James Patterson is one of the bestselling authors of all time with over 170 million books sold worldwide. He has written over 75 books, mostly novels, and with a small cadre of associates is now coming out with new titles almost faster than I can buy them. In fact I currently have eight of his novels pre-ordered waiting for them to be published.

As he creates his literary works, Patterson says, "I scribble on the rewrites, 'Be there.' If I don't feel I'm in the scene, for this kind of writing, I don't think it works." This is his reminder to place himself in the scene and make the chapter come alive. That's good advice for you as well.

When you're riding your motorcycle you need to "Be There." You must be a part of the scene. After all, you have a lot to do with what's happening right now. Your choice of lanes and your position within that lane coupled with the time and space you've created around you help define your current situation.

But to ensure that you have placed yourself in the best location for what;s happening right now, you have to "Be there." You have to put yourself in the scene and know what's going on all around you. You must be aware of potential problems so you can adjust your speed and position to best deal with the current circumstances you are facing.

Part of being there is also determining what you will do if the situation gets as gruesome as you think it might. What will you do if that car doesn't stop at the corner or just slows and keeps going? How will you handle it if the steering wheel moves in that left turning pickup and the front tires begin to roll? Where will you go if that SUV suddenly drifts into your path of travel as you round that left hand curve? Are you prepared to move quickly if that car approaching from behind doesn't stop for the red light you are at?

With all the challenges you face while riding your beloved motorcycle, you can't afford to check out and place yourself in another scene somewhere else. You have got to be there taking care of your current riding situation. Even a short break of just a few seconds can be enough for something disastrous to rear its ugly head and put a real dent in your ride.

Those short lapses of attention can easily slip into your ride; especially on back country roads when you might get lulled into feeling that you're all alone on the highway. Without the stimulus of constant traffic around you, it clearly takes extra effort to keep your mind on your ride. Farm equipment, animals and bad road surfaces are just a few of the problems that could steal your fun and maybe even shorten your ride altogether.

You have to stay focused on your ride and your surroundings because mental vacations can be costly. It's not always easy to do, but you must be in the moment so you can have an enjoyable and uneventful ride. Like James Patterson says, you need to “Be there.”

Ride Smart! Ride Safe!