to wear gloves.

A good pair of gloves will not be cheap but then you have to look at what you want from them.  They need to last, at least a couple of years.  They need some form of wind protection, even in the summer the wind created flowing over your hand will have a cooling effect.  They need to provide protection for the palm, fingers, knuckles and the wrist.  They also need to be comfy and allow you to operate the clutch and the front break.  So you need to be able to feel the levers, especially the front brake, feel is everything to good breaking.  Finally they need to withstand getting wet in the odd shower or in the UK, soaked most of the time.

A good pair of gloves will cost between £150 and £300 that may sound a lot but put into context against a set of tyres at £250-£300.   They don’t need changing every year or more depending on your choice of tyre.  On average your gloves should cost about the same as you would spend on your boots.

The choice of glove is enormous (Alpinestars, Dainese, Knox, Spada, Spyke, Weise, RST to mention a few) but I would always recommend that you spend as much as your budget will allow, if needs be, wait and save for the next level up.  Its money well spent and in the long run if you ever hit the tarmac you will be more than pleased with your gloves.

I’ll be covering boots in my next Blog.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Yamaha MT 01

It’s been a couple of days since my last blog but I’ve covered some serious miles in that time.  It’s been really good and I think I’ve mastered the art of Mental Visualisation.  I’m hoping the next time I get back on a bike it will be like I’ve never been off one.  I’m also hoping that I have made some serious headway into sorting my urge to race on the public roads and that everyone I see isn’t as daft as me and want to race.

I will still be doing my Mental Visualisation every day; it’s not something you do once in a while.  You need to work at it constantly the more you do it the more you will get from it and the better you will become.  It’s a win, win situation that will only aid your ability to ride better and safer on the road and faster with more accuracy on the track.

I knew about Mental Visualisation a while back when I was talking to very good friend of mine who swears by it for all sorts of reasons.  He uses it in all his sports activities and has become a very good confident rider due to his belief in Mental Visualisation.  I just wish I had followed his lead when he told me about it in detail; it may have saved me a load of hassle.

Steve is also a great believer in “all things happen for a reason” and I think he’s right, maybe it was time for me to look else wear for my kicks.  In a different style of bike with a different outlook on the way I ride. 

That brings me nicely onto the bike I have been looking at on the net over the past few days.  It’s a Yamaha MT 01.  I’ve never heard of it or seen one before; at least I don’t think so.  It looks very much like the V Max but this is a beast with some serious attitude.  I’m pleased to say they go for a good price too.  I think I’m going to have a problem finding one to test ride, I’ve not seen any for sale in the dealers and I’m not sure Yamaha do test rides.  That’s a problem I’ve had with Yamaha in the past.  They don’t give out test rides.  They fully expect you to part with on average £10,000 and not ride the bike first to find out if that model is for you.  Go to any Ducati or Suzuki dealer and they are more than happy to sort you out with the ride of your choice.

I’m down to two bikes now; it’s going to be between the MT01 and the Aprilia Tuono.  I’ve ridden the Tuono before, only for a very short blast but I loved it.  I’ve always had a soft spot for nakeds and I like Aprilias’.  Italian styling with performance and reliability that you can trust and to some degree you don’t see that many of them on the road and I like that.  The problem I have is I know I can throw a Tuono about and that may well lead to my return to my old habits.

As for the MT 01, it’s so different I’m not sure it’s me.  It has a massive 1670cc engine in it and a back tyre a Porsche would be proud of.  Something so different I think I’d like it and more importantly it would confirm the end of my wild riding days.

I need to see one when I get home, it’s all very well looking at pictures and reading rider’s comments.  I need to get hands on to make that all important decision.  From what I’ve seen it’s a beast and 9/10 owners love it to bits.  The only people who don’t like it are the test riders for magazines but they all think there better than Rossi.  Too big, too heavy and too slow round corners, well according to Alistair Fat Fagan (FB) so is the Suzuki 1000.  So he can take a running jump the fat f**k along with the rest of the so called experts that think there better than Rossi.

