Some Help With Improving Your Riding Skills.

[PJFZ1]

y Contribution.... I belong to alot of forums, and have alot of experience, both years and miles. I'm by no means an expert, but I feel I've gotten pretty good at what I do, and I thought that this might be a good spot to share one of the tips I give to riders who are trying to improve their riding, so here goes:

EVERY ride should be spent working on technique. You should read and study all you can (I recommend Keith Codes' Twist of the wrist II).
When you get on the bike you should have ONE technique in mind that you need to work on - Looking through the corner, keeping your head up, body position, scanning with your eyes, relaxing your grip on the bars, smooth throttle control, etc, etc..

Work on that technique for that ride, and as many rides as it takes to make it second nature, then shift to another technique till it's second nature, etc..
No matter how long you've ridden and how confident you feel, know what your weakest point is and be working on it for the next ride. A ride that you're not working on is a wasted ride.

Sometimes riders get caught up trying to ride someone else's ride, or trying to work on 4 different things at once, then get frustrated by lack of improvement, when all they really need to do is work on ONE technique at a time and they will find overall improvement and understanding through that one at a time method, and eventually find huge gains overall without getting themselves in too deep and while feeling the success of getting better.

Think in your mind right now about what single technique you'll work on with that next ride, and make a habit of it...

 

[jch364]

twist of the wrist is a great book. you can get the video on youtube and its really good too as long as you can get through the horrible b rated porn actors.. its almost too much but still very informative

 

[PJFZ1]

Twist II on video is nowhere near as good as the book. and the book is an easy read.

 

[skydivr]

Yet, sometimes it's just nice to go out and ride for the fun of it...

And a trackday is a great place to practice these skills without having to worry about all the street 'distractions'...

 

[PJFZ1]

I think being aware and practicing skills on the street is every bis as important as on the track.. Most riders spend their time on the street, and that's where they need to be sharp and capable. The same physics apply to both environments, the difference is what the limits are that you need to be aware of.

 

[skydivr]

Not disagreeing, but the difference in limits is huge, and it's hard to ride the bike at it's fuller potential on the street without consequences...

Having said that, learning to deal with sand/gravel/tar snakes etc. -and important street-riding survival skill - doesn't happen for the most part at the track.

 

[fallenarch]

Having taken the advice of people like Skydiver and gone to the track I can say that track riding is very different than street riding. On the track, assuming you're not racing, the issuse you have to deal with are greatly reduced. This makes it easier to improve those skills. You could say track riding is tactical while street riding is more strategic.
Frankly, to be a great street rider you need both. Bikes handle different as you approach the limit, providing you control the bike correctly. You can't find this balance on the street unless you are a psycho or very lucky.

There are great street riders with no track experience no doubt. But the confidence level you bring to a ride will go way up with track experience.

 

[PJFZ1]

^^ Well stated!

 

[skydivr]

You could say track riding is tactical while street riding is more strategic.

A really good analogy!

 

[Busawannab]

PJFZ 1 has some good points there. I think about improving every time I ride.

Some people it just seems to come natural and others I know should never even look at a bike!

I think many years of driving helps tremendously on the street. You know what to look for in other drivers and how traffic flows and if your like me have seen a lot of close calls from other people.

In a vehicle I find myself driving for other people. Such as coming to a 4 way stop and knowing you are going to get there just a tad after they do... I slow down and roll to a stop later so they can do their thing and get outta my way hah! Otherwise you have to play the game...wave them on only to have them wave you on even though it's thier right of way.

Obviously on a bike you have to be super aware of your surroundings but again years behind the wheel helps. Especially having a CDL and driving trucks. Almost the same thing as far as people not paying attention to how trucks/ bikes work. Stopping distance being one of the big ones. If you drive trucks you know you can't stop as fast as a car or bike so you adjust your following distances. When your on your bike you have to know these things because you might be able to grab a handful of brake and do a stoppie but that 4x4 behind you will run your azz over!

I started out on dirt bikes, like many of you, but I waited until later to get on the street bike. All my racing and gettin crazy was done in muscle cars and I'm glad to say... (Knocks on wood) never been a wreak yet.

Today is a lot more scary because of the cell phones! I'm amazed everyday how many people using cell phones while driving. Glad to see new cars coming out with hands free, but your still distracted!

Guns don't kill people... Drivers with cell phones do!

 

[sixpack577]

I quit driving tractor trailers over a year ago because texting and driving has gotten so out of hand(I thank God I ended up with an awesome non driving job). In the last 10 years cell phones, and more recently texting, have given me at least 10 times the number of close calls with idiot drivers than in the 10 years before that.
Those of us that rode before cell phones caught on remember much better street riding.
An air horn will be going on my next bike.

 

[justintime2]

Learning to ride on the street when that's where you spend your time is important, plotting who will make what move and what your plan B will be when they do, dodging oil slicks and gravel, timing lights, shifts and turns are all good.

But if you want to be become an exceptional rider you're gonna need to find your limits on the track and it gonna be expensive...