We all learned to ride a motorcycle at a certain age. Some of us learned in training schools, on farms, and some of us learned from our father. It means, that not all riders learned the same way. If I recall my learning days of motorcycle riding in a training school, there was a guy that always thought he knew more than the trainer. We all follow the instructions of our trainer, but these types of riders do just the opposite.
It’s like they are trying to prove something. Now, I am sure that “something” relates to showing they are a really proficient rider. But, instead of showing advanced skills they ended up failing in the given task. Well, my training sessions taught me that not all people become proficient riders. It depends upon the individual skills. Otherwise, all students would get an “A” grade in their exams by learning from the same teacher.
Anyway, my own experience also taught me that you can never have perfect riding skills. You learn every day at every turn
Categories of Motorcycle Riders
For the most part, you can classify the riders into four categories in terms of skills, which are:
- Subconscious Incompetence
- Conscious Incompetence
- Conscious Competence
- Subconscious Competence
According to psychologists, that’s the ‘Hierarchy of Competence’ and the four stages of learning any new skill. So, let’s discuss each stage one by one.
One more thing, we are going to follow the order that we feel is suitable for understanding the nature of motorcyclists rather than the listed order above.
Conscious Competence
Consciously competent riders are those who really are proficient riders and know how to ride.
They have amazing skills and use them frequently. These riders know the importance of safety helmets, riding gear, and also know their boundaries. But it doesn’t mean they are perfect. Even, consciously competent riders can pick up bad habits or, sometimes, their advanced skills can cloud their judgment.
Subconscious Competence
Subconsciously competent riders are kind of natural riders who have more talent than most other riders. These riders grasp skills more quickly than other riders. These guys have good instincts and tend to do things without any difficulty. However, subconsciously competent riders are not disciplined and tend to make mistakes, especially when they experiment to improve their skills. There is no doubt, this personality can also put them in danger.
See Also: Risks Involved in Group Motorcycle Riding
Conscious Incompetence
I think conscious incompetent riders are the best.
Do you know why?
Because these riders understand the value of skills and their insufficient knowledge encourages them to learn and improve their skills. You can teach these riders easily. They are constantly looking for ways to improve their skills and to reach the highest level on the basis of hard work with minimal natural talent like the subconsciously competent riders.
Subconscious Incompetence
Well, these are the riders that I mentioned earlier in this article. A person in your group who constantly believes that he/she is better and knows more than anyone and doesn’t require more training.
I am not sure, how these riders survive on sheer dumb luck! These riders are those who either believe they know how to ride but actually don’t or are consciously competent riders who picked up bad habits and ended up becoming subconsciously incompetent. These riders are a very serious danger, to themselves and to anybody who rides with them.
Conclusion
I am sure, you learned a few things about these different types of riders and understand the importance of riding skills. Even the best riders can turn bad after a certain time. So, don’t let this happen to you and continue improving your skills and learning new techniques to become a really proficient motorcycle rider.
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