Getting your Confidence Back After the Raining Season

As motorcyclists we see rust as one of our biggest enemies, but forget about the nasty red oxides that can show up after a motorcycle's raining season sleep over. There's a more insidious sort of corrosion: the kind that builds up between your ears when it's too wet to ride, eating away at your confidence and slowing you down – or worse. You feel it the first times when your motorcycle rolls out of the garage under a bright sun and blue sky. First after a long time not riding your motorcycle things look different. Trucks look bigger? Things happen a bit faster than they did before the rain started? Relax. Slow down. Caught in the early stages, it's nothing to worry about. Mental rust comes off quickly if you're willing to work at it.

Job one: Get back to the basics. Not all the way back to Square One, but don't expect to pick up where you left off when those wheels went into the storage. Make sure all the mechanical systems are GOOD before going to work on the mental ones. Give it a bath. Meticulous washing and drying will reveal problems you won't see any other way. Most owners' manual include a pre-ride checklist, or think clockwise: tires/wheels, controls, lights, oil, chassis, stands.

Aim for roads you know with light traffic and minimal distractions. Neuroscience knows the human brain can juggle a finite amount of data – somewhere between five and nine separate chunks – in short-term memory. Overloaded circuits can't process information so well. Like most forms of detritus, this stuff starts in the most neglected spots. Coming into corners too hot? Back it off a notch. Starting out with less speed is the key to rapid rust removal. Brake a little earlier on the way into corners until you're comfortable. Be patient with the throttle on the way out.

Feel the Force, Luke. If Racer Road feels half as wide and twice as tight, start with something less technical. Plan a route for the first ride or three to let you work out specific kinks in your riding style. Don't overdo it with 1,000 kilometer on your first day. And make sure you stop and think once in awhile. If you're a note-taker, take notes on anything that seems particularly problematic.

Heading out with a couple of friends may be better than going solo, but ride at your own pace. Stay away from anyone who will encourage more speed than you're ready for. Getting sucked into one decreasing-radius corner too fast will take a big bite out of your confidence. Take your time. Find you comfort zone and avoid anything that's taking you beyond it. This is supposed to be fun, remember? Reinforce good habits and let the bad ones fade away. A few weeks from now you'll be safer, smoother and sharper than ever before.....