Words of Wisdom From David Hough - Part 8
Q: 1) What has been the key to your success/status in
your field? 2) Why are you a part of this field (what's your
deepest motivation for doing what you do)?"
(submitted by Jackson G., Belmont, CA)
A: One key to success is being committed to what you want to do. But I've also been fortunate to have bumped into people who encouraged me, and to have worked in a profession that prepared me for the tasks I later took on. I didn't decide to get into motorcycle safety. Rather, I just started sharing what I had discovered, and riders were receptive to my ideas. It was sort of like a cute little puppy that grew into a huge mastif.
Q: "My questions would investigate how he came to be involved in this field. I like those stories, and usually offer insight and perspective." (Submitted by Lawrence S., Washington,DC)
A: When I first started riding, there wasn't much available to help me learn. I taught myself, with the advice of other, more experienced riders, who would offer advice such as "when you stop being afraid of the bike it's time to get off." Their advice wasn't very helpful, and I continued to look for more information and try to figure it all out. I suppose my interest in motorcycling was helped along by my curiosity about mechanical things. When I was about 6 I took apart a cap pistol, but never could get it back together right. Later, I was working on bicycles, then building small boats and fixing outboard motors. Most of my knowledge came from trying things by trial and error, and then figuring out how to avoid making the same errors the next time.
Q: "Do you have any regrets? What's your favorite memory? What bike(s) do you wish you had in your garage from your history? (Submitted by Lorin R., Austin,TX)
A: Sure, I have a few regrets, but mostly they are guilt trips for saying something that I should have kept to myself. I don't think we make mistakes. We just put one foot in front of the other, and later on, we realize some of those steps were mistakes. Once in a while we stumble on something unique. One year I was returning home from a big BMW rally in Missoula, Montana, and decided to take the long way home. I was driving my sidecar rig, and headed for Hells Canyon between Idaho and Oregon. I found out about a power line access road that climbed up about 4,000feet out on the Oregon side, and I still remember that as a pleasurable adventure. I moved on from bike to bike, but I still have my BMW "airhead" I bought new in 1980. Does that count as "history"?
Q: If you were a motorcycle what kind would you be and why?" (submitted by Nicholas C., Dallas,TX)
A: If I were a "motorcycle" it would have to be a 1937 Indian Scout. Come to think of it, maybe I am a '37 Scout.
Q: Give us your advice on appropriate motorcycles for newbies. We see brand spanking new riders on bikes that make us do a double take. What bikes are absolutely off limits for a person just out of basic rider training? Do you have any pointers for those who want to get into riding? (submitted by Tony B, Edison, NJ)
A: There is a tendency for riders to buy machines that are too big and too powerful, and for friends to suggest getting a powerful bike right away. When you are a newbie, you have lots of new thoughts rattling around in your head, and a machine that is hard to control is an extra liability. I would limit the first machine to something no larger than say, 650cc, and I would suggest a used bike rather than a new one. I would avoid bikes with peaky power bands or ergonomics that force a race posture. And I would suggest against a heavy cruiser with feet-forward ergonomics. My choice for a newbie would be a Suzuki 400cc "SM" single or a used SV650.
Remember that a bike has a different style of protection than a car. On a bike, you wear the protective shell. So, shop for riding gear before you buy the bike, and get some good gear right away. Then you can buy a bike with what's left over, one reason for a used machine.
Q: Expound on physical skills vs. mental skills needed for riding.
A: At first, you may be intimidated by all the physical skills, such as shifting, braking, countersteering, balancing and so forth. When those physical skills start to become habits, many riders assume they are now skilled. But the mental skills of observing traffic and surface hazards, executing corners, trip planning, etc. are a much bigger and higher plateau. That's one important purpose for books on riding skills, since you can pick up a lot of the mental tactics by reading.
Stay tuned...more David Hough wisdom to come!
(submitted by Jackson G., Belmont, CA)
A: One key to success is being committed to what you want to do. But I've also been fortunate to have bumped into people who encouraged me, and to have worked in a profession that prepared me for the tasks I later took on. I didn't decide to get into motorcycle safety. Rather, I just started sharing what I had discovered, and riders were receptive to my ideas. It was sort of like a cute little puppy that grew into a huge mastif.
Q: "My questions would investigate how he came to be involved in this field. I like those stories, and usually offer insight and perspective." (Submitted by Lawrence S., Washington,DC)
A: When I first started riding, there wasn't much available to help me learn. I taught myself, with the advice of other, more experienced riders, who would offer advice such as "when you stop being afraid of the bike it's time to get off." Their advice wasn't very helpful, and I continued to look for more information and try to figure it all out. I suppose my interest in motorcycling was helped along by my curiosity about mechanical things. When I was about 6 I took apart a cap pistol, but never could get it back together right. Later, I was working on bicycles, then building small boats and fixing outboard motors. Most of my knowledge came from trying things by trial and error, and then figuring out how to avoid making the same errors the next time.
Q: "Do you have any regrets? What's your favorite memory? What bike(s) do you wish you had in your garage from your history? (Submitted by Lorin R., Austin,TX)
A: Sure, I have a few regrets, but mostly they are guilt trips for saying something that I should have kept to myself. I don't think we make mistakes. We just put one foot in front of the other, and later on, we realize some of those steps were mistakes. Once in a while we stumble on something unique. One year I was returning home from a big BMW rally in Missoula, Montana, and decided to take the long way home. I was driving my sidecar rig, and headed for Hells Canyon between Idaho and Oregon. I found out about a power line access road that climbed up about 4,000feet out on the Oregon side, and I still remember that as a pleasurable adventure. I moved on from bike to bike, but I still have my BMW "airhead" I bought new in 1980. Does that count as "history"?
Q: If you were a motorcycle what kind would you be and why?" (submitted by Nicholas C., Dallas,TX)
A: If I were a "motorcycle" it would have to be a 1937 Indian Scout. Come to think of it, maybe I am a '37 Scout.
Q: Give us your advice on appropriate motorcycles for newbies. We see brand spanking new riders on bikes that make us do a double take. What bikes are absolutely off limits for a person just out of basic rider training? Do you have any pointers for those who want to get into riding? (submitted by Tony B, Edison, NJ)
A: There is a tendency for riders to buy machines that are too big and too powerful, and for friends to suggest getting a powerful bike right away. When you are a newbie, you have lots of new thoughts rattling around in your head, and a machine that is hard to control is an extra liability. I would limit the first machine to something no larger than say, 650cc, and I would suggest a used bike rather than a new one. I would avoid bikes with peaky power bands or ergonomics that force a race posture. And I would suggest against a heavy cruiser with feet-forward ergonomics. My choice for a newbie would be a Suzuki 400cc "SM" single or a used SV650.
Remember that a bike has a different style of protection than a car. On a bike, you wear the protective shell. So, shop for riding gear before you buy the bike, and get some good gear right away. Then you can buy a bike with what's left over, one reason for a used machine.
Q: Expound on physical skills vs. mental skills needed for riding.
A: At first, you may be intimidated by all the physical skills, such as shifting, braking, countersteering, balancing and so forth. When those physical skills start to become habits, many riders assume they are now skilled. But the mental skills of observing traffic and surface hazards, executing corners, trip planning, etc. are a much bigger and higher plateau. That's one important purpose for books on riding skills, since you can pick up a lot of the mental tactics by reading.
Stay tuned...more David Hough wisdom to come!
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