As rider-bloggers would in essence put it, performance riding is all about riding competitively on the race track, it’s about racing skills.

the rider has to learn to control his machine’s power, without breaking the machine, without spilling, and without crashing into anything.

there should also be the ability to not only follow, but maximise the use of the racing line. everyone in the track follows the racing line, but the rider who takes note and takes advantage of the track’s weak and strong points gives that rider the extra quickness to pass everyone else before reaching the finish line.

i think street dudes get envious about this ‘performance’ thingy and probably always ask themselves “can’t we be that — minus the race track?”

well i’m a street dude and, in my opinion, it’s a definite YES! performance riding should be in the heart and mind too of each and every street rider! and no, i don’t go into the streets and race! though i abide by the most fundamental race-rule, finding the most efficient way to get from point A to point B!

IMO the difference between track and street performance riding is that in racing you go fast but responsible. well to each his own actually, you only have to be responsible to not break the race rules! why? for starters because it’s a speed competition; everyone in the track is in leather suits; they’re all well-trained and almost equally matched; the competitor’s priority is to win against you which leaves your safety as your own concern; and they’re all prepared to crash!

“…in racing you go fast but responsible …in the streets, you ought to be responsible first before going fast!”

in the streets, you ought to be responsible first before going fast! why? well other than the cops, with you in the streets as well are non-riding entities like pedestrians, peddlers, freakin’ stray dogs, stup*d yuppies on cellphones, etc. and unlike in racing, the street riders’ margin of skills vary widely. imagine mixing grade-schoolers and high-schoolers into the same quiz bee that has a spelling portion… chopsuey, yummy! and finally these riders, that includes myself, would NOT want to crash — ever!  so…

in the track:  it’s the art of war fought with crotch rockets!
rule 1, go fast;
rule 2, obey race rules.

in the streets: It’s a shaolin monk’s demonstration of disciplined power!
rule 1, be conscientious & responsible; then
rule 2, go fast.

so why not just play safe, and be just like the rest of the pack, or the cool dudes owning scooters? well for cryin’ out loud, you own a crotch rocket, a frankenstein scooter (as exception), a streetfighter, a mini sportbike, or all of the above!

and c’mon man, don’t tell me you own a crotch rocket and drive it like lola (grandma) drives her beetle! i myself have made promises so many times that i’d never, ever again twist that throttle more than 1/3 the way round. but i still go 2/3, heck even full throttle! oh yeah, now you’re smiling…

on a race track or in the streets, a performance motorcycle should be driven by a performance rider!

nothing for me is more adrenaline-rushing than the growling or the thumping sound a crotch rocket makes and the acceleration and speed it gives. and if you own one then definitely you ought to yourself to be a performance rider — even in the streets — or risk being disrespected by your machine when that adrenaline pumps in! so the first step you should make in becoming a performance street rider is not to deny — admit — that sometimes the urge to go fast does take over. it takes over for varied reasons: an emergency; urgent trip; breaking-in your machine; etc, etc. and sometimes it just feels like it… to gauge with other riders. it’s like a craving for something; it’s like having to pee. if you don’t admit to the existence of this craving then you will always be at a risk that you could not be able to properly defend against.

“…it’s like a craving for something; it’s like having to pee. if you don’t admit to the existence of this craving then you will always be at a risk that you could not be able to properly defend against”.

now the next step is to keep a set of well-thought-of rules when ‘indulging’ the adrenaline. besides the basic safety-riding rules, these are what i keep in mind.

1. never go fast when you have a backride/passenger — hold that drug back!
2. use your signal lights all the time and most specially at very high speeds
3. never swerve, or change lanes abruptly without wide clearances
4. learn to use the corner of the eyes and lock your sight upfront
5. never ever do wild chases unless you are alone in the streets
6. the chance of you violating leads to being apprehended either by cops, your mechanic, or by an orthopedic doctor!

whenever you fire up that crotch rocket, getting ready to hit the streets you should already have phsyched yourself with this kind of clearly set rules – similar to race rules a racer contemplates on before a race. and this list should kick into your mental screen when that instance of adrenaline rush presents and kicks itself in with it, like arnold-the-terminator sees his primary objectives when he spots john connor.

again, always be responsible towards the other entities in the streets, respect street laws because they are part of your ‘performance rules’, and respect the machine you ride by learning the set of skills the machine understands so it respects you back.

The Rebel