Road Science

Road Science
Cornering Control:
Part 1
By David L. Hough
Biker Bob just got back into motorcycling, and his
new bike seems to have a mind of its own. His
new heavyweight machine doesnt respond the
same way his 250cc scrambler did 20 years ago.
His scrambler would lean just by throwing his
weight toward a turn. Today hes on his way home from a ride, approaching the narrow side
street where hell be turning off from the wide boulevard. Bob signals, rolls off the throttle, and
leans the bike into a right-angle turn. But the bike doesnt seem to want to turn as tightly as Bob
wants it to.
He tries leaning it a little farther by leaning his shoulders toward the right and nudging his left
knee against the tank, but the front wheel continues to roll wide, across the centerline.
Fortunately, the driver of a car coming up the street sees the bike, and brakes to avoid a collision.
Its embarrassing not being able to control the bike as accurately as hed like. Bob is not alone.
Lots of motorcyclists havent figured out how to steer a bike accurately, especially a big bike at
slower speeds.
The action is down at the front tire contact patch
Its very important to understand that accurate two-wheeler steering is a matter of pushing on the
handlebar grips, not just leaning weight in the saddle. Obviously, a bike needs to lean toward the
curve in order to turn. And you can make it lean just by shifting your weight in the saddle, or
nudging the tank with your knees. But the easiest and most accurate way to control lean is by
momentarily steering the front wheel opposite the way you want to go. The out-tracking of the
front tire forces the bike to lean. To turn left, press on the left grip. To lean and turn right,
momentarily press on the right grip. Its called "countersteering".
That momentary push on the grips is just the first part of
a process of balancing and steering a motorcycle. That
initial input is called "countersteering" because you
momentarily steer the front wheel opposite, or "counter"
to the direction you want to go. But as the bike leans over
to the angle you need to make the corner, you allow the
front wheel to recenter, and even steer slightly toward the
curve. Leaned over, front tire traction forces the bike to
turn. The bike is held at the same lean angle by gravity
being balanced against centrifugal force.
Pressing the grips right causes the front wheel to track
left, and tire traction forces the motorcycle to lean toward
the right.
This process repeats over and over again as a rider makes
adjustments to balance and direction. Front end geometry
also contributes to balance--the front wheel keeps trying
to recenter itself with the bike vertical. But even in a
"straight" line, the front wheel weaves slightly from side
to side as the bikes geometry and the riders steering
input work together to control balance and direction.
Countersteering is just the first part of the cornering
process. As the bike rolls over to the angle of lean you
think is about right for the corner, you allow the front
wheel to recenter. The front tire pushing the bike toward
the turn generates "centrifugal force". The bike is kept
from falling over by centrifugal force balanced against
gravity.
In a turn, you can control the direction of the bike by small adjustments to steering. To turn a
little tighter, push the grips a little more toward the curve. Thats what Bob needed to do to avoid
crossing the centerline and staying within his lane. Press right to lean right. And what Bob
needed to avoid those parked cars on his right is to lean a little more left. Press left to lean left.
It might seem easy enough to countersteer, but sometimes
a riders brain subconsciously confuses the issue,
signaling the left and right hands to do different things.
Its not uncommon for a rider to be pushing on one grip to
lean the bike, and subconsciously resisting that push with
the other hand. If it sometimes seems that your bike just
doesnt want to lean even when you are pressing hard
toward the direction of turn, its a hint you need to get
your hands coordinated.
In simple terms, pressing on the right grip causes the bike
to lean (and turn) right.
Lee Parks, author of the book Total Control, suggests steering with one hand. That is, in a right
turn, do the countersteering with your right hand. In a left turn, steer with your left hand. Whats
important is to make a point of relaxing the other arm, to ensure that you arent subconsciously
strong-arming the opposite grip and resisting your "steering" hand. For instance, when turning
left, steer with your left hand, and relax your right arm. In a right turn, relax your left arm. If
youre having trouble only with left-hand turns, it may be because youre strong-arming the right
grip as you manage the throttle. Try flapping your elbow a bit to help relax the "non-steering"
arm.
Or, you might try concentrating on moving both grips toward the direction of turn. That is,
leaning into a right turn, consciously press both grips toward the right. You might actually be
pushing on the right grip and pulling on the left grip, but you can imagine that its moving the
grips toward the curve that pushes the bike over. Press both grips toward the right to lean right.
Press both grips left to lean left. Its OK to lean body
weight toward the curve while holding onto both grips.
Leaning pulls both grips toward the curve, which is
actually countersteering, but focusing on leaning can
smooth out the steering input.
Or, try moving both grips toward the turn. You might
actually be pushing on the right grip and pulling on the
left grip, but you can imagine that its moving the grips
toward the curve that pushes the bike over. Its OK to lean
your body toward the curve.
Its not just countersteering
While countersteering is the basic technique for accurate steering control, there are some other
considerations when cornering, including your cornering line, where youre placing your weight
on the bike, and what youre doing with the brakes and throttle.
ornering Control:
Part 2, Cornering Lines
By David L. Hough
...continued from Part 1
One of the advantages of a narrow 2-wheeler is that you can follow lines through corners that not
only provide better traction, but also decrease the risks of a collision. Yes, you can just follow
one of the car wheel tracks through a corner, but that doesnt necessarily decrease the risks.
Riding a motorcycle, you can use the entire lane, straightening out curves. The straighter your
line through a corner, the less the demand
on tire traction, which helps avoid a slide-
out.
The best way to maximize the view is to
enter corners from the outside of the
turn. That is, approaching a right-hander,
make your turn-in from a position closer to the centerline.
Its also important to improve the view ahead, because what you can see is a big factor in how
fast you can corner. To avoid sticking your neck out too far, you always need to be able to bring
the bike to a stop within the roadway you can see. You have to assume that there will be hazards
in the road halfway around, even if you cant see them yet. And when youre rounding a right-
hand corner, your sight distance typically gets shortened by the shape of the landscape.
For a left-hander, make your turn-in closer to the
right edge of the pavement.
The best way to maximize the view is to enter
corners from the outside of the turn. That is,
approaching a right-hander, make your turn-in
from a position closer to the centerline. For a left-
hander, make your turn-in closer to the right edge
of the pavement.
Sideswipe Zones
Its also a high priority to avoid getting sideswiped by oncoming vehicles. It might seem prudent
to just stay away from the centerline all the time, but thats not
necessary. Drivers tend to wander over the line in specific areas,
and its only necessary to avoid those areas. Consider how an
oncoming driver sees the road. There is a tendency to enter curves
too fast, cut toward the inside too early, then drift wider in the last
half of the curve.
So you dont need to avoid the centerline all the time, you only
need to avoid those sideswipe areas. As it happens, entering a
curve from the outside allows you to cut toward the outside of your
lane at the critical zones, increasing your distance from potentially wandering drivers.
Surface Camber
Those twisty secondary roads we enjoy typically have lots of crown in the center, with the
pavement on either side slanting off (cambered) toward the edges of the road. A steep camber
in a right-hander works to your advantage, but a steep camber in a left-hander works against you,
decreasing traction and eating up leanover clearance.
The bike line keeps the motorcycle more vertical,
especially on crowned roads.
Consider one motorcyclist following the center of the lane
(the car line) compared to another motorcyclist following
a straighter line (the bike line) Not only does the bike line
keep the motorcycle more vertical, it also places the bike in
the lane to take advantage of a crowned road.
Entering a turn from the outside helps make the best of a
well-cambered surface. Entering a right-hander, you can carve over toward the right edge of the
pavement where the camber is steepest. Entering a left-hander, you can ease over toward the
center of the road where its more level.
The problem with an early apex is that it points the bike wide
in the last half of the curve.
We often describe our cornering lines in terms of the apex--
the imaginary point where the motorcycle passes closest to the
inside of the curve. The location of the apex determines the
shape of your line. If you turn in early and point the bike
toward the inside of the curve too soon, youll pass by an
early apex. The problem with an early apex is that youre
tempted to carry too much speed into the turn, and then halfway
around, realize youre running wide.
Imagine a delayed apex somewhat farther around the turn. In
a right-hander youll need to make your turn-in closer to the
centerline, and a bit later. In a left-hander, the turn-in
point should be close to the outside edge of the road. The
delayed apex (sometimes called a late apex) provides a
better view ahead, conserves traction during the last half of the turn, keeps you away from those
sideswipe zones, and points the bike more around the curve. A delayed apex line is a good idea
for riding public roads where anything can happen.
Lets imagine an ideal delayed apex line through a blind right-hand curve. You dont have to
see the actual position of your imagined apex, just mentally slide it a little farther around the
corner than where you think the actual road apex might
be. A delayed apex line works just as well in a left turn,
with your imagined apex along the centerline, a little
farther around the turn.
To follow a delayed apex line, mentally slide the apex
a little farther around the corner, even when you cant
see the rest of the curve.

Road Science: Cornering Control
Part 3, The Throttle
By David L. Hough
...continued from Part 2
When and how you roll on the throttleor roll off the throttlehas a lot to do with cornering
control. For instance, imagine leaning a 100 hp bike into a tight turn, and then suddenly rolling
on a big handful of throttle. The rear tire may already be close to the limits of traction, and a
sudden increase in power would very likely slide the rear end out. That example makes it
obvious that engine thrust can push the bike
around.
In a corner, it would be best to maintain the
weight distribution on the tires. Even if the bike is
in a straight line, rolling on the throttle tends to
shift weight onto the rear wheel. Rolling off the
throttle shifts weight toward the front. That same
front-rear weight shift occurs in a corner. To maintain traction, it would be best to maintain
weight distribution while leaned over.
Rolling on the throttle shifts weight toward the rear, decreasing front tire traction.
Lets note that even if the tires dont seem to be
sliding sideways on the pavement during a curve,
they are. In a curve, the flexible tire rubber allows
the bike to move in a slightly different direction
from where the wheels are pointed. Its called
"drift," or more correctly "side slip." Rolling on a
bit more throttle tends to increase the slip angle of
the rear wheel, pointing the bike more toward the
curve.
Rolling off the throttle shifts weight toward the
front, decreasing rear wheel traction.
Braking also affects side slip. Imagine jamming
on the rear brake while leaned over. Its not difficult to imagine the rear tire sliding out, dropping
the bike on its "low" side. Lets note that rolling off the throttle is also rear wheel braking, as
engine compression tries to slow the rear wheel.
Tire Contact Rings
As the bike leans over into a curve, the location of the tire contact rings moves off center. That
means that engine thrust or braking are off center. So, rolling on or off the throttle while leaned
over will push or pull on one side of the rear tire,
and that will have an effect on steering the bike.
Not only does a tires contact ring ("contact
patch") move off center as the bike leans over, the
ring shrinks in diameter. Even if youre
attempting to hold a steady throttle, the bike will
decelerate as it leans over onto the smaller-
diameter contact rings. To maintain bike speed,
youll need to roll on a bit more throttle as you
lean the bike over. One of the advantages of wide,
low-profile tires is less change in contact ring
diameter, but the tradeoff is the ring moving
farther out to the side as the bike leans over.
As the bike leans over toward a curve, the contact ring of the tires is reduced in diameter, and
also moves off center.
Put all of this together, and you can see that throttle control affects steering, whether accelerating
or decelerating. As it happens, throttle control and cornering lines can work together. If youre
following a nice "delayed apex" line, you can ease on the throttle as you turn the bike in, and
then gradually roll on more throttle through the rest of the curve. Thats much smoother than
decelerating toward a mid-curve apex on a trailing throttle, and then getting back on the throttle
while leaned over.
The ideal throttle control would be decelerating toward the turn-in point while in a straight line,
then easing on the throttle as you lean the bike over. You can continue to ease on more throttle in
the last half of the curve, since the bike will be straightening up, and the side loads on the tires
will be decreasing.
Throttle-Brake Transitions
With the bike leaned over into a turn, maintaining
traction is a top priority. And how you roll on or
off the throttle can determine whether you keep
the tires hooked up, or they slide out.
Sudden changes in throttle momentarily demand
traction. That is, if you were to suddenly roll the
throttle open while leaned over, the rear tire
would demand more traction as it attempts to
accelerate the bike forward. Its very possible to slide the rear tire out from overzealous roll-on.
Easing on the throttle as you lean the bike, and then continuing to ease on more throttle through
the curve helps stabilize the bike and avoid mid-turn wobbles.
Sudden braking input also demands traction. If you were to suddenly jam on the rear brake while
leaned over into an aggressive curve, you should expect the rear tire to slide out. What may not
be obvious is that suddenly snapping the throttle closed has an effect similar to stepping on the
rear brake pedal. We must also remember that accelerating or braking both cause weight transfer
between the two tires, and that changes the traction available on either tire.
To help maintain traction, both throttle input and braking should be as smooth as possible. When
rolling on the throttle, it should be gradual. Its just as important to roll off the throttle smoothly.
Likewise, when braking, you should apply the brakes progressively over approximately two
seconds. And when releasing the brakes, you
should ease them off over two seconds.
You can practice smooth throttle and brake
application in a straight line exercise. At a speed
of say, 40 mph, ease the throttle closed as you
progressively squeeze on the front brake. Dont
clutch or shift down. As the bike decelerates to
about 20 mph, ease off the brake as you smoothly
roll back on the throttle. The goal is to transition from throttle to brakes and back to throttle so
smoothly that the bike isnt upset.

Smooth braking helps manage traction, whether
straight up or leaned into a corner. Squeeze the
lever progressively harder over about two
seconds. When releasing the brake, ease it off
over two seconds.
Controlling the throttle and brakes simultaneously
requires some right hand dexterity. Youll have to
find a technique that works for you. Some riders
prefer to hold the throttle with thumb and
forefinger and brake with the three outer fingers.
Others prefer to hold the throttle with thumb and
outer two fingers, and brake with the two inner
fingers. Which fingers you use for braking may depend upon the force needed at the lever on the
bike youre riding.
Two-fingered braking works well for machines with a powerful front brake. The throttle is held
between the thumb and outside fingers.
You can expect surface traction to change, even
during a corner. A patch of sand or dribble of
diesel oil will reduce traction, and you can feel a
momentary slip of either or both tires. The typical
(and wrong) "survival reaction" when a rider feels
a tire slip sideways is to snap the throttle closed,
but that can turn a short slide into a major crash. If
the tire can regain traction, it will. Its difficult to
resist the urge to snap off the throttle, but its
important to hold a steady throttle and steer
toward the direction of the skid.
For greater leverage, some riders prefer
squeezing the brake lever with the three outside fingers, and holding the throttle with the thumb
and index finger.
Uphill, Downhill
While the ideal technique for level turns is to gradually ease on more throttle from turn-in
through the exit, uphill and downhill turns require different tactics. When approaching an uphill
turn, especially a tight switchback, the front end will be lighter and therefore the front tire will
have reduced traction. Rolling on the throttle during a tight uphill turn can cause the front tire to
slide out. Thats especially likely when carrying a passenger or a heavy load of gear on the back
of the bike.
When approaching a tight, uphill turn, maintain a slightly higher speed, to allow inertia
("momentum") to carry the bike up and around. Then smoothly ease on more throttle as you pull
the bike upright.
When cornering downhill, you may need to brake to keep speed from increasing. Riding
downhill, the front tire will be more heavily loaded, so you can use more front brake in downhill
corners. If youre using engine braking to hold speed, remember, engine braking only applies to
the rear tire, which already has decreased traction due to the forward weight shift.

Advanced Motorcycle Riding Course:
Overtaking - right handers
The thorny subject of overtaking safely on the exit of a right-hand bend

Posted: 23 August 2010
by Andy Morrison

1 of 4

Whats the best position to follow a vehicle through a right-hander Im intending to overtake?
It varies according to the circumstances. You might think this will always be a position close to
the left because thats where youd position if you were just dealing with the corner. This maybe
a good safe position and for a relative newcomer to motorcycling not a bad place to start from.
However quite often there might be a better (swifter) alternative closer to the crown of the road,
but this alternative is largely related to the relative corner speed of the vehicle you intend to
overtake.
Youll be the judge of that
The longer it takes to overtake the more potential there is of the circumstances changing, so
correct following positions are paramount.
These positions are not fixed. They should be flexible and chosen relative to safety. As a general
rule the average motorist tends to take a greater proportion of speed through slow corners than
fast ones.
Even Aunty Doris in her Nissan Micra will do about 20mph through a 20 mph corner so the
chances are the only option you have is to follow her into the nearside to negotiate the right-
hander safely yourself. On the other side of the coin very few drivers will be travelling at
100mph through a 100 mph corner. Most drivers will probably be doing only half that. So a
position towards the crown of the road, depending on safety will be much more viable. Use your
judgement.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/advanced-motorcycle-riding-course-
overtaking---right-handers/13564.html#ixzz29RI2IPym

2 of 4

Windows of opportunity
Lets assume in the diagrams on this page and the next show that both positions are quite safe
because of the relatively low speed in relation to the bend and for this hypothetical example the
speed is about 50mph.
The benefit of the position closer to the crown of the road is time related, both how long the
whole overtaking manoeuvre takes and how long the rider is exposed to danger.
Dont accelerate from a position well to the left, if youre already as close to the vehicle in front
as is safe. Any acceleration while still behind will make you very vulnerable should the vehicle
in front brake suddenly without warning. It happens.
Once weve moved the bike out to the right where full acceleration can be used, the remaining
part of the overtake, even on a bike of fairly modest performance, may take only 2-3 seconds,
assuming the most appropriate gear is selected. So for the whole process, the red bike takes about
7 or 8 seconds to complete the overtake and the blue bike about 3 to 4 seconds. A few extra
seconds doesnt sound much but this is still only half the story. To overtake safely were looking
to be able to overtake and return to our own side of the road before encountering any conflicting
traffic, either from the opposite direction or side roads, etc.
So if it takes 7 seconds to complete the overtake there must be at least the same time gap the
other side of the completion point before we commit to it, plus a little extra for safety (e.g. taking
into account that opposing traffic may be travelling faster than we are and therefore covering
more ground in the time). We therefore need to look for a total window of opportunity of at least
14 seconds, which at this speed is a very long stretch of road. On the other hand if the same
overtake from the crown of the road takes 3 seconds the total space required is only 6 seconds.

overtaking---right-handers/13564-2.html#ixzz29RIOBoLB

3 of 4

What position would you like?
Confused? Okay; in the previous articles we looked at positioning for corners and I suggested
that we adopt a position close to the left if safety allows. This gives us a greater safety margin,
primarily from opposing traffic, and an extended view through the corner. So we have a greater
distance to be able to stop in and an opportunity to increase the natural radius of the corner if
circumstances allow. All these ingredients allow us to take the maximum safe speed possible
through the corner. Politically incorrect these days, but our reality nevertheless.
So for the first example, which is perhaps the easiest to understand; if the vehicle were looking
to overtake is making maximum speed through the corner then well have no alternative but to
position accurately to the left. This then allows us to also take the maximum safe speed through
the corner. Positioning towards the crown of the road in this instance will mean a tighter radius,
reduced view and safety margins and will probably allow the vehicle ahead to leave us behind
as we cant keep up.
We can only adopt a position closer to the crown of the road safely if were travelling slower
than its possible to take the corner. An easy example of this occurs when were travelling in a
speed limited area. If we take a corner which has a theoretical safe speed of 70mph, it would be
fairly pointless positioning accurately (tight to the left) for it if were only doing 30 (the speed
limit). It may therefore be possible and quite safe to adopt a position closer to the crown of the
road. If theres plenty of time to move away from any approaching vehicles which pose a threat,
and more than enough distance to pull up in (the extra view available at this speed is generally of
little value). In towns this more dominant position is often safer as youre more conspicuous to
other road users and have a greater safety margin for the more numerous nearside dangers.
If were following a vehicle at a speed which is quite a bit less than is safely possible to take
around the corner, a position closer to the crown of the road may well be of more benefit.
Positioning for the best view in this instance does not necessarily produce the most efficient
place to launch an overtake from, largely due to the amount of time it takes to move the bike out
from the nearside (left) into a position where we can use its acceleration (a bikes most valuable
asset).

overtaking---right-handers/13564-3.html#ixzz29RJVjt1Q

4 of 4
Dont get stuck in a pot hole
When following multiple vehicles through a right-hander, particularly a shallow corner,
positioning tight to the left can obscure vehicles immediately ahead of the one youre following,
especially if its a large truck or bus. A position towards the crown of the road not only gives you
early signs of a change in speed from these vehicles but also a view of their indicators and brake
lights.
Gaps between the vehicles can also be easily judged for subsequent overtaking possibilities.
Another advantage is the fact that you can always see the road surface ahead. Being close to the
left will often catch riders out as road surface debris, pot holes and the like, appear from under
the vehicle youre following with very little time to take avoiding action.

overtaking---right-handers/13564-4.html#ixzz29RJuHFhr

Cornering - left-handers
More riders mess up on lefthand bends than in just about any other situation. Panic has a lot to do
with how we can get things wrong and then make things worse

by Sergeant Richard Breeze

1 of 2

It was a warm dry lunchtime on a road much used by bikers for the smooth road surface, national
speed limit and multitude of corners that make riding a bike so much fun.
In the apex of this bend there was a Ford Mondeo, with both the nearside wheels on their relative
nearside grass verge. The damage was all focused around the front offside of the vehicle. The
offside headlamp assembly was missing and the bodywork in this location had crush damage
where the striking object had intruded into the vehicle. The bonnet was folded up and buckled
around the point of impact and the front bumper was missing.
Slightly ahead of the Ford in the opposite carriageway was the Suzuki GS 500 motorcycle lying
on its nearside. There were a series of scratches and gouges in the road surface leading from the
rear of the Ford to the Suzuki. The front wheel and fork assembly has been broken at the
headstock and wasw now lying in front of the Ford. The rest of the damage to the bike was
mainly focused around where the front wheel appeared to have been pushed back into the engine
before completely separating itself from the rest of the bike.
The initial account from the Ford driver was that as he navigated the right hand bend, a bike
approached from the opposite direction, the rider had lost control and rode across the solid centre
white lines and collided with the front offside of the Ford.
There were no marks generated by the bike to suggest its position prior to the collision. The first
clue were two tyre scuffmarks at the rear of the Ford. The nearside mark was 7 metres long and
led up to the front nearside tyre. The second mark was only 2 metres long and was set 1.43
metres apart from the first tyre scuff. This separation in the marks matched the track width of
the front wheels of the Ford. Tyre grinding to the front wheels confirmed the driver had applied
emergency braking during the collision.
The rider was taken to hospital prior to our arrival but his position had been marked 12 metres
behind the Ford in the opposite carriageway.

cornering---left-handers/13571.html#ixzz29RMUqiSI
And he was only doing 27mph
Physical evidence doesnt lie; the car was clearly in its post impact position and to arrive there,
the driver must have been emergency braking. Most importantly the Ford was entirely on its
correct side of the road and clearly in a bid to avoid the approaching motorcycle, the driver had
actually steered towards the nearside kerb and ended up with his wheels on the grass verge.
The position of the debris, the marks in the road surface leading to the bike, along with the
obvious impact points between the Ford and the Suzuki explain what had happened.
The absence of marks generated by the bike meant that it was upright with the wheels rotating
prior to impact. (The rider may well have been braking but until the wheel locks no visible
marks are generated). The front wheel of the bike struck the front offside corner of the Ford in
the area of the headlamp assembly. The bike was stopped instantly and then pushed backwards
at about 45 degrees to the car, the scratch and gouge marks generated as it slid across the
carriageway to its final resting position. On impact the rider carried on forwards with a glancing
blow to the Ford before landing 12 metres further up the road.
The damage did not suggest high speed. The distance the rider travelled, provided a speed in the
region of 27 mph.
So what exactly went wrong? Why was the rider on the wrong side of the road while negotiating
a lefthand bend?
Entry speed is the determining factor
First, lets consider the theoretical speed the bend could be negotiated at. This was calculated to
be 56 mph, so the rider was well below that threshold. Vehicle examination ruled out any form
of mechanical failure.
The answer would therefore seem to be that although the bike was not travelling too fast for the
nature of the bend, it was too fast for the rider.
So how can we avoid such things happening? The answers is easy, slow down and enter the bend
at a speed youre happy with. But in reality how do you assess the correct entry speed?

cornering---left-handers/13571-2.html#ixzz29RMjKHvj
Oh dear, a rural left hand bend crash at 27mph!
Sergeant Breeze has not asked quite the right question. Rather than asking how you correctly
assess corner entry speed, I would ask why this poor chap chose this particular corner at which to
crash?
You could safely assume that this was not the first corner he encountered, so what was different
about this corner compared to all the ones he had successfully negotiated before? Just looking at
the picture of the aftermath we can see that there are chevrons in both directions and from the
point where the photographer was standing, we can see that this corner was quite long. Sadly the
photograph does not tell us if there were any more chevrons before or after the ones we can
actually see, so we do not know the full extent of the corner or the road leading up to it.
Looking at where the car stopped, I would say that whatever went wrong, our rider got a spot of
target fixation on the telegraph pole and sailed towards it and would have probably hit it, had the
car not got in the way first!
So then, a classic rural left hand bend accident, made even more poignant by the fact that it
happened at a stupidly low speed. Makes mincemeat of the idea that you slow down and enter
the bend at a speed youre happy with as you probably couldn't go much slower than 27mph if
you tried.
One day, the Police will investigate accidents properly and perhaps will let us know just exactly
what is going wrong in rural bends, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Posted: 31/08/2010 at 18:36

Cabernet
In my younger days I had this exact crash, only in suburbier. The mistake I made was nothing to
with speed. It was to do with target fixation. Not on the oncoming vehicle, but the mini skirt and
heels walking up the opposite side of the road.
Basically, as soon as I slow down, I get bored and my eyes wander.
Take a 57mph bend at any speed, if you are not focused on the vanishing point, your gonna drift
off line.
Of course, we also don't know if the the rider's entry speed wasn't alot higher and just 27mph at
the point of impact.

Posted: 01/09/2010 at 08:25

Richard Brookman
I don't believe the 27 mph. That was calculated from the distance the rider travelled after impact,
which could have been reduced by many other factors, including contact with the car taking out
most of the energy of his forward travel. On a bend like that, if you take it at 27 mph, you would
be wobbling round like a learner, more in danger of falling off due to lack of forward motion
than drifting offline and hitting a car. It''s a classic example of the bike being far more capable
than the rider believes. He thought he was going too fast, braked and stood the bike up. That's
not a criticism of the guy. I suspect most of us are not as good as our bikes, and we've all done
that at some point.

Posted: 01/09/2010 at 12:23

wul
So, how do assess the correct speed to enter the corner??
Posted: 01/09/2010 at 15:08

goshhub
if your vanishing point goes away from you on bend then it is a safe speed or can even accelerate
more ,.....if vanishing point comes closer to you then you need to decelerate till the vanishing
point is neither coming or going away from your point of view ......
as said and practiced by motorbike cop on the bikesafe course attended .would recomend to all,
and in most counties it is free or highly funded so cost is minimal....

cornering---left-handers/13571.html#ixzz29RNXPCTU

18 Quick tips to boost your riding skills
Master your motorcycle with these top tips for being a better rider

Posted: 19 December 2011
by Visordown

BEWARE THE SIGNS:
Sometimes the traffic is just out to kill you. Theres no obvious explanation for this occurrence
but it is a fact. Look for the signs - a car nearly pulling out on you, traffic blaring horns and
flicking vees at each other, a tractor creeping round a corner - and slow down. When the mojo is
against you, accept it and knock the throttle on the head before it gets you.
OVERTAKE LIKE A PRO:
Dont scream up behind a vehicle and sit on its bumper revving your engine. Stay a safe distance
behind then, when youre going to overtake, pull out laterally so you can see what is ahead of the
vehicle. It might be slowing because a vehicle ahead is turning. Once you can see its safe,
accelerate into the gap.

COVER IT:
When riding in town or fast country back-roads, get into the habit of arming your brakes by
riding with one finger constantly on the lever. You can still use the throttle and hold on to the
bars, but should you have to brake hard and fast, just having your finger already on the brake will
give you an advantage a potential life saver.

FILTERING:
Filtering is legal as long as you comply with all traffic signs, road markings and filter with due
care and attention. Look way ahead, keep the bike in a low gear and anticipate being side-swiped

ACCELERATE INTO SAFETY:
When joining a motorway use the speed of your bike properly. Accelerate hard into a gap then
slow down to match the speed of the other traffic. Gives you a good reason to gas it and its the
safest way of joining fast-moving highways.

CLUTCHLESS CHANGES:
When accelerating, practice quickly rolling off the throttle to unload the gearbox and then
clicking up a gear without using the clutch. Its much smoother and faster than using the clutch,
doesnt harm the bikes gearbox, and clutchless changes are much easier on pillions.

BLIP IT ON DOWN:
Smooth out deceleration by blipping the throttle between downshifts. This helps by matching the
engine speed to the gearbox speed, making for seamless deceleration while keeping the bike
stable on corner entry and preventing unwanted pillion head-butts.

