ob·ser·va·tionbikenav wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:21 pm observation= road position, scanning close far right and left, peripheral vision if you can do it. Anticipation hazard awareness, static and mobile. When I think about all the things my worn out little brain is trying to compute going round a bend on a wet leaf covered road on knobbly tyres, I think perhaps I should be at home watching box sets of Friends or something, but most of the time I seem to manage the task OK. Staying relaxed and having some experience of knowing that you have handled and can handle again minor errors perhaps helps me. I suppose that is Experience probably not ultimate skill. Interested in where you are going to go with this.
noun
noun: observation; plural noun: observations
1.the action or process of observing something or someone carefully or in order to gain information.
So yes, observation is seeing as much of what is happening around you in order to gain information and that information is what is going to help you with anticipation. It's hard to anticipate something if you aren't observing what is going on around you. How does that apply to motorcycle riding? I think it starts with your ovservation/visual skills, whereby you use your eyes to see as much of what is going on around you in order to decide what is safe/dangerous/or possibly coming up next. But it starts with your visual and observation skills. If you don't know that a vehicle is approaching the intersection in front of you with a left turn signal on, then how can you anticipate it turning in front of you, and do the right things to prepare for it?
Next question would probably be around how to improve your observation/visual skills in order to better anticipate what is going to happen while riding. You mentioned that observation is "road position, scanning close far right and left, peripheral vision if you can do it." Are these skills learnable or do they just come from experience? Are there things you can work on/practice in order to improve your observation skills?
I love the comment from Elmer Fudd about taking up clay pigeon shooting in order to help, it's a mixture how to really see an object both in peripheral and central vision. How can/does this apply to motorcycle riding? Cool discussion thanks!!