How to Ride Like a Pro: Combine These Two Riding Disciplines

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What Pool Players Can Teach Us About Motorcycle Safety

Have you ever watched a great pool player? The best players don’t just make the shot—they also plan their next two or three moves in advance. Their skill is matched by their ability to think ahead and use strategy to gain an advantage.

That mindset applies just as well to riding a motorcycle.

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Skill and Strategy on Two Wheels

A skilled rider can “make the shot,” meaning they’ve developed their core motorcycle skills. But the smartest riders go a step further—they use Road Strategy to avoid situations where their life depends on those skills.

Motorcycle safety, like billiards, isn’t just about reacting. It’s about positioning yourself to avoid problems in the first place.

Essential Street Riding Skills

So, what types of skills does a rider need for the street? The MCrider Field Guide focuses on the foundational skills that every rider should practice:

Emergency braking
Swerving
Brake and escape
Cornering
U-turns

Why Practice U-Turns?

While a U-turn may not be a life-saving maneuver on its own, the techniques it teaches—clutch and throttle control, proper head and eye placement, and overall bike control—are essential to rider confidence and competence.

These skills don’t require a fancy setup either. Any open parking lot and the Field Guide are all you need to get started.

Practicing Motorcycle Skills in a Parking Lot

Set aside time to work on these fundamentals with the Field Guide:

Emergency Braking – Learn how to stop quickly without locking up.
Swerving – Master obstacle avoidance at speed.
Brake and Escape – Combine braking and swerving to get out of danger.
Cornering – Practice safe and smooth turns.
U-Turns – Develop low-speed control and confidence.

Why Strategy Matters

Road Skills are mostly reactive—they help you when something goes wrong.

A rider who only focuses on skill, without strategy, is like a pool player who sinks the shot but leaves the cue ball in a bad spot for the next play. They’re always recovering instead of controlling the game.

That’s where Road Strategy comes in.

Core Elements of Road Strategy

Road Strategy has its own set of fundamentals that help prevent the need for emergency maneuvers:

Lane positioning
Following distance
Appropriate road speed
Head and eye placement
Anticipating the actions of other drivers

These elements don’t get the spotlight, but they’re often what keep riders safe.

Some of my best riding moments didn’t involve using fancy skills. They happened when I anticipated a hazard, adjusted my speed or position, and avoided the problem altogether.

A New Resource for Riders

A few weeks ago, I announced a new book here on MCrider. This week, I finished writing it.

In addition to the Field Guide, I’ll now be offering a book focused entirely on Road Strategy.

I believe Road Skills and Road Strategy together form the foundation of safe riding. And I’m proud to now offer books on both.

Ride Smart. Ride Safe.

You’ve heard me say it before:

“I want to develop my skills on a motorcycle and then ride on the street in a manner where I rarely need to use those skills.”

If more riders followed that philosophy, we’d see fewer crashes, fewer fatalities, and more people making it home safely at the end of a ride.

Pre-Order the Road Strategy Book

You can order the Field Guide, the new Road Strategy book, or save on shipping by ordering both together.

I hope to send the Road Strategy book to the printer next week, and I’ll fill all pre-orders as soon as I get them back. If you want to reserve a first edition, visit:

👉 MCrider.com/books

I’m excited to get this new book in your hands. Let me know what you think, and until next week—ride safe.