Suddenly I heard the voice inside my head saying: “Look into the corner - look into the corner”. Those words saved my life.
I attended a Motorcycle Training Program (MCTP) as it was known through Queensland Transport. This was back in 1995. I was riding with some mates up through Split Yard Creek Road towards Mt Glorious. We were not travelling that fast however I was at the back of the group.
“Look into the corner - Look into the corner” screamed out in my head.
In my efforts to catch up, I came into a sweeping right hander. The camber was perfect, road was dry, temperature was crisp and I was free of the day to day dramas in life. The bend got tighter and suddenly I saw something and looked up. In that split second the bike also started to straighten up. “Look into the corner - “Look into the corner” screamed out in my head. Those words were spoken by my instructor on the MCTP course only weeks before.
My head turned sharply into the corner, the bike responded and leant way over. Foot pegs scraped the ground and the guard rail got marginally closer. As I came out of the bend and straightened up, I slowed down. For about the next few kilometres I reflected on my near death experience however it was overshadowed by the pure exhilaration of knowing how to get out of a sticky situation.
I tend not to leave myself with limited margins of error to play with anymore. But I will always be grateful to my trainer for those words of wisdom.
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I attended a Motorcycle Training Program (MCTP) as it was known through Queensland Transport. This was back in 1995.
Comment by TeeJay — Mar 23 @ 10:22 pm“Look into the corner - “Look into the corner” screamed out in my head. Those words were spoken by my instructor on the MCTP course only weeks before.
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Aw Gee Curls, For a while there I thought you were talking about me. But I told you to look THROUGH the corner back in 1990. Back when you were still doing P.R. at the Ipswich Police Station. Ah well, glad somebody made something sink in anyway. Ha ha,that story warmed the cockles of my little heart it did. Goodonya Mate, Cheers !
Yeah Curley, it seems that the mind-set that takes over on group rides all too often results in “moments” that end in a cold sweat, the trauma unit or a box. The compulsion to “compete” or not to hold the group up can seriously cloud your judgement, to the point that “not travelling that fast” becomes irrelevant. Whatever the speed, a mistake is a mistake and if it can’t be corrected because you were “at the limit” then hitting an immovable object with your body, even at something as “slow” as 30 kph is going to hurt. Perhaps more important than your lesson in “look through the corner” is the fact you’ve learnt to ease up on that right hand and give yourself a bigger chance in the face of the unexpected. Keep up the good work mate. Ignore any smart cracks, leave ego out of it and stick with your plan to ride within your own safe limits.
Comment by Gary Edgar — Mar 24 @ 11:10 amYes …
It was a sad day when Q.T. shut down those courses to make way for Q-Ride..
They offered 4 times the training for 1/4 of the cost..well in fact most of the modern training systems used by companies and schools were based on shortened M.C.T.P curriculum and principals …the correct basic principals of Motorcycle operation have never and will never change..
Comment by Paul W — Mar 24 @ 6:30 pmI had the pleasure of working as an Instructor with TeeJay and then Curly later on on those wonderful courses..