Rant over, anyone now where I can get a ride on a Yamaha MT 01?

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

"Jnr"

Over the last couple of days I have been working hard at my Mental Visualisation exercises and its going very well.  In fact I’ve been places on my bike that I’ve not been back to for some time.  Some of it is a bit hazy but it’s like riding in the fog and great practise.

My last session has been my best by far, when you first start out it can be a bit strange trying to get the right mood and actually letting yourself go.  I’ve learnt not to try so hard at seeing the picture in my mind.  I’m at the stage now that I can see my garage door opening and my bike is waiting for me under her white and gray blanket.

By the time I have got my helmet on and the engine is running I’m in the right mind set and ready to ride.

The first 5 minutes is always the same, I keep to the same routine for a number of reasons.  I take the short ride to the garage to fill up in town and I do this even if I don’t need any fuel.  I’m treating it as a muscle memory exercise and a reminder to me that the open road is not a race track.  At the T-Jct leaving our estate I turn left, but I used to wait for a gap in the traffic not so I can pull out safely, I could have gone ages ago.  No, I wait for a gap so I can loft the front wheel, up to the bridge, that’s how I used to start my ride.

Not anymore, my first “Jnr” is as I approach the T-Jct the first of many I might add or that’s how it was when I first started out on my rehabilitation.  There are 3 roundabouts on the way down to the garage and now I take my time, no need for any trigger words and I pull into the garage in a great mood. 

So in my head its working and I want the first part of my ride to be a muscle memory, like flicking the light switch on in the bathroom when it’s dark.  You don’t need to look for it or think about it, your hand goes straight to it, that’s muscle memory.

The ride to the garage also serves as a warm up period for my bike and me, something we should all do all the time.  I used to do it without fail when I was riding my two strokes, you had no choice back then they needed a good warm up period if you wanted to look after your engine and in those days it took a while to warm the tyres up.  Bikes today warm up very quickly as do the tyres with all their technology. 

For today’s ride I’m going to head into Hamilton and out towards Kilmarnock.  I put my helmet back on after taking it off for filling up.  Another bone of contention for me but I use “Jnr” and I calmed right down straight away.  So my trigger word works even when I’m not on my bike,  I wonder if a trigger word would work for anger management ?  I’ll ask coach, because I think it would work a treat.

I leave the garage and turn left up to the roundabout, I pull the clutch at the last moment and on with the front brake with two fingers, my left foot is down first and I cover my back brake with my right foot.  A gap, throttle and clutch at the same time, back brake off and I’m in the traffic.  I can see my exit, indicator on as I check my left mirror, I eyeball the guy about to pull onto the roundabout and I turn that move into my dead man’s look over my left shoulder.  I lean very gently and a quick squirt and I’m off the roundabout and heading downhill towards the next one.  It’s a small one and I can see all the exits and there’s no traffic on it.   The urge to twist the wrist is massive, the traffic is light and the roundabout is clear, I could hit it at speed and be away, “Jnr” calm, calm, calm as I approach the roundabout.  Straight across and into a slight right that brings the next roundabout into view.  This is a big roundabout but I’m taking the first turn off, dead man’s check as I approach the roundabout over my left and indicator on.  I slow but no need to stop, no need to pull the clutch it’s all throttle control and I’m away onto the slip round to go down the Box Brea.  Instantly “Jnr” I love this whole stretch of road.  I calm and enter the dual carriageway at a steady speed.  I take a long look over my right shoulder and flick my right indicator on.  There’s a long sweeping right bend ahead of me, all downhill to the next complex of roundabouts.  I’ve got “Jnr” ticking over in my head because this stretch of road is demanding me to twist the throttle and pass the 140mph very easily. A slight left as I come down to the roundabout.  I filter between the traffic and stop at the lights, The surface is smooth and flat, no need to cover the brakes and I have both feet down.  I’ve got my eye on the lights and the red blinks, as I set off I check over my right shoulder to make sure no one is running the lights and going to side swipe me.  A quick blast to the next lights under the motor way, still on the roundabout.  The lights blink and I’m away again and straight into a good left as I exit the roundabout, I short shift to third and head towards the next roundabout.  The right side is blind until you’re on top of it, no traffic and away, building the speed up for a good exit into Hamilton.  “jnr” I was just going into the zone as I lean over to the left and stick my knee out.  I slow very gently and  it’s enough for me to behave.

