The implication of the flow state for powered two-wheeler training.

One of the major goals of motorcycle riding is enjoyment, which can be further enhanced by the the flow state, defined as the holistic sensation that people feel when they act in total involvement. To enter into a flow state, this task must be carried out in an automatic manner, with no interference from the brain's explicit memory. Therefore these skills must be well practised. With experience, the motorcycle is ridden on an automatic manner with little or no conscious thought. This control is developed when learning to ride, and to a greater extent, by post-test experience. While being taught to ride, the pupil will be thinking about his actions, hence using explicit memory, but with experience the riding task control is passed to the more efficient, automatic areas, the implicit memory. Therefore a different brain area is used when a skill is being taught than when a skill is used during unsupervised riding. This study discusses this dichotomy and its repercussions for post-test rider behaviour. For the covering abstract see ITRD E138063.