Inaugural Address

In the world of motorcycling, among sportbike riders at least, there is a fascination with the proportion of used to unused rubber on your rear tire. Near the edges, if there are virgin and shiny strips of rubber, you are labeled as a "chicken:" one who is afraid to lean your motorcycle. Thus, these circular tracks of unused tire are called "chicken strips."

Is this a fair connotation? I think not. While it's true if you're tooling around on your machine with unused rubber that you couldn't cover with your palm, you're probably holding up traffic, and you might consider what's holding you up as well. However, if you've got a strip about the size of your thumb back there you're probably riding at a pretty good, and fairly safe pace most of the time. Did you catch that? Safe.

Just about any subset of motorcycle riders outside of cruisers or dedicated tourers will fret a bit that they are riding too slow. To me, this is totally ridiculous. A motorcycle is an impractical machine for travel, despite the arguments of the dedicated and hardcore commuter. What matters on a motorcycle is the fun you are having. The proper speed is one that you are comfortable with, and maybe just a bit more.

It's this "bit more" that makes motorcycling worth it. For me, motorcycling is as much about learning as it is about riding. It's a skill that must be developed and improved constantly. By tacking on this "bit more" to your speed, your reactions and skills have a chance to force an improvement upon themselves.

Practicing proper techniques while motorcycling has a tendency to produce less than stellar "chicken strips." This is due to the fact that a proficient motorcyclist is a smooth motorcyclist. He or she counter steers the motorcycle. They shift their weight in turns. They look about twelve seconds ahead, and take a delayed apex line through turns. They err on the side of caution. None of these things reduce the size of your chicken strips, because all of these things are designed, in one way or another, to conserve traction.

In truth, the only way to get rid of your "chicken strips" is to increase your speed. Higher speeds require exceptional lean angles when turning, and this requirement is exacerbated when practicing proper cornering techniques. You WILL be traveling at ludicrous, extra-legal speeds on public highways if you are riding correctly and you clean up your tire. While it's true you can temporarily get rid of them with slow speed parking lot maneuvers, they will return quite quickly with a few miles of highway riding.

The next time you see a bike sitting in a parking lot with some modest 'strips on it's tires, don't automatically scoff at the rider. They may be far more skilled, and far speedier than you assume.