I’m getting there; it’s not going to be a quick fix and I’ve got a lot of work to do.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Barry Sheen

It’s got to be one of the best feelings in the world, riding a bike that you have put together at speeds that are just breathtaking.  Pushing hard into corners and........

I was born in 1964 and I rode my first bike at the tender age of 14.  It was an old dirt bike I built at school with the help of my friends, eventually the school took it on as an after school activity.  There must have been about 12 of us, we would run it until it broke and then rebuild it and start again.

I can’t remember my first thoughts of bikes or why but it was very early and for most of my youth it was all I could think about.  I wanted to be the next Barry Sheen, school wasn’t for me and I hated every minute of being there except for sport, art and the bike club.

My first bike was a little Yamaha 100cc the air cleaner was bigger than the engine and the exhaust was massive but it was mine, in my head I was Barry, in fact in my little world I was better, much better.  I was the first in the village to get a bike and the envy of all my friends.  It wasn’t long before my mates joined me, Chris was the first followed by Tony.  They were my best mates and now the world was open to us.  Just small runs to start with, we had no idea about road craft or what to do in heavy traffic.  The village was fairly quiet and the locals new who we were so what trouble could we get into ?

What started off as a bit of fun soon turned into a way of life.  My first proper bike was an RD 250 ER in Yamaha blue with a racing seat and straight through racing pipes.  It was all I ever wanted and now I could push the boundaries.  You didn’t get lessons in those days and it was a one part test but that was some time off yet.  I asked my Dad for a lift into Richmond to see the bike, there it was leaning against the wall in the garden of this old run down house.  There was grass growing out of the engine and the tank had a dent in it the size of a skull.  I bought it, much to the disgust of my Dad and we loaded it into the van.  All I got in my ear on the way home was the fact I’d just sold a perfectly good machine to buy a wreck and it was a waste of money and over and over he told me it would never run.

I spent the next two weeks in the garage cursing and bleeding.  The engine wasn’t as bad as it looked and just needed a good old clean to get rid of the years of dirt from in between the air-cooling fins that was now supporting the growth of the grass and moss.  The carbs were massive or so I thought and I couldn’t work out what the large piece of plastic in between the pot and the carb was.  I cleaned the air filter and reassembled the bike.

The tank was on the bench and was still in the repair stage.  I couldn’t afford a new tank so I was filling the dent and re-spraying it as best as I could.  I couldn’t wait any longer, I went into the house and emptied  Mums Fairy washing up liquid bottle.  After a good washout I filled it with petrol and attached it to the bike.  I kicked and I kicked her over, nothing, not a murmur.  Maybe my Dad was right and I had wasted my money.

Chris and Tony walked in to see what I was up to.  After an hour of messing around and a lot pointing we tried again.  She burst into life and scared the life out of me, what a noise.  My heart was racing and I could feel myself shaking.  I couldn’t get over the noise as my Mum came running in to see what all the excitement was.

She was rough, really rough but she was running.  I spent the next few days working on the tank.  I had to go to work with my Dad, it was the only way I was going to get to the bike shop in Bedale.  I bought a set of black and white Yamaha tank stickers and I had a right good chat with lads in the bike shop.  I didn’t realise at the time but these lads were going to be some of my best mates over the next few years.

I got the bike to Bedale and the lads worked on my machine, I was later to discover that the large piece of plastic between the carbs and the engine were the reed valves.  A very special piece of kit with loads of potential for making your machine faster but first they had to work.  The points were shot too.  In those days you were only aloud around the back in the work shop if you knew the lads.  Health and safety hadn’t raised its ugly head yet.

