Amber alert: One lost Mojo

[RedNigel]

A few weeks ago I posted a thread about a near get-off I experienced. I guess it got under my skin more than I realized. I know I haven't been riding as much as I would like, and maybe it's as simple as me being rusty, but I seem to have lost a little of my Mojo.
I'm perfectly comfortable on the bike and unafraid, but my body (or is it my brain?) seems to be letting corners sneak up on me and I am not committing myself to the turns soon enough.
I haven't had any scares, but I can tell something isn't what it should be.
I keep thinking that my near fall scared me more than I want to admit...but I am not conscious of any fear
On the other hand I am a little paranoid about gravel anymore and find myself not trusting the corners on Farm to Market twisties.
The texture of the pavement on these Texas backroads sometimes makes it hard to distinguish between what's pavement and what's gravel.

I am going to keep telling myself I am just out of practice and hopefully find my mojo quickly on those ribbon smooth twisties in NW Arkansas next weekend

 

[JohnC]

What Falcon said. Second thoughts, once you have passed the initial learning curve, are Mother Nature's way of telling you that there is something to be careful of.

 

[Chucksklrst]

Everybody goes thru that. Some days more than others. Some times longer, some times short periods of time. Some times one might not even feel like riding for an extended period of time. Take your time and let the MOJO be a natural MOJO. Don't push the issues. If you are not having fun then you won't find the MOJO. Remember the basics. I bet you have dropped your head and are not looking out THROUGH the turn, instead you are looking down, for gravel. Best advice I ever got was Turn your head and LEAD WITH YOUR CHIN through the turns. Exaggerate the movement. IT causes you to lift your head, raise your eyes and sight through the turn. IT does work, but takes practice. It takes a conscious effort when the MOJO is missing.

 

[Mellow]

Everybody goes thru that. Some days more than others. Some times longer, some times short periods of time. Some times one might not even feel like riding for an extended period of time. Take your time and let the MOJO be a natural MOJO. Don't push the issues. If you are not having fun then you won't find the MOJO. Remember the basics. I bet you have dropped your head and are not looking out THROUGH the turn, instead you are looking down, for gravel. Best advice I ever got was Turn your head and LEAD WITH YOUR CHIN through the turns. Exaggerate the movement. IT causes you to lift your head, raise your eyes and sight through the turn. IT does work, but takes practice. It takes a conscious effort when the MOJO is missing.

What the old and wise one said... I agree..

 

[vc_slim]

...find my mojo quickly on those ribbon smooth twisties in NW Arkansas next weekend

I hear ya Red. After gobbling up 30k miles of Texas highways and mostly bi-ways over the past two years I've been caught out a number of time by the loose stuff on farm-to-market twisties. Using a "slow in, fast out" approach to the corners helps prevent the turns from surprising me. I'm tempted to take an off road course in order to get some experience and instruction on handling a sliding bike.

Have a great trip.

 

[RedNigel]

I have to say my biggest takeaway from my MSF course was literally turning one's head to see where you want to go. There is a U-turn I have to make every time I set out...It amazes me how much easier the bike turns when I exaggerate my head turn.
And the looking ahead thing works great too
When I look to see where I want to go, the bike just goes there
I think I am just rusty and pre-occupied with road conditions right now
And as I said, those roads I am going to in NW Arkansas are like 'buttah', and that really gives you confidence

 

[RedNigel]

Lemme know how those NW Arkansas roads are!

I can already vouch for the roads in NW Arkansas. Been there, haven't ridden all of them. Anything above I40 is amazing and some of the roads really are like buttah.
There are many great rides south of I40 as well all the way down to I30
You also have to do the Talimena Scenic Byway that runs from Mena to Talihina, OK
Oh, and the ride up and over Mt Magazine just south of Paris
Arkansas is a truly beautiful place
I have read that Harrison, AR is a great base for many riding possibilities
Looking at the map just now, the possibilities are endless for great rides

 

[Chuck 500]

No new advice from me. Still too new to this. The comments about looking where you want to go hit home as I STILL focus too short after 5 yrs. When I get it right it is a pleasure. Come to the TWT pie runs, great excuse to make some miles.

 

[U20417]

I went down in a corner in NW Arkansas back in 2005 on my Wing doing about 50. Or at least that is what my friends told me. I actually have no memory of the accident at all.

So in 2011 we went back east to ride the Blue Ridge and other twisties in the area. One of our rides was the Dragons Tail. Its got several hundred curves in an 11 mile stretch of highway. When we got to the end I had scraped my left peg 3 times, but never touched the right peg. Got to talking to the guys and ask if the corner I went down on was a left hand curve, and sure enough it was. I started paying very close attention to my left curves and found that I was leaning away from the curve instead of into it.

Long story short I had to re-educate my body to lean left in the left curves, but once I did that I finally felt like my MOJO was back. Its funny how our sub-conscious can take over and make us do the wrong thing.

The advice above is excellent! The only thing I might add would be to take a little extra attention in your curves to see if you may have changed you technique a little due to the almost fall. And just keep on riding at your level of comfort. Sooner or later you MOJO will return!

 

[vc_slim]

A good article on cornering from one of my favorite moto journalists Keith Code: Vision and Reference Points

 

[Phil Tarman]

I have read that Harrison, AR is a great base for many riding possibilities

Harrison, AR, is also the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan. Green Forest is a nice town (and where my Dad grew up) and so is Mountain Home. Push Mountain Road south east of Mountain Home is great road, one of the best I've ever ridden.

 

[U20417]

Isn't Mountain Home the town that small groups get together all over town on Friday and Saturday nights and play their guitars, fiddles, bass's, ETC. and sing songs?

 

[Phil Tarman]

Might be. I wasn't there on a Friday or Saturday night. We arrived on Tuesday and left on Friday morning.

 

[wphillips007]

My Mom and Dad lived near Green Forest for a number of years. They were care takers at a Bible Camp Ground outside of town.

 

[Phil Tarman]

My Mom and Dad lived near Green Forest for a number of years. They were care takers at a Bible Camp Ground outside of town.

My folks lived on Table Rock Lake for 17 years and I used to ride my bicycle from their place on the west side of the long bridge just barely in Missouri, down to Green Forest and back through Blue Eye. That's pretty, pretty country.

 

[RedNigel]

My folks lived on Table Rock Lake

I got to do some riding up there back in 1981, before Branson became 'Branson'
Pretty, pretty country

 

[Lorien]

Doesn't even take a near crash experience to get you wondering. I was going to eat out last week when traffic came to an all too familiar halt on the suburban street. Pulled into a parking lot figuring I could eat anywhere and in doing so saw the wreak 50 yards up the street. To my sorrow it was a two wheeler. A few steps toward the accident sight and I could see the crumpled body of the rider in the street. He was not moving and a helmet was nowhere to be seen. Over by the bike I could plainly see his boot laying next to the bike. That image comes to me now and again when I ride or see riders and doesn't seem to want to go away. Maybe a good thing.

 

[ARKNT]

Isn't Mountain Home the town that small groups get together all over town on Friday and Saturday nights and play their guitars, fiddles, bass's, ETC. and sing songs?

I think you are thinking of Mountain View, not Mt Home. Ozark Folk Center is located there and it is known for local music. Many interesting areas in Arkansas.

Brad

 

[U20417]

That's right!

Thanks for the clarifications.

Richard