DONT GET SUCKERED:
Dont get suckered into a corner by riding out of your comfort zone. If your mates are riding too
quick for you, let them go and ride at your own speed. Theyll wait for you at the next junction.

ROUNDABOUT LAPS:
Just circulating a roundabout is a great way to learn how far over you can lean a motorcycle.
Find a quiet one with as few exits as possible, and go round and round. Dont worry about knee-
down nonsense, but get comfortable with how far you can actually lean a modern bike.

RUBBER DUCKY:
90% of sportsbike owners ride around like flagpoles, stuck out in the breeze. Duck down behind
the screen. Youll get the benefit of aerodynamics, the bike will handle better, and youll be able
to see your clocks. Not rocket science, is it?

WATCH THE WHEELS:
When coming up to a car looking to turn out of a junction, watch their wheels. Theyre the very
first things to move and youll instantly know if theyre staying put like a good chap or whether
theyre about to make an assault on your life.

GROUP TACTICS:
Decide the order and stick to it so you know that the guy behind isnt going to overtake you.
Organise a meeting point and exchange mobile numbers so if someone gets lost they wont
panic. Dont ride close to the rider ahead and dont put the slowest rider at the back, they will
only feel pressured into riding beyond their limits.

WHERE YOU LOOK:
Your bike will go where youre looking, so if youve messed up a corner dont stare and get
fixated on the hedge, look around the bend where you want to go. Nine times out of ten the bike
is capable of getting around the corner. Even if you think it cant, look at the exit and you will
get through.

GET YOUR KNEE DOWN:
The key to knee down, other than lean angle, is foot position. Once the bike is over at a decent
angle, roll the ball of your inside foot around the peg so it is at 90-degrees to the road. This
forces your knee closer to the ground. Concentrate on sticking your leg out at right-angles to the
bike and hey presto!

WHEELIE GREAT:
Everyone tells you to cover the rear brake when practicing your wheelies, but theres enough to
get your head around without worrying about that as well. As an easy alternative, cover the
clutch lever with one finger instead; its easier to dab it if things go wrong and cutting the power
to the back wheel will have the same effect

RIDE IN THE WET:
The key to riding in the wet is smoothness. Avoid any big weight transfers such as heavy
accelerating or braking as they can over-load the tyres. There is a surprising amount of grip in
the wet, but load your tyres up accordingly and look out for slippy areas such as the lethal
spectre of over-banding (like ice in the wet) white lines, manhole covers and always brake in a
straight line. Youll be amazed how much speed you can carry.

REAR WHEEL SLIDE:
Once the rear steps out just roll the throttle a bit and tame the back wheel, dont touch the rear
brake or anything. Use the throttle to either hang it out or bring it back into line - more gas the
further it goes out, less it comes inline. Honest, its as simple as that.

WHEELIE FOREVER:
Start in first gear, or for modern V-twins 2nd gear is safer. Accelerate to just before the power
comes in then slip the clutch in and out. Dont pull it in and dump it, just slip it, and accelerate
smoothly at the same time. This will make the front wheel rise. As the front wheel rises do a
clutchless-shift into the next gear; now just ride the wheelie, going up through the gears as you
pass the meat of the power in each ratio.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/18-quick-tips-to-boost-your-riding-
skills/19717.html#ixzz29RQexXx4

The basics of riding fast
Lighter and faster with every passing year, modern superbikes rock, but getting the best out of
them without ending up in the undergrowth needs some serious skill. Here are the basics

Posted: 29 November 2010
by Warren Pole

We are truly blessed these days. Fair cop, world peace isn't exactly looking likely too soon and
the planet's best brains are yet to find a cure for the common cold, rainforests are disappearing
faster than Abi Titmusses' dignity and, if scientists are to be believed, the earth is set to become a
gigantic fireball somewhere around teatime next Tuesday.
But leaving weighty issues like these behind let's turn our gaze back to the world of motorcycles
which pack the firepower not only to see off any so-called 'supercar', but may even be capable of
firing you beyond the
Earth's atmosphere if only you could find a ramp big enough. We've never had it so good. Take
the new GSX-R1000, it being the most of the mostest right now. For 8800, you get a bike that
weighs in at 166kg dry, packs 165 genuine back wheel bhp, can shred the quarter mile in 10.1
seconds and which will rip you to the dark side of 170mph in little longer than it's taken you to
read this paragraph.
To put all this into perspective, Neil Hodgson's 2000 BSB title-winning superbike only had three
more horsepower and was two kilos heavier. And it cost two hundred grand. Now that sort of
performance is available to you and me for less than the price of a very crappy small car. That's
what I call progress.
So now we literally do have superbikes on the road, it's time for a good long look at ourselves
because chances are we ain't superbike riders, which can leave a yawning chasm between us and
our bikes.
Sure the throttle works both ways, and yes these bikes are only as fast as you want them to be,
but the simple fact is you can't ride bikes like these for a few weeks of the year and expect to be
anywhere near the money on them. Kid yourself you can and you'll be a bonnet ornament before
summer's out.
But making the most of your superbike on the road isn't so tough and once cracked, you'll find
the rewards are enormous. So unless you really do have that HRC factory superbike deal tucked
behind the breadbin, step this way for the fastest summer you've ever had.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/the-basics-of-riding-
fast/16051.html#ixzz29RSIlZPj

FAST 1 - FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT
Yup, just as last year's hot mistress becomes next year's nagging housewife, so roads you know
can turn ugly. Just because you've been around that corner 500 times doesn't mean there isn't an
upturned milk float on the apex today. Wherever you're riding, use your imagination, always
expect the worst, and you'll live to be 100. Get complacent and there's every chance that one day
you'll get bitten.
If you're new to 1000cc sportsbikes then roads you think you know can suddenly become very
unfamiliar, and this can lead to nasty consequences. The biggest difference between big
sportsbikes and the rest of the two-wheeled food chain is the speed, and more specifically the
speeds they can get you to in the blink of an eye. Obvious really, but it's amazing how many
seemingly smart people fail to notice this and then find themselves upside down in hedges
wondering where it all went wrong.
Normally this is on a corner, or more precisely, next to the corner they've just left in an
undignified manner because no matter how fast their bike can propel them between corners,
there's a limit to how quickly their abilities can actually get around said curve.
The way to avoid this problem is to give yourself time. I'll let Mark explain. "Too many people
ride in halves between corners. They're either accelerating or braking, when what they should be
doing is riding in thirds. You accelerate, then plateau at whatever speed is suitable for the pace
you're riding and the conditions, and while you're there you take time to absorb what the road
and surroundings are telling you. From here you move smoothly into the next braking phase
when it comes along."
Iain has had his ZX-10 for a year now and, while the two get on well and he's coming to terms
with its excess of horsepower, he admits, "it's still much better than I am.
"On the one hand this is great because the bike really flatters me as a rider, but on the other I
know I've still got a long way to go, especially on a bike like this".
So back to the theory. The key to fast road riding and survival at speed is all in your head. It
matters not a jot how fast your bike is because if your brain can't keep up with what's going on,
you're stuffed.
You'll know when your brain can't manage because not only will it feel like you're a passenger in
the Millennium Falcon on the hop to light speed, but you'll also be tense, chopping on and off the
throttle and brakes and riding much like you did when you passed your test. The difference is
you're now poised to make 130mph mistakes rather than 30mph ones.
The way to chill out is to back off, not to hang on for grim death thinking you can muddle
through on hope and good fortune. This doesn't have to be by much, but enough to let you read
the road you're on and to build a picture of what's happening not just in front of your front wheel
but way beyond, as far into the distance as you can see.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/the-basics-of-riding-fast/16051-
2.html#ixzz29RSQ0rMH

FAST 2 - READING THE ROAD
Sounds like a tall order, but the clues are all there if only you know where to look. "Reading a
road you don't know is seen by many riders as a black art," says Mark, "but it's not so tough.
Open up your vision beyond what's immediately ahead, scan around to the sides and deep into
the distance and you'll find information on what the road's doing everywhere."
The thing to remember is that on a litre bike this conveyor belt of information can be rushing by
at an alarming rate. Something that is, for a split second, over there, will very soon be right here -
and then just as quickly it's gone. If it's too much to take in you're going too fast. Back off.
Mark again. "Hedgerows, telegraph poles and trees can be good pointers as they often follow the
line of the road. Road signs and markings are useful - the more of them there are approaching a
bend, the more severe it's going to be. Other traffic's helpful - look through and over hedges
ahead using the bike's height advantage and you might see the tops of cars or a traffic jam around
the next corner. If a car coming round the bend you're approaching is only dawdling but almost
on two wheels then you know the corner's tight. If there's an open farm gate expect cows around
the next turn, if you can smell cut grass then look for the tractor."
The list of clues telling you what's happening is almost endless, but the bottom line is you've got
to work them out for yourself. Open up your vision, stay loose, and you'll be amazed at what you
see.
As Iain was when Mark took the lead for a stretch to give a running commentary on what he was
seeing and doing.
"Bloody hell", spluttered Iain into his Little chef hot chocolate afterwards, "I always thought my
forward observation was pretty good, but after realising the detail Mark was taking in and just
how far ahead he was seeing things, I know I've got miles to go. But I did begin to see how he
could be so fast and smooth everywhere because he was working everything out so early. An
impressive learning experience."
You can build up your own abilities by heading out for roads you don't know, then talking
yourself down them as you go, running through what you can see and what you're doing about it.
You may sound a bit mental, but at 80mph who's going to hear you? Exactly, so get on with it.
Continue for the third lesson of fast
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
1. Cars going more slowly than we want to, so we've got to start looking for a way past if we
haven't done so already. Is it safe? Is it legal?
2. Farm tracks. Moments before this pic was taken we'd have been clocking that ropey pick-up
truck to see if it was about to turn left or right into one of the farm tracks. It wasn't. But are
vehicles (or animals) about to appear from either and turn left, right or make a dash across the
road from one field to the other? And is there mud on the road ahead?
3. The solid white line on the right of the middle of the road finishes up ahead. So what? It means
the road beyond it is about to straighten up a bit - see 1. Once we're clear of the farm gate on
the left, move left and have a look for a possible overtake opportunity
4. Telegraph poles and trees follow the road in the distance, giving a clue to where it goes. It's not
always a sure-fire indicator, but useful extra info to bear in mind. Can also indicate changes in
gradient, like they do here

3.html#ixzz29RSZnbhz

AST 3 - MAKE A PLAN
Now this bit sounds dull, but bear with me. You need to plan your ride. Not planning as in
phoning your mates and seeing who fancies a thrash, but planning as in working out what you're
doing as you're doing it.
It ties in with your observation and commentary, and simply means working out how what you
can see will affect what you do.
"Position, speed, gear, is all you need to apply whenever anything comes up that causes you to
change course, speed or both," explained Mark. "It could be a car, a busy garage forecourt or
simply another bend; either way you need these three things sorted to manage whatever it is."
Let's start with position. What you want is maximum vision at all times, so if there's a left-hander
coming up get as far to the right as you can for the best view around it; if it's a right-hander, head
to the left, and if there's traffic ahead don't get too close - you can't see squat stuck behind a
lorry. And don't be afraid to use your head, literally, and stick your neck out for a better view. If
you're getting a shift on, you and your bike should be constantly jockeying for the position that
allows you to see as far ahead as possible.
You also want to give yourself maximum chance of avoiding anything untoward, so if there's
roadside dodginess like lay-bys, pub car parks or side roads waiting for someone to leap into or
out of without looking for you first, put some space between you and them. If they're on the left
you drift right, and if they're on the right, drift left. Also be aware that most road users are
ignorant of the performance at your disposal. While you may be used to your bike, others won't
realise just how quickly you can get from where they first see you to where they currently are.
Worth bearing in mind before you stave into the side of some poor sod's motor because he
thought he had more than enough time to pull out, or you genuinely weren't there when he
looked a split second before he did.
Use both sides of the road if you can see it's clear ahead and there are no solid white lines. Don't
be afraid to use all of the road to improve your vision, increase your safety, or for the shortest
route between two points.
Next come speed and gear, and these two are much simpler: don't arrive at hazards so fast you
become part of them. On a big bike keep the revs around half mast to give yourself the choice of
shutting off for engine braking, or winding it on for proper welly. It's all too easy to have a big
sportsbike shaking its head and pitching back and forth on its suspension if you get giddy with
big handfuls off gas at high rpm. Much better to use a higher gear and less rpm to keep the plot
steadier and more in control.
So let's assume you're heading for a right-hander. You've read the road, you've got your position,
speed and gear sorted and you're ready for attack. Now what?
Stay out wide until you can see the corner's exit, even if this means starting the corner and
staying on a wide line, because fast road cornering is about maintaining maximum visibility, then
as soon as you can see the exit take the shortest line between where you are and where you're
going.
Because your braking was done long ago and you're already in the right gear, all you have to do
is wind the gas on progressively with a smooth hand, while feeling for grip from the tyres before
catapulting yourself on to the next one, congratulating yourself on a job well done as you go.

4.html#ixzz29RT4ZncW
FAST 4 - CORNERS
"The number one cause of accidents these days is riders getting corners wrong," said Mark.
"They come in too hot, or think they are, they panic, hit the brakes, the bike stands up and then
they get target fixation on the nearest solid object - normally a tree or lamp post on a right-
hander or an oncoming car on a left - and the end result's rarely pretty. The sad part is nine times
out of ten the bike would have made the corner, it was just their head that couldn't manage it."
And it's a particular problem to riders of 1000cc missiles unfamiliar with the eyeball
compressing acceleration available at the twitch of a wrist. All horsepower does is join corners
together. It doesn't get you round them any quicker, it just gets you to them quicker. Get carried
away on the straight bits and it's all too easy to find yourself starring in the panic scenario
described above.
'Don't give up' is Mark's advice. These bikes are better than most of us, so even if you feel you're
heading in too hot, you probably aren't. Look where you want to go not at what you're worried
you're about to hit, stay off the brakes once you're turning in, lean into the corner and look round
it.
One key to not getting into trouble in the first place is to use the vanishing point - the point
where the two sides of the road converge as you look into a corner. If it moves away as you go in
it's opening up, if it moves towards you it's gonna be tight. Don't rely on this as your only way of
sussing a corner, but as an extra tool in your box it's dead handy.
It seemed Iain's time on other bikes had served him well, and he impressed Mark with his
smooth, swift riding, but there were still a couple of pointers, the main one being that Iain was
turning in too early.
"It's a common problem," said Mark. "People don't want to overrun the corner, so to be on the
safe side they turn-in early. But this causes them to run wide, which leaves them off the power
for longer, slows them down and interrupts their flow."
Once it was pointed out and with Mark on his tail offering a running commentary, the early turn-
in was all but banished from Iain's riding. Not only had he just got safer, he'd got faster into the
bargain.

5.html#ixzz29RTBgRKE
FAST 5 - OVERTAKES
Now we were cooking with gas, and from my perch atop an R1 following the boys I was starting
to enjoy myself as the bike got a chance to stretch its legs and we cut a swathe across rural
Oxfordshire.
But with our new-found pace came new issues, mainly in the shape of overtaking - Iain's
Achilles' heel.
"Bodged overtakes are a big accident area," said Mark. "Riders just fail to see car drivers turning
right all the time. The best way to keep out of trouble is to avoid overtaking near any turnings
and watch
drivers' heads and hands as you approach - even if they don't indicate they'll move before they
turn if they're going to."
Iain was cautious and far from dangerous, he was just slightly too eager on occasion. "You're
giving the cars a bit too much grief," explained Mark. "With bikes like yours it's easy to forget
how fast you come up on other traffic and you need to account for that by backing off before
you're all over them."
We've all done it. A few miles of traffic-free bliss, we're riding like legends, the bike's into it's
groove and we haul out of yet another perfectly-executed corner and get back on the gas for the
next one. And there they are, Mr and Mrs Caravan-Holiday, doing 40 in a national limit, him not
having used his mirrors since the last war and her too busy yapping to see anything. Bugger.
Here we have the reverse problem to the lazy weekend rider. Where his head's running far too
slow for his bike, ours is running far too fast for the speed we're suddenly back at. We're still
trying to do 100mph at 40 and our perfect ride of moments ago is now a raggedy-arsed shadow
of its former self.
The solution is in being able to change gear mentally in response to your surroundings and
whatever happens to be going on, rather than leaving the house, winding everything into top and
leaving it there, thus turning yourself into an accident looking for somewhere to happen. You'll
get a much better view and be able to make a far better overtake by being a touch further back
from whatever's in your path, and you'll avoid panicking them into doing something daft by
looming all over their bumper.
The best bit though is that on any major sportsbike you care to mention, you also have the
firepower at your disposal to lay waste to anything and everything in your way. All you have to
do is use your head as hard as you use your bike and not only will you get ten times more out of
it, you'll still be riding faster than ever by the time that cutting edge rocketship you're on now has
long since been rendered slow and obsolete by the road going MotoGP bikes we'll all be riding
come 2010. Don't you just love progress?
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
It's not really rocket science, and much of this feature covers ground we've been over in some
form or other on previous occasions. It applies to riders of all bikes, not just 1000cc sports fare,
so hopefully we can all take something away from it.
The key to it all is to think about what you're doing, all the time, and the faster you're riding the
harder you have to think. Getting the most out of a modern superbike is more about having the
restraint and respect for the machinery to know how much power not to use, and having the balls
to admit there's far more
performance on tap than you, I, and most of the planet's bike riding population can ever
competently or safely put to use.
And no matter how good we are or think we are, there's no shame in getting yours skills assessed
every now and then by the likes of Mark Edwards and the boys at Rapid Training. At the very
least you'll have a top day out riding your bike with like-minded souls, at most you'll end the day
a smoother, faster, safer rider. Not only will it help you live longer, but you'll enjoy yourself
more into the bargain. And you can't say fairer than that.

6.html#ixzz29RTIORuD

Mackenzie's fast road riding tips
Niall Mackenzie gives his advice on how to get the most out of riding on the roads

by Niall Mackenzie

Unless I'm on really wide, open roads I short-shift most of the time on a 1000cc bike. The huge
amount of torque available means acceleration is still brisk, and power delivery is much
smoother to use and safer at low rpm. R1s are amazing; you can select sixth gear at 20mph and
ride them like a twist and go. But you still have to be careful, and being lazy with the throttle in
high gears can catch you out on a modern 1000cc bike.
Ron Haslam calls it 'chasing the throttle'. It's when you crack the throttle open and wait for the
engine revs to catch up with the throttle position. It's okay up to a point, and works at low rpm in
higher gears, but 1000cc sports bikes are now so powerful you can be caught out, especially
when it's wet or slippery. If you're exiting a corner in a high gear and open the throttle half-way
at, say, 4000rpm and the back does break away, the engine will still be spinning up as you try to
close the throttle. Modern 1000cc sportsbike engines pick up revs so quickly you can be in high-
side territory before you've a chance to shut the
throttle. It's all about throttle control.
If you're scratching around corners in low gears and at high revs, throttle control must be
smooth. As with braking, a gradual application will always give good feedback, smooth weight
transfer on the suspension and plenty of warning before you get into trouble. Grabbing a handful
of throttle will make you crash.
Hard acceleration should always be done with the bike as upright as possible, using the
maximum contact area of the tyres. The more upright you are the bigger your tyre contact patch
is. In wet or damp conditions riding as upright as possible is the key to safety.
Like your throttle control, braking should be smooth, especially immediately after hard
acceleration as weight transfer onto the front tyre must take place to keep things safe. Grabbing a
handful of brake before the front has settled can lock it up.
If a light front end is a problem under acceleration then pulling yourself forward against the tank
will help. However, if you find the front is always vague then stiffer rear suspension may be
required.
Tyres are where it starts and ends. You can have trick hlins suspension but if your tyres ain't
right your bike will feel like a turd. Manufacturers' pressures are the best starting point but these
cover wide parameters such as rider weight, pillions and different riding styles. You can
experiment by dropping your pressures, but only by a couple of psi at a time. It can help build
more temperature and improve grip. Don't reduce pressures for wet riding, as it folds in the
grooves that displace water.
Modern sportsbike tyres have incredible levels of grip in both the wet and dry, but the downside
is they need a few miles to get up to their optimum temperature. I regularly get caught out by
cold tyres leaving my drive, but have so far managed to stay upright. Heat will always spread
around the tyre so don't worry if you go straight onto a motorway as riding upright still builds
temperature. Remember though, after a short stop temperatures will fall and so will grip.
My best tip for road riding is to pretend you're in a video game where everything is a hazard and
the enemy is about to pop out at any moment. Junctions, The Old Bill, cameras, weather, debris
and other road users, they are the highway space invaders and they're out to get you!

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/mackenzies-fast-road-riding-
tips/16056.html#ixzz29RTT5DOX

Further Education
Passed your test and got your bike licence? Congratulations, but there's still a lot to learn. Do you
want to take your riding to the next level? Here's eight things you need to know

by Tim Dickson
Riding a bike ain't easy. Even the experts accept that learner training is, at best, no more than a
solid grounding to work from. In fact, learner training leaves some stones well and truly
unturned, and it's these moist, dark areas of riding we're going to look at.
And we're not making this stuff up. To ensure at least a veneer of credibility, we enlisted the
expert know-how of Kevin Williams, a riding instructor offering a range of courses tailored to all
levels of riding under the 'Survival Skills' banner, and Gary Baldwin, an accident investigator
with Thames Valley Police and the man behind Bucks-based Rapid Training.
"Learner training isn't far off," says Gary, "but you need to look at the end result and ask where
riders have
problems after their test. And experience tells us that braking and cornering are two of the key
areas that need more work doing. Riders are obviously meant to sort it out for themselves, which
is fine if they do but if they don't it leaves them struggling.
Kevin Williams teaches both qualified and learner riders, and sees the problem as one of self-
perceived competence. "To some extent it's down to how well the rider feels they are in control
as they come away from the test centre. Many blokes will be happy they're riding at a good
standard; okay, they can keep the examiner happy for half-a-hour, but that doesn't mean they're
riding well, only adequately. On the other hand you get others who feel they have a problem and
know they have problem areas. The issue is to persuade people there is something more to
learn."
The first lesson covers road positioning

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/advanced-motorcycle-riding-course-further-
education/16022.html#ixzz29RThvtqG

Further Education - Road Positioning

by Tim Dickson

Positioning
Hugging the kerb or middle of the road?

A motorcycle's width, or its lack of it, gives riders huge flexibility for changing position to their
best advantage. Moving a couple of feet to the right or left can make the difference between
seeing approaching hazards or not and being seen by other drivers or not. And correct
positioning in corners is key to smooth progress. Yet learners are taught to remain in a largely
inflexible position a metre or so from the left-hand kerb. "The Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
are so regimented on it," says Gary. "Moving towards the centre of the road is like slaughtering
your first born to them, but positioning correctly on a bike is crucial."

Kevin explains that need not be the case:"I think it's partly a hangover from what was true 10 or
12 years ago. If you read the DSA manuals in depth they do say you should consider changing
your position when dealing with a hazard. If one of my pupils is approaching an on-coming
articulated lorry and they can just make out the headlamp of a car behind it, I would tell them to
move to their left to give them line of sight to the car - see and be seen. The essence of that isn't
very different from what you would do on an advanced test.
"There isn't quite the gulf there needs to be, but I would say a lot of CBT/DAS instructors will
stick to the 'one third of the way across the lane from the left' position at all costs. That can be
over-emphasised. You can position flexibly during learner training, but the examiner will be
asking 'Do you know why you're doing it?' and if you are doing it are you moving to a safe
position or making your life more dangerous?"
The key is to be flexible and think about the best place to be in any given situation. While
moving to the centre of the road on the approach to a left-hander gives a much better line through
the corner, rigid insistence on doing so every time doesn't take into account the occasions when it
isn't safe: oncoming lorries, traffic waiting to turn out of a junction on your right or any number
of other hazards might mean a position nearer the left is safer. Likewise, moving as far left as
possible on the approach to right-handers may hide you from the view of cars turning right
across your path, or put your tyres in debris at the side of the road.
Look at the picture on the left. By moving from a left-hand position to one nearer the centre of
the road on this gentle curve, the rider has opened up his forward view to see all the way to the
crest at 'A' . He has also brought himself out from behind the Land Rover in front, and into the
view of any vehicles waiting to turn out of the driveway ahead ('B'). While this position opens up
the forward view, it's not the best place to be in if there are oncoming vehicles, especially large
lorries. If that was the case, sacrifice the enhanced view for a safer position back towards the left.
If you're experimenting with road positioning make sure you know what's going on around and
behind before you move around too much - you don't want to be lurching across to the centre of
the road as someone tries to overtake. Try small changes in position at first to improve your
forward view on the approach to junctions and corners, but keep your movements smooth and
don't put yourself in a position you're not comfortable with.

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Further Education - Counter steering

by Tim Dickson

Counter steering
The topsy-turvy world of steering

Here's something they don't usually teach you in CBT: you turn the bars left to go right, and right
to go left. Perhaps understandably, the DSA like to keep that quiet to avoid confusing learners,
but 'countersteering' is key to getting a bike round corners.
"It's not in the official book," says Kevin, "and it's a technique that the DSA question as relevant
for learners. It's often asked, 'What do you gain from learning about countersteering?' Well, you
learn to stay out of hedges. We teach people to twist the throttle, change gear and use the clutch,
and all that is far more complicated than simply understanding that you push the bars left to go
left. But because it doesn't have DSA approval, it's left to the training schools to teach it or not."
If you ride a bike and get it safely round corners, you're already countersteering. There's no other
way to get a bike to change direction at speed - and by 'speed' we mean anything above 20mph or
so. However, by putting conscious thought and effort into it, countersteering can transform your
machine control.
We're not talking about massive physical input. Far from it, in fact. All that's needed is brief,
gentle pressure pushing forward on the inside handlebar: push the left bar to turn left, push the
right to turn right. But be careful if trying it out- countersteering is so effective that too much
force can have your bike veering to one side or the other if you're not expecting it.

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Overtaking
Or how to get ahead in motorcycling

Once you're free of the shackles of strangled learner bikes, a whole new world of overtaking is
open to you. But be careful. While the temptation to fly past every car you come up on is
enormous, the risks are high. There's more to a safe overtaking opportunity than an apparently
clear stretch of road ahead.
A significant number of bike v car accidents occur when a bike tries to overtake as the car turns
right so, before you go for an overtake, ask yourself the following questions. First, is the
overtake legal? Make sure you're not going to illegally cross a solid white line or, god forbid,
break a speed limit (see your Highway Code for all the other 'You Must Nots'). Is the vehicle
you're planning to overtake about to do the same to the car it's following? Or is it about to move
to the right to pass a bicycle or pedestrian you can't see? Is someone in the process of overtaking
you? Is the car you're looking to overtake about to turn right into a side road, driveway, lay-by or
farm track? Is a vehicle about to turn right out of one of those and into your path without looking
to the left first? Remember, overtaking near junctions is specifically advised against in the
Highway Code, so if you pass someone as they turn right (even if they weren't indicating), you're
at least partly to blame.
While that lot may make overtaking sound like too hazardous to risk, with enough forward
planning and awareness of what's going on it needn't be. If you're unsure about overtaking go on
a 'dummy run' and follow some cars around, looking for overtaking opportunities without
necessarily taking advantage of them.
See where it might be safe to pass, and learn to spot the potential hazards. There's a lot to take in
and in a relatively short time, so don't rush yourself. If you're not comfortable with an overtake
or unsure about it, simply hold back and return to a safe following position. Looking for a pass?
Move closer and assess the situation, but don't put yourself in a dangerous position or intimidate
the driver you're following.
Look at the pictures above as the bike approaches two cars following a cement lorry. It's a wide
rural road but not free of danger. In picture 1, we can just see the entrance to a car park on the
left, ahead of the lorry. In pic. 2, the car closest to the lorry has started to overtake, but don't
assume it's safe to go just because someone else has - they might be mental. By the time we get
to pic. 3 we can see the car park on the left is empty (no one about to make a mad-dash right turn
out of it between the lorry and red car), and the road is clear well ahead. It's also pretty obvious
the car we're about to pass isn't looking to overtake the lorry, so we can safely overtake.

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Town riding and filtering
Feeling congested? Cut a dash in the morning rush

Halving the time taken on the morning commute is one of the reasons so many people switch to
two wheels, but once on the road many find grid-locked traffic an intimidating place to be. There
are a lot of potential hazards to be aware of, so take your time and don't rush into anything.
One thing to be aware of is that, as far as the law is concerned, filtering is classed as overtaking.
That means many of the points covered in 'Overtaking' on the next page apply equally to
filtering, albeit in a slower and more condensed environment.
While caution and uncertainty holds some riders back in heavy traffic, over-confidence can
equally be a problem in others. Rushing headlong between queues of stationary traffic may
appear a tempting proposition, but there's a lot to be aware of.
Have a look at the picture example. We're approaching the back of a queue of traffic stopped at a
red light, and moving to the centre of the road to see if it's safe to take advantage of the lack of
oncoming traffic and filter past the stationary vehicles. What should we be aware of? Most
obviously, the silver Fiesta has also taken advantage of the clear lane and pulled out of its
parking space. Are any other parked cars about to do the same? Secondly, we're blind to
anything about to appear from in front of the lorry on our left - pedestrians crossing the road or
cars turning right across our path - so we need to pass with caution. Remember, that clear lane is
as tempting to other road users as it is to us.
In the second, smaller picture the lights are on amber, so oncoming cars will soon be
approaching and we need to get out of their way. There's space in front of the dark Lexus, but
again be aware of pedestrians obscured by the silver 4x4. We also need to look out for cars
turning left out of the junction on our right.
That's an awful lot to think about in a small stretch of high street. Filtering safely is about being
aware of potential dangers and taking steps to avoid them. Don't fixate on getting to the front of
every queue to the exclusion of all else going on around you. At the same time, learn to
recognise safe routes through heavy
traffic to make the most of your two-wheeled advantage.

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Low-speed control
Relax, it's just a question of balance

There's a reason for all that wobbling round cones taught in CBT. As with braking and the
emergency stop, it's not simply there to impress the examiner, only to be forgotten and never
used again. If you want to master filtering and town riding (see left), you'll need to ensure your
low speed control is up to scratch. Paddling feet-down through rows of cars may feel more
secure at first, but in reality you don't have proper control over the bike.
There's no shame in finding a quiet car park and practicing feet-up U-turns and figure-of-eights,
especially if you're riding a new, unfamiliar machine.
Bad posture is the key to sub-walking pace, full-lock balancing on a bike. Forget sitting bolt
upright, back straight and arms tensed. Instead, relax and slouch in the seat with your lower back
arcing outwards slightly - the same technique works on unicycles. Relax your arms, neck and
shoulders and let your hands flop onto the bars. Pull away and, with both feet on the pegs, try
trickling along at walking pace, balancing clutch control against a gentle squeeze of back brake
to keep your speed right down.
To make a U-turn, look right over your shoulder to where you want to go before turning the bars
to follow. They key is to stay relaxed and slouched in the seat. And stay off the front brake.
Touching it will compress the forks which, at low speed with the bars turned, will affect the
radius of the turn you're attempting and send the bike off line and possibly you off balance.

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Braking
Start stopping properly

"Emergency stops are taught for a reason, explains Kevin, "but keep practising. They're not just
something to do in front of the examiner and never do again."
The trouble with the emergency stop on the test is that you know it's coming. Real life isn't like
that, and it's all too easy to grab a handful of front brake and lock up when a real panic braking
situation arises.
"Some people have no idea how hard they can brake," says Gary. "But you get both extremes:
brake madly and lock up, or 'I don't like this', so they don't brake at all."
If you are going out to practise braking make damn sure there's no one behind you, or find a
quiet - ideally empty - car park. Remember, you're squeezing the lever, not grabbing it. It's how
firmly and how quickly you squeeze that determines the rate you slow. Developing a 'feel' for
front tyre grip comes with experience. The more you have the better off you'll be in a real
emergency.
Another thing to be aware of is the road surface and how much - or how little - grip it gives. Car
drivers are often oblivious to the changing nature of road surfaces; new motorcyclists have a lot
to learn. White lines, manhole covers and loose chippings are to be avoided, but also look out for
extra-grippy surfaces such as Shellgrip, found in the braking areas on the approach to some
junctions and roundabouts.

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Group riding
With friends like these

A social blast with mates is a real temptation for new riders, but the mob mentality group riding
can encourage may create an environment not suited to them.
"Group riding has become a cause of accidents," says Gary, "and in 2003 it became a real issue.
You'd get 20 blokes riding together at a pace only one was happy with. That is a recipe for
disaster."
Again, Kevin agrees: "Without doubt the worst riding I see is group riding. I don't think it could
be covered in learner training, but any rider who has passed their test should think about."
So what to do? Only ride with those sympathetic to your limitations. Ideally avoid large groups,
and certainly avoid riding with people whose priority is to show you how much faster/ more
reckless than you they are. If you want to ride with someone, pick a mate you can trust who's
happy to ride at your pace. If you're following, avoid the temptation to fixate on them; look
through, not at them. Be aware that following a rider who knows where to position themselves
will mean they block your view if you're too close. Make your own decisions and think and ride
for yourself.

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Just go and ride
Get your motor running, head out on the highway

You're not going to get any better at riding your bike by not riding it, so get out there and put the
miles in. And don't just confine them to sunny Sunday afternoons; experience is best gained in
all weathers (well, most of them), and on all kinds of roads. If your planned commute to work
makes you nervous, ride the route on a quiet Sunday morning to familiarise yourself with it.
Likewise, if the thought of riding on motorways puts the willies up you, put some miles in on
free-flowing ones before tackling the M25 in Monday morning rush hour.
"There's no substitute for mileage," says Gary. "With my training head on, one of the most
frustrating things we find is that people want to be God on a bike but they're not prepared to put
the time in practising. You have to ride, you have to get familiar with the whole process. Riding
your bike is the key to getting good at it. Do some serious mileage and learn the skills." And take
some extra training. There's lots you don't yet know.
Not good enough?
One problem with advanced training is getting people to consider it. There's a misconception
among new riders that they're 'not good enough' for it.
"'Advanced' is a bad word," says Gary, "it puts some people off. All we're talking about is
enhancing the skills you built on when learning and taking them to the next stage in your
development."
Kevin: "While people do take further training, we have a problem persuading many of them that
they're good enough to try it in the first place. It's a particular problem with the ladies, many of
whom think advanced training is going to be far too advanced."

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Ride Like Mackenzie: Road Survival
Join the one and only Niall Mackenzie as he divulges everything he knows about faster,
smoother, safer riding, on the road and track, all of it gained from the highest levels of world
competition and through 24 years of road riding experience

by Niall Mackenzie
Now I know road survival sounds about as fun as watching paint dry while listening to Will
Young's greatest hit, but bear with me. Obviously it'll never be as sexy as learning to hoist
massive stand-up wheelies or how to slot in a sub 1.36-second lap of Donington, but as the road's
where we all spend most of our time then staying alive while we're there is really rather useful. It
also means we can get to our next trackday/deserted backroad stretch faster, smoother and more
safely. So actually, road survival is a very good thing, and without it we'd all be, umm, not alive
and that would be bad so sit up straight at the back and pay some bloody attention.
Hopefully you all got on alright with last month's homework and can now demolish roads you
know just as well as those you don't, cutting a swathe through your local countryside with all the
grace and majesty of an eagle soaring above the highland lochs and glens, feathers fluttering in
the crisp Scottish air, and... sorry, getting a bit carried away there, but you get the point.
But now we have a lesson to get on with so let us away for a ride through some everyday terrain
and a bit of a chat, starting in town...
Town Techniques
It's early morning, you rolled out of bed 20 minutes ago, haven't had your Wheeto-Flakes and
your attention levels are that low they're bobbling around your ankles as you pull out of the
drive. 'Never mind', you think, 'I'll perk up in a bit'. And sure you will. Just remember everyone
else in cars around you is in the same early morning daze, probably even more so as Radio 2
soothes them through the traffic, so they're more likely than normal to something daft.
Apart from the general rush hour chaos at either end of the day, watch out for the school run
mayhem just beforehand. With kids to drop off/collect myself I know what a war zone this one is
- no parking spaces, kids running everywhere, worn out hassled parents with road rage pouring
out of their ears. Everyone here is waiting to dive into your path. And beware chucking out (up?)
time at night too. From 11pm until 3am the streets are awash with u-turning cabbies, meandering
drunks and half-blind drink drivers.
And now we're away, pottering through town, and it's time for some filtering - no point in having
a bike if you're just going to sit in queues all day long is there? The biggest problem with
filtering is it only needs the car next to you to move a foot or two to have you off, so you've got
to watch them like a hawk.
Check driver's heads through the rear window - they'll move before the car does, and watch their
front wheels too. You'll see these move before anything else and they're the best early warning of
an imminent sudden lane change or junction pull-out.
Mind any gaps appearing in the queue ahead of you - it could be someone stopping to let another
car pull out of a side road straight into your filtering path...
In the shot above the car ahead's turning right, so we'll just nip down the inside. Simple? Well,
kind of. You'll want to watch those parked cars on the left for anyone opening a door (if you can
see someone in the driver's seat, always leave a door's width as you pass), check over your
shoulder for any other bikes filtering behind you (but do it fast - a slow lifesaver'll see you in the
back of that car before you know it), and mind the car indicating right doesn't swing left before
turning right or doesn't give up on the turn altogether.
It's worth hanging back from big vehicles like this lager truck above because you'll get a better
view of what's ahead. Also, pedestrians have a nasty habit of running out in front of stuff like
this - buses are a classic for this but at least you can see through them thanks to all that glass - so
again, a bit of distance is a good idea.
As is covering the brakes. I tend to drag the back just to slow down gently in traffic - it's
smoother than chopping on and off the throttle - and I'll always have one finger covering the
front brake. It can save vital fractions of a second if you suddenly need to haul up, and one finger
as opposed to all four helps avoid you grabbing a fistful of brake too and locking the front.
Now we're on our way out of town, but check out this petrol station coming up on the right
(below) - these, pubs and lay-bys are the major hotspots cars suddenly pull into (and out of)
without warning or looking. Don't even think about overtaking here.
Just hang back, chill out and cover the brakes.
And chilling out is, as with all other parts of riding, the key to successful town, motorway and
open road boogie. There's no point in road rage, no point in mad thrashes between traffic lights
and no point in caning between lanes of traffic at a million miles an hour - it'll only be a matter
of time before you end up as human jam on someone's bonnet. Take it smooth and easy on the
other hand and you might even enjoy it.
Motorway Miles
Right, so we're out of town and onto the motorway. Surely the best place to get your head down
and go as fast as possible for the minimum effort? Well, sort of.
On a licence-saving note, the motorway's a quality place for getting nicked, so watch those
bridges and roadside perches for marked cars timing you, and consider turning your headlight off
in daylight if its clear - just makes it harder for the police to spot you from miles
away.
Cast your mind back to lesson two (accelerating and braking) and you'll remember we talked
about slowing down on engine braking rather than using brakes, and on the motorway this can be
a nice smooth way to regulate your speed to the surrounding traffic. Just remember though if you
are relying on engine braking you won't be showing any brake lights to any cars behind, so even
if you don't actually need them, brush the lever if you are losing some major speed to save
yourself getting rear-ended.
And as with any road riding, position is key. It's all about giving yourself the best possible view
of what's ahead, but on the motorway it's also a case of making sure cars in front have seen you.
So avoid riding in anyone's blind spots whenever possible, and if you're coming up on a slower
car in the outside lane, move about a bit so they can see you in their wingmirrors - especially
with a headlight on this'll normally shift most of 'em pretty rapido.
Give yourself plenty of safe space around you whenever possible too and keep as much space
between you and any possible hazards as you can. So if you're in the outside lane passing people,
keep to the outside of the lane rather than riding next to their doors, it just increases your safety
margins should someone swerve your way.
But, there are always times when cars won't move out of your way either because there's too
much traffic ahead like here, or because they're plain old stupid and here we enter the murky
world of motorway filtering. It's a legal grey area, but assume a gentle inside pass on a couple of
cars is okay if you look responsible, while 170mph for eight miles down the hard shoulder will
probably see you in chokey playing mummies and daddies with Mr Big sharpish.
If you are going to filter on the motorway, passing cars when they're alongside one another is
probably the best bet as they're less likely to change lanes with another car there.
When the motorway really clogs up as the M25 does daily, take it real easy as everyone slows
down - this is where everyone's jockeying for position and changing lanes every two seconds just
to get six inches further forwards before grinding to a halt. Once it's settled and you're filtering,
stick your main beam on to make doubly sure people can see you and watch for front wheels or
driver's heads turning as an early warning of someone pulling blindly into your path. Don't be
scared to use your horn or rev your engine if you think you haven't been spotted.
Country Practice
Now we're on the open road, blasting a bit here and there and generally getting ready for some
fun.
Golden rule when speeding things up a touch on the open road is to get your road positioning
right. Just the same as in town and on the motorway you're looking to keep as much distance
between you and any hazards as possible while maximising your forward vision.
So, in the case below you want to be as far away from the approaching junction on the left in
case someone appears in it and pulls out - if the road was clear and there were no junctions on
the other side there'd be no harm in using the other side of the road to be doubly safe. But in this
case you'll want to moderate your position to account for the junction on your right and the car in
it. Somewhere in the middle of the road is about right here.
Conclusion
The stuff we've covered today may not be the most interesting in the world, but it's the stuff
that'll keep you alive.
The basic rules are always the same - aim to keep a buffer area between your bike and
approaching hazards whether you're in town, on the motorway or out on the open road,
constantly alter your road position to do this and, where possible, to optimise your forward
vision, and only use real speed when the roads are clear.
Niall's Homework
Bit of a month off for you this month because I've not got any fiddly exercises lined up, more a
kind of general project which is to simply get out there and ride in town, on the motorway and
out in the sticks because even though you can read about all the theory behind this lot until
you're blue in the face, it's only by getting out there and trying it that it'll really start to make
sense. Extra brownie points to anyone who spends the day riding in central London though...

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/ride-like-mackenzie-road-survival/15575-
5.html#ixzz29Rk0lohc
Advanced Motorcycle Riding Course: Relax
Visordowns tame riding guru Andy Morrison starts with the very fundamentals of brilliant
riding: the need to be relaxed

Posted: 20 October 2010
by Andy Morrison
Watch any really good rider, whether theyre riding trials, speedway, motocross, road racing or
on the road, and they all share a common attribute; they look relaxed on the bike. There is,
needless to say, a very good reason for this motorbikes work more efficiently with a relaxed
rider onboard. This is particularly so when cornering. Ask any rider what they most enjoy about
motorcycling and theyll probably tell you its taking the bike through a succession of sweeping
corners. For this reason any technique aimed at trying to improve cornering will naturally
enhance the enjoyment factor.
A tense rider will not allow the steering and suspension to operate efficiently, and will
consequently take a wider arc through any given corner at a given speed and lean angle than the
relaxed rider. Particularly when the road surface is less than billiard-table smooth. Staying loose
and relaxed will allow the bars to oscillate a little, something they need to do as the bike passes
over surface imperfections bumps and cambers if it is to remain on the chosen line. If you need
proof of this look no further than onboard camera footage from the Isle of Man TT. If the rider
tried to physically control these oscillations his bike would become uncontrollable.
Achieving a relaxed state while riding can be more difficult than you imagine. There are myriad
factors conspiring to add tension; extremes of weather, other road users and poor road surfaces to
name but three. We cant control these but we do have the ability to control some personal factor
and stresses such as clothing fit and suitability, realistic travel distances and timing, regular
breaks and remaining calm in the face of others stupidity. One of the main areas we can focus
on is adjusting our riding style to factor in a relaxed, loose style.
From an instructors point of view the tense rider is easy to spot; little movement in the upper
body, shocks from the front forks transmitting through the arms to the body, a machine that
doesnt appear to be handling that well. Ask these riders if they feel any aches and pains after a
ride and invariably theyll tell you their shoulders ache and that they sometimes suffer pins and
needle in the hands. Learning to relax will improve your machine control and ultimately make
you a become smoother, faster rider as a result. Its absolutely key to everything that follows.
Lightness of touch
You get more information about what the bikes doing through the bars than any other source.
Yes information flows from through your backside and feet, but the hands are the most sensitive
to subtle feedback. To ensure you feel this feedback, the hands need to be as relaxed and loose
on the bars as possible. Your throttle hand for instance needs only to grip just enough to prevent
it slipping on the twistgrip. The left hands grip can be even lighter. In describing this grip I often
use the analogy of holding a small bird (feathered, naturally) trying to prevent its escape but
avoiding any level of grip that might injure it.
Elbows bent and loose
As an experiment, next time you sit on the bike grip the bars firmly and notice how rigid and
inflexible your elbows become even if there is a bend in them. When you ride the bike, bring this
grip level right back to the minimum and notice how relaxed your lower and upper arms become.
This naturally reduces the amount of tension and therefore the potential for aches across the
shoulders. More importantly it also allows the bars to oscillate which in turn, helps the bike turn
and corner more efficiently all of a sudden the bike seems to handle better.
So a good bend in the arm is essential but it needs to be free of tension if it is to serve any useful
purpose. Keeping them relaxed and bent allows them to act like personal shock absorbers,
preventing jolts and shocks from the bars being transmitted through the arms to the body.
Many riders, particularly those with sportsbikes tend to lean on the bars, supporting their upper
body through their arms and hands. As you ride through a series of corners next, take note of
what youre doing with your upper body weight; is it being supported by your arms and hands?
If so, experiment by sitting on the bike stationary, using a paddock or centrestand or, if
necessary, someone to hold it upright. Lean forward to your usual riding position, keeping a
good bend at the arms of course. Now stay in that position and take your hands off the bars,
holding them about an inch or so above them. Now feel the muscle groups you are using to
maintain that position youll find its mostly the stomach, thigh and back muscles. While
cornering and negotiating bumpy sections, use these muscle groups to help avoid pressing down
on the bars. It might feel a little strange at first but these are big muscles and will soon get used
to it. You can rest them in any case by taking some of the load through the arms again when not
cornering or dawdling through a lower speed limit on a smooth road.

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Advanced Motorcycle Riding Course: Water
Bottle
Turned up for a track day only to be faced with teeming rain instead of glorious sunshine? Don't
fear, it doesn't have to be a washout with our guide

by Niall Mackenzie

RIDING IN THE wet isn't most people's idea of fun, but if you've booked a track day don't let
rain stop play. If you can be smooth and confident in the wet you'll only be a better rider in the
dry, so don't waste the opportunity to learn. The key is to relax, not panic, and get out there and
have fun.
Niall knows best: "As with all riding being fluid - pardon the pun - at all times is the key.
Smooth application of the brakes is crucial, but you'll also find that backshifting earlier using the
engine to slow you down is effective.
Once you're off the brakes, get the weight balanced before you turn in as side grip is minimal in
the wet.
"Use a constant throttle mid-corner then, when you're accelerating out, very gradually open the
throttle until you're upright and on the grippiest part of the tyre. If possible drive out in a higher
gear as this will make the power softer. Feel for wheelspin as you go, and be ready to roll back
the throttle if the tyre loses traction."
Staying comfortable, seeing where you're going and keeping in control is important too - if you
get cold and miserable your concentration will suffer. Niall again: "Wear thin rubber gloves
under your leather ones - they'll give you better feel. Fog City or Pinlock visor inserts guarantee
you clear vision and no fogging, but make sure your visor is adjusted properly as water can come
down the inside at high speed. Taping along the top will eliminate this.
Finally, wear Tesco carrier bags inside your boots -they are absolutely brill at keeping you
tootsies dry!"
Proceed with caution
Rain stops play? No way. Relax and enjoy it, but keep your wits about you. Here are Niall's five
top tips for wet track day action.
Get into the groove
"Overbanding or Tarmac joins can be like ice in the wet. Treat with extreme caution, running
over them slowly in the early laps to find out how slippy it really is."
Kerb your enthusiasm
"The paint used on kerbs differs from track to track, with the more modern circuits having more
abrasive paint. But the best plan is to stay well clear of anything that isn't black asphalt."
Oil be damned
"You need to be dead upright crossing oil. It isn't always easy to see so look out for the red and
yellow flag and wear a clear visor - unless you're Rossi, who won last year's wet British GP
wearing the blackest visor!"
Wet rubber fetish
"Tyre warmers make little difference as tyre temperature drops as soon as you hit wet Tarmac, so
build speed up over four laps. Be extra careful with new tyres - it's worth scuffing them up
before riding. Don't lower tyre pressures either - all this does is close the grooves that disperse
the water.
Close to the edge
"As with the painted kerbs, white line paint marking the edge of the track differs from circuit to
circuit. Going this close to the edge means you're nearly on the grass, so stay well clear."

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/advanced-motorcycle-riding-course-water-
bottle/2493-2.html#ixzz29RlR8Qih
Wet Weather Riding - Mackenzie's Quick
Tips
Niall Mackenzie is a master at riding in wet conditions. Here are his quick tips to help you stay
upright

by Niall Mackenzie

The key is to keep it smooth and do everything upright. Get your braking done while you're
upright, accelerate when you're upright and on the big, fat bit of the tyre. And you've got to be
relaxed. Quite often you find that people who are fast in the dry aren't really relaxed while
they're doing it, and they can't ride well in the wet. It makes a huge difference.
I like to short-shift in the wet, keeping the revs down. It works for me, and I guess it's something
I learned back on the 500 GP bikes. You had to short-shift those in the wet or you wouldn't get
anywhere, you'd just wheelspin. A taller gear was the only way forward. I used to think that
racers in the twilight of their careers always went well in the wet. I've no idea why but it often
seemed to be the case. Well, it certainly was with me...
I always used to soften everything off in the wet, three or four clicks off compression and
rebound damping front and rear, and a bit off the preload. You're not pushing the bike so hard so
that way you keep the weight transfer, it makes the tyres work and gives a lot of feel for them.
Most modern road tyres are really good in the wet - things like BT014s and Pilot Roads work
really well, but you still need to get temperature into them and it can take six or seven miles to
do that.
Fast & Smooth
Shortshifting through the gearbox gives the rear tyre a much easier time of it - and you're less
likely to lose grip
Keep the balls of your feet on the pegs and move around fluidly.
No sudden moves or snatched changes either
It's important to relax in the dry, even more so on the wet. If you're stiff and tense, that's just
how the bike will feel
Nice and easy on the gas, Rodney - roll that throttle on gently. Go easy on that front brake lever
too, smoothly does it
Chop the throttle for whatever reason and you load the front tyre. Keep driving forward and the
weight stays off

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/wet-weather-riding---mackenzies-quick-
tips/14614.html#ixzz29RlrxnOj
Wet weather motorcycle riding tips
Nervous of riding in the rain? Don't be. The basics of riding well in the wet are the same as
riding in the dry, you just need to think a little harder...
by Tim Dickson
SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY like riding in the rain. Really, they do. And there's a reason for
it. The challenge of wet weather machine control can be as appealing as riding in the dry,
perhaps more so. But for others, riding in the rain is such a fearful prospect that they simply don't
bother.
That's the wrong approach. If you ride a bike in the UK you're going to get caught out more than
once in a while, so developing wet riding skills should be high on your agenda. And there's no
secret to it: the key to swift, safe riding in the wet is no different to that in the dry - you need to
be smooth, relaxed and confident. Those three things are the building blocks of good riding no
matter what the conditions. If you find it's necessary to make significant changes to your riding
in the wet in order not to feel like you're constantly about to crash, there's probably something
that needs addressing with your riding overall, not just when the heavens open. The trouble with
modern suspension, brakes and tyres is that they are so good that many basic riding errors are
masked or can be got away with in the dry. But once it's wet there's only so much a set of decent
tyres can do, and heavy-handed steering inputs or clumsy throttle and brake control will manifest
themselves as confidence-shattering twitches, slides or crashes.
So relax and be smooth - which is easier said than done if the thought of riding in the rain scares
you rigid.
LOOSEN UP
The first thing to sort out is you: to ride smoothly, wet or dry, you need to be relaxed and supple
on the bike, not rigid or tense. Sat in your normal riding position, let yourself almost slump down
in the seat. Don't try and sit too upright, with your back straight or rigid.
Rest your hands on the bars without gripping them tightly, and making sure your elbows,
shoulders and neck are loose and free to move. Also your hips need to be relaxed, and the balls
of your feet on the pegs (except when rear-braking or changing gear) for better feel and control.
This body-wide looseness is important in the dry but all the more so in the wet.
If the bike does slide or twitch, any movement of the machine is amplified if you're locked
rigidly to it; by staying loose and flexible on the bike, most slides you experience will usually
sort themselves out quickly and without drama. It's maybe easier said than done, but with time
and wet weather experience your confidence should grow.
BRAKING
The best way to brake hard in the wet is the same as in the dry: squeeze, don't grab. Any sudden
shock of force will break traction, but by easing progressively more force into the braking system
it's possible to brake surprisingly hard in the wet.
Squeezing progressively doesn't have to mean squeezing slowly. With practice it's possible too
apply smooth, progressive braking force quickly. The most important bit is the initial squeeze of
the lever; too much too soon will have the brakes grabbing and locking the tyre before the forks
have time to settle and transfer weight forward, where it can help generate grip.
And don't tense up. If your arms and shoulders are relaxed, and your hands not gripping the bars
too tightly, you'll have a far better feel for front tyre grip.
In the dry, on a decent road surface with no bumps or cambers, it's possible to practice bringing a
front tyre to the point of locking without risking a crash. In fact, it's surprisingly easy, but if
you're going to try it make sure you're going in a dead straight line and there are no vehicles
coming up behind you. It's best done carrying a bit of speed, too. The faster you're going, the
more slowly things happen and the more inclined the bike is to want to keep going ahead if the
wheel does lock, rather than fall over on its side.
In the dry, a front tyre just starting to lock-up will make a tearing sound; in the wet it's more of a
'whoosh' - unless the surface is polished smooth, in which case there's virtually no noise at all.
Practicing rear brake skids is a handy skill to learn too, and again will give you more chance of
dealing with a panic lock-up, wet or dry, should it occur.
Getting a feel for tyre grip in the dry will give you better feel for and advanced warning of an
imminent lock-up in the wet. Be aware that the line between gripping and slipping is more
sharply defined in the wet than it is in the dry, and if a wheel is going to lock you'll probably
have less time to react, but some feel for the signs is better than none.
Ultimately you won't be braking quite as hard in the dry as you would in the wet, so with
reduced forward weight transfer you might benefit from using more rear brake than you would in
the dry. Practicing and getting a feel for rear wheel lock-ups is a useful exercise too (providing
you don't have ABS or linked brakes), and once again will give you more of a chance of a
dealing with a panic lock-up, wet or dry, should it occur.
TURNING
The mistake many people make in the wet is by riding too gingerly. By tip-toeing round corners
on a closed throttle and as good as upright, generating virtually no cornering forces, your tyres
will barely grip the road at all and the bike will feel unbalanced, nervous and twitchy. It's a
downward spiral for nervous wet weather riders.
By riding confidently and smoothly, and actually generating some degree of braking and
cornering forces, you make grip for yourself that otherwise won't be there. Sounds crazy? It
works. Gently slide your finger across a smooth surface and it will glide across; push down with
increasing force and it starts to grip. Of course there's a limit to this, but up to that limit you get
more grip than you'd otherwise have.
If ever you're going to force yourself to relax, now is the time to do it. Once again, smoothness is
the key. Any sudden load, be it from turning, braking or accelerating will shock a tyre into
breaking traction, and turning in too suddenly, with too much turning force too soon, can have
the front sliding. It may be no more than a nerve-wracking twitch or small slide, or it could have
you on your ear. Instead, by squeezing the tyre into the road it will find grip.
That initial turn-in is perhaps the riskiest time in the wet, and to get the load off the front tyre
you should be looking to get back on the throttle as soon as possible. We're not talking about
accelerating out of the turn yet, rather using a neutral throttle (to maintain a constant speed) or
gently positive one (very gradually building speed) to balance the bike and pull it through the
turn. The other things you use to pull you smoothly through the turn are your eyes. Wet or dry,
your eyes should be working together with the throttle to guide and drive you through every
corner. Turn in, look through the corner to where you want to go and use the throttle to pull you
to your exit.
Cornering on a closed throttle isn't the way to go wet or dry, and in the rain the bike will feel
horribly nervous and unbalanced. Providing you slowed down enough before turning in, there
should be no reason why you can't get back on the gas almost as soon as you're off the brakes.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/wet-weather-motorcycle-riding-tips/14600-
4.html#ixzz29Rn2bcjM
Cornering - learning curve
PC Marcus McCormick, a West Midlands Police Bike Instructor, offers some solutions to
developing corner confidence...

by PC Marcus McCormick

Ask any motorcyclist what aspect of his riding he most wants to improve and 99 per cent
will say cornering. Apart from the massive acceleration differences, cornering and banking-over
are the biggest differences between us and car drivers. And isnt that one of the main reasons we
choose to ride bikes? Its such a shame then that it freaks some riders out and regularly hurts
them unnecessarily.
Fear causes survival reactions to kick in and promotes panic actions. We all should feel
slightly uneasy about the level of grip available on a public road and even if its good on the
entry, will it remain good? Probably not. We cannot trust a road surface to be consistent.
What is a survival reaction? A paramedic motorcyclist friend of mine describes it as Listening
to your tummy. As soon as you start to get that uneasy feeling or feel slightly sick... EASE OFF.
With panic comes a whole chain of unfortunate reactions. Grip tightens on the bars and at the
other end you make a pucker mark on the seat. Arms straighten as your whole body tenses and
your breathing and heart rate increase making you feel even worse. You back off the throttle
violently or even worse grab a big handful of front brake which upsets the bikes balance. You
rush into an early apex as your field of vision zeros in on the object you think youre going to hit
and, guess what? You do.
As humans we naturally fear the unknown. Remember as a child how you used to fear the
dark?
Fear of the unknown ruins your cornering but it doesnt have to be that way. The fear
comes from a lack of information. The most important aspect of any riding plan is the
information its based on.
The first, and what should be the most obvious clue, would be to look across the bend and see
where youre going. Remember the phrase Look where youre going and go where youre
looking? Very often the view is there but the rider is travelling too fast to look away from the
road immediately ahead to find it. You should be looking for reference points to guide you
through the bend.
Use the painted road markings. The more white paint there is on the road, the more danger is
coming your way. Include the painted SLOW or ARAF in this equation. If theres a solid
centre line and you can see the point at which it breaks, at what appears to be the end of the
bend, youd be right to calm down. If you can just get that far youll more than likely be okay.
Use the road signs and pay attention to detail such as a hidden side road on the sign, assume
that someone will be pulling out of it. One day youll be right. If the previous bend didnt have a
sign warning you of it but this one does, assume its a worse bend and scrub off more speed.
Black and white chevron boards (usually near the apex of a turn) warn of bends With particular
attitude.
Skid marks into the bend followed by holes in the hedge and flattened chevron boards all help
in making this decision. Is there a hedge/fence line that may provide a clue? Rows of telegraph
poles and trees can also provide information but be aware that they might disappear across a
field.
If you are following a vehicle into the bend what speed is it doing? Is it braking or accelerating?
If the brake lights are on as it enters the bend it is probably because the driver is being controlled
by his survival reactions and cant see a way out at that point. Consider vehicles exiting the bend
towards you, are they travelling quickly relative to their design. A Citroen 2CV exiting at 60
mph has probably carried that speed through the whole corner, not having a particularly powerful
engine. Be cautious of a Ferrari 430 Scuderia exiting at the same speed.
Vanishing points are often talked about. Theres no rocket science behind this theory if a
bend is tightening the view ahead will diminish. Supplement this view ahead on the approach to
a corner by looking ahead through gaps in the hedge/wall/gate openings to gain more
information about the shape of the road ahead. Most importantly dont get sucked in by your
mates and their entry speed.
Slow in quicker out is the only way to do it on the road.
Learn where the clues are and look for them. If youre prepared you are more relaxed. You
wont go in with half an idea on a closing throttle with a loaded front tyre on an untested surface.
Healthy caution is a good thing, panic helps nobody at all
Positioning for the bend is crucial. Its a topic on its own and one well explore at a later stage.
Few riders have the natural ability and talent to take all this in without some form of further
rider training. So, is there such a thing as a bad bend, a nasty bend? Or is it just the rider?

