CHRIS_D
Well-known member
Hopefully this is the wrong video too. This video is just some nut who has no respect for anybody but himself. This sure is not the safe or proper way to ride unless you have a death wish. :blink:
Better Riding Techniques
- Thread starter cyclebabble
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Hopefully this is the wrong video too. This video is just some nut who has no respect for anybody but himself. This sure is not the safe or proper way to ride unless you have a death wish. :blink:
RaceDr
Well-known member
I am leaving for Willow Springs Raceway, specifically the Horse Theif Mile track at that facility, to take the Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshop on Saturday. The course I have enrolled in is the Precision Cornering Workshop which teaches "Traction, Braking & Carving the Perfect Corner". Information is available at www.streetmasters.info. I have been riding some 40+ years and I feel this is exactly what I need to progress to the next level of enjoyment. I will report back when I return.
By the way, 2005 FJR1300 ABS, Roadsmart tires with 3500 miles, Race tech fork springs, Ohlins shock, intake and exhaust stock. I bought the bike, completly stock, used with 971 miles on it 1 year ago and now have 13500 miles on it.
Randy Stem
Race Director
CCS/SW Region
Bugnatr
Well-known member
Watched the vid. in Greece, his brake and brain fluid looks low.
monk69
Well-known member
My point is,if this person can ride like they did,and live though it.Normal/safe riding people that practice safe riding skills,and plan ahead,should be able to avoid getting their selves in trouble.
For one,if you're sitting at a light,and someone isn't going to stop in time behind you,lane splitting could work,or if you're going down your lane,and someone just comes over in your lane,it doesn't take but a milasec,to get out of the way(if you are thinking ahead enough to know that you have a place to go).
I think the person is nuts as well.But it does show what a bike is able to do,(with proper riding instuction,and safe practice methods),rather than laying it down,etc.
For one,if you're sitting at a light,and someone isn't going to stop in time behind you,lane splitting could work,or if you're going down your lane,and someone just comes over in your lane,it doesn't take but a milasec,to get out of the way(if you are thinking ahead enough to know that you have a place to go).
I think the person is nuts as well.But it does show what a bike is able to do,(with proper riding instuction,and safe practice methods),rather than laying it down,etc.
madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Like I said.......
Many here have attended the Streetmaster's Course. And other track day classes. And other intruction seminars mentioned here. That's why we say what we do.
I did not read all your responses...so ignore this if it is repetitive.
For the most part I was self taught. growing up in the Sierra Nevada's of CA, I spent countless hours riding the hills. Some things that helped me were:
A. Learn to feel the bike 'wanting' to turn as you shift your weight. I started with just shifting my shoulders. Then after understanding the effects, I began shifting my arse off the seat. I learned several things from this. 1. I did not need to 'press' so hard. 2. I learned to relax my arms.
B. I would use the yellow dashed lines on back country roads to weave in and out of~increasing my speed as I got more comfortable. This taught me several things. 1. learning to press more aggressively. 2. Using my weight to assist in lining up the bike for the next weave. 3. Learning to adjust my press (on the fly) to assist in setting up for the next yellow line. 4. learning to keep my body independant from the press.
I'd also like to add:
C. Keeping the head and eyes up and ALWAYS looking through a turn. If your looking down, eventually you'll go down.
These are probably the most important tools that helped me as I grew-up riding. Today; I would not consider myself among the fastest riders, but I have learned that, for the most part, I wind up waiting for those I have been riding with.
Finally, Teaching the MSF program has taught me that my riding style is a recommended technique.
Even today I still practice these methods when able.
Hope this helps.
Sport
For the most part I was self taught. growing up in the Sierra Nevada's of CA, I spent countless hours riding the hills. Some things that helped me were:
A. Learn to feel the bike 'wanting' to turn as you shift your weight. I started with just shifting my shoulders. Then after understanding the effects, I began shifting my arse off the seat. I learned several things from this. 1. I did not need to 'press' so hard. 2. I learned to relax my arms.
B. I would use the yellow dashed lines on back country roads to weave in and out of~increasing my speed as I got more comfortable. This taught me several things. 1. learning to press more aggressively. 2. Using my weight to assist in lining up the bike for the next weave. 3. Learning to adjust my press (on the fly) to assist in setting up for the next yellow line. 4. learning to keep my body independant from the press.
I'd also like to add:
C. Keeping the head and eyes up and ALWAYS looking through a turn. If your looking down, eventually you'll go down.
These are probably the most important tools that helped me as I grew-up riding. Today; I would not consider myself among the fastest riders, but I have learned that, for the most part, I wind up waiting for those I have been riding with.