They started my bike up and she was singing, she was singing to me.  I couldn’t get my helmet on fast enough to hide my girlie smile that was about to break my face in two.  At this point I think it’s important to mention I knew nothing about power bands, I’d never experienced one or herd anyone talking about them.  I didn’t even know they existed , needless to say I was about to find out. 

I could barely get above 50 mph on my little 100cc bike, I rode her everywhere on full throttle.  Because I could, it took time to get to full speed and it was nice and gentle.  Don’t forget I was Barry Sheen and I could handle anything. 

I learnt more over the next few months about bike riding than I ever have.  I knew lots of nurses now too.  I was on first names terms with Mrs Miller at the T-jct in Bedale.  I was on my way into Richmond with the lads when this white flash past us and made my bike seem quiet and very slow.  I was off, it was cool in those days to put your feet on the rear pegs, don’t ask me why it was the worst thing you could do, it made turning at speed very difficult.  I knew the road into Richmond like the back of my hand but I could not catch this guy.  Eventually we found him in the square, sat under the War Memorial.  It was an RD 250 LC. 

I past my test on the ER and started my search for my own LC.  Over the next few years we all learnt to ride hard and fast, we lost a couple of friends on the way and we would all slow down for a while but eventually the run to Scarborough and Redcar was full on.  The run to Helmsley from Thirsk and onto Pickering and a pit stop in Scarborough was my favourite; Sutton Bank was my nemesis and I hated it in both directions, however the run up to Whitby on the 171 was breathtaking in every sense of the word, by the time we had reached Redcar we all needed something to eat before the last leg home via Darlington. 

Cutting my teeth on the RD series of bikes has formulated the way I ride today, I have fond memories of all my bikes.  Keeping the front wheel down was a challenge to say the least, I love the smell of two stroke oil burning the buzz you get from controlling the power band as it cuts in just when you don’t need it.  I’m in my late 40’s now and I seriously need to look at my style of riding.  It hasn’t changed very much since I was an 18 year old lad.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

A Twist of the Wrist

The next part to my rehabilitation is understanding what the problem is, accepting and acknowledging I have a problem.  It’s a bit like being an alcoholic or a compulsive gambler.  You can’t put it right until you except what the problem is.  I’m not talking about sitting in a circle, holding hands and crying in public. 

From the table in my last Blog you can see I have a problem with speed.  Not straight line speed, I do like straight line speed and it is out of this world travelling at 185mph.  My problem is I love corners, the faster the better, long sweepers or tight sharp ones, I love them all.  It’s like me and my machine against the corners.  A corner has been designed by a technician to be as safe as possible at a certain speed for all road users.  That’s not the way I see it, I enter the corner as fast as I possibly can, late on the brakes to carry as much speed as possible.  My exit is just as important, powering on as smooth as I can as I hit the apex to squirt me out as fast as possible.  The feeling of my ankle and knee on the tarmac and leaning as far off the machine as I can is like nothing else.  Looking as far down the road as I can to plan my next move as soon as I can, I’ve already got the next corner in my head before I’ve exited the corner I’m on.

Some corners deserve a rerun or two, I like those.  The corner has beaten me, mentally or I just messed it up so I have to do it again until I get it right.  Not all corners are the same and some deserve your respect more than others.  Being in the right gear is so important and can make or break a corner.

As you can see, for me it’s all about cornering.  There’s a lot more to it and my ethos for each corner is different.  The feeling I get from achieving the perfect line or carrying as much speed as possible is just indescribable.  It’s about knowing your machine, knowing what your tyres are doing, your suspension, knowing how much brake to use and linking them all together to get the most from your machine.  I could go on and on, I love corners and I truly believe that’s why bikes were invented. “ To master the true art of cornering”.  Anyone can go fast in a straight line but corners, corners are a different beast altogether.