Overtaking - road positioning
The two biggest factors in serious motorcycle crashes are errors in cornering or overtaking.
Heres how to overtake safely and confidently every time
by Andy Morrison
1 of 2
Motorcycles are the perfect overtaking machine. Fast acceleration, combined with good visibilty
and correct positioning gives bike riders a distinct advantage over other road users. But
overtakings also the time a motorcyclist is most at danger. The key is to be in the right place at
the right time. Heres how to do it properly.
A bikes advantages
Acceleration is a motorcycles biggest advantage over a four-wheeler; even a modest
performance machine will out-accelerate most sporty cars up to 100mph. A bike riders height
advantage makes detailed road observation easier, giving the rider the chance to see over
hedgerows, walls and other vehicles. Positioning is vital too: riders can place their machine in a
variety of situations car drivers cant.Accurate road positioning will help the rider continuously
gather vital information of what is ahead (and sometimes behind) giving them extra vital
information before committing to an overtake.
Common errors
Many overtakes are made before all the relevant hazards are seen or considered. The technique is
to process everything before you commit, and then when you do commit, expose yourself to
danger for the minimum amount of time. Remember, the more time the rider spends overtaking,
the more time theyre exposing themselves to maximum danger. Be decisive: dont bugger
about.
Overtaking techniques
Plan your overtake from a position where you can gather the most information. If the view ahead
is obscured because the vehicle you want to overtake is in the way think about your road
positioning. This is especially important when it comes to overtaking large or long vehicles, such
as lorries. Are you in the right place? Are you too close? Decide where youll get the best view
of the whole situation ahead: it may not always be left of the roads centre line. Theres nothing
in law to say you must overtake from the lefthand side of the road so why not make the decision
from a position that gives you more information and takes you the least amount of time? A lot of
riders think the technique of moving out into the opposing lane prior to committing isnt safe or
technically correct but this isnt always the case.
Junction Hazard
Not many sane motorcyclists would deliberately overtake on the approach to a junction, where
theres a possibility of vehicles turning, but many do. The majority either havent seen the
junction or anticipated the multitude of potential dangers that lie in wait. Even when youre in a
good following position, a truck or bus ahead can almost completely obscure signing on the
nearside warning of any hazards ahead (a junction in example 3 over the page). The rider is
concentrating so much on looking ahead for an opportunity to overtake he fails to see the
warning signs as he passes them on the left. This shouldnt happen, but its a common error.
Keep your distance
Keep your distance and moving out before accelerating, as this gives you that last important bit
of information before committing to the overtake.
Overtaking techniques - junction
Summer months compound the situation. Some junctions can be particularly difficult to see due
to overgrown roadside foliage, so look for other clues to help you assess the road ahead.
Remember, moving out first allows the eyes to work more laterally. Being able to scan more of
the road side-to-side, as well as ahead, makes it much easier to pick up information.

overtaking---road-positioning/13558.html#ixzz29RoHKexg

Cornering - accurate lines
Theres always more than one line through a corner, but (usually) only one is correct. A steady
throttle and a settled bike make staying on the right line easier and it makes adjusting a line
quicker too
by Andy Morrison

1 of 2
So far weve looked at the important decisions approaching corners; how we interact with the
bike, general movement and weight shifting, as well as some of the elements affecting position,
speed, braking and gear choices. This month well look at what we can do in the corner and the
most common problems encountered.
Slow in Fast out
Lets assume were just about to tip the bike into a fairly tight (sub-40mph) blind right-hander.
Weve followed all the advice given previously being totally relaxed and in an ideal position.
Now factor in a common rider error: ENTERING THE CORNER SLIGHTY FAST.
The bike is tipped into the corner and because of its entry speed the line is fixed tight to the left
while the angle of bank is quite acute. Some riders think this is the correct line if they need to
stop quickly. However, with most of the tyre grip used up by speed and cornering forces, the
amount of braking force available is almost nil. Apart from this, a lot of corner entry speed is
rarely the quickest way through the corner. If we go in with a reserve of speed it can be used in
our favour to open the line up, resulting in quicker exit speed. (Assuming theres nothing to
affect the line like opposing traffic in these examples).
Speed V Radius
The difference a change in speed makes to a bikes radius is substantial, and much more than
most riders appreciate. In the same way braking distances are governed by physics, (double the
speed, quadruple the braking distance), cornering is governed similarly. If you lean a bike to a
specific angle and maintain it while travelling at a certain spped, the bike will, assuming all other
factors remain constant, go round the corner on a constant radius. Double the bikes speed, keep
the same angle of lean and you quadruple the radius.
In the next scenario the rider enters a fast sweeping corner and for whatever reason, at the point
where the bike is tipped in, the rider feels uncomfortable with the speed. The result is they
naturally enter the corner with a closed throttle. The chances of keeping a very accurate line until
the view opens up is now almost impossible. The bikes natural tendency now is to tighten its
radius simply because its slowing down. The rider then tends to fight the bikes natural course
ending up in a series of line changes commonly called thrupenny-bitting (a 17th century coin like
todays 50p).
The trick is to be comfortable with entry speed so you can open the throttle and stabilise speed
just before the bikes tipped in. The bike then feels much more stable and minor variations in the
natural radius of the corner can be dealt with easily. By subtle changes in speed, angle of lean, or
a combination of both; smooth cornering can be achieved.
Linking corners together
Using throttle to adjust the bikes radius is an advantage in a number of ways and really useful
linking one corner to the next. Its easy to get carried away in a series of corners and be tempted
to drive the bike through and out of each successive corner. If were not careful we can easily
push the bike into places we dont really want to go. Statistically, mistakes taking left-handers
are one of the major causes of crashes so what you do with the throttle is really important.
Whenever you are presented with a series of corners the most efficient way through them is
generally to exit one corner in the correct position for the next. This is particularly important if
theres not much of a straight between the two corners.

Cornering - brakes, gears and deceptive
corners
Often find yourself struggling to judge corner entry speed? Unsettling the bike with mid-corner
gear shifts? This guide will get your planning and corner entry speed right on the money. Ride
faster and ride safer.
by Andy Morrison
1 of 3
After detailing the elements that affect your choice of position and speed at the approach to a
corner, Id like to cover selecting the optimum gear and braking to achieve the correct speed for
the corner. As this is part two of cornering, it builds on the advice from last month, specifically
the thirds technique which concerns splitting the approach to a corner into three sections, or
thirds. Ideally, once youve passed the first third of the distance to the next corner your speed
should be regulated downwards accordingly, so that you enter the corner safely, accurately and
in a manner at which you feel confident and relaxed. By doing this you should remain accurate in
the corner and then be able to use the motorcycles biggest asset, its acceleration, to drive out of
the bend on the most appropriate line. The overall net result is safer and quicker cornering.
Should we use the gears to slow down?
There is quite often a misconception, even in some advanced riding circles, that all approach
speed should be lost by engine braking alone and if the use of the brakes is required there has
somehow been an error in the riders judgment. Time and time again I see riders potentially
courting disaster by adopting this practice. Imagine that you are approaching a corner and all the
clues are telling you that you need to slow down considerably faster than you are, but instead of
braking you select a lower gear and then another in a desperate attempt to slow the bike. The
chances are you will not have slowed down sufficiently so at the last minute, to avoid a potential
accident, you grab the brakes in a panic trying to shed the excessive speed. The net result of
trying to avoid using the brakes is that you will be anything but comfortable and relaxed entering
the corner, there is no way your corner entry will be accurate and the ideal position will not be
achieved in the bend so your cornering will be slower and not as safe.
This obsession of trying not to brake only encourages the rider along the route of an unnecessary
low gear selection to slow down and inevitably, on occasions, it will lead to selecting a much
lower gear than is desirable to take the corner. Once in a lower gear the bikes revs are higher,
making the throttle overly sensitive and leading to difficulty in maintaining accuracy as the high
revving engine disguises a lot of the feedback and feel from the bike. Also, the copious amounts
of power available to the rider on a lot of modern machinery often means that the rider will be
reluctant to open the throttle for fear of the rush of power when the revs are high. In addition, a
lack of useable revs left means the rider will probably have to change up as the bike leaves the
corner, disrupting the motion of the bike through the bend. As a rule, the ideal gear for a corner
is one that provides enough power to drive the bike out of it in the manner in which you desire,
while providing a certain amount of flexibility in the corner; one thats responsive to throttle
changes but not overly so.
Comfort braking
A particular dislike of mine is the regular expression used by some advanced bike instructors of
comfort braking, which dissuades the rider from using brakes despite the fact that the rider
feels the need to do so. In the eyes of the tutor the brakes were unnecessary; this is fine for them
of course, they may well be more skilful or know the road like the back of their hand. What
advice are they giving though? When do they use the brakes? When the discomfort in the
situation turns to fear, or maybe blind terror? My advice is to be willing to use the brakes, fairly
obviously they are the most efficient way to slow a bike down, but does this mean that you
should use the brakes all the time then? No, not necessarily, although of course it depends on
how much and how quickly the speed needs to be reduced. If you spot a potential hazard, then
certainly use them as hard as possible!
When braking as you approach a bend, its back to the thirds principle. As you pass the first third
you should start to begin to roll off the throttle for the corner. If there is not much speed to lose
and the engines not working hard at high rpm then by all means change down gear to make
small adjustments. If, however, you judge that significant speed loss is required, the first option
should always be brakes. And start braking early, particularly if the engine is already working
moderately hard. As the speed decreases, change down gears when the engine is into the range of
next lower gear, to avoid the motor over-revving.
Where should I aim to finish my braking?
This depends on a number of factors, but generally you should not stop until you are absolutely
sure you have the precise entry speed. A significant advantage of using the brakes over gears to
slow down is that theyre infinitely variable between barely perceptible, to fully applied, so
pressure on them can be varied immediately as the information to judge the bend becomes
available. For an unfamiliar corner, all the information to read it correctly doesnt occur until you
are almost in it, so you might find you take the brakes right up to this point. If the brakes are still
applied, a recovery from an initial misjudgement or the realisation that the bends has a tightening
radius can be rectified easier because the bike is already configured for braking. The weight is
already distributed forward so there is no delay or unnerving pitching as the brakes are hastily re-
applied; pressure on the brakes is just increased to lose the extra speed.

How to feel comfortable in downhill corners
Downhill corners are by their very nature quite tricky to deal with and are easily misjudged. To
start with, looking at a bend from above always gives the impression that it is less tight than it
actually is. Speed control is also difficult and the steeper the hill, the harder it gets. To cope with
this, most riders quite rightly err on the side of safety, slow right down and generally choose a
low gear to control speed. This works to a point, however the combination of a steep hill, a
heavy bike, and minimal available engine braking can make the job much harder.
In order to cope with this situation many riders take an inordinately low gear to control speed. As
a result, the machine ends up very sensitive to the throttle and difficult to control in the
corner. More importantly, with the machine headed downhill the weight is already biased
forward onto the front tyre, even when travelling at a steady speed. Any speed reduction,
whether by deceleration or braking (front or rear), shifts even more weight forward, lifting it
from the rear tyre. What we have to ask ourselves now is: Is it wise to put all the braking effort
through the back tyre alone by using the engine with a very low gear, when in fact its the front
tyre that now has the most grip potential? This is a particularly important factor as we are now
going to ask it to turn into a corner.
In pure tyre grip trade off terms we are probably already using a considerable amount of the rear
tyres grip for braking so we can quite easily overcome its overall grip as we turn into the corner.
So what is the solution? Why not open the throttle slightly to ease pressure? This is not
necessarily wise; if the corner has a constant radius then you need to keep a constant speed at
least for the first part to keep the constant radius or the bike will run wide. You could, of course,
always lean the bike a bit more, but there is only a finite amount of grip available and this is
easily exceeded in these circumstances.
A surprisingly small amount of braking can have much more effect in controlling speed than
selecting even the lowest of gears. So to regulate speed downhill, for sure, err on the side of
safety but use the available tyre grip to its best advantage there is plenty of grip at the front
because thats where the weight is so practice using both brakes into the corner to maintain a
constant speed. Take the brakes to the point where you want to accelerate, now just ease the
pressure on the brakes, the transition is much smoother and the bike never feels like its running
away with you. As your confidence improves try taking the next gear up, you will find that
downhill speed control is much easier using the brakes and as a bonus the throttle response is not
so sensitive and makes the exit easier.

cornering---brakes-gears-and-deceptive-corners/13552-3.html#ixzz29RtBZ9fB
Cornering - the approach & choice of speed
The hardest part of any corner is judging how fast it can be safely taken. Heres how to break
down the corner into sections to help get your approach speed correct
by Andy Morrison
1 of 4
Many riders, the experienced as well as the inexperienced, often have difficulty with the right
choice of approach speed, as well as accuracy of position on the road, when it comes to
cornering. The majority of the time the problem can be as simple as not allowing themselves
enough time to assess the bend properly to put the bike in the right position at the right speed.
One of the techniques instructors use is to explain a bit about when and how much acceleration
to use between hazards - in this case corners.
The application of speed
How fast should you be travelling? A speed that you can always stop in the distance you can see
to be clear on your side of the road is the easy answer, but putting this into practice is the
difficult bit. Practicing stopping is very important; different riders on different machines all have
variations in their ability to stop. Most riders are familiar with stopping in a straight line, and we
have a guide in the Highway Code with some figures on this, but sometimes the awareness of
these distances gets falsely applied into corners as well.
The angle of lean has a detrimental effect on the riders and machines ability to brake due to the
tyres grip being used for cornering as well as braking. Physics tells us that the tyre can only give
you so much grip and as a result of it being asked to do two jobs both are compromised. This is
technically known as tyre grip trade off, and as a consequence riders can sometimes grossly
underestimate the distance they need to stop in. So how do we practice stopping? In a safe
environment on known roads that are clear of other road users both ahead and behind. When you
start, build up gradually to get a feel of whats happening and the distances taken to stop. This
can be a bit of a hang up for riders who have never experienced braking in corners before, but
when you come across a stationary tractor just around the bend, or a driver from the opposite
direction overtaking a horse mid-corner, you will be glad youve practiced.

Split it into thirds
When travelling along a road there are sections that are hazardous and sections which are not.
What concerns us, fairly obviously, are the hazardous areas and we need to be correctly
positioned, at the right speed and in the right gear to deal with them safely and effectively.
Using the example of a brow leading towards a corner a distance of about 300 yards away, I
would probably only use the first third of the total distance, in this case the first 100 yards, to
accelerate to the maximum speed I desire for this section. The remaining two sections are
focussed on attaining a good position/speed/gear combination for the corner. You may find that
for the middle third you might not necessarily do much in terms of speed reduction, particularly
where longer distances between hazards are involved, but the focus is still on what you need to
do for the corner, or whatever else it is youre approaching, rather than adding more speed. The
last third will, in most cases, be used for slight speed adjustments.
This straightforward technique will often considerably improve hazard and cornering
assessment, simply because it allows the rider time to see all the detail, make a good assessment,
plan the approach and achieve a very accurate entry position and speed. The ride also takes on a
certain flow using this method, which also helps with safer riding. I would not describe the
thirds technique as a rule, merely a flexible guideline.

Speed and positional accuracy
We need to choose a speed at which accuracy can be retained comfortably through the corner up
until the point where we can then see out of it. This is quite a common fault of a lot of riders,
they attempt just a little too much speed at the point of entry for their own comfort and as a result
they enter the corner while still reducing speed. This has a tendency to turn the bike into the bend
tighter and away from an accurate position. Due to this, and the fact the bike is now at a greater
angle of lean, continuous references to an accurate position using peripheral vision are now
impossible, causing the rider to feel even more uncomfortable and as a consequence more speed
is lost resulting in falling even further out of position.
Signs and Paint
As a general rule the highway authorities do try to assist us by giving us clues as to potential
hazards with signs. The more signs and paint, the more of a problem the corner has been in the
past for some drivers/riders. Yellow backing to warning signs is a clue that other people have
crashed there. Take extra care when entering corners that have repeat signs half way through
them, another slow sign painted on the road or extra sets of chevrons. This almost certainly
means the bend has a tightening radius.

Limit points
Limit, or vanishing points as they are sometimes known, can be a useful guide but they can also
be misleading in certain circumstances. When cornering a limit point is the furthest point you can
see the road as it disappears around a blind corner. When riding we should match our speed to
our ability to stop relative to the distance between us and this limit point. As it gets closer we
need to slow down, if it remains at a fixed distance we can remain at the same speed and if it
moves away from us we can then increase speed. The problem here, which can lead to disaster, is
the reliability of the references that give you the limit point. In general they are most reliable
when the references are very close to the roads edge, such as thick hedgerow on both sides.
In this instance they are very useful to assist in assessing the severity of the corner. The further
back from the side of the tarmac these references are the more unreliable the limit points are as
they can give the impression the bend is less sharp than it actually is. On some roads where the
hedgerows are quite close to the edge they have been cut right back from the road on the corners
to allow for a better view. On the face of it this seems a sensible thing to do, however this can
give a rider the impression the limit point is extending, prompting the rider to cease reducing
speed and maybe even to start accelerating. There is a classic example of this type of feature on a
road near Warwick. Since the hedgerow was modified there have been a number of fresh skid
marks appearing on the road from one corner into a field; fortunately the farmer leaves the field
gate open, presumably because he is fed up of replacing it!

cornering---the-approach-and-choice-of-speed/13548-4.html#ixzz29RudOjt3
Cornering - set-up
With any corner the objective is to get through as safely as possible, and that means maximising
your view ahead. Heres how to make the road work for you
by Andy Morrison

Your view of the road ahead is everything. The further you can see the more stopping distance
you have available, and the more stopping distance you have the more speed you can safely use.
However there are factors to consider, and where you position where you place yourself and
the bike relative to the verges and the centreline of the road for view is always secondary to
safety. For example, hugging the white lines around a left-hander will increase you view ahead,
but a car coming the other way need only stray over those lines by a couple of inches to cause
you serious bother. Even if you avoid a collision, chances are youll be rattled by the experience,
prompting you to unsettle the bike.
Another advantage of a position that gives the best view is the opportunity to take a line of a
greater radius through any given corner, if that option is sensible given the circumstances. This
will give you the chance to increase your exit speed. It is also worthy of note here that if the
speed on the approach to a corner is well below that which is safely possible then extreme
accuracy will probably be completely irrelevant, in which case the overriding factor then
becomes a position of complete safety. For example, theres no point riding close to the white
lines on a left-hander you could take at 60mph if its subject to a 30mph urban speed limit.
The key to opening up an unknown road is to get into the ideal position as early as possible. This
gives you the chance to settle into that position over the course of several seconds. This
immediately gives a huge advantage in the ability to observe everything going on around you.
Because the bike is already in position, the nearside verge becomes very distinct in your
peripheral vision, reducing the need to look at it directly with the focal point of your vision. In
turn this leaves your direct focus free to scan the road ahead, and to look through the corner for
dangers, further detail and reference points. That said, learning to monitor your position using
peripheral vision does require a lot of practice, simply because sharing attention quickly between
observational detail received from the focal point and peripheral area of vision is quite difficult.
As an exercise to develop this skill, scan an area with some detail, for instance a wall in your
house or an area of your garden. Take in all the detail, then look at one spot and take your
attention, not your focal point, to other areas of detail. If you dont already do it, practice when
youre driving too, looking at the road ahead while taking in information from the verges,
oncoming traffic and approaching side roads the sooner this becomes second nature the better.

Another advantage with positioning early is that the bike feels more stable because its no longer
changing line. It also gives you time to adopt a nice relaxed riding position for the corner.
The position for the best view through a right-hander will be available from a position well to the
left. How close depends on a number of factors. Actual speed in relation to the maximum safe
speed, type of machine, rider ability and confidence level and weather conditions such as high
and unpredictable crosswinds are all important factors.
Lets assume for the moment that there is no view through the corner, the road surface is perfect
right up to the lefthand edge (a very rare commodity, admittedly) there are no dangers on the
nearside (also rare) and its a calm day. Isnt life great? In these circumstances, choose a position
close to the nearside verge. In police training circles at advanced instructor level there is often
talk of being inch-perfect. This does not mean riding an inch from the edge. Instead it refers to
being very accurate for the circumstances, or within inches of the most appropriate position. To
the uninitiated this may seem a bit close at times but in order for a rider to take the maximum
safe speed through a corner they must have absolute accuracy. Its the same story with a top
racer trying to qualify for pole position; for the entire lap the positions for turn-in, apex and
corner exit must be inch-perfect. The goal making the most of the width of tarmac available to
you is the same, though the specific points themselves may share little in common.
To achieve this accuracy, a number of areas of your riding need to be considered. The accuracy
of your approach speed, your machine control and your confidence level all contribute
enormously to your overall level of accuracy.
While this degree of ultimate safe speed is not a necessary requirement for riders who are not
engaged on law enforcement or paramedic work, where the emphasis is on being able to get from
A to B as quick and as safely as possible, the majority of riders want to develop these riding
skills and to achieve the same degree of accuracy if at all possible.

As discussed, this nearside position assumes perfect conditions. Position is always primarily
affected by safety implications and a position for view should always be sacrificed for safety. If
there are any actual or potential dangers to the nearside such as blind entrances, junctions or
pedestrians theyll need an extra margin of safety. And if the position for view into a corner is
adjusted for that of safety, the speed at which the corner is to be entered must also be modified
down to take into account the shorter stopping distance and slimmer safety margins.
How long you hold this position depends on the corner. The short answer is for as long as
necessary, and certainly for as long as it takes to get the view through the corner. Once there the
exit line then depends on the circumstances that become apparent. If, when the view opens out,
theres a combine harvester approaching from the opposite direction it might be wise to pin the
fucker and head straight for the cutting heads. Given a clear view with nothing coming the other
way, no offside dangers and nothing to worry about behind (e.g. possible overtaking vehicles),
taking full advantage of the extra radius available may be appropriate.
How early and accurately we position, and the use of peripheral vision, are all equally as relevant
for left-handers as they are for right-handers. The best view around a left-hander would be close
to the offside verge were there no such thing as oncoming traffic, but obviously there is and such
a position would be suicidal on a typical road (sliproads are a different matter). In which case,
how about the middle of the road, or as close to the right-hand verge as we can realistically
expect to get? A good starting position would probably be just left of the white lines that mark
the centre of the road. I have seen some riders choose to encroach over the centre into the
opposing lane and I would not recommend this in most circumstances. This only really becomes
an option if you have the view for the corner and, if thats the case, theres no need for an
extreme road position to increase view.
Just as the ideal position for right-handers must be compromised should the need arise, so it is
with lefts. The main reason for doing so is usually opposing traffic but road defects and vehicles
waiting to emerge on the offside all have their part to play. Again, hold the position until you can
see around the corner. At this point, once again, it may be appropriate to straighten the exit
radius for more speed on the subsequent straight.

cornering---set-up/13543-3.html#ixzz29Rw05rd7

Advanced Riding Course: Cornering
Pull up a chair for todays masterclass, learn how to handle cornering with Niall Mackenzie
Posted: 22 March 2010
by Niall Mackenzie
Strange as it may seem when I first moved from full time racing to winging it as a bike journalist
seven years ago, I really struggled to get road bikes to go round corners.
During my 20 years of racing I rarely ventured onto the road and whenever I did it was never a
particularly pleasant experience. I suspected not riding on the road regularly was the problem,
and although it didnt happen overnight, I eventually figured what needed to change if I was to
get proper enjoyment from everyday riding.
To get round circuits, racers are constantly using their body weight and body position to coax
their machines in and out of corners. Like the ECUs that monitor and alter engine management
by the millisecond, the Rossi's and Stoners out there are also constantly levering, counter
steering (more of this later) while adjusting their centres of gravity from the entry to exit of every
turn. And theres more. As most tight corners come after hard braking, having the front
suspension compressed means the skilled racer can initiate turn-in more easily as he temporarily
has steeper geometry. Once in the corner, to find the perfect line, the racer will also regulate his
position on the track with the throttle and rear brake.
Unfortunately, attempting the above on the road is not practical. Apart from looking daft, youd
be totally knackered after a few miles if you hadnt already crashed. And just before I go onto
how I now go about cornering, there was another thing I was totally unaware of when it came to
road riding. No one told me that most roads are cambered from left to right to help with drainage.
This makes turning left easier than turning right but it also makes the chances of high-siding
much greater out of right-handers than left-handers. The only circuit that had this characteristic
was Assen in the Netherlands and it caught out many a top rider. As you were crossing the
circuit from corner entry to corner exit the changing contour could easily high-side you without
much warning. Just ask Michael Doohan. Assen attempted to end his career on more than one
occasion, so he hated the place and all its nasty cambers.
For the road nowadays I have a simple, slow in, faster out, cornering system that combined with
always expecting the unexpected, up until now has kept me safe. When approaching any bend I
try to use as much of the road as is safe enabling me to maximize the corner width and also see
as far round the turn as possible. So coming up to a typical A-road right-hander my thinking
would be this:

I position myself over to the left but not to the point where I am clipping drains or running
through the crap that gathers in the gutter and can cause punctures. Then as I get closer I will roll
back the throttle transferring some weight to the front tyre and at the same time Ill move the
upper part of my body forward, pushing my head towards the right mirror. At the same time Ill
stretch my right knee out slightly and shift some weight on to the right hand foot peg. This
change of body position is a lot less radical than the racers as I use hardly any energy and my
bum stays pretty much in the middle of the seat. All of this shifts weight to the inside and causes
slight drag, helping me and the bike into the first part of the turn. As I head further into the
corner, to help things along, I might put some extra weight on the right handlebar. At this point I
should be mid-way through the corner with the bike settled and looking for my corner exit or
vanishing point. For those of you dont know (and I was one rider that only heard this term
recently) the vanishing point is where you cant see any further round the corner. So the closer
this point is, the tighter the corner.
Looking at my exit point Ill gently start to open the throttle, and accelerate swiftly on my way,
gradually becoming fully upright when the corner ends. When running through left-handers, my
technique is similar, except as I like to ride towards the centre of the road, Id normally be
already in position on the approach.
I mentioned pushing (or pulling) on the bars to aid cornering, which is of course counter-
steering. This is something I get asked about regularly and I usually have a fairly straight-
forward answer. Like weighting the foot pegs, it is good to be aware of counter-steering as it can
enhance cornering and sometimes get you out of some potentially dangerous situations. Believe
me, we do it every single time we ride our bikes otherwise we would only ever go in a straight
line. Which would be very boring. So dont spend too much time worrying if you should or
shouldnt use counter steering, just enjoy your riding.
Other techniques I use on the road to ease me safely into and around corners is engine braking
and use of the rear brake. If I find Im approaching a bend with too much speed, Ill click back
an extra gear and feed the clutch in gently. This is safer than risking losing the front with too
much front brake or having the back lock up using the rear brake.
Once Im in a turn however and I find Im drifting wide then Ill happily use some rear brake to
bring me safely back into line. It goes without saying good tyres, tyre pressures and suspension
settings are crucial for good cornering. If you have tyres that spend all their life doing motorway
miles and are flat across the crown dont expect them to want to lean over down country lanes!
Also if your suspension is knackered and has lots of bounce without any damping youd better
hang on tight as your bike will be ignoring where you want to go and doing its own thing. Id
recommend standard front settings and a slightly stiffer rear end as a good compromise for sharp
handling on our roads.
So thats my basics for cornering but as always being smooth with your throttle, brakes and body
movement is key. As four-times 500cc World Champion Eddie Lawson once said to me when a
747 pilot landed our plane without anyone waking up thats the way Id have done it.