Finally, Teaching the MSF program has taught me that my riding style is a recommended technique.
Even today I still practice these methods when able.
Hope this helps.
Sport
Last edited by a moderator:
Brody
Well-known member
Point taken. The better your repetoire of manuvers the more alternatives are available to you.
Didn't I see 007 do this? Pop a wheelie to block the gun shots.
Then do a stoppie and while standing on front wheel do a 180
and evade the chase vehicle.
That would take some practice and I doubt that I'd have to do that too often.....
That crazy Greek rider was extreme by any standards but even the normal riders in Europe would be considered extreme by most American standards.
They allow lane-splitting (or filtering, as they call it). Most riders don't seem to care what is around that blind corner.
They just have an attitude that even if something is there, they can get around it or between it, so why slow down. :blink:
Last year, for 2 months riding in Europe, I only saw one bike accident. 2 sport bikes were travelling fast on wet roads. The leader slowed while the follower wasn't being alert. He rammed the front bike and they both went down.
I was surprised that I didn't see more crashes.
I was riding 2-up with a 650 V-Strom fully loaded to at least its max weight capacity. I was still ridng at a pretty good clip by my standards.
It was interesting when groups of sport bikes caught and passed me.
Typical scenario;
Lead bike. This guy looks like he is well controlled. He looks like he's doing things right. He's very aggressive and he is not ridng at a speed that he can stop within his line of sight (at least at the turns) because (see above) he's sure he can get around or between anything that shows up. :glare:
2nd bike. This guy is a pretty good rider too. But he is using the lead bike as a "sniffer" so that he has a better idea of where the turns are going. I get the feeling that this guy couldn't go as fast as he's going without the leader to follow.
3rd bike. This guy is not as proficient he's crossing into the other lane, to cut corners, so he can try to keep up with No.2.
4th bike. :dribble: This guy's an accident waiting to happen. He's got no business riding that fast. He's a series of butt pucker after butt pucker. (I hope he's wearing a diaper.)
RaceDr
Well-known member
I just took the Streetmasters Precision Cornering Clinic yesterday at the Horse Theif Mile at Willow Springs Raceway. Well worth the money. Had a great time and came away much more confident in my riding ability. Look them up and see what they have to offer.
JimO
Member
BwanaDik
Well-known member
Good thread, I've been looking into training lately myself.
I'm having difficulty finding any training course that doesn't gear itself to track days or is so fundimental that it's barely worth taking. I took Pridgmore's CLASS and, while it was good for learning high speed motorcycle control, it was definitely "go fast" oriented. Not really designed for the sport touring crowd. Stick with track days, I believe you'll learn the same at a lot less cost.
I've also taken the MSF Advanced course (passed with flying colors) and did learn some things but not nearly what I expected. I understand the MSF courses have been "dumbed down" over the years. My neighbor took one in the early '90's and talked about making a series of tight manuvers then having to go over a 2X4 at the exit. Probably too much liability involved it the old courses.
I checked into SaddleUp Clicky as the advanced class is a 35 hour 5 day course taught by current motor patrolmen in Virginia. Looked like exactly what I wanted but you have to use their bikes. A big HD if I remember correctly. Not much use for a guy with an AE but I spoke with them anyway. I asked if I could use my own bike (2006AE) as a lot of the techniques they teach have to do with clutch control and so would not necessarily apply to my riding technique (BTW, no issues for me with the electric clutch control). Jeff THompson, one of the principals, was very helpful and tried his best to understand my request but in the end declined to let me use my bike for both insurance reasons and lack of an electric clutch teaching program. I was specifically looking for something NOT oriented towards the AE so I could deal with real world teaching techniques. Oh well. If you can transfer your training from a HD to an FJR, this might be fore you.
I've also signed up for the Stayin' Safe Larry Grodsky school for the week of Oct 20. Clicky Sounds like a good course, but possibly lacking in the motorcycle control stuff taught in the SaddleUp course. We'll see, I'll do a course report afterwards.
There is also a course in Arizona someplace but it is specifically taught for motor patrolmen. Does anybody know of a cousre like the Saddle Up course where we can use our own bikes?
IMHO there is no subsitute for "on bike" training from a professional. You can read a lot and study the videos but nothing beats saddle time as observed by somebody that's better than you are.
I'm having difficulty finding any training course that doesn't gear itself to track days or is so fundimental that it's barely worth taking. I took Pridgmore's CLASS and, while it was good for learning high speed motorcycle control, it was definitely "go fast" oriented. Not really designed for the sport touring crowd. Stick with track days, I believe you'll learn the same at a lot less cost.
