How do I get to be a better rider... cheaply.

[darian]

I know, experience will make me a more confident rider, but I'd actually like to be an exceptional rider.  Other than spending hundreds of dollars on classes, what can I do?

[happycommuter]

Read a book.  I favor Total Control by Lee Parks, but that's because it's the book I borrowed from a friend.  Supposedly Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough is good too (next my order list).

Watch a video.  There's a bunch of stuff on YouTube.  Yes, you'll have to sift around to find good instructional stuff, but it is there and it is free.

Parking lot practice, group rides with the right type of riders.

[Bumblebee]

Lots of slow school parking lot skills on a very regular basis. Do it at least once a month for an hour. Including emergency braking from speed.
Understand how the motorcycle actually functions. (no, gyroscopic force is not what keeps a motorcycle from toppling over - ex: snow bike = no moving/rotating parts yet doesn't fall over)
Proper body position. Lean forward at the hips, not lower back.
Become proficient within your skill limits then expand the skills and limits gradually over time.
Always keep learning. You can learn something even on a boring straight road with no obstacles.
Think everything through when time permits. After a ride, think about what happened and how you can improve.
Ride, ride, ride, ride. Experience and currency is essential.

[ariwhiteboy]

+1 on the above advice! I can't say enough for knowing YOUR motorcycle and it's little quirks.

[coffee_brake]

I can't reccomend Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough enough. It's the very best source I've ever seen for taking a new rider from "I can shift smoothly now" to "I want to know why the motorcycle acts like it does so I can ride better."
Hough's strategies for dealing with traffic, animals, and road hazards are well worth practicing.

Of course as everyone's already said, grab up your rags bag and a tape measure and dedicate some time to practicing. The rags are your cones, you can set up your own course in 5 minutes.
Then there's all the opportunities to practice slow-speed maneuvers in the parking lot, every ride.

It's just a dedication issue, since the book is available at many libraries. I re-read it every winter and I learn something new every time. I think the latest edition is very good and when I find it on sale, I plan to buy it.

[darian]

Thanks guys.  Heading to la biblioteca esta noche.  I'm planning to take wed. off, so maybe I'll find a nice parking lot and do some practice too. 

 

[darian]

I did some video searches last night.  They were pretty basic stuff.  One of the guys giving the instructions almost rear ended a car!  How good is that guy? 

[Bumblebee]

One of the guys giving the instructions almost rear ended a car!  How good is that guy? 

One can't learn or observe the finer details of riding if one is having to allocate a substantial portion of available brain power to avoiding collisions.

[LOKi]

I did some video searches last night.  They were pretty basic stuff.  One of the guys giving the instructions almost rear ended a car!  How good is that guy?

Realism. The important part is 'almost'. There will be close calls.

Ride in heavy traffic 50miles a day. If you live through it you will be a better rider. Did it for me. 

[cmyers]

ok, so I know you are new and total control and proficient motorcycling are both GREAT, Outstanding, exceptional reading materials. They are a must to improve your skills of reading traffic and expanding your "highway" knowledge.

However, On the subject of pure Motorcycle control the book that I learned the most from was Twist of the Wrist 2 by Keith Code. The book is written for road racing, however every skill he teaches is about controlling your machine and can be applied regardless where you are, track or street. His books are more like manuals and take some discipline to get through, but what you will learn about both the mental and physical aspects of riding will be worth the effort. I find that every time I reread that book I am learning new things and becoming a better rider. I have done things (safely) on my motorcycles in the last few months that I would never have survived when I started riding. A lot of that is due to time getting to know how the machines feel and learning what things to focus on and becoming a better rider mentally.

The fact that you are striving to become an exceptional rider is a great step toward becoming an experienced rider.

[detdrbuzzard]

 i have the books proficient motorcycling I & II but my niece has them both. she said they are very helpful

[Adam Roby]

The best word of advice I ever got was like the video mentions to keep your eyes where you want to go.  In a tight curve if you glance at the ditch you will end up in the ditch, you have to train yourself to always look where you want to go and most of the time that will save your skin.

Like others have said, it is a matter of practicing something until it becomes instict.  If something jumps out at you would not normally think to turn towards it (countersteer) unless you have practiced over and over and have a feeling for the bike and know it will dip you and turn you in the opposite direction. 

I was fortunate that when I took my courses, the school I chose were known for their technical aspects, all teachers were ex-racers etc.  I teacher demonstrated the above technique by riding with no hands, then he simply smacked the handlebar and went back to no hands.  The motorcycle dipped and shot over about 10 feet, then came right back up and continuted on it's way.  They would do some crazy stuff like jump out in front of you or throw a cone, was scary but they would only do it if they knew you could handle it and were paying attention.  I had a lot of fun in that course.

