Good read

riding tips

 

Interesting reading,thanks.

 

Excellent! Thanks for the link.

 

50% brilliance 50% Bull*&%$

If you are not experienced enough of a rider to KNOW the difference between the the good points in this article and the deadly ones, DO NOT READ IT... It could get you killed.

 

I liked most of what he said. What, in your experience, did you find to be bad advice?

 

Looked good to me, except for "S-Bend Overtaking...doesn't seem like a very good idea even if there isn't a "no passing" zone. I especially liked the countersteering and "getting more from your right hand" (covering the brake with a finger or two) articles.

 

Following:

He mentions an offside overtake. Very dangerous because you are not visible to oncoming traffic or traffic or pedestrians entering roadway. Also a crowned road reduces the ground clearance on an outside lane turn and may result in a peg or foot scrape. It also increaes the angle of lean traction wise beyond what you might assume because the road is slanted away from your lean.

Controls:

He mentions the front brake is the best to use. You should use both brakes all the time unless you are under extenuating circumstances. This allows you to commit the movement to muscle memory and it can be relied on in the event of a panic stop.

He also states that a front brake lock is not as serious as a rear brake lock. That is completely backwards. A front brake lock should be released immediately no hesitation then re-apply smoothly and firmly if necessary. A rear brake lock should be ridden out untill the bike comes to a stop. When the bikes rear brake locks up it will cause a slight to moderate fishtail motion. Not pleasant but completely rideable. If you release the brake when the rear tire is off center it will snap to so quickly you might end up in a high side crash (very bad... it involves hangtime and a 500lb motorcycle with little friction on the road surface chasing you). A locked brake on the rear will at worst put you into a low side where you can get rid of the bike and dosent involve any flight time.

Multiple bends:

Line is all wrong... Think outside - inside @ apex - inside @ apex- inside @ apex - outside. Keep the amplitude of your turns to a minimum. The apex is where you can see the exit of the curve, not the farthest point from a straight line drawn through the curves. You need to come close to the line only when you can verify there is no other car coming the other way.

Clutchless gear change:

Bunk... Too much wear on parts that are to difficult to repair. Think punch vs. shove and think of the shift forks trying to seperate gears that are pushing on eachothers drive teeth.

Which foot to use at a stoplight?

Always use your left. If you are smart you left your bike in gear and are ready for a immediate escape if someone dosent see you waiting at the stoplight. Always use the rear brake to hold on a hill. This minimizes the dificulty of modulating throttle and clutch to hold the bike untill you can accellerate away.

Be Prepared

Don't ever cover the brake with only one or two fingers for several reasons. Use all or none.

1) If you needed to squeeze the brake hard and quick your throttle fingers will prevent a full squeze or you will need to take the time to reposition you fingers... you might not have it

2) If the bike tips over (you never know, it might happen) you are less likely to pull you fingers out of the way, you will have less grip to save the spill and when the bike does it you fingers will get pinched

3) In an emergency braking instance you want as much speed and controll of the front brake lever as possible. If you are concerned about something cover the brake with all fingers. Two fingers near the fulcrum of the brake lever will not give you the strength or ability to modulate brake input that you will need. Most braking power actually comes from your outside 2 or 3 fingers.

 

I disagree on "covering" the brake, do it all the time. Here's why: When you have to react quickly, those one or two fingers can already have the lever pulled back and be BEGINNING to apply brake before you can uncurl the other two or three for a full-handed grip. I'm not advocating one or two-finger braking, I agree tho that "covering" the lever with one or two fingers CAN reduce reaction time. Syracuse makes a valid point on a couple of thoe others, especailly the "questionable" overtaking practices.---I suspect UK roads much narrower than USA, requiring different styles and probably affected the diagramming...

 

Going to have to agree with 'cuseXJ on the issue of brake-covering, and not because of proximity.
Cover it when you're gonna stop. Riding with the brake covered is a saftey issue. If you hit a bump you can inadvertently squeeze the brake, and scientific theory says it will happen at the worst possible time.
The other thing is that you should be riding with a wrist-down positioning of your hand, so that you don't accidentally open the throttle. Wrist down for throttle control, when its time to brake, reaching with your fingers will naturally cause you to roll off the throttle. You're not going to need the throttle and the front brake at the same time. Doing both at once just confuses your muscle memory. In high-stress situations, fine motor skills are one of the first things to go out the window. Hold up your right hand. Now do the Vulan thing, but with your thumb down n out. Now move the two groups of two fingers up and down separately. Now shake your hand out and move them all together. Much simpler the second way.

 

SyracuseXJ
Well put. I don't ride with the brake covered however, I'm too busy holding on!!!
In the S curve overtake, I agree that it is poor risk management but, if as stipulated a clear, unobstructed view is possible (such as in say Arizona or some other flat place) this would not be too grim a call. It begs the question as to why it is so important to pass when life is about the journey, not the destination. Slow down and wait for a better place to pass is wise.
"The throttle will nearly always get you out of more trouble than the brake!" I'll argue. Giving yourself more time and space is ALWAYS more desireable to speeding into a problem. Of course it is expected that the party involved has the wherewithall to use common sense and not ride too close in the first place.
I could go on but I think the highlights have been hit.
I think I will line up right behind SyracuseXJ. Part great reading, part bunk.

 

on a modern sport bike (not our xj's) two fingers on the front brake is all it should take, the wheel will lock up far before the lever ever gets to your other fingers on the grip

clutchless upshifts don't put a strain on anything, if there was any torque on the gears they wouldn't move, down shifts are a little bit tricky

what foot to put down, the one that doesn't have gravel or oil under it, or both if your not sure