I've also taken the MSF Advanced course (passed with flying colors) and did learn some things but not nearly what I expected. I understand the MSF courses have been "dumbed down" over the years. My neighbor took one in the early '90's and talked about making a series of tight manuvers then having to go over a 2X4 at the exit. Probably too much liability involved it the old courses.
I checked into SaddleUp Clicky as the advanced class is a 35 hour 5 day course taught by current motor patrolmen in Virginia. Looked like exactly what I wanted but you have to use their bikes. A big HD if I remember correctly. Not much use for a guy with an AE but I spoke with them anyway. I asked if I could use my own bike (2006AE) as a lot of the techniques they teach have to do with clutch control and so would not necessarily apply to my riding technique (BTW, no issues for me with the electric clutch control). Jeff THompson, one of the principals, was very helpful and tried his best to understand my request but in the end declined to let me use my bike for both insurance reasons and lack of an electric clutch teaching program. I was specifically looking for something NOT oriented towards the AE so I could deal with real world teaching techniques. Oh well. If you can transfer your training from a HD to an FJR, this might be fore you.
I've also signed up for the Stayin' Safe Larry Grodsky school for the week of Oct 20. Clicky Sounds like a good course, but possibly lacking in the motorcycle control stuff taught in the SaddleUp course. We'll see, I'll do a course report afterwards.
There is also a course in Arizona someplace but it is specifically taught for motor patrolmen. Does anybody know of a cousre like the Saddle Up course where we can use our own bikes?
IMHO there is no subsitute for "on bike" training from a professional. You can read a lot and study the videos but nothing beats saddle time as observed by somebody that's better than you are.
madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Try this link: https://www.totalcontroltraining.net/. This is the course offered by Lee Parks. It's been taken by forum members who highly recommend it.
The travel about the country offering their seminars unlike others who are restricted to a particular track or venue (Like https://www.streetmasters.info/ who use the Horse Thief Mile @ Willow Springs Raceway, so you'd have to travel to Lancaster, CA to take their course.)
The travel about the country offering their seminars unlike others who are restricted to a particular track or venue (Like https://www.streetmasters.info/ who use the Horse Thief Mile @ Willow Springs Raceway, so you'd have to travel to Lancaster, CA to take their course.)
Bungie
FrostBack #2 - IBA # 44620
So you were haulin' fackin' ass!
Your one of the most skilled, smoothest riders I've ever had a pleasure to ride and learn from.
Seriously, I followed Andy all the way from Northern Pennsylvania to Lewisburg on 219, when the going gets interesting, Andy just flows. Very impressive in the extreme to watch. I was more than a little disappointed that we didn't manage to hook up for a ride on Sat or Sunday. Maybe next year!
Brody
Well-known member
:blushing: Hey Steve, thanks for the vote of confidence.
When I saw this thread title and topic, I thought it would be a perfect place to discuss riding techniques.
For me, I like to analyze things in my mind. Of course this has to be in conjunction with real world practice.
I thought we could discuss factors in riding that people have learned whether through books, videos, professional instruction or even personal experience.
But instead, posters seem to want to say, "I took this course and it was good." or I'm thinking of taking that course cause I heard it was good." or "I learned that late apex is the only way to be safe because it's been studied and discussed a lot."
OK, I'm paraphrazing a bit, I'm not trying to be insulting (it just comes naturally for me) but I'd bet there are people not really sure of what "late apex" really means and why it's important.
This, I thought, would be a good venue for discussion of those things. But based on the responses, I'm thinking that I may as well save my breath (er, I mean keyboard).
If there are interested parties for discussing details of riding techniques reading this, then I'll be back for more.
Otherwise I guess this thread is dead.
When I saw this thread title and topic, I thought it would be a perfect place to discuss riding techniques.
For me, I like to analyze things in my mind. Of course this has to be in conjunction with real world practice.
I thought we could discuss factors in riding that people have learned whether through books, videos, professional instruction or even personal experience.
But instead, posters seem to want to say, "I took this course and it was good." or I'm thinking of taking that course cause I heard it was good." or "I learned that late apex is the only way to be safe because it's been studied and discussed a lot."
OK, I'm paraphrazing a bit, I'm not trying to be insulting (it just comes naturally for me) but I'd bet there are people not really sure of what "late apex" really means and why it's important.
This, I thought, would be a good venue for discussion of those things. But based on the responses, I'm thinking that I may as well save my breath (er, I mean keyboard).
If there are interested parties for discussing details of riding techniques reading this, then I'll be back for more.
Otherwise I guess this thread is dead.
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