I understand why people get froggy about motorcycle danger. If the unsafe driver is in a car or on the bike, a motorcyclist has a good chance of getting hurt.
But, I like some things about motorcyclists.
While in Minnesota, I followed my friend Shannon Burton home via car after picking up his new motorcycle. I watched him closely.
Shannon was in a full hip hinge on that bike, while I was stuck in seated flexion in the car.
At each stoplight, I sat there in a disc-compressing seated position, while Shannon stood up.
On each turn, the car did the balancing for me as I sat. On each of Shannon’s turns, his balance centers were lit up, as his body swayed to meet the positional demands.
As we rode, my elbows sat in flexion and I felt my shoulders round toward the steering wheel. Conversely, Shannon packed his shoulders and straightened his elbows, giving him ultimate upper extremity control on the bike.
Before one ostracizes motorcyclists for being unsafe, remember that what you do all day long can undo you.
That motorcyclist has a better lock on biomechanics that are body protective. So, drive safe and improve the way you move – or work to undo what you’ve done behind the wheel of that car.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley