Motorcycle Controls, and Barack Obama

Probably 98% of the world's production motorcycles now have the standard controls layout: right hand throttle/front brake, left hand clutch, right foot rear brake, left foot shifter. This layout, as you probably know, only became standardized in the past 20 years. Indeed, some will remember the suicide shift arrangements of the vintage Harleys, Indians, etc. Throughout the first century of motorcyle evolution, riders and engineers alike learned about how the human rider "works". The end result was achieved through a willingness to evaluate and learn human physiology and the interface with a motorcycle.

What we have today are motorcycles with relatively "standard" controls and ergonomics. The huge upside to this, of course, is that any experienced rider can get on just about any production motorcycle and ride it without having to literally "learn" it from the ground up. This enhances safety of course, but even enhances the thrill of riding for those who like to go fast.

So what happens, then, if someone comes along whose physiological or mental makeup does not lend itself to the standardized controls? What if the logic employed by that person is carried over from the experiences of driving a car? It would follow that they would want to change the throttle/brake(s) to the right foot, clutch to the left foot, shifter to the right hand and the left hand would have nothing to do, control-wise. Experienced riders know that this would be dangerous. The layout of one type of vehicle does not necessarily lend itself to that of another type. As stated before, the controls on a modern production motorcycle are where there are because of trial and error. The motorcycle is what it is because of deliberate design.

So along come Barack Obama, gets elected President of the United States. Does he acknowledge the "design" of the country as laid out in the Constitution? No. It does not fit his paradigm. So, he has set about fundamentally restructuring it, ignoring the built-in safeguards and restrictions our founding fathers placed there as a result of trial and error. He has forgotten that his duty as president is to act as a steward, as a "rider" if you will, of the country, and roll it down the highway of destiny within the constitutional guardrails. Instead, he is remaking the country in the image he sees fit, having no experience at such "engineering" previously.

This re-engineering will have the same disastrous results as the aforementioned motorcycle with car-oriented controls. I hope the ditch is not too hard....