The Top Ender Magazine August September 2023 Edition

GROM
Heading to Cairns at the end of August?
Have you heard about AusArmourfest?
The Australian Armour & Artillery Museum is hosting another
exciting year of AusArmourfest between 25th – 27th August 2023
The museum has the largest display of Armoured fighting vehicles
in the world that you can ride in!
If you’re relocating to Far North Queensland, the museum is open
all year round!
On display daily you can discover genuine pieces of history
including captured items from World War I & II, Northern Africa and the Pacific. See history up
close view tanks, armoured personnel carriers, armoured and anti-tank vehicles while learning
about their applications during the world wars. Vehicles, weaponry and artillery you usually only
get to see in the movies, all in one convenient location, right here in the Far North!
THE EYES HAVE IT
I have taught motorcycle riding for quite some time and one
of the challenges I face is teaching drivers how to be good
riders. Driving and riding are two completely different
vehicular processes connected not only by common road
rules and the road surfaces they share, but the need to look
while using the road. The outcome of misuse or disrespect
for safe road usage can be dire in both cases. But the
attention to detail on a motorcycle requires a constant
commitment to looking, as the threat of serious or lifechanging
injury is more pronounced on two wheels.
One of the first things we are taught as a motorcyclist, is that
“motorcycles go, were your eyes look”. That is not 100% correct as
there needs to be a steering adjustment, some angle of lean and
body repositioning to change direction, however when road users
look and actually see what is occuring, this can be used to the rider’s
advantage.
Firstly, we must consider why our eyes are so important when riding.
We were all schooled when we were young that looking and seeing
can be two different things. This is true, seeing something assumes
that the observer has some previous experience with and some
interest in what is being observed. How the brain processes the
scenery is really up to the attitude of the person, their physical and
mental state and the importance of drawing information from what is
seen. The final skill is the art of correctly interpreting the information.
Sometimes the problems we are faced with are blatantly obvious,
sometimes we may need a sequence of events or actions to occur to
predict what unfolds before us. Once we assimilate incoming
information, our brain can then assume and envisage what might
happen. Some things occur so quickly that our human instincts must
take over, which doesn’t always end well.
When considering all of the various sensory inputs involved in the art
of motorcycling, the human eye plays an irreplaceable role. Our eyes
are our primary source of information between ourselves and the
surrounding environment. They provide us with critical
information for decision-making, hazard detection processes
and also assist us with balance and distance perception, thus
reducing the chances of a collision. This enables us to make
decisions to precisely manoeuvre our machines while riding.
The skilled rider supports this by obtaining as much of a
360-degree view as possible, by constantly scanning and
allowing their eyes to lead their decision-making
processes, sending internal messages to operate the
controls intuitively, while making seamless adjustments in
speed, braking, and steering.
Do our brains and eyes ever rest? Some say that our brain
never sleeps, but the same is not true for our eyes. Shut eye
(as the term for sleeping is sometimes referred to) is the
time when our eyes rest, but do they? Even when sleeping,
our eyes continue to move around during a period of our
sleep called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) when dreams are
more common, but they are not processing vision. The
body is in a heightened state during REM sleep and these
saccades (eye movements) are very rapid movements,
which some say are aligned to what is occurring in our
dreams. Our eyes do eventually rest when we transition into
the non-REM sleep phase, allowing us to wake and enjoy
another day.
How does a rider train the brain effectively? The ability to
maintain visual focus while executing any manoeuvres is
crucial for maintaining control and stability on a motorcycle.
If you wish to improve your riding at any stage of your riding
career, start with your eyes, as the Eyes Have it.
Written by GROM
Community Contributor
The Top Ender Magazine
To add some excitement to your day, join us for an army style adventure. Take a ride in our decommissioned
APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier), specially reconfigured to seat 10
passengers and available onsite daily at 11am and 2pm (subject to demand min 4 people) for
only $15 adults and $10 for children.
The perfect experience for the whole family, once you are finished exploring the exhibits, visit
our Kids Corner. The children can take a photo dressed as a real soldier, try on genuine army
gear and play on the battle re-creation table allowing their imaginations to run wild. We haven’t
forgotten the girls with costumes and toys for all.
Our underground 50m Shooting Gallery is open and running. So, if you would like to fire a
wartime .303 or K98 Mauser or perhaps something a little more modern come and see us for
a Cairns experience with a BANG!
Here at Tactically Jaded, we are an Australian Veteran owned company
working out of our North Brisbane workshop. We specialise in providing
tactical groups with quality, durable custom gear that’s built to last in the
tactical environment.
We’re well established within the defence industry and Australian emergency services.
Known for offering superior customer service, incredible quality and working on your
time, not ours.
Our laser cut patches are also manufactured in our Brisbane based workshop using raw
materials – contact us about our custom options available!
Our business model is designed to be easy for the smaller section orders and a
transparent pricing system for larger Battalion sized needs. We have a unique
revolutionary way to help you organise your unit needs!
Here are some of the units we have serviced:
8/9 RAR
9 RQR
7 CSSB
SOCOMD
2 FSB
FPE Battlegroup 11-14
Check out our Insta @tacticallyjaded to see more of
who we are and what we do.
Stay Jaded
tacticallyjaded.com.au
C R E AT I V E C O M M U N I T Y S E R I E S
Extracted from
AusArmourfest
ausarmour.com/tc-events/
ausarmourfest-2023/
52 The Top Ender | Tri-Services Magazine Incorporated AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023 53