I could write a Blog on corners, maybe later !!  “ To master the true art of cornering”

So what’s next in my rehabilitation ?   

I’ve sat down and had a chat with coach over a cup of tea.  I need to find a trigger word.  A word that will bring me back to reality, wake me from my zone or just make me behave.  It needs to be a strong enough word for me not to ignore.  More about the trigger word later.

The next stage in my training is Mental Visualisation, this is probably the most important part of the whole process.  I need to sit down quietly in my room and go for a ride on my bike.  As strange as that sounds, I’ve used this method before, to get the perfect lap or learn a new track.  It really does work and I can’t recommend it enough.  Even for the open road, it will improve your riding and understanding of what is going on all around you.  You can be on your bike and looking over the screen or looking down on yourself, a bit like from a helicopter.  Whatever works for you and I suggest you try each one.  I use both at the same time, sometimes, it changes your whole look at the way you ride.  It takes practise to get it right, the best way I can describe it is it’s like watching a DVD of on board action from the IOM.

If you’re just starting out on Mental Visualisation it might be a good idea to right a very quick script about where you’re going and how you feel.  It’s important to get in the zone, so you can feel the bike vibration, how your hands feel in your gloves.  You need to feel your boots on the foot pegs, to the point where you feel the rear sets need adjusting.  When you have closed your eyes, started the engine and put your helmet on, nothing else matters.  Keep it short to start with and increase your rides as you get used to it.  It want be long before you have mastered the art of Visualisation and conquered Silverstone.

At this point I need to explain my Trigger Word, mine is “Junior”.  Who is Jnr ?  He’s my youngest son and just starting out on his first road bike.  (A lovely little Aprilia) I have a responsibility to him, I don’t want him thinking that the way I ride is normal, I want him to ride for the next 40+ years.  To a certain degree I’ve been lucky and my number hasn’t come up.  I want him to ride responsibly and safely.  What kind of an example am I setting a young, eager to please boy.  So my son is my “Trigger Word”.

Script.

It’s a great day for a ride, the sun is shining and my GSXR is calling me to go out on her. This is the day for a run up to Loch Lomond and on to Fort William the road conditions are awesome today, round all those long sweeping bends with a good surface, great for a blast. Going down the garage, I can feel the power that is underneath me and I know it’s only a twist of a wrist that will unleash it. While filling up I can feel myself getting exited, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I know I have to contain my urge to give it some, after the last disaster I had, when I broke my collar bone doing something stupid which could have cost me my job and even my life. Well I am keeping my urge to open her up to full power in check and feeling a bit bored, in front I can see another bike in the distance, it looks like a sports bike and I know I can catch it if I twist the throttle. I can feel the excitement building up, you’re mine, I’m having you, the throttle feels nice and easy in my hand, I can feel my speed increasing, the engine noise is just how I love it, my heels come in and I drop below the screen, the wind dissipates over my helmet and it all goes quiet, it all adds to my thrill, looking in front I can see the line I need to take to catch this bike in front, that thinks he is faster than me.  I’m getting in the zone, I can feel the red mist creeping up on me, but now I can recognise it and now “Junior” springs to mind. My trigger word that puts it all into perspective for me, does it matter that I catch the bike in front?  Not really, when it comes down to it, I ease off and feel the power subside, I feel good about myself, this is the first time that I have conquered my urge, and I feel ace.

A very short script but I think you get the picture.  I can ride all the way to Fort William when I’m on my bed but this is the first time I have used a trigger word.  I’ve been out 3 times now in my mind and I will use “Jnr“ 4 or 5 times in a ride.  Like I said earlier, it takes practise and you should aim to do it as often as possible.

It’s not going to be easy, I woke up the other day in a foul mood, I’d been out on the machine and I don’t know often I used “Jnr” but I never caught up with any bikes or tore off after a pack of bikes that just passed me.  It’s going to take some getting used to but the process has started.

"All men die, not all men really live"

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com