The Fear Perception Factor

THE FEAR PERCEPTION FACTOR

UP FRONT

My friend The Philosopher has raised self-deception to the level of art. "First," he says. ticking off the steps of his logic finger by finger. "I'm not gonna crash. No way. If I was going to crash, I wouldn't ride. So I don't need a helmet for protection.

"But," (second finger) "You have to have something over your eyes. Can't take a chance with getting blinded by dust or bugs or rocks. So I always wear goggles.

"You know how it is on the road with goggles. They won't stay put. Only way goggles really work right is if you have a helmet to keep the goggles in place. "So as long as I'm gonna be wearing a helmet anyway, might as well get a good one."

Uh-huh. Horse feathers.

What we've just seen is an intellectual way to prove that if we don't open our eyes. the monster won't be there. If we don't see him, he'll go away.

Reason I mention this, aside from enjoy ing such trains of thought, is because a couple months ago. in an offhand way, I commented in this space that motorcycle riding is dangerous. Didn't occur to me there was any controversy there. But I got a couple letters from outraged people. How dare I say such a thing? they asked. How could a bike nut make a mistake like that? One chap went so far as to say. in as many words, that if he thought for one moment riding bikes was dangerous. he wouldn't do

I won't repeat myself in an offhand way. With all due consideration. I say. Motorcy cle Riding Is Dangerous. That's d-a-n-g etc. By any measurement, miles per crash, crashes per death, accidents per registered vehicle, the two-wheeled group always comes in worse than the four-wheelers do. Working for us, we have skill. Again. I fear no contradiction when I say that riders

are better at riding than drivers at driving. Have to be. It takes more skill, coordina tion. balance, dexterity, whatever, to ride a bike than to sit there in a box opening and closing servos and hydraulic valves.

We have enthusiasm and interest and pride. I don't know a biker who isn't ready to learn a little more, whether it's braking, throttle control or the theory of cornering. Against us we have, well, the rest of it. Cars have bumpers. we have elbows and knees. Cars have padded dashboards, we have the human skull and whatever is on our heads at the instant we sail over the bars.

If anything goes wrong. we're on our way down. And we lose every impact.

Grim stuff. Is this a contradiction? I mean, there are people working for this magazine who've never seen my car. When I decide to go to the races. I ride 500 miles on Friday. watch the races and ride 500 miles on Sunday. Best week-end I've had in months. At this writing, my heart is broken because there isn't going to be a vintage bike race at the 750 event at Laguna Seca. I've never been good enough to race real racing bikes anyplace so I planned to take Red Rooster and pass it off as a vintage bike and be a foolish imitation of Mike Hailwood. I keep one of my bikes

at the office and the other at home so in case I get stranded either place, I'll have something to ride.

Funny behavior for a man who thinks riding motorcycles is dangerous? I think not.

I think it's a safety factor. Were I not wildly superstitious, I'd say something about not having fallen off a road bike since 1954.

I have never thrown a leg over a saddle without realizing that I am doing a dan gerous thing. I am taking a chance every time I let out the clutch.

Mv appreciation of this mental tech nique began back when seat belts in cars were optional. A friend who was sales manager at a dealership told me an odd thing: the people who ordered belts were less likely to need them, that is. to crash. than were the people who didn't order belts.

Made sense. To order a belt, and es pecially to buckle yourself in. was to admit to risk.

Same for us. The figures aren't due out until next month but I predi'~t the Univer sity of Southern California motorcycle in jury study will show riders who wear helmets are less likely to fall off or slide into, than are riders without. Not just get less hurt, mind, but less likely to crash. Not crashing is even better than walking away from a bent bike.

When one tucks cuffs into boots, zips leather jacket. pulls on helmet and fastens the straps and pulls on the gloves before leaping on the lever or punching the but ton, one has admitted, consciously or not. that one is putting one's limbs in peril.

You don't have to ride scared. You sure as heck don't have to choose between not riding and pretending a bike is just like being tucked in your snuggy bed .

All we have to fear is not fear itself. The problem. the factor that persuades my clever friend that he only wears a helmet to keep his goggles in place. and the factor)

Allan Girdler

CYCLE WORLD is published monthly by CBS Publications, the Consumer Publish ing Division of CBS Inc., 600 3rd Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. Editorial and Produc tion offices located at 1499 Monrovia Ave nue, Newport Beach, Calif. 92663, phone (714) 646-4451. John S. Suhier, President; Robert J. Krefting, Vice President. Reprint ing whole or in part expressly forbidden except by permission of the publishers. Sec ond Class Postage paid at New York, N.Y., and at additional mailing offices. Authorized as second-class mail by the Post Office De partment, Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cash.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S., possessions $9.98 one year, $16 two years and $20 three years. Canada add $2.50 per year. All other

countries outside U.S., add $5 per year.. Canada and foreign countries: Remit by money order or draft on a U.S. bank payable in U.S. funds. Single copy: $1., in U.S. $1 .25 in Canada. Address all subscription mail to: P.O. Box 8111 Greenwich, Conn. 06830.

BACK ISSUES: $1.50 each plus 50~ per order for postage and handling. Outside U.S., add $1.50 additional for postage. Send requests for single issues or write for list of available back issues to P.O. Box 5755, Terre Haute, Indiana 47805.

ADVERTISING: See SRDS. Circulation au dited by ABC.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS are wel comed and should be sent to to CYCLE WORLD, 1499 Monrovia Avenue, Newport Beach, Calif. 92663. Work cannot be consid

ered unless guaranteed exclusive to CYCLE WORLD. Not responsible for return of un solicited material unless accompanied by self-addressed, stamped envelope. Rates on request.

POSTMASTER: Send Form #3579 to 1 Fawcett Place, Greenwich, CT 06830. Notice is required for a change of address. Please furnish both old and new address, with an imprint from a recent issue. Address to: CYCLE WORLD, 1 Fawcett Place, Green wich, Conn. 06830. 1978 CBS Publications, the Consumer Publishing Division of CBS Inc. All rights reserved

that has riders saying if they were taking chances they wouldn't ride, is the percep tion of fear. We pretend it isn't there. We deny it happens to us.

Motion is dangerous. Motorcycles are dangerous. Cars are dangerous. Their pro tection is an illusion. All that metal, those doors that close with such a reassuring thunk. crumble like tinfoil when you hit the truck or tumble over the cliff or careen into the oncoming traffic.

Fear is nature's way of telling you you're soft, fragile and liable to errors in judge ment. On a bike you can't afford illusions. You must know the risks you take. That little reminder in the back of yOur head is a safety device. Perhaps because the device is an option, that is, there are riders who prefer to kid themselves, too many of us get hurt.

Admit you're taking a chance and you'll take fewer chances.

My favorite true story on this subject. how to perceive fear and accept risk, comes from Tazio Nuvolari, finest driver of his day and some say of all time.

People were forever asking how he could climb into a racing car every Sunday when he knew racing was dangerous.

`Do you expect to die in bed?" he asked in return.

His questioners always said, yes. they did.

`~Wel1, then. I wonder how you dare get into bed at night?"

Tazio Nuvolari raced and won for 20 years. He died of an illness. In bed. Dan gerous as riding is, I expect to do the same.