The Professional Attitude

by Andy Dills

I received a copy of "Mastering The Ride" from Ross Thacker at the July 7, 2024 club breakfast. This copy and the original "The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well" are now part of the club library. As a way to share it's content, I will try to provide summaries during the newsletters.

Chapter 2 discusses the Professional Attitude. We need to consider motorcycling as a combat mission. Many of us in the club can relate, as we have prior military experience. But the analogy works for us all. The battlefield is the "traffic" we ride in. Motorcycling always carries risk among other vehicles, and it seems to be getting worse. Are you ready to go to battle?

Preparing forbattle begins with having the right PPE -- proper protective [riding] equipment. Remember the saying, "We dress for the slide, not the ride." There's an old joke about emergency room staff telling the difference between two types of riders. On one hand, they're fighting to save a person's life, and on the other hand, e.g., most BMW riders, they're repairing broken arms and minor cuts.

Each fighter pilot or combat marine goes to battle with a good checklist. A pilot and their crew will do an aircraft preflight check in addition to a mission brief. For us riders, that also means a pre-ride check to avoid mechanical issues while traveling through "enemy territory." Your mission planning should align with your skills, your bike's performance rating (are you flying a C-5 Galaxy or an F-22 Raptor?), your bike's preparedness (fueled up, tires at proper pressure, oil good, lights work, battery good, etc.), your emergency contacts/Spot® etc., your health and safety (hydration, mental fortitude, injuries, fatigue, and no alcohol or drugs in your system, etc.), and your easily accessible wallet (for fuel stops, identification, insurance). Why a checklist? Good pilots use them to prevent mistakes in battle. Do you want mistakes in battle? I guess not!

What about a mission plan and mission brief? Once you know your route and your fuel and food stops, you're less likely to make impulsive decisions that put you at risk. Are you planning your route to avoid known high-risk accident areas or areas where the enemy and battlefield are known to be extremely dangerous? Don't forget your wingman. Riding with someone not only provides companionship but also can provide a safety check -- e.g., "Hey man, you look really tired. Have you drunk anything since we left?" Additionally, your wingman can help during emergency situations, from helping to repair a tire to helping stop traffic if you're down on the road.

Lastly, have you heard of the John Boyd's OODA loop? It stands for Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act. Author Hough relates OODA to our combat tactics while riding motorcycles. For example, "Observe" the situation ahead of you that is really a threat. What are you looking at? Yes, we like to sightsee, but is the majority of your eye focus on what's ahead of you? As an example, when I ride, my eyes are constantly scanning for wildlife. Once you see something in your sight, how are you "Orienting" to mitigate the threat? Are you changing your position, speed, or relative position with other combatants? Then you have to "Decide" how you need to make these and further adjustments, and you may need to decide to take an alternate path or speed. Finally, now that you've decided, you need to "Act" on that decision to follow through. While acting on the decision, you continue to observe and orient and decide and then readjust your action. Thus, this is the OODA loop.

These are just a few items that I gleaned from Chapter 2. I did not discuss training. As you know, any combat personnel goes through extensive and long training to be ready for the real battlefield. Are you taking your training -- and retraining -- seriously?

I hope you enjoyed this summary of David L. Hough's Chapter 2 "The Professional Attitude". Your comments are welcome.