[darian]

Thanks guys.  Yeah LoKi, St. Louis is no New York, but the traffic gets bad from time to time... and my spidey sense does get a work out.  I've only got about 8 or 9 miles though... and I don't want any more of a commute than that!

I'm going to find that lot to practice my countersteering and turns.  I picked up the Twist of the Wrist book and have been reading a lot about cornering.  I've watched a few videos that reinforced some of the things you guys said... so now it's time to put them into practice.

[darian]

Another question... Where do you look where you're taking a corner and there are trees/obstructions blocking your view of the end?

[coffee_brake]

As far through the corner as you can.

If you can't see all the way through the corner, adjust your entry speed (slow down) to accomodate this.

Edited to add:

Good question! That is exactly what I wanted to know as a new rider stuck in the flat-lands of Savannah, GA, with no curves to speak of for practice!
I've read every single book mentioned on your worthy thread, but none of them made much sense until I studied Proficient Motorcycling. Then the rest of them began to fall into place.

[darian]

Thanks C-B.  I picked that up at the library today too.  I'm cracking it open right now.

By the way, I read the Vicki cartoons too... I can relate.

[Bumblebee]

Another question... Where do you look where you're taking a corner and there are trees/obstructions blocking your view of the end?

Never ever ride faster than you can see..and definitely not faster than you can stop. If you're going faster, slow down. A giant boulder or wreck in the middle of the road would ruin your day faster than you can say crash.

Look up vanishing point then go find an unobstructed sweeper turn you can play with the concept.

Also read up on altering your entry point for a turn. If you plan accordingly by changing your entry point, you have a better view around the corner. The down side is that it will put you on the outside of the turn in a right turn which is likely where a lane crossing cage would be lurking. Balance the risk. Slow down as needed.


Always look where you want to go, not where you are headed. If you look there, you will go there - even if it's a huge rock wall. The scariest thing you'll ever do is have to not look at the rock, tree, ditch, cage that is about to try to kill you..but it is absolutely essential that you do not look there in order to avoid going there.

[coffee_brake]

Bee's got the most important thing of all.

If you can't think about anything else, only think "look where you want to go."
Bee is exactly right, it must (and it will with constantly reminding yourself) become natural to keep your head and eyes up, looking at where you want to go. Not at the deer, not at the curb, not at the oil spot, not at the car. Instead look a the safe place you want the bike to be. It will go there!

[darian]

Awesome info.  I read all about the "delayed apex" line last night in Proficient Motorcycling.  All of this is almost exactly the information I was looking for.

[cmyers]

There has been some great info put here, if you  can learn to apply what has been said you will find yourself comfortably enjoying the twisties very soon.

To add a piece of wisdom that a road racer shared with me, and that has saved my bacon more than once. In reference to cornering he has said many times "Regardless of what you think is going to happen (running out of pavement, headed towards obstructions, or going to fast) turn the bike, when in doubt TURN the bike, just TURN the bike, TURN the bike, TURN THE D*** BIKE."

Entry speed is everything once you have committed to a corner it becomes very difficult to do anything other than turning the bike, and most any change you try to do mid-corner will actually make it more unlikely that you complete the corner. That is why it is so important to stay within your comfort zone, or more precisely ride using only 80% of your available skill leaving that last 20% for the unknown obstacles that might be in the road.

[coffee_brake]

Don't let all this information overwhelm you. If something doesn't "click," just go ride anyway and keep thinking about what you're doing. One day it will.

Was riding for years before I could figure out some of the stuff I was reading.

[Adam Roby]

I used to ride with a guy that could not catch any of this stuff, every corner he would slow down to a crawl and we'd have to wait up for him.  Take it in stride...

[skramer360]

I got some parking lot practice in today. Nice big clean lot that was totally empty right by the lake. 

[highwayjamin]

Darian, Dont listen to skramer 360. I have ridden with him and last time out he got a speeding ticket    I'am just kidding,he is a good rider but he really did get a ticket 

[darian]

   That's funny HighwayJamin.

Well, I didn't get any parking lot time... apparently the place I thought I could practice isn't actually abandoned during the week.  So I went out to do some twisties. 

I did them well under my current skill level speed, with an emphasis on trying to make proper technique a habit.  I'm pretty sure I've got the basic technique for right curves down (although there's room for improvement).  I'm still working on left hand curves though.  My head doesn't even move as fluidly when making lefts!  I'm getting through them (and at a decent speed), but I know they could be so much better.  I'm thinking about going back out there this weekend with a friend and a video camera. 

Cmyers, thanks.  good simple advice.  I just read something like that... but they used a lot more words.