What is Moravec’s Paradox and What it has to do With Motorcycling?

Sport Touring Corner

By Norm Kern

Moravec’s paradox is an observation by artificial intelligence and robotics researchers that reasoning requires very little computation while sensorimotor and perception skills require enormous computational resources.

What does that have to do with riding motorcycles? For me, everything! When I read about Moravec’s paradox the other day, it took me straight back to my early days of riding, when I rode endurance runs on dirt bikes. A typical enduro was about 80 miles length and took about four hours to ride. The course was dirt roads and trails on difficult terrain, navigating by a route card and arrows posted on trees. Scoring was based on how well you stayed on a time schedule.

Riding enduros is where I first experienced getting into “the zone,” a trance-like state where my mind was flooded with sensory input- wind in my face, the bike moving under me, rapid moving images to my eyes, the sound of the engine and wind, etc. I was wrapped around the bike, hanging on for dear life, controlling it with both hands, feet, and body. Accelerating, braking, shifting. My mind, senses, and body were all humming in harmony at 100% for hours on end, interacting with the bike and the environment. It was like nothing I had ever experienced.

Back then my pavement riding centered on long distance touring, but as I aged out of riding enduros in the 1980s I purchased a Kawasaki Concours and discovered that sport touring offered it’s own “in-the-zone” experience on pavement that has carried me through many years of riding.

After a succession of Sport touring models that included two Honda ST’s- (1100 and 1300), and two Yamaha FJRs. In 2020 I wanted to try downsizing and added a Suzuki 650 XT to the stable. It was light and fun to ride on pavement, and being an adventure style bike, I could ride easy dirt and gravel roads whenever I encountered them. The FJR was less versatile and getting heavier for me to handle as I get older, so in 2024 I replaced it with a Triumph Tiger 900 ADV Rally pro, which is my new favorite bike. I can jump on it, ride across the country, go straight into the zone for hours at a time, on pavement, dirt or gravel in total control and comfort. It sharpens my sense of balance, every muscle and joint gets motion and exercise. When arriving home from a ride, my mind is clear and I feel refreshed. After sixty years of riding, there is still nothing else that provides me such an enriching sense of freedom and fulfillment.