Nialls cornering
Before you go
Check tyre pressures!
Set-up your bike so the the rear is slightly stiffer than stock, leave the front as it is
On the road
Be smooth at all times. If youre all over the place the bike will be unbalanced before you even
enter the corner ahead
Stay out of the gutter, its full of road crap and squirrels
Roll off the throttle, move forwards and shift weight towards the inside at the same time to
initiate turn
If youve gone in too hot dont panic, just add pressure to the inside handlebar to aid counter-
steer
Its better to be in too high a gear than too low a gear on the approach to a corner
Things to practice
Play with counter-steering until you fully understand it, but dont get bogged down with it.
Use the rear brake to steady the bike mid-corner if its really bumpy. You can have the rear
brake on and be on the throttle at the same time
Feed in the clutch gently to avoid rear-tyre hop

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Ride Like Mackenzie: Road Cornering
Join the one and only Niall Mackenzie as he teaches you the basics for successful road cornering

by Niall Mackenzie

On your marks:
Cornering's what bikes are all about, and there are few feelings better in this world than blasting
out of a corner knowing you couldn't have possibly done it faster this side of being woken up
with a blow job.
But fast cornering isn't something you can just go out and do straight away. It's a precise science
that takes time to perfect. And to be honest, you never stop learning. Unless you can honestly say
you hit every corner perfectly on every ride, wherever in the world you might be, then you can
always improve.
Starting at the beginning though, before you even think about honing your personal corner attack
methods, go through the usual routine of warming your bike, tyres, suspension, body and head
over a few miles and shaking out the cobwebs before really going for it and remember, like all
aspects of good riding, smoothness is the key. Raggedy, rough riding, heavy last-minute braking
and choppy throttle action might feel as if you're riding as fast as the bike can manage, but truth
is you're not only way slower than the bloke breezing through the bend in one flowing swoop,
you're an accident looking for a hedge to happen in.
Good cornering starts long before you reach the actual corner and there's a lot you need to do
before you reach the bend in question so once you're upon it, the only things to concentrate on
are tipping in, hitting the perfect line, and driving out the other side as fast as possible.
So, before you corner you will need to:
1. Know where the bend's going
Sounds obvious, but on the road and especially on roads you don't know well (or at all) you can't
set up for a corner without an idea of how tight it is and how fast you can attack.

Fortunately there are loads of signs telling you what an approaching bend is going to do, and
they are:
Road signs: the more signs, chevrons and paint on the road (double lines, 'slow' mottos, etc) a
corner has, the more severe it's going to be - every time there's an accident at a corner, more
warnings go up. Also, if you see those wiggly 'twisties ahead' signs, they'll always wiggle in the
direction of the approaching bends so if they go left then right, so will the road. And finally, road
signs'll warn you of any mid-corner junctions - see one of these coming up and back right off.
The time you ignore it will be the time you end up in a tractor.
Hedges, trees and lamp posts: can you see any? If these line the corner they'll indicate where it
goes. You can't rely on these 100% as they might actually follow another corner you can't see,
but they're a good advance warning system all the same.
Approaching vehicles: how are they managing the corner? If a car comes around the bend
towards you doing just 20mph but slithering and really leant over, the bend's probably a tight
one.
The vanishing point: no, this isn't a duff horror movie, as you look at a corner it's the point
where the kerbs from either side of the road meet as the corner bends out of your sight. If this
point is getting closer as you go around the corner, it's tightening up. If it's moving away from
you the corner's opening up and if it stays a fixed distance away, guess what? The corner's
staying constant.
2. Get your bike set:
And by this I mean get all your gearchanging and braking down in plenty of time so you arrive at
the corner unflustered, off the brakes, at the right speed, and in the right gear so the motor's ready
to pull you through the corner fast when you ask it to. And after last month's gearchanging
practice, you should find you can use a lot of engine braking to slow you down and just brush the
brakes as a belt and braces if you need 'em.
3. Be on the correct line:
This one's all based on vision. See, as well as the basic giveaways to how a corner will behave
I've already outlined, you can open up or close down your field of vision massively depending on
your road position. This may not sound very exciting, but the more you can see the faster you
can go (and the safer you are too). Don't believe me? Well see how fast you can go with your
eyes shut then...
The aim is to put your eyes in the best place for maximum vision and look as far and wide ahead
as possible. Just by sitting up on the bike and craning your neck one way or the other you can
alter your field of vision dramatically. What this means is that for maximum vision around a
right hander, you want to be as far to the left side of the road as you can safely go, and for a left
you'll want to be as far right as you can without risking a head on should a car appear at the last
minute. Not only will positioning yourself like this open up your field of vision, it'll also put you
on the right line for fastest cornering too.
And if you can see miles down the road and can see a corner coming up, don't wait until the last
minute to position for it, do it as soon as you see the turn coming so it's one less thing to think
about.
Ride Like Mackenzie: Road Cornering
Join the one and only Niall Mackenzie as he teaches you the basics for successful road cornering

by Niall Mackenzie

Get set
Now you're approaching the corner, you're all set, and there's no more to do except hammer
around it right?
Almost, but not quite. How's your body position?
You want to be (as ever) loose and relaxed on the bike, you'll want your toes on the pegs for
optimum control and ground clearance mid-corner, and as you've already got your gearchanging
and braking done there's no need to cover your foot levers anyway.
There's a lot of talk about steering through your feet on a sportsbike, but to be honest I shouldn't
worry about it. You'll be doing it naturally anyway and it's only at the track when you're really
pushing that you'll need to work on it, and that's not for a couple of lessons yet.
You'll want to shift your bodyweight and hang off a touch too. I'm not talking so much you could
get your knee down without leaning over, but I'd say for brisk to fast road riding getting one
cheek off the saddle is about right for cornering.
You can help do this smoothly by letting your earlier braking gently slide your weight forwards
and gently pushing yourself to the required side rather than just leaping off the side of the bike at
the corner and upsetting the suspension at a critical point.
Hanging off also buys you more ground clearance and a bigger safety margin for the same speed
- it'll let you keep the bike less leant over for a given speed thus maintaining a bigger contact
patch and more grip. Don't overdo the hanging off though - get off too much and your bike'll fall
on its side too far so adjusting your line will be hard if you suddenly need to.
Go!
Now it's cornering time and what you're after is an entry, an apex and an exit. Your entry is
(unsurprisingly) the point you turn into the corner, the apex is the mid-point of your turn and
your exit is the point you aim for from here.
Confused? Don't worry about it. These points are different for any road corner, but there's a
simple way to find them and then string them together for one smooth, flowing line. It's like this.
Approach the corner as wide as is sensible (to the left of the carriageway for a right hander, to
the right for a left), and stay there until you can see through the turn to the exit. Now turn in and
take the shortest route between where you are and the exit. The tightest point you clip will be the
apex but unlike on a race track, doing it this way means your view through the corner is always
your top priority so you're not going to plough head on into a milk float you haven't seen.
The other thing about cornering like this is it forces you to be more mellow with your entry
speed, and this will make you faster. No, really.
People get too hung up on entry speed but that's not where the overall speed comes from. See, if
you fly into a corner hard on the anchors at the last minute, you'll probably run a bit wide and
you'll then have the front all loaded up and won't be able to get the power on until you're well
past the apex. This means less drive out of the corner and as a result will be slower - corner exit
speed is where you'll make the most ground, especially if your bike's a 600 or bigger.
You'll need some throttle control too, the aim being to be just off the power or on a steady
throttle as you turn in and then driving through the bend on a positive throttle, winding it on
progressively as you move from banked over at the apex to virtually upright towards the exit.
Oh, and a lot of people will bang on about countersteering to initiate your turn and then keep it
going, but to be honest I wouldn't worry about it. Whether you're aware of it or not, you're
already doing it naturally otherwise you wouldn't be able to steer at all. Basically,
countersteering is how a bike turns and works like this - turn the bars left (by pushing the right
bar away from you), and you'll go right, and vice versa. All it means is a nudge on the inside bar
is all it takes to enter a turn, and a further nudge will tighten your line if need be.
Mid-corner mind games
Providing you've read the road right and your tyres are warm, you'll have no bothers getting
round any corner but as life doesn't always go to plan here's how to handle the unexpected.
If a corner suddenly tightens on you, don't panic. Easier said than done I know, but you must
relax, turn your neck and point your head to force your eyes to look through the corner to where
you want to be going, and let the bike take you there. You go where you look, it really is that
simple and nine times out of ten the bike will make the corner even if your brain thinks you
won't.
Whatever you do don't give up on the corner and get fixated looking at where you think you're
about to crash if you leave the road. Look there and you will go there is the rule - so if you look
at that ditch thinking 'oh no, I'm going to crash in there', sure as eggs is eggs, you will. Look
where you want to go and go there instead, then pull up and take a breather to chill out.
And whenever you're cornering, be aware of what your tyres are up to. Feel every last bit of
feedback you can through all your sensors - that's your arse, hands and feet. The more you
concentrate on this, the more you'll be able to tell as time goes on. There's no secret to it, it just
takes time and you only get to know where the limit is by approaching it gradually.
Niall's homework
Right then, Ive got two pieces of homework for you lot today.
First of all, go to a twisty stretch you know and ride it a few times to refamilarise yourself with
it. Then, when youre comfortable, try riding it without brakes, slowing yourself on engine
braking alone. This will force you to concentrate on arriving at corners at the correct speed, on
the right line and in the right gear. Obviously use the brakes if you need them, but keep at it until
you can do the whole section smooth, relaxed and with no brakes.
That too easy for you? Right then, try this. Head for some twisties you dont know and try the
same thing. Again, use the brakes whenever you need them, but as your road-reading,
positioning and lines improve youll be able to ride unknown roads without brakes. When you
can do this down any stretch you dont know, not only will you be way safer and smoother,
youll also have the option for more speed by bringing the brakes into the equation properly. Just
remember, your actual entry speeds shouldnt be much faster, if at all, than when you werent
using the anchors.

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Advanced Riding Course: Throttle control
Get on the gas with the best, Niall Mackenzie walks through a guide for throttle control
Posted: 22 March 2010
by Niall Mackenzie
Ask any youngster what the right handlebar grip on a motorbike does and hell tell you its for
making the bike go faster.
Which is true but it will also help you slow down, steer you into corners, steer you out of corners
and assist greatly when it comes to changing up and down through the gears, especially at speed.
It really sunk in how big a part the throttle plays in riding while watching my two boys as
toddlers learning to ride their PW50s. They quickly sussed that every time they were about to fall
over, opening the throttle would pick the bike up and they could avoid eating dirt for another
garden lap at least. Before we go any further though Id like to talk about the importance of free
play.
I wouldnt say Im a particularly fussy person (life is far too short), but I do like my throttle free
play to be just right. Too much and the throttle just feels plain sloppy, whereas too little (or none
at all) can sometimes be dangerous. In the perfect world I would actually prefer zero play with an
instant response when I open the throttle, however the reality is (and Ive found many a Triumph
guilty of this), if you have no free play and turn the handlebars theres a possibility the throttle
will open. Not ideal in your Tescos car park.
Opening the throttle to blast down the road or the main straight on a track day is a pretty straight
forward task, youd think. However I regularly see an awful lot of riders getting this completely
wrong.
As energy is valuable on hot track days and you might make over 20 gear shifts in one lap, it is
wasted energy gripping tight while wrenching the throttle open at every gear change. Never mind
the stretched cables and arm pump, I used to do this but found out in my youth it really doesnt
make your bike go any faster. Being all aggressive and furious on a bikes throttle doesnt
actually make you any faster. Most throttles have a very light action so a gentle twist of the wrist
with minimum shoulder movement is plenty. Plus it looks so much tidier.

And this leads nicely on to using the throttle for gear changing. If youre not already managing
clutch-less up shifts then you should have a go. Done properly, it saves time, is much smoother
and is kinder to the gearbox and clutch. When you are ready to change up all you have to do is
put a tiny amount of pressure on your gear lever, back the throttle off a few mm and youll be
into the next gear. Itll only take a small amount of practice to master this worthwhile trick and it
makes a huge amount of difference. Racers save as much as half a second a lap using quick-
shifters and this is the quickest way of changing gear without shelling out 300 for one.
Using the throttle when changing down, or blipping also makes life a lot easier for the
transmission but is slightly trickier to master. It is best to first practice this when not using the
front brake. When youre riding along, close the throttle, pull the clutch in then give a quick blip
on the throttle the instant before you change down and gradually let the clutch back out. This
helps the gears to mesh together giving nice smooth down shifts. Doing this whilst braking is
more difficult as it means you have to control the front brake while blipping, so if you are new to
this, do lots of practice beforehand while stationary. It might feel a bit funny at first, and clumsy,
but smoothness and fluidity will come with time and practice.
As with any corner entry, transferring weight to the front tyre and suspension is the first step and
this starts with closing the throttle. It then becomes a balancing act but it is important to never
unload the front suddenly by reopening the throttle or things can often end in tears and broken
plastic.
Using the throttle for steering while in a corner is relatively straightforward, but as with all
aspects of riding smoothness is the key. For example, if Im entering a corner on a racetrack and
Im heading for the apex too quickly Ill open the throttle to take me wider. If I feel like Im
about to miss an apex, Ill close the throttle, which will bring me back on course. If Ive missed
the apex completely (it does happen), on most occasions, simply closing the throttle completely,
will bring me back to a late apex which isnt so bad as the corner will then be squared off and
Ill have a faster exit line. With careful use of the throttle most minor problems with lines going
into a corner can be tweaked or corrected, if not completely overcome.
On a corner exit the weight transfer back to the rear tyre and suspension comes purely from
throttle control. This process has to start with gentle throttle opening mid-corner, but as you
transfer weight to the rear tyre and the bike gets more upright, the tyre contact patch gets bigger
so you can increase the rate that you open the throttle. The bigger the tyre contact patch, the
more grip it is providing so the more power you can put through it without the fear of it losing
grip and catapulting you into the middle of next week. If you watch racers at trackdays this is
where they make up the most of their time when compared to most trackday only riders. Mid-
corner there is little to split riders, but racers will open the throttle earlier and harder once they
have reached the apex.
The key to everything with the throttle is to be smooth. Roll it on, roll it off. This way you wont
upset the balance of the bike and minimise the chances of the rear losing grip or sliding. When
youre on the throttle, the front is light and the bike will run wide. When you close it, the front is
heavy and the bike will steer faster. Practice this theory, experiment and youll get the hang of it.
Things to remember
I never ride on the ragged edge while away from race tracks but these basic principles also work
fine for me while on the road, however I am always mindful that I have a lot less tarmac to play
with. So with the throttle being such a wonderful tool when it comes to riding, surely there cant
be anything more satisfying you can do with your right hand?
Nialls homework
Free play. 2-3mm is about right. Too much will affect your control. Too little could make the bike
increase revs on full lock.
Clutch-less shifts. Get these right! Keep them smooth and seamless for maximum acceleration
Blipping the throttle to change down. Better for control and easier on the transmission.
Use of the throttle mid-corner. Simple. Open it to go wider, close it to go tighter.
Rear tyre feel. Opening the throttle slowly and smoothly even at maximum angle will keep you
safe.

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/advanced-riding/advanced-riding-course-throttle-
control/11081-2.html#ixzz29RyizNd0

Tips for cornering on your motorcycle

Cornering
Tips
Frontpage

Motorcycle riding is cornering!
The essence of motorcycle riding is cornering: many motorcycle riders agree with that. You may
keep enhancing your cornering skills for the rest of your life, and you will probably never reach
full perfection (well, maybe with the exception of Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa).
What kind of mistakes are often made in corners, and what is the reason for those mistakes?
What can you do about it? What is the perfect line, and how do you find it? When do you brake,
and what is the right speed for a corner?
Reading about cornering is, of course, not enough: you will have to practise, practise, practise.
Here some tips on how to do that

Er is een Nederlandse versie:
http://www.luiemotorfiets.nl/tips/bochten/

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On this page:
So how do you ride through a corner?
Looking
Looking: line through the corner
Looking: tightening corners
Looking: negative camber corners
Prepare: braking and changing gears
Entering the corner: Leaning in
In the corner: the throttle
In the corner: Speed
Braking in a corner
Polygon instead of a fluent line
Too fast
Too slow?
The complete picture
So how do you ride through a corner?

Cornering together
In de flow...
Sometimes, everything seems to fit together. Without being aware what you are doing, you
choose the ideal line, you instinctively feel how every corner will behave, and you ride with the
right speed, in the right gear, without thinking with hindsight that you could have had a higher
speed, and you never get the upsetting thought that your speed is too high for the corner.
Practise conciously
Counterintuitively, you get in the flow most easily when you also try, from time to time, to be
really conscious of what you do when cornering.
In cornering, everything is important: how you look through the corner in advance, how you plan
your line, hou you sit on the motorcycle, how you start the corner, how you use the throttle and
how you shift, how you brake in advance, and sometimes, unfortunately, how you brake or
swerve in the corner itself.
Of course, reading alone will not make you better in cornering: you will have to practise, and
learn to feel what happens.
But reading about cornering may help you there....

Looking

Looking further and further and further...
By far the most important thing to do to get your cornering fluent, is, as always with motorcycle
riding, *looking*.
Judge corners
You will have to learn to judge corners, in order to be able to enter an unknown corner with the
right entry speed, and in the right gear..
By looking far ahead, you can sometimes see corners long before you have arrived there, and
follow the line of the road by viewing trees or lamp posts, even when you don't see the surface of
the road.
Judging unknown corners gets better with experience, of course, but to accelerate that learning
process, it's always good to evaluate what went wrong and why, when a certain corner surprised
you somehow, or when cornering didn't feel good. Try to think whether there were signs about
the corner that you missed.
Look where you want to go
In the corner itself, it's important to look where you want to go, as always (so don't look at the
lonely tree, but follow the line that you want to ride, with your eyes). Always look *far ahead*.
Try to pay attention, in a corner, to the way the corner behaves: tightening curves can be very
treacherous. Keep track of the "vanishing point": when it comes closer, the corner is tightening.

Looking: line through the corner

Keep at the outside of the corner as long as possible
On the track
The perfect line through a corner depends on where you ride: if you are on the track, then your
goal is simply to get as fast through the corner as possible. You should choose your line such that
you can ride one fluent line from the point where you lean in, and such that you are able to
accelerate easily throughout the corner (pull the throttle open gently). This is what the books of
Keith Code will teach you.
What you can see
Outside the track, almost always your *vision* is the limiting factor. Your line then will not be
the line of the optimal speed, but of the optimal vision.
Therefore, you split a corner in two:
Outside
You start the corner (lean in) where it starts, as much as possible in the outside of the corner, and
you make sure that, when necessary, you have already braked and switched gears.
Before entering the corner, you should have the correct speed, be in the correct gear, and have
the throttle (slightly) turned on. Then you lean in, and you stay in the outside of the corner.
Straight out
Somewhere in the corner you arrive at a point from where you, from the outside where you still
are, can ride on, in one line, to the outside of the road through the inside of the curve.
To do that, you have to lean in again, and now you accelerate out of the corner, via the inside of
the corner, to the outside.
That way, you have maximum view all the time.

Looking: tightening corners

You will not always be warned in advance
Treacherous
It is not always possible to judge corners before you enter them. A nasty kind of corner is the one
with a decreasing radius. Such a corner starts easy but gets tighter.
Sometimes there are warning signs so you will not be taken by suprprise, like in this photograph,
but that's not always the case.
Corners with a decreasing radius are especially treacherous because you will often not notice it
until it is too late to react.
Vanishing point
You are able to notice such corners longer in advance, when you, while in the corner, keep
attention to the so-called "vanishing point".
In the photograph, the vanishing point is just behind the sign. It is the point at which the inner
and outer side of the corner seem to come together.
When you observe that your distance to the vanishing points keeps getting bigger, everything is
alright: the corner is widening up.
But when the vanishing points gets closer, you know that the corner will get tighter. You stull
have time to decrease your speed with that back brake (gently of course), or to lean in more.
Oops, didn't see it coming
OK, but what to do when you forgot to observe the vanishing point, and you are surprised, mid-
corner, by a decreasing radius?
Push your motorcycle to the inside, with your outside knee. Leaning in extra by pushing
against the inside steering handle is possible as well, but often, you have a psychological barrier
to do so in such a situation. Pushing with your knee is easier then.
Use the rear brake gently. You will not only decrease your speed, but the motorcycle will
turn a bit around its rear wheel so to speak, so you will turn more into the corner. That's exactly
what you need. Mind that you don't hit the rear brake hard in panic!
In general, you will ride corners in such a way that there still is the possibility to lean in more, on
the street. After all, you only ride to the limits on a circuit.

Looking: negative camber corners

Roundabouts often have negative camber
Positive camber
The ultimate form of positive camber is the wall of death. The riders in there ride very tight
corners without leaning in at all.
Sometimes, you ride through corners with a positive camber, and you will notice that they are
easier then they looked before you went in.
A positive camber makes you ride a curve whil your motorcycle holds a right angle to the road
surface. The surface of a positive camber corner goes upwards to the outside of a corner.
Negative camber
A corner with negative camber is the opposite: the outside of the corner is lower than the inside.
That means that you have to lean in more than in the same corner and the same speed when the
surface of the road would be flat, or would have a positive camber.
Often you don't see it in advance. You notice that the corner seems tighter than it looked, while it
isn't the radius of the turn that is the cause.
Roundabouts
Roundabouts are often higher in the centre than at the outside, so have a negative camber.
That has been done so that dirt or oil will stream to the outside, while at the same time, traffic
will be slowed down extra.
So, especially in the wet, try to keep in the inside at roundabouts (less dirt there), and be
prepared that you have to lean in more than you would tell in advance, observing the corner.

Prepare: braking and changing gears

Being prepared for the corner in England
Being prepared
Before you enter a corner, you should be ready. You should have the right speed (so you should
have braked enough if necessary), and you should have switched to the right gear.
The right gear is the one in which you ride through the corner easily, and which allows you to
accelerate out of the corner.
Practise
A good exercise to get a feeling for which gear suits which corner, is to choose a stretch of the
road where you know each corner, and enter those corners one gear lower then you are used to,
and again, with one gear higher.
You will notice where you are in too high a gear because it is hard to accelerate without
switching to a lower gear, or when you use a too low gear because it is hard to get the bike
through the corner by gently accelerating.
Take your time
Take your time to prepare for a corner. If you have to do everything in the last moment, you will
probably brake much harder, and enter the turn with a much lower speed than you would if you
would prepare longer in advance.
If you really want to ride a certain distance in the shortest possible time, you would have to
prepare at the last moment, of course. But even then, you are better off when you first make sure
that everything else is perfect, before you start working on braking and shifting late.
If you take your time for the preparation, you can concentrate on the corner itself.

Entering the corner: Leaning in

Leaning in, in England
Leaning in
In fact, the word steering is the wrong word, because it has the association of a steering wheel
which you use to turn the wheels, like you do in a car, to handle a corner. That is not the way it
is.
A much better word is "lean in".
You start a corner by leaning your motorcycle. You lean again in the point where you can ride
out of the corner through the inside of the corner to the outside.
How?
How do you do that, lean your motorcycle in? It helps to push with your weight, and it helps to
push with your outside knee against the tank. In a corner to the left, you push the bike leftward
with your right buttock; in a corner to the right you push the bike to the right with your left
buttock.
It also helps if you push against the inside handlebar. It feels like you push that handlebar
downward. (So, this is different from "steering", because you only use the handlebars to lean
your motorcycle, and use your handlebars only indirectly to get your motorcycle to ride a
corner).
Countersteering
If you ever come across the word "countersteering" (you probably will): this is what it is. Some
explanations sound incredibly confusing, but it's simple and clear.
When you push the motorcycle downward (or rather, when it feels as if you're pushing it
downward) through the handlebar, try to keep in mind not to automatically sit straight up and
round the corner motorcross-style.
It's better when you get used to lean with the motorcycle, or lean a little bit inwards, because you
have more ground clearance that way.
Only in very tight corners, motorcross-style can be of use, because you are more in control, so
it's more easy to push the motorcycle farther or less far into the corner.

In the corner: the throttle

Looking around the corner
In the corner: on the throttle
The ideal situation is when you are able to turn on the throttle, little by little, during the whole
corner.
Whith the throttle on, and without pulling the clutch, your motorcycle is much more stable than
without the throttle or with a pulled-in clutch. When you pull the clutch during a corner, your
motorcycle will "fall" to the inside.
Gently
During the first stretch of the corner, the stretch where you keep to the outside, your use of the
throttle is very gently.
Out of the corner: more throttle
At the point from where you can lean in further, from where you can ride out of the corner,
almost in a straight line, you can open the throttle more.
Now you can accelerate out of the corner. The acceleration will get your bike stright up again,
which you need to ride in a straight line.

In the corner: Speed

Don't concentrate on speed (photo from Steven Hendriks)
Slow in, fast out
What you should know about speed in corners is very simple: you enter them slowly and you go
out fast.
Try to give your attention to the line through the corner, and to the amount of throttle you give.
Speed will come as a bonus that way.
In general, when you try to go as fast as possible, you end up going less fast than when you
concentrate on what matters ;-)
The right speed
What is the right speed? There is only one correct answer: the speed at which you feel
comfortable.
Not off the throttle
If you notice, halfway, that you go off the throttle, then your speed was too high (by the way, go
off the throttle is not the right way to lower your speed in a corner; it is an automatic reaction
that often occurs when your speed is higher than you comfort-speed).
If you notice that cornering doesn't go like you would like it to go, that you can't find the right
lines, that you make mistakes like going off the throttle, than those are signs that you should
enter corners at a lower speed.
Don't grab the handlebars
Other signs that you go faster than what is right for you, is when you notice that you are holding
your handlebars too tightly (you always have to have a loose grip on the handlebars: your
motorcycle should be able to make small steering corrections by itself), or when you are fixating
one point (a tree or a lamppost).

Braking in a corner

Oops, brake!
Sometimes, you have to brake
Of course, you should always try to enter a corner with the right entryspeed. But here, we
suppose you didn't quite succeed and you were riding much too fast to your liking. Or you
encounter a big truck in the corner, and the road is very narrow, what should you do?
In the first place, try to keep in mind that letting off the throttle is not the way to go. Somehow,
that's what happens most easily, so it's difficult to get rid of that habit.
Touch the back brake
When your speed is just a little bit too fast for feeling comfortable, simply touch the back brake.
Not hard of course, but just gently touch it with your foot. Your motorcycle will steer even more
into the corner and will not try to straighten up, so touching the back brake is never a problem for
your line, and for cornering fluently.
Emergency Brake: front and clutch
But sometimes, you really have to BRAKE. A child might cross the road, or a car pulls out from
behind a hedge. In such a case, your back brake won't help you.
Pull the clutch and use the front brake
In such a case: pull the clutch, and brake with your front brake.
Be careful, and keep pushing your bike into the corner (for most people, the outer knee and outer
buttock works best in this situation), because your bike will try to straighten up (and thus steer
out of the corner).
When you practice, you will be able to brake rather hard in corners!

Polygon instead of a fluent line

Surprised by the corner
The mistake that is made most often, in cornering, is not to ride a fluent line, but showing a
polygon instead, by dividing one corner into a series of short corners. This mistake is made in
different ways:
Start too early
It's possible, for instance, to start cornering too early. Then your bike ends up near the side of the
road, or on the part of the road for the opposite direction, which forces you to steer out of the
corner. But because you still didn't finish the corner, you will have to steer into the corner not
much later, and the same process may start again.
Surprised by the corner
Another possibility is that you didn't look through the entire corner before you started it. Then
you may be surprised any moment by the corner; you will have to make corrections any moment,
and those steering inputs will result in a line made up of several short lines in slightly different
directions.
When you observe these kind of mistakes, in yourself, it's important to decide, before you enter a
corner, which line to take, and especially to look far ahead, and practise that.

Too fast

And when the road itself has no obstacles, there are always horses to make them...
No minimum or maximum
There is no absolute speed for every corner: the right speed varies from person to person, from
motorcycle to motorcycle, from tyre to tyre, and from day to day. When your name is Valentino
Rossi, your maximum speed for a certain corner will probably be higher then when you have a
different name, and when the weather is cold and wet, your maximum will be lower then in
sunny and dry circumstances.
So, the right speed is a combination of the motorcycle (tyres, ground clearance, frame), the
motorcycle rider (experience, mood, awareness), and the circumstances (the road surface, the
weather, the corner).
Too fast
You entered a corner too fast if you:
Can't resist the urge to brake during the corner,
Can't resist to close the throttle during the corner,
Don't take the corner at all, but instead ride straight on (that means that you didn't dare to
enter the corner at all).
When you notice that you tend to enter corners too fast, read the piece about speed on this
page, and try to concentrate on the line through the corner instead of on how fast (and related:
how much leaned in) you take the corner.
In the end, you will go faster through corners than when you keep trying to keep your speed up.

Too slow?

Do I have to walk slowly here?
Never a mistake!
Lots of people see it as a mistake when they notice, when having finished a corner, that they
could have taken it with a higher speed. Is taking a corner "too slow" really a mistake?
When you think about it, it's only a mistake when you see it that way.
By concentrating on looking, and on the line through the corner, you will, somewhere in the
future, really get that higher speed. When you enter a corner at a slower speed than might seem
necessary with hindsight, it only means that you needed the slower speed, and that is no mistake
at all.

The complete picture

The pro....
So what do you do, with all these tips and clues?
Start slowly is the rule. Do't think about what "they" will think about you.
Follow the line with your eyes
In the first place, make sure that when you enter a corner, that your eyes already have followed
the line that you want to follow through the corner.
Be ready
In the second place, make sure that you are ready before the corner. So make sure that you have
braked or slowed down otherwise, that you are in the right gear, and that your throttle is constant,
with the speed that you want to be the entryspeed.
Lean in
Point three is entering the corner by leaning in, following your virtual line, and in the meantime
keep looking far ahead, staying at the outside of the corner as long as possible.
Throttle
Point four is the throttle: you always give throttle while in a corner. You will soon be at the point
where you can lean in for the second time, and you will be able to accelerate out of the corner.
From then on, you will be looking ahead for the next corner...
Enjoy!
http://www.lazymotorbike.eu/tips/corners/

Tips for braking on a motorcycle

Braking
Tips
Frontpage

Radi(c)al brakes on the Derbi Mulhacen
In the Netherlands, beginning motorcycle riders are taught how to brake. In many countries,
starting motorcycle riders have to find out how to brake well themselves.
But even when you did receive lessons in braking, it is advisable to keep practising, especially
when you change bikes.
This page summarizes how to brake in different circumstances and on different motorcycle.
How do you brake in case of an emergency stop? Ans you achieve the shortest stopping
distance? And which difference does the kind of motorcycle you ride make? And how and when
do you use the front and the rear brake?

http://www.luiemotorfiets.nl/tips/bochten/

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On this page:
Braking and grip
Weight and braking
Suspension and grip
Optimal braking
Differences between motorcycles
An emergency stop
How to practise?
Locked wheels
Braking with ABS
Braking in a corner
Braking and grip

Grip or Slip?
To be able to brake, you need grip. So before reading about braking, it's good to knwo what
influences grip.
What is grip?
Intuitively, everybody knows what grip is, and especially, what little grip is: You will almost
certainly brake very carefully on a slippery road, and rightly so.
But what is grip exactly?
Grip is friction, grip is the resistance that the tire feels with the surface of the road.
Withour friction of the air and of the road, a motorcycle wouldn't need any fuel, after reaching
the desired speed. But unfortunately, because we live in an imperfect world, full of friction, we
do need fuel.
That same friction of the road surface, that same grip, is of use, because you need it to accelerate
(the tires push themselves against the surface of the road), and to decelerate, to brake.
Grip and weight
The more weight on a tire, the more grip, because the rubber is, so to speak, pushed into the
surface. This is intuitively true: more weight pushes harder.
It's easier to shove a bit of Balsa wood forward on a rough surface, than a bit of lead.
So, the more weight, the better the braking?
So it seems as though your braking distance will be shorter as your motorcycle is heavier; trucks
then would have an ultra-short braking distance...
So that's not how it works.
When you brake, the weight of the motorcycle works against the braking distance as well as in
favor of it, because the motorcycle will tend to keep its speed, the more weight, the more
reluctance to decelerate. So you need more braking power to stop the bike.
Weight and grip
These two mechanisms compensate each other: more weight means more grip, but you will have
to use that extra grip to have more braking power, which you need to stop that weight.

Weight and braking

No contact with the ground, than *no* grip as well
Weight distribution over two wheels
So, when braking, the advantage of more weight vanishes because of the disadvantage of having
to stop that same weight.
But that compensation only applies to the total weight. With a motorcycle, the weight is
distributed over two wheels, and that distribution is not always exactly 50%.
No weight: no grip
When you look at the boy in this image, pulling a wheelie, it's clear that braking with the front
brake is of no use in that situation: the front wheel even doesn't have any contact with the
ground; all the weight is carried by the rear wheel.
Using the front brake would result in stopping the front wheel, but a stopping front wheel does'nt
brake the bike when ir carries no weight.
Tips: when you have a motorcycle which gladly pulls a wheelie (wanted or unwanted), always
keep your right foot near the brake. You only have to touch the rear brake to bring the front
wheel down again.
The rear brake does make sense in that situation: when the rear wheel tries to stop turning, it will
make the motorcycle itself stop.
Locked wheel
Keep in mind that a wheel will lock easier when it carries less weight.
This is sometimes felt as counterintuitive: when you ride downward, some motorcycle riders
think, the front wheel already has so much responsibility, you shouldn't fatigue it by using it to
brake as well. You'd better use the rear brake.
But in reality, it is exactly the opposite!
Downward slope
If you would heavily use the rear brake while riding a downward slope, the rear tire will soon
loose all it's grip, lock, and will try to pass the front.
So always use the front brake while riding downward, even if it's counterintuive to you.

Suspension and grip

No contact with the road at all
Contact with the road
In order to brake, you need grip, we just saw, and in order to have grip, you need good contact
between the tire and the road.
That's why springs and suspension influence to a great extent how hard you can brake: they are
responsible for the contact between the tire and the road.
Dive
A motorcycle with conventional springs will dive during braking. That illustrates the fact that
during braking, the weight of the motorcycle will shift to the front wheel.
The motorcycle would like to keep its speed (because of its weight), but that's impossible
because the wheels are forced to turn slower. The motorcycle will then try to turn around the
front wheel, so to speak.
In case of a "stoppie" (the rear wheel lifts), it succeeds in doing so: the rear wheel lifts from the
ground. (to prevent any misunderstanding: a stoppie does not mean that the front wheel locks!)
Weak front
Because of the diving, a motorcycle with weak front springs and suspension, will become
uncontrollable while braking hard: the springs will reach their bottom, and then the contact with
the road will disappear with every unevennness of the road (this is called "stamping").
So, when your springs are worn, it's not only a matter of less comfort, but more importantly, it
will become impossible to brake really hard.
It also means that with motorcycles that don't have stiff springs (many allroads for instance), you
will have to practise a lot, to achieve optimal braking: as hard braking as is possible with that
suspension.
Anti-dive
Anti-dive systems, like the BMW telelever, prevent the springs of having a negative influence on
the behaviour while braking. Unfortunately, the BMW system is about the only anti-dive system
that is available at this moment: most motorcycles just dive while braking.

Optimal braking

Kneeling near the front brake
Alright, enough theory. Time for practice: how do you brake optimal.
Start with the rear brake
When you want to brake with the shortest possible braking distance, you start by using the rear
brake. Of course, you don't slam it. In fact, you only use the rear brake to start a process of
shifting weight from the rear to the front wheel. This will cause the springs to get contracted,
which will decrease the chance of a lifting rear wheel, and which will stabilize the bike.
A little bit later the front
By using the rear brake first, there is already more weight on the front wheel at the moment that
you start using the front brake. Because of that, you can squeeze the front brake harder than
when you would have started braking with the front brake.
Lay on and squeeze through
But even then, it is not advisable to squeeze the front brake as hard as you can, at least not in the
beginning. You should start gently and then squeeze on while the weight keeps shifting to the
front, because the grip of the front wheel will then be at its best.
To imagine what "squeeze on" means, imagine squeezing half a lemon.
Squeeze on
It is here that many motorcycle riders don't get out of their bike what it is capable of. Maybe,
when you realize that at this point, the front wheel really has the most grip, you will be able to
squeeze the handle as hard as you can.
Speed
With a lot of speed, you will be able to brake really hard: because of the high speed, shifting the
weight to the front will take place with speed as well, and that means that you can start earlier
squeezing the front brake.
When you ride fast, even sitting upright will decelerate the bike considerately. On the other side,
the same resistance of the air will slow down the shifting of the weight to the front, so even then,
start using the rear brake.
No rear brake
At the moment that you can use much front brake, the opposite is true for the rear brake: there is
almost no weight on the rear wheel.
So, after touching the rear brake, let it go.

Differences between motorcycles

Many different motorcycles
These tips on how to brake optimal though, cannot tell you much about exactly how long you
should keep using the rear brake, or at which moment you can start really squeezing the front
brake: that's different for each motorcycle.
Sometimes almost no rear brake
On a motorcycle that has a lot of weight on the front even without braking, you should let the
rear brake go almost immediately (it always pays to use it at the start!).
Motorcycles with that property have a short wheel base, and their front wheel is almost directly
under the steer: sporty motorcycles.
Sometimes a lot of rear brake
On other motorcycles, you should keep the rear brake working during the whole braking
maneuvre. Those are motorcycles with a long wheel base, and a front fork that sticks out to the
front, which prevents the weight to be carried all by the front wheel.
The most extreme form are dragracers. Cruisers have the same geometry but a bit less radical.
Their geometry has the property that the braking distance is longer than on sport bikes, and also
that you need the rear brake during braking to get the most out of it.
Geometry
So, in short, hard braking methods differ depending on the kind of bike and its design. Sports
bikes have shorter wheel base lengths and steeper frame geometry hence they have more weight
forward than a long wheel base cruiser or a loaded tourer. Road bikes will come in the middle
and therefore will vary.
Essentially, hard braking with the rear brake first is to push weight forward and so is done whilst
riding cruisers and tourers and road bikes. Cruisers will use the rear brake during the whole
manouvre.
With sports bikes, you will only lightlu touch the rear brake for a very short momen (or only
applie the front brake, if that's too difficult).
Remember that carrying a pillion will certainly demand the use of the rear brake first.

You will have to brake differently with lots of luggage
Luggage
With a heavily loaded motorcycle (a pillion rider, camping gear), your motorcycle will shift its
weight during braking less than you are used to. In that case, you will have to use the rear brake
more that you are used to, for an optimal braking distance.
Watch out when squeezing
On a motorcycle that dives heavily, you should be carefull while squeezing the front brake: if
you brake so hard that the front springs are pushed in to their full capacity, your front wheel will
lock very easily, and if this prolongs, the motorbike will slide down.
On motorcycles with a long suspension travel, you should be aware of the fact that it will take
longer before the front wheel has enough weight, which means that it will take longer before you
can squeeze really hard.
There is a great risk of locking the front when squeezing too soon.
The same applies for motorcycles that need the rear brake during the whole braking maneuvre:
they don't get enough wieght on the front to really use the front brake to its maximum.
In sport bikes, the opposite is true: you should watch out for the rear wheel lifting from the
ground. That is easy to control, by loosen you grip on the brake handle a bit.
When your rear wheel lifts, you know for sure that until that point, you were braking to the
maximum.

An emergency stop

Not really an emergency stop, but there is a brake light...
In theory
In theory, you should, of course, brake optimal in an emergency situation: in that case, you have
the shortest possible braking distance, and that's exactly what is needed.
But in practice, that's hard to achieve at a moment where panic comes around the corner.
The danger is that you, next to squeeze the front brake (which is perfect if you do it like
squeezing a lemon, and not all in once), also will slam the rear brake, and hold on to it, which is
not ok.
Pull the clutch and use the front brake
For a real emergency stop, you can better leave the rear brake for what it is, and only use the
front brake. On top of that, you pull the clutch.
Why no rear brake?
It is very difficult not to slam the rear brake in an emergency situation, and especially to let the
rear brake go in time. If your muscles get tense in such a situation, the tendency is to push the
rear brake hard with your foot.
That will result in a locked rear wheel. If you are lucky, it will slide from left to right and back,
and if you are less lucky, the rear wheel will move passed the front wheel.
In an emergency situation, you don't want that.
That's the reason for the advice not to touch the rear brake in an emergency stop.
As a bonus, the bike will stay upright, because the rear wheel will keep turning. A turning wheel
has resistance to move sideways.
Why pull the clutch?
You would think that it is not wise to pull the clutch, because you would profit from the engine
brake.
The engine is capable of braking the motorcycle a bit when you stay off the throttle, but it also
resists more deceleration. And because you should brake much harder than the engine brake, you
pull the clutch.

How to practise?

Adjust your brake handle for an easy grip!
New motorcycle
In the first place: when you just bought a new motorcycle (first or second hand), it is very
important that you practise braking with it, even if you ride motorcycles for twenty years or
longer! There is a difference between having an idea of what your bike can do and knowing
through practice just how it behaves.
The distribution of weight, and the process of shifting weight while braking, is different with
each motorcycle, and it's important that you can feel the differences.
With or without the rear brake?
While practising, there is a dilemma:
If you want to achieve optimal braking, you should use the rear brake.
But if you want to make sure that an emergency brake becomes an automatic action, you
shouldn't touch the rear brake while practising.
A compromise could be to practise optimal braking from time to time on a vacant parking lot,
and to brake in traffic in the manner of an emergency brake, pulling the clutch and staying off
the rear brake.
Practice on a parking lot will teach you to feel what's happening with your bike, while your
behaviour on the road will teach your muscles how to behave in an emergency brake, so to
speak.
Take care at traffic lights!
When you practise your braking skills on the road, don't try too hard at a red traffic light: the
tarmac there is often dirty, with spilled diesel and such, so it could turn out in a real emergency...

Locked wheels

Locked wheels: you will go down easily (sketch by Ernst Anepool)
Less grip
The tire can have contact with the road in two ways: turning or sliding.
A sliding wheel has kinetic friction, while a turing wheel has dynamic or rolling friction. A
sliding tire (with kinetic friction) doesn't have any stablility with respect to direction: it will slide
very easily sideways. A turning wheel on the other hand, with rolling friction, will keep its
direction.
A locked rear wheel, therefore, will sweep sideways, or even get passed your front wheel, which
will result in going down.
A good explanation about friction and locking and sliding can be found on this page about on
friction and automobile tires .

loose surface: easily locked wheels
Practice
To get an idea about how a locked wheel feels, you could practise it once, in a controlled
situation.
A locked rear wheel
You can lock the rear wheel on purpose by, on an even surface (no parking lot with
cobblestones), slam the rear brake. You should stay off the front brake at the same time.
If your speed was enough, your rear wheel will "fishtail": it slides to the left and to the right,
behind you.
Lock the front wheel
To lock your front wheel, you should ride with less speed:
From a standstill, with the front brake squeezed, open the throttle, gently. You will then ride with
a locked front wheel.
Unwanted locked wheel
So, what should you do in case of an unexpected locked wheel?
Both with the rear and front brake, it is a matter of letting the brake go, a little.

Braking with ABS

A BMW R1200GS with ABS
Different way of braking?
Some people believe that you should brake differently when your motorcycle has ABS: just slam
the front and rear brake, and the ABS performs the braking.
What is true is that you won't lock the wheels, but your braking distance will be much longer
than needed.
Why not slam the brakes with ABS?
When you slam the rear brake, the rear wheel will lock, almost immediately. So the ABS will
take over immediately as well, braking and letting go the rear brake at a high frequency.
Therefore, it takes longer before the weight of the bike has shifted to the front wheel, than when
you would brake carefully.
The front brake will not perform as it should as well: you squeeze the front brake hard at a
moment when the weight distribution is far from optimal. So the front wheel will lock as well,
and, the same as with the rear brake, the front brake will come in and let go alternately.
All in all, you will loose many costly meters braking distance.
Different ABS systems
In most ABS systems, the ABS engages before a wheel locks. Understandably, because the ABS
is always slightly later than real-time: the values of the sensor should be checked and analysed,
and the controller has to take action.
According to the tests, the ABS system of Ductati seems to be almost perfect. In other systems, it
may engage (long) before a wheel locks. This means, of course, that you can't brake as hard as
you could brake in theory.

No ABS, and no chance on a stoppie either
Reactions on stoppies
Most ABS systems prevent the rear wheel from lifting. There are two kinds of control:
A limit to deceleration
In this case, deceleration (the degree of braking) is simply kept below a certain value. You can
never brake harder than that value, and with that value, the rear wheel will not lift.
Front brake reacts to rear wheel lock
In this case, the ABS system will react at a locked rear wheel: when you use the rear brake, and
the rear wheel lifts, the wheel will lock instantly. If the ABS system detects a locked rear wheel,
it will react by loosening the front brake.
That system can take you by surprise, for instance when riding a downward slope: when riding a
downward slope, the rear wheel locks easily (there is almost no weight on it), and the ABS will
let go of the front brake. You will notice the fact that suddenly, for a hairy moment, you don't
have any brake at all.
Another situation where this can happen is on bumpy roads: the rear wheel may loose contact for
a short time, and will lock when you use the rear brake.
It is difficult to get detailed information about these kinds of control.
As far as it's known, BMW uses the latter method, except for the F-models. Honda and Yamaha
use the first method, and Ducati has no method at all: a Ducati with ABS can lift its rear wheel.
If you intend to perform stunts with your bike or want to ride rough roads and off road, then it's
very convenient if you can turn the ABS off.
Practise!
What it all boils down to, is that you should practise, also when you your motorcycle has ABS.
When you can shutdown the ABS, also practise without ABS!

Braking in a corner

Sometimes you should be able to brake in a corner...
Adjust the speed
From time to time, you will misjudge a corner. The corner is tighter than it seemed, or it has a
decreasing radius, or the surface of the road doesn't seem thrustworthy.
In that case, the best way to adjust your speed is to keep the throttle the same, and touch the rear
brake slightly.
When you do that, the bike will not try to get upright. Instead, it will even turn in a bit more, and
that's exactly what you need. (To help the bike a bit more, push it with your knee into the
direction that it should go.)
Really brake hard
But sometimes it is necessary to really brake hard, while in a corner, You meet a combine, for
instance, halfway the corner, or a cow.
Use the front brake
Really brake hard in a corner is possible. You should use the front brake.
You will almost never ride to the limit on the road, so there is room to brake, and even to brake
rather hard, without going down. To brake hard, you should use the front brake, and you can,
without going down.
Pull the clutch
When you wouldn't pull the clutch, and squeeze the front brake in a corner, your bike would get
upright, and steer out of the corner. That is not always what you want.
That's why you need to pull the clutch, and you should actively push the bike into the corner,
with your outside knee.
Practise
You should practise braking in a corner as well, from time to time. You will get experienced
with what is possible, and you will automatically do what's necessary when it's needed.
Tips for overtaking on a motorcycle

Overtaking
Tips
Frontpage

A great opportunity to overtake, in the Alps
To overtake, it seems so easy, especially if you ride a motorbike with lots of horsepower: just
wait for an opportunity, and open the throttle.
But overtaking is an art. If you have acquired the art of overtaking, you will have more
opportunities to overtake, you will overtake in a safer manner, and you don't need the
horsepower.
This page is dedicated to the art of overtaking.

http://www.luiemotorfiets.nl/tips/inhalen/

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On this page:
You just open the throttle, don't you?
Get the best view: keep a distance
Get the best view: ride to the left or to the right
Pitfall when getting the best view: differences in height
Run-up: speed
Run-up: timing
Run-up: with the one in front of you
Abort or continue
Abort or continue: be aware of blinkers
Abort or continue: be wary of stopped vehicles
Abort or continue: abort when necessary
Abort or continue: push through if possible
Overtake: first check your mirrors
Overtaking: keep getting the best view
Enough room after overtaking
Overtaking a line of cars
Damgers near a line of cars
Allow others to overtake you
You just open the throttle, don't you?

Just a matter of opening the throttle, isn't it?
Open the throttle
For many motorcyclists overtaking is simply a matter of opening the throttle, without thinking
too much more about it.
As you see the picture, in some situations you should be a little extra careful ...
There are better ways
Even if you overtake someone else than a cop, there arguments to pay more attention to the art of
overtaking:
With a better technique, you will be able to overtake in more situations.
With a better technique, you will be able to overtake on a bike with less horsepower.
With a better technique, you will be able to overtake in a safer manner.
With a better technique, you will be able to overtake an annoyingly slow car earlier.
With a better technique, overtaking will be more fun
Three steps
That better overtaking technique consists of three simple steps:
Get the best view
Take a run-up
Break of or go

Get the best view: keep a distance

The bigger the distance, the better the view
Too short distance, almost automatically
It almost seems a natural tendency to ride with a too short distance from the vehicle that you
want to overtake: you ride faster than that vehicle, you want to get in front of it, and before you
notice, you ride close to its rear bumper.
You also might do this conciously: you might have the idea that it's the fastest way to overtake,
because you have already covered the distance to the vehicle before you.
So, what's wrong with it?
The bigger the distance the better the view
Especially if the vehicle is large and high: buses, trucks, tractors, vans and the like, there is an
enormous gain in the view you have, if you can keep some distance.
In particular, see will oncoming traffic much earlier; you can see a much longer stretch of road.
This means that the moment that you can decide that the road is clear to overtake, will be sooner.
Safety
Furthermore, you should keep your distance as safe as when you would not try to overtake: this
safety distance is not suddenly unneccessary because you want to overtake.

More view by keeping a bigger distance
See oncoming traffic earlier
If you would have kept too short a distance in this situation, behind the truck, you would not
have seen the oncoming truck until at the last moment.
Especially in the case of trucks, if you ride almost on the rear bumper, you cannot see anything
in front of you: it is as though you have to look around the corner.
Sometimes you evenhave to ride on the lane of oncoming cars to see anything at all in front of
the truck, and when the road is narrow, that is not the most pleasant place on the road in the case
that there is oncoming traffic!
More distance
So the rule is: keep more distance instead of less distance if you try to overtake someone.

Get the best view: ride to the left or to the right

The more to the right, here, the more you see
Corners
You can't overtake just before a blind corner, obviously, but you can choose a position on the
road to maximalise your view through the corner. It enables you to see as early as possible
whether you can overtake after the corner, safely.
Corner to the left: ride at the right side
In this case, in a corner to your left, you have the best view throught the corner if you would ride
at the right side of the road.
Corner to the right: ride at the left side
The other way around, you could better ride left within your lane in case of a corner to the right.
In principle, that's the place of the road you occupy anyway.

Use the outside of the corner
Start a corner at the outside
In fact, there is no difference between the way you ride a corner without someone in front of who
whom you would like to overtake, or with such a vehicle (see our page on corners on a
motorcycle)
So, as a preparation for overtaking, you ride as far as possible to the outside, until you have a
clear view at the entire road ahead.
Keep your distance!
Especially in corners, it's difficult to keep enough distance: the vehicle in front of your drove
slower than you would like to anyhow, and in general this difference in comfort speed is greatly
effect is further increased in a corner.
So, pay extra attention to the distance you keep.
Run-up in the corner
Below on this page, you will read how to make the run-up. You do that even before you can be
certain whether your attempt to overtake will succeed.
A corner is a perfect [place for a run-up. You reduce the distance during the turn to the vehicle in
front of you, which is almost natural, on a motorcycle, with a car in front of you.

The truck blocks the view
The view with a truck before you
On a narrow road, a truck blocks your view in sich a way that it generally does not help when to
ride at the outside of a corner. In many cases, you will have to do the opposite: ride at the inside
of the corner, to get a glimpse of the road beyond the truck.
Move to the left and to the right
The best behaviour, in such a case, is to move both to the left and to the right of your lane: you
will then find out which position gives you the best view.
Consider the blind spot
Keep in mind that, with a bus or truck in front of you, there is always a big stretch of the road
that you just can't see. There is no guarantee that there isn't a side road or a parking space within
that stretch. Somebody can suddenly turn up from there!

Pitfall when getting the best view: differences in height

No view in the dips
Invisible in case of differences in height
Something to be aware of when trying to get an optimum view, is that oncoming traffic can be
hided in "dips" in the road.
Calculate?
In principle, you can keep track of oncoming cars in dips: you could calculate whether a dip
could hide a car, by counting, but there is a danger in relying on it:
What if there is a parking place or a side road in such a dip?
You wouldn't have seen anyone driving into the dip, but the dip does hide a car!
Wait until you have a clear view
So you don't have a choice: you have to wait until you have a clear view of the whole road.

Run-up: speed

Pick up speed to overtake
The run-up: pick up speed
Before you really overtake, you perform a run-up. During the run-up, you pick up the right
speed.
When you do that, you already have the right speed during the moment that you overtake the
vehicle in front of you.
Rpm
Especially when your bike has an engine with (relatively) few cc's, the rpm's should be in the
range which aloows for fast acceleration: it could be neccessary to downshift.
For the reason why you have to downshift, you could read our page about torque.
Why a run-up?
The main argument is that you minimize time spent at the lane for oncoming traffic, if you don't
have to accelerate on that lane because your speed is already high enough. The lane for
oncoming traffic is the most dangerous place on the road, so it pays to minimize that time.
Furthermore, being overtaken is less harrassing if your speed is constant: an accelerating engine
makes a lot of noise (you often ride at high rpm's during acceleration), which can lead to panick
reactions of the driver of the car. So there are advantages for fellow road users as well, if you do
a run-up before you overtake.
So distance was necessary
To be able to to a run-up you need space: another argument is to keep a distance before finally
overtaking.
Curves
Corners form a great opportunity for a run-up.
You start well away from the car in front of you, and gain speed during the corner. Thus you're
able to enjoy the corner far more than when you would have started right behind the car, which is
a big advantage.
When, at thje exit of the corner, the road appears to be free, you can immediately overtake the
car.

Run-up: timing

The last oncoming vehicle
Don't postpone until you are certain
If you start to overtake at the moment that you are certain that overtaking will be possible, you
have wasted valuable time.
The trick is to be up to speed, and near to where you are on the road for oncoming traffic driving,
at that moment that you are certain that you can safely overtake.
That means you have to accelerate before you know whether you will be able to perform the
overtake!
So, when?
When you see the last vehicle of all oncoming traffic, you accelerate in such a way that you
know that you will have the right speed exactly at the moment that that last vehicle will drive by.
If the road is still free at that moment, you're able to continue, and you will have won precious
time.
The alternative is that you accelerate at the moment that the last of the oncoming vehicles passes,
and that's a lot later!
Int this example
In this example, you would have to estimate when the oncoming truck would have reached the
car in front of you. Furthermore, you would have to estimate how much time you need to
accelerate up to near the car in front. You should then use these estimations to know the moment
when you should accelerate.
At the moment that the oncoming truck passes the car in front of you, you're able to see if the
rest of the road is still free.
In the photo you don't see depth: it seems like there is not enough space. In reality, there might
be plenty of space.

When to accelerate?
Not blind after the one in front of you
If someone before you overtakes another vehicle, you should, obviously not follow that someone
blindly.
In reality, this is less obvious than it seems: if the overtaker is a truck, and you see don't see any
oncoming traffic because the truck blocks your view, your brains will sometimes subconsciously
give you a signal that overtaking is safe.
And if you're in a group of bikers, the urge to keep up with the others can be almost irresistible.
Try to be aware of those pitfalls!
Do accelerate in time
What you can do in such a case, is accellerate so that you will have the right speed, and that'you
will be near the car in front of you at the moment that the truck has ended its overtake action.
At that moment you will have a clear view, and you know whether you can continue overtaking
or not.

Run-up: with the one in front of you

Run-up together with the one in front of you
Along with the one in front of you
If you have a number of riders in front of you, and it is clear that the last rider of those also wants
to overtake, you can make sure, with your run-up, that you can go along.
Run-up
Start your run when you see that there will come a moment that this last rider will overtake. So,
start your run-up before he or she actually overtake.
You can then overtake along with this rider, because you will have the rightt speed at the right
time.
The two of you then need about the same space on the road as this rider would have needed on
his own.
Beware of unexpected overtaking!
Be very wary with such a "train" of motorcycle riders in front of you. It may seem as if no one of
them wants to overtake, but more often than not, one of them will come to the left exactly at the
moment you are overtaking him!
This happens with both cars and motorcyclists.
Only drawback of this technique
That's the only drawback of this technique: in general, you will see a possibility to overtake in a
much earlier stage than the one in front of you: you will be up spped when the rider in front of
you still has to accelerate.
So you will often be in the process of overtaking at the moment he is still finding out whether he
has an opportunity.

Abort or continue

Go!
Make the decision
Once you've finished the run-up and are close to the car in front you, you must decide: abort the
attempt or continue the overtake.
If, in the mean time, extra oncoming traffic has appeared, you just close the throttle.
If the road is still free, you have the right speed to get past the car in front of you without any
additional acceleration.
It's really a decision
The key here is that you should really, consciously, make a decision (like you with all the
decisions that you should take while riding): either break off the attempt or go.
If you start to hesitate at this point, you lose speed and you loose the whole benefit of your run-
up.
Hesitate to break off the attempt, in a situation where you need to break off, is obviously far
worse.
Practice
If you know about yourself that you do have trouble making quick decisions, you can practice to
make decisions really consciously.
Try overtaking in situations where you can overlook road far ahead, and overtake in these three
steps: get the best view, run-up, and decide.
If you follow these three steps really consciously, every time, it will become a habit: it will be far
easier to make the right decision in a situation where you do not already know in advance that
you can continue.

Abort or continue: be aware of blinkers

They tell you that they will turn right, but stay aware!
Indicators of the one in front of you
If the vehicle in front of you indicates it will turn to the right, the decision to overtake seems very
easy: you need very little space for the prcedure.
But be very aware: sometimes, someone decides on the last moment to drive straight on instead
of make the trun, and usually, someone making such a last-minute decision doesn't look in the
mirrors.
Blinker to the right, car turning left
In the situation in this photo it is unlikely, but all too often, in situations with a driveway or
parking space to the left, someone who indicates he will turn to the right, actually turns to the
left!
If you would have started to overtake that someone, there would be a crash ...
So, be extra careful when the vehicle in front you indicates he will turn right!
Slow drivers
The same applies to slow drivers: often, they are people who are looking for a specific number or
a certain street, and they are therefore unpredictable.
They may slam thair brakes any time (which makes the distance, which is reduced anyway
during your run-up, suddenly becaomes very short), or they just decide to turn left when you're
overtaking them.
Side street to the left
Abort when you spot a side streets to the left: a lot of (novice) drivers forget, when turning to the
right at such a spot, to check if "their" lane is clear: they only look to their left side.
They look only for traffic from their left, and then blindly turn to the right. If you're overtaking at
that moment, you have a problem. So, no overtaking in case of a side-street!

Abort or continue: be wary of stopped vehicles

They may start to ride any time!
Stationary traffic
Another situation to be especially alert when you want overtake is stationary traffic.
In the photo, of the motorcycle riders looks in the mirrors, but people tend to forget to do that
before starting to ride again, and then ride onto the road, without looking.
Especially when people are in a group, this happens often.
Cars or motorcycles
Of course, exactly the same is a hazard in case of a stationary car.
Keep in mind, while overtaking, that someone can just ride or drive onto the road.
Even worse: turn around
An even greater danger in with respect to stationary traffic is that someone could be stopped to
turn the car to the opposite direction, by making a U-turn. If you've just begun to overtake a
crash is almost inevitable.
As in the case of indicator lights, you should be extra wary when overtaking stationary traffic.

Abort or continue: abort when necessary

Not enough room
Never feel too brave to abort
An important part of this overtakingh technique is that you must be willing to abort if there is not
enough room after all.
You started your run-up while you could not be sure whether you would be able to continue
overtaking, which means you really should take the decision to abort if you have a clear view
and see that there is not enough room.
Not enough room
In the photo, there is not enough room: during the time required for overtaking, a vehicle may
appear from the blind corner.
In such case, do not continue to overtake, and use the corner for another run-up.

Abort or continue: push through if possible

Planety of space
A better example
On this photo you see a overtaking as it should be. You can see that the overtaker carries more
speed at this moment: he did do a run-up.
You can see an oncoming car, but there is ample room for overtaking.
Three steps
The three steps: get the best view, do a run-up and then decide to abort or to continue, have
perfectly executed here.

Overtake: first check your mirrors

Be assertive or give in?
Check your mirrors before the run-up
Just before you do the run-up, you check your mirrors: when, at that moment, somebody
approaches with more speed, it's better to allow that person to overtake you before you start
overtaking someone else
Again just before you overtake
Just before the moment that you really start overtaking, after the run-up, you check your mirrors
again, and you look to your side (because there is not only a blind spot in a car but also one when
you're on a bike).
You need to five right of way to someone overtaking you (even on highways!)

Overtaking: keep getting the best view

Getting the best view while overtaking
Still keep getting the best view
During the overtaking process itself, you should sometimes ride at a different place on the road
than usual, to get the best view.
The photo shows such a situation: a stationary truck, in a road slightly curved to the right, blocks
all view to oncoming traffic.
Left in a curve to the right
The only way to see an oncoming car in time, and the only way for you to make sure that the
oncoming car sees you in time, is to ride at the extreme left from the truck.
No surprise
It might seem the wrong thin g to do, because you take up the space fot oncoming traffic
completely, but it's the only way to ensure that you appearance will not be an unexpected and
unpleasant surprise for an oncoming car, and the pther way around.

Enough room after overtaking

don't go to the right immediately
Back to your lane
After overtaking, you ride on, for a short stretch, until there is enough room between you and the
vehicle you just overtook.
One of the reasons is that, if you swerve to the right too soon, you could force the vehicle you
just overtook to brake.
Another reason is that there could be someone else behind you, while you were overtaking,
without you noticing. If you leave enough room, that second overtaker will neatly fit in between
you and the vehicle you both overtook, if necessary.
In a group of motorcycle riders
Especially within a group of motorcycle riders, you should take care to leave enough room
between you and the care you just overtook. In this case, it's even better to swerve to the right
side of the road after you came back to your lane. If you do that, you allow space for motorcycle
riders who came after you. They can, if necessary, ride next to you to clear the lane for oncoming
traffic as soon as possible

Overtaking a line of cars

Alongside the row to the traffic light
Small speed difference
When you're overtaking a line of cars, it's often impossible to wait until you are sure that you can
overtake the whole line aat once, without any oncoming traffic
So, you must ride in such a way that you can swerve bewteen two cars at any time.
This means that the speed difference between you and the cars you overtake must be small.
Stationary cars
The photo shows a line of stationary cars. In general, you can overtake them even with oncoming
cars, but you should be aware that there will always be at least one oncoming car who doesn't see
you, or just wants to hinder.
In that case, you should be able to swerve between two cars and stop, until you can carry on.
That means you must adjust your speed.

Damgers near a line of cars

Overtake them car by car
Watch out for U-turns
While riding along a line of stationary cars, don't forget that there are people who will not look in
their mirror when they escape out of the line by performing a U-turn.
So it's not only for oncoming traffic that you need to slow down.
Car by car
So, in the case of a line of cars, you overtake them car by car, in such a way that you can come to
a standstill between two cars at any time
Other overtakers
With stationary or slow moving cars, there is always the danger of other overtakers who don't
check in their mirrors.
Every car that you are overtaking could come to the left!

Keep watching whil overtaking
Danger from the right
Even when you're overtaking a line opf cars,. there can be danger at the right side of the road.
The car you see, on the photo, coming from the driveway, could estimate that it is safe for him to
drive onto the road, in front of those slow moving classical cars, because he didn't notice you...

Allow others to overtake you

When someone hinders you while overtaking, it's less pleasant...
Check your mirrors
Check your mirrors, not only when turning or when you want to overtake, but also in between.
You will then be able to know when another motorcyclist rides faster than you through the
corners.
In such a situation, it is pleasant for noth (and safe) if you would cooperate with the one behind
you, to overtake you.
Don't accelerate out of corners
What works best is not to accelerate after a corner. If you just keep your speed calm after a
curve, the one behind you gets an easy opportunity for overtaking by accelerating out of the
corner.
Not too much to the left
What also helps, of course, is not to ride against the lane for oncoming traffic (like the biker in
the photo).
This provides some extra margin for the biker overtaking you

Manual de condus motocicleta
Acest text este luat din manualul de pilotaj al statului Alberta (din Canada). Ceea ce va invata la
scoala de soferi in Romania este depasit si aplicabil pe motocicletele care se fabricau acum 30 de
ani. Cititi tot acest text, pentru ca va va salva viata si motocicleta. Aceasta este traducerea in
limba romana a manualului.
Aceasta traducere este realizata de catre motociclistii din Romania. Este normal ca intre
versiunea in limba engleza si cea in limba romana sa apara neconcordante. Daca gasiti asa ceva
si considerati ca se poate intelege altceva decat ceea ce trebuia sa se inteleaga, va rog sa-mi
scrieti la aceasta adresa: alex@motociclism.ro
Au tradus:
Mihailescu Irinel - Cuprins
SJ WOLF - Capitolul 1
Iulian Maiorescu - Capitolele 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Pagina scrisa si corectata de Alex Sovu
Corectura suplimentara: Laurentiu Marin
Cuprins
Capitolul 1- Pregatirea cursei
Alegerea motocicletei potrivite
Motociclistul
Echipamentul motociclistului
Verificarea motocicletei
Capitolul 2 - Mentinerea controlului
Pozitia motociclistului
Plecarea din panta
Scimbarea vitezelor
Intoarceri si viraje
Frana si Stopul
Derapaje
Parcarea
Capitolul 3 - Drumul si pozitia in trafic
Conducerea in trafic
Intersectii
Schimbarea benzii
A fii depasit
Depasirea
Capitolul 4 - Transportul pasagerilor
Adaptarea la greutatea pasagerilor
Capitolul 5 - Condusul in grup

Capitolul 6 - Conducerea in condiii dificile
Aparitii accidentale
Conducerea noaptea
Conducerea pe vreme nefavorabila
Conducerea pe suprafete periculoase
Capitolul 7 - Urgente in timpul mersului
Evitarea obstacolelor
Trecerea peste obstacole
Opirile bruste
Expoziile de cauciuc (penele)
Blocarea acceleratiei
Voblajul
Obiecte in zbor
Capitolul 8 - Rezumat

Capitolul 1 - Pregatiri

ALEGEREA MOTOCICLETEI POTRIVITE
Atunci cnd ti alegi motocicleta trebuie sa ai n vedere ce tip de trasee vei face. S-ar putea ca o
motocicleta mica sa nu aiba putere pentru a mentine viteze mari pe autostrada si poate deveni instabila
la viteze mari.
Pe de alta parte, o motocicleta prea mare poate fi greu de controlat. Esti pe o motocicleta de
marimea potrivita daca:
poti tine un picior cu toata talpa pe pamnt atunci cnd stai calare pe motocicleta aflata n
pozitie verticala;
poti mpinge, parca si ridica motocicleta pe cric fara un effort deosebit (aviz amatorilor de
Dnepr!);
ajungi usor la comenzi, fara efort si fara sa te ntinzi;
mpingnd motocicleta, poti face un traseu in forma de 8;
poti ridica de jos motocicleta culcata apucnd de ghidon (blocnd roata pe fata daca este
posibil).
Trebuie sa stii ce fel de trasee vei parcurge si sa alegi o motocicleta facuta special pentru acel tip
de trasee.
MOTOCICLISTUL
Cunoaste-ti motocicleta suficient, astfel nct sa poti gasi si folosi ntrerupatoarele si comenzile
fara sa trebuiasca sa-ti iei ochii de la drum; aceasta este valabil n special pentru semnalizari,
claxon, faze, soc, contact si robinetul de benzina.
Asigura-te ca motocicleta este n stare tehnica buna nainte de fiecare drum. nainte de a porni,
verifica-i comenzile. Asigura-te ca stii succesiunea treptelor de viteza. Manevreaza de cteva ori
acceleratia, ambreiajul si frnele nainte de plecare. Mergi cu mare grija pna te obisnuiesti cu
tinuta de drum a motocicletei. ncetineste la curbe si lasa-ti distanta suplimentara pentru frnare.
Spre deosebire de soferul unei masini, nu ai centura de siguranta sau o cusca de metal care sa te
protejeze n caz de coliziune. Condu ntotdeauna cu mare grija.
Nu conduce niciodata daca ai baut alcool sau daca ai luat medicamente care dau ameteli sau
somnolenta (inclusiv multe medicamente care se iau fara reteta). Reactiile si judecata ti pot fi afectate
de acestea. Nu conduce daca esti obosit. Evita deshidratarea.
ECHIPAMENTUL MOTOCICLISTULUI
Poarta haine adecvate
Protejeaza-ti pielea si ochii de soare, vnt, insecte si mizerii. Pielea este cea mai buna, dar si
gecile din nylon gros sau din material de blugi si pantalonii lungi sunt acceptabile. Nu lasa
cordoane, cheutori sau sireturi atrnnd. Nu purta haine care flutura sau care se umfla n vnt,
pentru ca te obosesc sau ti distrag atentia. Poarta manusi si alte elemente de echipament special
pentru motociclisti. Poarta ntotdeauna ncaltaminte solida, care sa acopere n ntregime laba
piciorului si glezna.
Poarta ntotdeauna casca
Castile speciale pentru motociclisti sunt obligatorii prin lege si trebuie purtate att de conducator,
ct si de pasager. Casca trebuie sa se potriveasca bine pe cap, suficient de strns ca sa nu se miste
pe cap atunci cnd bareta este ncheiata. Asigura-te ca iei o casca de foarte buna calitate atunci
cnd o cumperi. nlocuieste castile care au fost trntite, julite sau deteriorate ntr-un accident.
Foloseste numai apa si sapun pentru curatarea castii.
Poarta ntotdeauna cizme
Nu purta ncaltaminte prea larga sau cu inele sau sireturi care s-ar pute agata de comenzi.
Cizmele din piele sau din material sintetic rezistent sunt cele mai bune. Trebuie ca cizmele sa fie
rezistente si suficient de nalte pentru a-ti proteja gleznele. Talpile trebuie sa fie dintr-un material
tare si cu model antiderapant. Poarta ncaltaminte care sa-ti permita sa manevrezi corect
comenzile de picior.
Protejeaza-ti ochii
Vntul si ploaia ti obosesc ochii si ti tulbura vederea. Praful, insectele si mizeriile ti pot rani
ochii si te pot face sa scapi motocicleta de sub control. Parbrizele de pe motocicleta te apara ntr-
o oarecare masura de vnt, ploaie si de obiecte care zboara prin aer, dar nu-ti apara ochii, asa ca
poarta viziera chiar daca ai parbriz la motocicleta.
Viziera trebuie sa:
nu aiba zgrieturi;
permita vederea clara pe ambele parti;
lase loc pentru ochelari de vedere, de soare, sau de protectie;
fie bine prinsa;
fie facuta din material securizat
Fa-te vazut
Pentru un motociclist, a fi vizibil poate nsemna diferenta dintre viata si moarte. Poarta culori vii,
portocaliu, rosu sau galben. Culorile fluorescente sunt foarte indicate. O idee buna este sa-ti
lipesti banda reflectorizanta pe motocicleta, pe casca si pe geaca.
Poarta manusi
Manusile ti tin de cald si ti dau o priza mai buna pe comenzi. Cele mai bune sunt manusile
special confectionate pentru motociclisti.
VERIFICAREA MOTOCICLETEI
A. Cauciucurile - asigura-te ca sunt umflate corect. Foloseste un indicator de presiune pentru a
verifica presiunea n ambele pneuri n fiecare zi n care iesi cu motocicleta. Presiunea prea mare
sau prea mica poate duce la scaderea gradului de control asupra motocicletei. Verifica
ntodeauna uzura cauciucurilor. Nu merge niciodata cu cauciucuri cu crapaturi, taieturi sau
umflaturi care ar putea cauza o explozie. Cauciucurile foarte uzate sunt si ele periculoase, mai
ales pe vreme umeda.
B. Piulite, suruburi si sigurante - vibratiile slabesc piulitele, suruburile si sigurantele. Verifica-
le n mod regulat.
C. Claxonul - verifica-l. ti poate salva viata.
D. Cabluri - verifica sa nu fie uzate, slabite, cu fire din sufa rupte sau nclcite. nlocuieste
cablurile necorespunzatoare. Ai grija ca toate cablurile sa fie bine unse si vezi daca cablul de
acceleratie se ntoarce n pozitia de repaus atunci cnd i dai drumul. Verifica cablul de ambreiaj,
sa fie reglat corect.
E. Frnele - actioneaza pe rnd frnele pe fata si pe spate, ca sa te asiguri ca fiecare din ele
functioneaza cum trebuie.
F. Lumini - pozitia din far trebuie sa se aprinda atunci cnd merge motorul. Verifica si faza
lunga, si faza scurta. Verifica, de asemenea, semnalizarile si stopurile de frna nainte de a pleca.
G. Lantul sau cureaua de transmisie sau cardanul - regleaza si unge lantul motocicletei n
mod regulat, asa cum este indicat n manualul motocicletei. Verifica dupa manual reglaul corect
al curelei de transmisie, daca motocicleta ta are transmisie cu cardan, verifica regulat nivelul
uleiului.
H. Oglinzile - tine oglinzile curate. Fiecare oglinda ar trebui sa-ti permita sa vezi aproximativ
1/2 din banda din urma ta si ct mai mult posibil din banda de alaturi. Cnd oglinda este reglata
corect ar trebui sa vezi n ea o bucata din brat si din umar. Regleaza oglinzile nainte de a pleca,
pentru ca este dificil si periculos sa le reglezi din mers. Retine ca obiectele vazute n oglinda pot
fi mai aproape dect par. Uita-te scurt peste umar nainte de fiecare schimbare de directie. Nu
conta niciodata numai pe oglinzi.
I. Nivelele la combustibil, apa si ulei - verifica nivelele la combustibil, apa si ulei nainte de a
pleca. Verifica sa nu ai scurgeri. Daca ti se caleaza motorul, ti se poate bloca roata pe spate si
poti scapa motocicleta de sub control.

CAPITOLUL 2 - Pastrarea Controlului

Motocicleta este un vehicul unic in felul sau. Necesita in acelasi timp indemanare si balans de la
conducatorul ei pentru a fi condusa in siguranta. Numai exersarea si antrenamentul va pot invata
totul dar aici sunt cateva idei care va pot ajuta:
POZITIA MOTOCICLISTULUI
Saua - stati suficient de avansati astfel incat bratele sa fie un pic indoite cand tineti ghidonul.
Aceasta pozitie va va permite sa virati comod fara sa va intindeti.
Mainile - apucati ghidonul usor dar ferm si folositi metoda de apucare "incheietura jos" ("wrist
down") pentru a preveni o accelerare accidentala prea mare (vezi figura).
Balansul - pentru a va ajuta la pastrarea balansului in timpul virajelor, presati genunchii de
rezervor si uitati-va in directia in care vreti sa mergeti. Nu va uitati in jos.
Picioarele - ar trebui sa fie permanent fixate ferm pe suporti in tot timpul in care motocicleta se
afta in miscare. Tineti varfurile ("toes")in sus. Daca vor cadea ar putea fi prinse intre drum si
suporti. Aveti nevoie de picioare pentru franare si pentru schimbarea vitezelor, deci asugurati-va
ca le tineti langa controale in permanenta.
Pornirea (Starting Off) - pornirea si oprirea sunt doua situatii unde controlul poate fi pierdut cu
usurinta. Pentru incepatori este bine sa exerseze pornirea si oprirea intr-un loc sigur, fara trafic,
pana cand aceste operatii sunt stapanite foarte bine. Este necesara o cooordonarea perfecta
este intre ambreiaj si acceleratie. Prea multa acceleratie duce la pierderea controlului, prea
putina "omoara" motorul.

Inainte de pornire verificati urmatoarele:
roata din fara nu este blocata;
ajustati oglinziile retrovizoare;
benzina pornita;
motorul s-a incalzit si nu face zgomote anormale;
luminile sunt pornite.
Coborati motocicleta de pe cric inainte ca pasagerii sa se urce. Intodeauna verificati pozitia
picioarelor inainte sa coborati motocicleta de pe suport.
Asigurati-va ca drumul este liber, si nu sunt:
copii;
pietoni;
alt trafic;
orice obstacol.
Inainte de a pleca asigurati-va ca manevra este sigura.
Folositi oglinzile retrovizoare, dar nu va bazati doar pe ele. Uitati-va peste ambii umeri pentru a
verifica unghiurile moarte care nu se vad in oglinda.
Asigurati-va ca si ceilalti participanti la trafic va observa. Multi soferi au probleme in a vedea
motociclistii si va pot lovi. Majoritatea soferilor implicati in accidente cu motociclisti spun ca nu
i-au vazut deloc. Folositi semnalizatoarele si acordati prioritate celorlalte vehicule chiar daca
traficul este redus.

PORNIREA IN RAMPA

Este mult mai dificil sa porniti motocicleta in rampa decat pe teren plat. Este un pericol foarte
mare de a dat inapoi si de a lovi pe cel din spate, sau de a cala motorul. Iata cea mai buna
metoda:
1. Folositi frana fata pentru a tine motocicleta in timp ce porniti motorul si cuplati in prima
treapta de viteza.
2. Treceti pe frana de picior pentru a tine motocicleta in timp ce actionati acceleratia cu mana
dreapta.
3. Accelerati un pic mai mult pentru mai multa putere.
4. Debreiati usor si lasati usor frana spate in timp ce accelerati progresiv. Daca debreiati prea
repede roata din fata se poate ridica si motorul se poate cala.
5. Eliberati frana de picior in timp ce motorul incepe sa se opreasa, iar ambreiajul va tine
motocicleta.

SCHIMBAREA VITEZELOR

Schimbarea vitezelor fin si repede necesita antrenament... dar, odata invatata va reduce teama pe
motocicleta si va va ajuta sa mentineti controlul. Manualul de utilizare va spune viteza maxima
pentru fiecare viteza. Tineti minte, in permanenta folositi treapta de viteza corecta pentru viteza
cu care circulati, indiferent daca ea creste sau scade. Este mai multa la schimbatul vitezelor decat
obtinerea onei accelerari continue a motociclete. Se poate pierde controlul daca vitezele sunt
folosite incorect la decelare, viraje sau pante.
Schimbarea in jos a vitezelor
Schimbarea vitezelor in jos poate fi mult mai dificil de efectuat fin decat schimbarea in sus. Iata
cum se face:
inchideti acceleratia;
strangeti ambreiajul si accelerati putin, cu o miscare ferma impingeti schimbatorul de viteze in
jos cat de departe merge si eliberati-l
eliberati ambreiajul complet dar gradual in timp ce accelerati pentru a ajusta viteza motorului cu
viteza dorita de mers.
Asigurati-va ca mergeti suficient de incet cand schimbati intr-o treapta inferioara. Daca mergeti
prea repede motocicleta va zdruncina (lurch) si roata din spate se poate bloca. Acest lucru este
mai probabil sa se intample cand schimbati in treapta intai sau cand mergeti in panta. In aceste
imprejurari trebuie sa folositi franele pentru a incetini suficient pentru a schimba viteza in
siguranta.
Schimbarea vitezelor in viraje
Nu schimbati vitezele in viraje decat in situatii exceptionale. O schimbare brusca a puterii pe
roata din spate o poate bloca sau rasuci, provocand un derapaj. Cel mai bine este sa schimbati
vitezele inainte de intrarea in viraj.
INTOARCERI SI VIRAJE
Sunt doua moduri de a intoarce o motocicleta, depinde de viteza.
Cand rulati cu mai putin de 20km/h o motocicleta se poate vira intorcand roata din fata in
directia in care doriti sa mergeti. Acest lucru necesita un balans bun si coordonare intre ambreiaj
si acceleratie. Exersati acestra manevra intr-un loc sigur, fara trafic.
La viteze mai mari de 20km/h trebuie sa inclinati motocicleta si sa stapaniti manevra numita
"contra-virare" ("counter-steering","push-steering").
In timp ce intoarceti la viteze mari motocicleta este impinsa in afara de forta centrifuga. Pentru a
compensa aceasta forta trebuie sa va inclinati catre interiorul virajului. Cu cat viteza este mai
mare cu atat ma mult trebuie sa va inclinati. Multi motociclisti, in special incepatorii, nu
apreciaza corect viteza si incearca sa abordeze virajul prea repede. Incetiniti inainte de viraj.
Uitati-va prin curba in directia in care virati.
Pentru a provoca inclinarea spre interior impingeti in fata ghidonul din partea in care virati.
Adica impingeti cu mana dreapta daca faceti dreapta, impingeti cu stanga daca faceti stanga.
In timp ce motocicleta incepe sa se incline veti indrepta automat ghidonul in directia in care
virati. Aceasta tehnica este utila in situatiile de zi cu zi pentru a evita sparturile in asfalt, guri de
canal si accidentele.
Strangeti usor ghidonul dar ferm pentru toate virajele.
Cand virati:
Reduceti viteza in timp ce va apropiati de curba. Incetiniti mai mult in conditii de drum
nefavorabile sau pe vreme proasta.
Decat sa va uitati intr-un punct imediat in fata motocicletei, intoarceti capul si tineti ochii la un
nivel in asa fel incat sa priviti prin curba in directia in care doriti sa mergeti.
Daca franati sau schimbati vitezele in jos, faceti-o inainte de viraj.
Inclinati-va in directia virajului.
Accelerati gradual in timpul virajului sau mentineti o viteza constanta. Evitati incetinirea in
timpul virajului.
Accelerati incet si folositi "push-steering" pentru a indrepta motocicleta cand iesiti din viraj.

FRANAREA SI OPRIREA
Majoritatea motocicletelor au doua frane, care se opereaza in mod indepented. La oprire folositi
ambele frane (fata si spate) in acelasi timp. Frana fata ofera 75% din puterea de franare si trebuie
folosita in majoritatea cazurilor. Totusi, la viteze mici folosirea franei fata poate cauza o
cazatura.
Unele motociclete sunt echipate cu sisteme integrate de franare care opereaza cele doua frane
impreuna. Sisteme anti-blocare (ABS) sunt de asemenea disponibile pe unele modele. Daca
motocicleta voastra este echipata cu un astfel de sistem consultati manualul pentru instructiuni
privind folosirea optima a franelor.
Cateva sfaturi utile pentru franare:
Schimbati vitezele in jos in timp ce franati (frana de motor), in acest fel compresia motorului
ajuta de asemenea la franare
Aveti grija mare cand franati in curba sau pe drum alunecos sau griblura. Pentru o franare
eficienta in curba, aduceti motocicleta la verticala, indreptati ghidonu inainte de a frana ferm cu
ambele frane.
Exersati opriri controlate intr-o zona sigura, fara trafic.
Invatati sa franati echilibrat si sa simtiti cand rotile sunt pe cale de a se bloca.
Puteti frana in viraj folosind ambele frane dar cu precautie. Aveti grija sa nu blocati vre-o roata
in special pe drumuri alunecoase.
Ramaneti in prima viteza cand sunteti oprit ca sa puteti degaja repede daca este necesar.
Mentineti cel putin o frana ferma in timp ce suntei oprit in caz ca ambreiajul se elibereaza din
gresala.
Niciodata nu circulati cu frana partial aplicata. Acest lucru este semnalizat de stopul de frana
care poate induce in eroare alti soferi, de asemenea cauzeaza uzura franelor.
Este important ca sa fiti atenti la ce este in spatele vostru verificand des oglinzile retrovizoare.
Lasati spatiu suficient intre voi si cel din fata, cel putin doua secunde. Nu numai ca va ajuta sa
evitati o coliziune cu cel din fata, dar va permite sa circulati mai lin si linistit fara opriri bruste.
Pentru frane de urgenta folositi ambele frane cu efort maxim dar fara a bloca rotile. Supra-
franarea unei roti sau a ambelor cauzeaza de obicei o derapare.
Franati cu frana fata complet. Daca se blockeaza, lasati frana imediat. In acelasi timp apasati
frana spate. Daca in mod accidental se blocheaza, lasati-o blocata pana ati oprit complet. Daca
motocicleta este verticala si va deplasati in linie dreapta puteti inca sa o controlati, chiar daca
roata spate se blocheaza. Daca derapajul este cauzat de supra-accelerare slabiti acceleratia.
Virati in directia in care doriti ca fata motocicletei sa se deplaseze.
Evitati franele bruste pe nisip sau griblura, drumuri alunecoasa, marcaje vopsite, suprafete
metalice, drumuri ude, in special in primele minute de ploaie.

DERAPAJELE
Cele mai multe derapaje sunt cauzate de o eroare de pilotaj:
Virajul prea brusc sau la o viteza prea mare
Franarea prea puternica, de obicei pe roata din spate.
Accelerarea prea rapida.

Erorile motociclistului sunt agravate de conditiile de drum proaste cum ar fi suprafetele
alunecoase, griblura sau nisipul. Cel mai bun mod de a iesi dintr-un derapaj este de a nu intra in
derapaj. Anticipati astfel sa nu fiti nevoiti sa faceti miscari rapide. Daca nu sunteti familiar cu
drumul, conduceti incet. Daca intrati in derapaj, nu va panicati. Daca manevrati corect veti putea
sa iesiti din dificultate.
Cand apare un mic derapaj la roata spate cauzat de supra-franare, poate fi corectat virand in
directia derapajului si lasand usor frana. Metoda este explicata in sectiunea precedenta "Franarea
si oprirea".
PARCAREA
Parcati unde este sigur si legal. Semnele, marcajele si bunul simt va vor spune unde puteti parca.
Motocicleta poate avea un suport central, un suport lateral, sau abele. De obicei sunt manevrate
de pe partea stanga. Ar trebui sa va obisnuiti sa descalecati pe partea stanga. Cand parasiti
motocicleta asigurati-va ca este cuplata viteza intai, roata fata este blocata si cheia de contact nu
este in contact. Evitati parcarea motocicletei in panta.
CAPITOLUL 3 - Drumul si pozitia in trafic
Multi automobilisti nu se asteapta, sau nu vad, motocicletele care se afla pe aceeasi banda cu ei.
Desi un accident ar fi din vina lor, asta nu-l ajuta pe motociclist care, in mai toate cazurile, va
sfarsi cel mai vatamat din accident.
Protejati-va! Faceti-va vazuti!
PE UNDE SA CIRCULAM IN TRAFIC
Una dintre cele mai bune metode pentru a va face vazuti este a sti sa adoptati o pozitie corecta pe
drum in fiecare situatie. Deoarece nu exista o pozitie universala in continuare sunt cateva sfaturi:
Mentinerea spatiului-tampon
- Folositi oglinzile pentru a tine evidenta vehiculelor care deja stiti ca se afla in spatele vostru.
Daca stati prea aproape de cel din fata, soferii care vin din contrasens nu va pot vedea.
- Evitati sa ramaneti langa orice vehicule in miscare. Ele pot sa schimba banda de mers brusc si
sa intre pe banda voastra.
? Pastrati distanta. Cu cat rulati mai aproape de vehiculul din fata, cu atat mai mare este riscul
pentru voi. Cea mai buna protectie este distanta intre voi si ceilalti. Distanta are trei avantaje:
Timp de reactie astfel incat sa nu loviti nimic sau pe nimeni
Spatiu de manevra in caz de neprevazut.
Se evita oririle bruste care va pot cauza o accidentare din spate
- Pastrati cel putin doua secunde in spatele vehiculului din fata. La viteze mai mari, sau cand
conditiile de drum nu sunt favorabile, pastrati o distanta chiar mai mare.
- Daca vehiculul din spatele vostru sta prea aproape, mariti distanta fata de cel din fata, pentru a
putea opri gradual si a evita o coliziune din spate.

- Amintiti-va ca limitele de viteza sunt date ca viteze maxime. Daca conditiile nu sunt ideale,
incetiniti.
- Conducatorii experimentati stiu ca trebuie sa-si ajusteze constant pozitia pe banda, in functie de
conditiile de trafic. Partea stanga a benzii este des recomandata ca fiind cea mai buna deoarece:
Evitati petele de ulei scurs de la alte autovehicule formate in centrul benzii de mers.
Vedeti traficul in fata.
Cei care vin din fata va pot vedea mai usor.
Folositi toata banda care vi se cuvine, descurajand automobilistii care incearca sa intre pe
aceeasi banda.
Puteti vedea mai mult din intersectiile de pe partea dreapta, si puteti fi vazut de acolo.
Acestea sunt avantajele in mare parte a timpului, dar sunt multe situatii cand este mai intelept sa
folositit partea centrala sau dreapta a benzii de mers, pentru a mari spatiul-tampon.
- Cand sunteti in spatele unui alt vehicul, stati in afara unghiului mort al soferului. Stati intr-un
loc in care puteti fi vazut clar in oglinzile retrovizoare a celui din fata. Pastrati distanta ca sa fiti
vazut mai bine. In acest fel aveti mai mult timp de reactie in cazuri neprevazute, cum ar fi gropi
sau obstacole. Fiti pregatiti sa folositi claxonul daca este necesar pentru a-i face pe ceilalti
constienti de prezenta voastra.
- Intotdeauna presupuneti ca ceilalti soferi din jurul vostru nu stiu ca sunteti acolo. Incercati sa
prevedeti ce intentioneaza ceilalti soferi, si planuiti cum ii veti evita.
- Rulati intr-o pozitie care stabileste clar spatiul vostru. Nu megeti pe centrul benzii sau pe langa
trotuar deoarece poate tenta pe ceilalti soferi sa intre pe banda langa voi.
- Nu incercati sa mergeti pe langa alte vehicule, nici macar sa intrati printre linii cand traficul e
oprit. Ceilalti nu se asteapta si puteti fi ranit grav.

- Fiti foarte precaut cand conduceti langa trafic de pe alta banda. Se poate sa nu fiti vazut si alt
sofer poate face o schimbare brusca si sa intra pe banda voastra. Asigurati-va ca sunteti acolo
unde ceilalti au cele mai mari sanse sa va vada. Nu stati in unghiul mort al celorlalti soferi.

- Nu incercati sa depasiiti fara trecerea liniei din mijloc, inghesuind vehiculul depasit pe aceeasi
banda.
INTERSECTIILE
Majoritatea coliziunilor implicand motociclete se intampa la intersectii. Cele doua cauze
principale care duc la accidente in intersectii sunt:
- vehiculele car vin din fata vireaza la stanga (stanga lor) in fata unei motociclete;
- vehiculele care intra de pe o strada laterala.
Pentru a evita coliziunile:
- alocati-va un spatiu de manevra suficient;
- intotdeauna incetiniti cand va apropiati de o intersectie, chiar daca sunteti pe drum cu prioritate
si ceilalti trebuie sa va cedeze trecerea.
- fiti pregatitit sa opriti;
- intotdeauna verificati in oglinzile retrovizoare pentru a sti cat timp aveti fata de cel din spate;
- fiti pregatiti sa va mutati pe cealalta parte a benzii, care va va oferi mai mult spatiu.
Nu presupuneti ca ati fost vazut pana nu observati un semn de la sofer.
Daca vi se opreste motorul in mijlocul intersectiei si nu puteti porni, impingeti motocicleta in
afara traficului si in afara intersectiei. Porniti luminile de avarie.

Incetiniti si fiti pregatiti sa va pozitionati pe partea dreapta sau stanga a benzii, oricare va ofera
mai mult spatiu.
Daca un sofer din fata vrea sa vireze stanga, incetiniti si mutati-va pe partea dreapta a benzii.
Daca un vehicul poate intra pe banda voastra, presupuneti ca va intra!

Daca un autovehicul este pe cale sa intre din partea dreapta a intersectiei, mutati-va pe partea
stanga a benzii si fiti pregatit sa opriti. Daca un vehicul poate intra pe banda voastra, presupuneti
ca va intra!

Daca sunt autovehicule care vor sa intre in intersectie din ambele parti, stati pe partea stanga a
benzii. Fiti pregatit sa opriti! Daca un vehicul poate intra pe banda voastra, presupuneti ca va
intra!

SCHIMBAREA BENZILOR
Exista intotdeauna un risc cand se schimba benzile si este in functie de voi daca se face in
siguranta. Evitati schimbarile care nu sunt necesare. Nu faceti slalom printe benzi ("don't be a
lane hopper"). Cele cateva secunde castigate prin slalom nu merita riscul. Planuiti inainte traseul
astfel incat sa nu fiti nevoiti sa schimbati brusc banda.
Cand schimbati banda de mers:
asigurat-va ca schimbarea benzii este permisa;
verificati traficul din fata si folositi oglinzile pentru a verifica traficul din spate;
deoarece oglinzile au puncte moarte, intotdeauna aruncati-va o privire scurta peste umarul de
langa banda pe care ma mutati;
semnalizati corespunzator;
uitati-va din nou, si daca e sigur, faceti schimbarea de banda

Incetiniti cand sunteti depasiti, dar nu treceti imediat pe partea dreapta deoarece il puteti incuraja
pe celalalt sofer sa incerce sa intre langa voi pe aceeasi banda. Odata ce vehiculul a inceput
depasirea, fiti pregaitit sa incetiniti si sa va mutati spre dreapta daca e necesar. Reluati-va pozitia
pe banda dupa depasire.

CAND SUNTETI DEPASIT
Cooperati daca cineva va depaseste. Este ilegal si periculos sa mariti viteza daca sunteti depasit.
Incetiniti, daca este necesar, pentru a va asigura ca cel care va depaseste are suficient spatiu
pentru a reveni in siguranta.
Fiti atent cand un vehicul mare vine din fata. Poate bloca un vant puternic sau poate cauza un
curent de atractie care va poate dezechilibra.

Cand va apropiati de un vehicul mare stati alertati si tineti mainile ferme pe ghidon. Mutati-va pe
partea dreapta a drumului si fiti pregatiti pentru turbulente sau schimbari ale vantului.
DEPASIREA
Depasirea altui vehicul pare usoara dar intotdeauna este un risc implicat. Nu depasiti decat daca
este necesar. Intrebati-va: "Ce castig?". Daca este necesar totusi sa depasiti, asigurati-va ca
sunteti intr-o zona in care depasirea e legala si sigura.
Nu depasiti:
in varf de panta;
in intersectii;
la trecere cu calea ferata;
in curba sau in alt loc in care nu aveti vizibilitate;
pe benzile de refugiu/trotuar ("on the shoulder of the road");
cand traficul din fata incetineste pentru un motiv necunoscut.
cand vehiculul din fata a oprit pentru un pieton.

Cand depasiti:
verificati oglinda retrovizoare;
intotdeauna aruncati o privire scurta peste umarul de langa banda in catre care va deplasati;
semnalizati;
uitati-va in fata pentru trafic din sens opus;
uitati-va peste umar inca o data, si daca este sigur, continuati.
Dupa ce ati depasit un vehicul asigurati-va ca este vizibil in oglinda retrovizoare, verificati peste
umar, semnalizati, lasati un spatiu-tampon suficient, si intrati inapoi pe banda de mers cand e
sigur.
Este ilegal sa depasiti viteza legala cand depasiti alt vehicul.
CAPITOLUL 4 - Transportul Pasagerilor
Nu ar trebui sa transportati pasageri pana nu capatati experienta in manevrarea motocicletei.
Greutatea in plus schimba modul in care motocicleta se manevreaza, modul in care vireaza,
accelereaza sau opreste. Sunteti legal responsabili pentru siguranta pasagerului.
Persoana din spate ar trebui sa stea cat mai in fata posibil fara sa va inghesuie.
Asigurati-va ca pasagerul intelege ca trebui sa stea nemiscat, in special cand manevrati
motocicleta.
Trebuie sa aveti un scaun adecvat si suporti de picioare adecvate, care sa-i permita pasagerului
sa sea in spatele vostru fara sa va incomodeze, sau sa va faca sa va mutati de pe pozitia normala.
Pasagerul trebuie sa poarte acelasi tip de echipemant de protectie ca si conducatorul
motocicletei (casca, protectie pentru ochi, costum, etc)
Asigurati-va ca pasagerul stie ce va asteptati de la el, inainte sa porniti.
Instruiti pasagerul sa nu coboare niciodata de pe motocicleta fara sa va intrebe in prealabil.
Pasagerul si conducatorul motocicletei sunt obligati de lege sa poarte casti de protectie
omologate.
Pasagerii care sunt in aceasta postura pentru prima data trebuie acomodati printr-o rulare la
viteze joase in conditii de trafic redus.
ADAPTAREA LA GREUTATEA PASAGERULUI
Pentru a va adapta la greutatea in plus a pasagerului, trebuie sa:
Conduceti cu viteze mai joase, in special in viraje, intersectii sau hopuri.
Incepeti incetinirea mai devreme dacat de obicei cand va apropiati de un stop.
Pastrati o distanta mai mare fata de cel din fata.
Cautati spatii largi cand traversati sau cand intrati in trafic.
Inainte sa faceti orice miscare, asigurati-va ca ati avertizat si pasagerul - pentru a evita
surprizele.

1. Miscarile bruste pot face ca motocicleta sa fie greu de controlat. Pasagerul intotdeauna trebuie
sa se miste cu voi: sa se incline inainte cand accelerati, sa se incline inapoi cand incetiniti, si sa
se incline intr-o parte cand virati. Asigurati-va ca pasagerul foloseste manerul de sustinere
corect.
2. Pentru a permite greutatea in plus a pasagerului, ajustati amortizoarele si verificati jocul la
lantul de transmisie finala.
3. Ambele picioare ale pasagerului trebuie sa stea pe suporti, chiar si cand sunteti opriti.
Esapamentele fierbinti sunt un mare rist pentru pasageri.
4. Numai voi, nu si pasagerul, trebuie sa semnalizeze cu mana.
5. Asigurati-va ca pasagerul poarte echipament de protectie adecvat (inclusiv casca).
Asigurati-va ca motocicleta voastra este construita pentru transportul pasagerilor. Consultati
manualul pentru a verifica daca trebuie ajustata presiunea in roti.
Pasagerul trebuie sa stea cat mai in fata posibil, dar fara a va inghesui. Asigurati-va ca pasagerul
stie ca trebuie sa stea nemiscat. Motocicleta voastra trebuie sa aiba o sa si suporti de picioare
pentru pasager.
CAPITOLUL 5 - Mersul in grup
Mersul in grup este acceptabil dar nu aveti drepturi speciale pe drum.
Alegeti un lider experimentat si puneti conducatorii neexperimentati in urma liderului.
Luati in considerare marimea grupului si limitati-o la patru-cinci motociclete. Daca aveti mai
multe decat atat, formati doua grupuri mai mici.
Niciodata nu rulati in paralel. Daca o faceti pe aceeasi banda este ilegal, si daca o faceti in benzi
separate poate incomoda traficul si poate limita abilitatea de manevra in caz de urgenta.
Folositi regula celor doua secunde fata de cel din fata. Pastrati o distanta suficienta intre
motociclete.
Planuiti in avans. Asigurati-va toata lumea cunoaste traseul. Lasati ultima motocicleta sa
stabileasca viteza. Nimeni nu trebuie sa se grabeasca pentru a tine pasul. Folositi oglinzile
retrovizoare pentru a supraveghea motocicleta din spatele vostru.

Orice grup de motociclete ruleaza cel mai bine in formatie zig-zag ("staggered"), cu liderul si
ultimul motociclist pe partea stanga a benzii.
Plasati motociclistii neexperimentati in spatele liderului - acolo e mai putin probabil sa incurce.
Folositi oglinzile retrovizoare si ajustati viteza in functie de cel din spatele vostru. Este cel mai
bun mod de a sta impreuna.
Capitolul 6 - Conducerea in conditii dificile
CONSTIENTIZAREA PERICOLELOR
Anticiparea este cea mai buna metoda de a evita o situatie periculoasa. Daca puteti recunoaste o
situatie periculoasa, va puteti pregati din timp planul de evitare. Stati cu atentia la maxim si
observati tot ce se intampla in jurul vostru, luati actiuni dupa necesitati. Cand observati un
potential pericol, incetiniti si planuiti actiunile care sa permita evitarea neprevazutului.
De exemplu, daca observati copii jucandu-se langa sosea, pregatiti-va sa actionati daca unul sare
in strada. Daca se apropie masini de o intersectie si una nu cedeaza trecerea, fiti pregatiti sa
reactionati. Invatati cum sa procedati cand auziti sirena unui tren in timp ce va apropiati de o
trecere la nivel cu calea ferata. Intelegeti ce inseamna pentru voi si pentru motociclete cand
drumul se schimba din asfalt in griblulara.
Sunt cazuri in care puteti pune viata altei persoane in pericol. Cand va planuiti actiunile, trebuie
sa luati in considerare atat evitarea pericolului cat si pericolele auxiliare care pot aparea din
cauza evitarii situatiei initiale. De exemplu, trebuie sa stiti cat de aproape de voi este masina din
spate atunci cand franati brusc. Trebuie sa stiti ce se petrece in toate directiile in jurul vostru.
CONDUCEREA PE TIMP DE NOAPTE
Cand conduceti noaptea riscul de a fi loviti creste foarte mult. Chiar si cu cele mai bune lumini,
nu puteti vedea clar, si nu puteti fi vazuti clar. Pentru a conduce in siguranta trebuie sa:
- Mergeti mai inceti decat ati face-o in timpul zilei
- Pastrati distanta mai mare fata de vehiculul din fata. In felul acesta va dati mai mult timp de
reactie. Pastrati o distanta de 3-4 secunde.
- Semnalizati mai devreme si franati mai devreme.
- Nu depasiti dacat daca este necesar.
- Fiti siguri ca puteti opri in timp util daca apare un obstacol in raza de actiune a farurilor. Nu
depasiti aceasta limita data de raza de actiune a farurilor.
- Stati in alerta. Totul este mai greu de observar pe timp de noapte. Daca va este somn, opriti-va.
- Pastrati-va ochelarii (goggles), viziera (face shield) si parbrizul (windshield ) curate. Daca sunt
tare zgariate inlocuiti-le. Pe timp de noapte folositi numai lentile clare, necolorate.
- Asigurati-ve ca sunteti vazuti. Stergeti-va farurile si reflectorizantele daca dunt murdare. Purtati
culori vii si deschise. Adaugati banda reflectorizanta in locurile in care ajuta cel mai mult. O
vesta reflectorizanta este ideala.
- Fiti atenti la animalele care pot sari in strada din santurile de pe marginea drumurilor. Uitati-va
de-a lungul drumului in departare pentru a observa miscarile animalelor si reflexia ochilor.

Pastrati-va ochelarii, viziera si parbrizul curate. Purtati vesta reflectorizanta.
CONDUCEREA PE VREME PROASTA
Fiti la fel de precauti si luati aceleasi masuri ca si la mersul pe timp de noapte. Cand aveti de a
face cu vremea proasta, aveti o mai mare grija la franare si accelerare.
Nu veti vedea prea multe motociclete pe drumuri de iarna. Este prea periculos si inconfortabil.
Ganditi-va de doua ori inainte sa conduceti pe vreme proasta.

Folositi faza scurta, deoarece faza lunga va orbeste (lumineaza zapada, fumul, etc din aer).
CONDUCEREA PE SUPRAFETE PERICULOASE
Suprafetele periculoase cum ar fi asfaltul ud, griblura, noroiul, mazga, zapada, poleiul, marcajele
vopsite de pe sosea, capacele metalice de canale trebuie evitate pe cat posibil. Daca totusi nu
puteti evita urmati urmatoarele sfaturi:
- Incetiniti.
- Tineti bratele si incheietura mainii lejere (loose) si picioarele pe suporti.
- Nu bruscati frenele, apasati usor si progresiv (use your brakes smoothly and gently)
- Evitati miscarile bruste. Trebuie sa virati, franati, accelerati si schimbati vitezele cat mai
gradual si mai putin posibil.
- Debreiati usor si pregresiv.

Impuritatile (praf, nisip, griblura) pe asfalt sunt la fel de periculoase ca si un drum alunecos.
- Incetiniti si conduceti cu grija. Griblura si nisipul pot fi mai putin periculoase daca reduceti
viteza.
- Tineti mainile relaxate dar ferme pe ghidon.
- Daca roata din fata derapeaza(weaves), un pic lasati-o. Tineti bratele si incheieturile flexate,
picioarele pe suporti.
- Evitati opririle rapide pe cat posibil.
Cand traversati o denivelare, incercati sa abordati obstacolul (head on) daca este posibil. Unele
suprafete cum ar fi capetele de pod, capacele de santuri, sunt facute din grilaje metalice.
Motocicleta va vibra si va "dansa" (wander) in timp ce traversati grilajul. Nu strangeti ghidonul.
In mod normal nu este periculor daca incetiniti inainte de obstacol si mentineti o viteza
constanta.
Atentie: Uleiul scurs din masini si camioane in mod normal se strange in centrul benzii de
circulatie. Pentru a evita situatiile periculoase, circulati pe banda lasata de rotile din stanga ale
celorlalte vehicule, si fiti precauti. Cand traversati caile ferate care nu sunt perpendiculare cu
sosea este bine sa incetiniti inainte si sa le traversati trecand drept in fata.

CAPITOLUL 7 - Urgente in timpul mersului
EVITAREA OBSTACOLELOR
O oprire de urgenta poate sa nu fie suficienta pentru a evita lovirea unui obstacol aparut in calea
voastra. Daca o bucata de moloz sau o groapa apare brusc in calea voastra, uneori singurul mod
de evitare este de a face un viraj rapid.
Secretul unui viraj rapid este de inclina motocileta rapid in directia in care vreti sa virati. Pentru a
inclina motocicleta, contra-virati (contra-virarea inseamna sa virezi intr-o directie pentru a
trimite motocicleta in directie opusa). Daca vreti sa faceti dreapta, impingeti ghidonul cu mana
dreapta, si invers. Aceasta va face roata din fata sa se miste un pic catre stanga. Rezultatul este o
inclinare spre drepta.
In timp ce motocicleta incepe sa se incline, puteti sa intoarceti ghidonul in directia in care se
inclina, pentru a evita cazatura.

TRECEREA PESTE OBSTACOLE
Uneori nu aveti incotro si trebuie sa treceti peste un obiect pe care l-ati vazut prea tarziu sa mai
puteti vira. In aceasta situatie, regulile de baza care trebuie urmate sunt:
Tineti miinile relaxate, dar ferme pe ghidon.
Mentineti o trasa dreapta.
Ridicati-va un pic pe suporti.
Lasati-va greutatea pe spate.
Accelerati usor cand roata din fata ajunge la obiect.
Incetiniti si lasati-va in fata cand treceti peste obiect.
Reveniti la pozitia si viteza normale.

OPRIRILE BRUSTE
Daca trebuie sa va opriti brusc:
Tineti motocicleta verticala si in linie dreapta cu ghidonul drept.
Folositi fiecare frana cat de tare puteti, dar fara a bloca vreo roata.
Daca roata se blocheaza si derapeaza, poate aluneca intr-o parte facand motocicleta greu de
controlat.
Daca trebuie sa franati cu roata din fata rotita, faceti-o gradual. Accentuati mai mult pe frana
spate.
Trebuie sa exersati pentru a stii cat de tare puteti frana fara sa blocati roata si sa derapati:
In situatii de urgenta, folositi ambele frane la maxim. Chiar daca rotile se blocheaza, poate nu
aveti alta optiune.
Aminiti-va, daca luati picioarele de pe suporti pentru balansare, numai frana fata ramane activa.

1. Verificati oglinzile. Daca cineva este in spate aproade voi, incercati sa continuati sa va miscati
(daca puteti) pentru a nu fi loviti din spate.
2. Se poate sa puteti vira la dreapta daca conditile o permit. Nu franati in timp ce virati.
3. Greutatea se muta in fata in timp ce frantati, iar frana fata este in special puternica. Folositi-o
bine, dar respectati-o. Aproate 75% din capacitatea de franare este pe frana fata.
EXPLOZIILE DE CAUCIUC (PENELE)
Daca faceti pana/explozie, trebuie sa reactionati rapid sa va pastrati balansul. Nu puteti auzi
intotdeauna o explozie, dar trebuie sa detectati pana din modul in care motocicleta reactioneaza.
O pana pe fata este mai periculoasa deoarece afecteaza la virare. Daca roata fata face pana, se va
simti ca virarea este mai grea. Daca roata spate face pana, spatele motocicletei va avea tendinta
sa se miste dintr-o parte in alta.

Daca roata din spate explodeaza, pastrati-va pozitia pe motocicleta. Nu franati. Mai bine lasati
accelearatia. Cand ati incetinit destul, iestiti de pe partea circulata a drumului si folositi frana fata
cu grija, pana la oprire.

Daca roata fata explodeaza, tineti-va bine si incercati sa indreaptati ghidonul, mutati-va greutatea
spre spate. Din nou, nu franati, dar lasati acceleratia. Cand ati incetinit destul, iesiti de pe partea
circulata a drumului si folositi frana spate pana la oprire.
BLOCAREA ACCELERATIEI
O acceleratie blocata necesita gandire rapida. Daca acceleratia este larg deschisa, folositi
impreuna contactul de oprire a motorului si ambreiajul, urmand o franare. Daca se blocheaza
intr-o pozitie normala, uitati-va dupa un loc sigur pentru oprire, semnalizati intentia, iar dupa ce
ati ajuns intr-un loc sigur, folositi impreuna contactul de oprire a motorului si ambreiajul. Apoi
folositi franele.
VOBLAJUL
Cand rulati la viteze mari, dintr-o data roata din fata poate sa inceapa sa vobleze sau sa tremure dintr-o
parte in alta. Singurul lucru care-l puteti face este sa faceti fata situatiei.
Nu franati.
Tineti ghidonul ferm, dar nu incercati sa opriti tremuratul.
Inchideti acceleratia gradual si iesiti de pe carosabil cat de repede puteti.
Daca incercati sa accelerati in voblaj, doar veti inrautati situatia.
Cauzele tipice pentru voblaj sunt: presiunea inegala in roti, roti nealiniate sau inclinate, spite
slabite, parbriz montat prost, transmisie proasta, viteza prea mare pentru designul motocicletei.
OBIECTE ZBURATOARE
Un motociclist poate fi lovit de asemenea obiecte, cum ar fi insectele, pietre aruncate de alte
vehicule. Rezultatul, presupunand ca nu aveti protectie pentru fata, poate varia de la
obstructionarea vizibilitatii la dureri mari sau orbire temporara.
Orice s-ar intampla, concentrati-va sa controlati motocicleta si sa ramaneti pe drum. Cat mai
repede posibil, cand e sigur, iesiti de pe partea carosabila si rezolvati problema.
Niciodata nu incercati sa rezolvati problema cand sunteti in trafic. Aveti nevoie de ambele miini
si de toata concentrarea pentru a rezolva alte probleme care pot aparea. Este mai bine sa faceti un
singur lucru odata.

CAPITOLUL 8 - Rezumat
Invatati sa conduceti motocicleta cum trebuie. Indreptati-va atentia catre un curs profesional.
Un numar mare de accidente se intampla motociclistilor cu doar cateva luni de experienta.
Capatati experienta in cele mai bune conditii si in trafic redus.
Un motociclist se supune acelorasi reguli ca si alti participanti la trafic.
Farul motocicletei trebuie sa fie pornit in tot timpul in care conduceti.
Supra-franarea unei roti sau a ambelor este cea mai intalnita cauza a derapajului. Daca roata din
fata se blocheaza, dati drumul la frana fata imediat. Daca roata spate se blocheaza, lasati-o
blocata. Daca derapajul este din cauza supra-acceleratiei, lasati acceleratia. Virati incet in
directia in care vreti sa va indreptati cu fata motocicletei.
Fiti atenti la nisip, griblura, sau lichide scurse pe asfalt. Acestea pot fi periculoase, cauzand
pierderea controlului. Incetiniti si apucati ghidonul cu fermitate.
Mentineti-va pozitia in banda de mers. Nu taiati calea celorlalti participanti la trafic. Pastrati o
distanta corespunzatoare folosind regula celor doua secunde.
Intotdeauna aruncati o privire scurta peste umar inainte sa schimbati banda de mers.
Folositi-va ochii si oglinzile pentru a stii unde sunt si ce fac ceilalti soferi.
Intotdeauna semnalizati-va intentiile cu mult in avans.
Cand sunteti in miscare, genunchii trebuie tinuti langa rezervor.
Nu supra-incarcati motocicleta. Consultati manualul de utilizare pentru detalii si informatii
suplimentare.
Protejati-va de vreme. Imbracati-va corespunzator si folositi casti omologate pentru voi si
pasager.
Un parbriz, ochelari sau viziera ofera protectie si merita investitia.
Nu conduceti prea mult intr-o zi. Faceti pauze dese pentru odihna. Exercitiile de intindere
inainte de cursa si in timpul pauzelor va vor tine in forma.
Faceti-va vizibili si conduceti in defensiva.Conduceti ca si cand ceilalti nu v-au vazut.
Cand conduceti cu vant lateral puternic, fiti pregatiti pentru o schimbare brusca a intensitatii
vantului.
Evitati pe cat posibil mersul cand drumul este inghetat, ud sau alunecos.
Priviti si planuiti dinainte. Nu va lasati luati prin surprindere.
Folositi un manometru zilnic. Mentineti presiunea in roti la valoarea recomandata de
producatorul motocicletei. Faceti verificarea cand cauciucurile sunt reci.

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