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Tips to improve your riding

FROM MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWSBY DAVID L HOUGH • AUTHOR OF PROFICIENT MOTORCYCLING

Part 2Excerpts From

FROM MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWSBY DAVID L HOUGH • AUTHOR OF PROFICIENT MOTORCYCLING

1

You’re headed for the Sundaybreakfast meeting, running a littlelate, but a quick transit on thefreeway will get you there in time.The sun is just starting to warm theair and dry the morning dew off thepavement. Rounding the freewayon-ramp, you lean the bike into thecurve, roll on the gas to accelerateto freeway speed, and turn yourhead to watch for traffic. You catcha brief whiff of petroleum in theair, but your attention is focusedon merging onto the freeway. Youdon’t see any traffic, so youcontinue to accelerate.

Suddenly the big tourer slipssideways. The tires aren’thowling, just sliding, as if someinvisible hand had shoved the bikesideways. Then, just as suddenly,the tires regain traction, and youfight for control as the bike snapsviolently from side to side. Rollingoff the gas, you drift over to theshoulder and stop, your handsshaking from the near-disaster. Youexpect to find a flat tire. Butapparently there’s nothing wrongwith the bike. Then you smellpetroleum again, and realize there’sa slippery liquid on your tires.Looking back at the on-ramp, younow see the oily sheen of spilleddiesel oil seeping downhill from thecenter of the lane. You had doneeverything right except scrutinizethe road surface.

Oily OnSpilled Diesel Oil Is a Major Surface Hazard for Motorcyclists

While it is important to checkfor traffic before merging, it’salso important to maintain yourawareness of road surfacehazards. On-ramps are notoriousfor fuel spills because fluids tendto spill from full tanks as vehiclesround the tight turns. An odor ofpetroleum is an important clueyou shouldn’t ignore. You canusually see a slightly darker coloron the road or a rainbow-coloredsheen of spilled oil. Since liquidstend to seep downhill, oneprecaution is to favor the uphillwheel track and avoid the centerof the lane whenever you suspect a spill.

It’s Saturday—a great dayfor a ride with your friends.You’ve headed out in a groupto “strafe some canyons,”and you’re confident yournew machine has enoughpower for you to keep up withyour companions. You don’twant to be seen as a slowrider. The other guys arepushing fast, however, andyou have to struggle to keepup, accelerating hard in theshort straights and riding thebrakes deep into the tightcorners. When your tirestwitch nervously in the tighterturns, you’re convinced thatyou’re riding about as fast asyou can, yet the others areleaving you behind.

Halfway around a tight right-hander, the bike seems to have amind of its own, refusing to turn astightly as it should. You’re trying tostay in the middle of your lane, butthe front wheel drifts across thecenterline. You instinctively roll the

throttle closed and apply the brakes.The bike seems to squat and drifteven wider, and you can’t avoidrunning off the pavement into afield. Luckily, there wasn’t a carcoming around the corner at thatmoment.

Deep TroubleRunning Wide Is a Clue Your Cornering

Skills Need an Upgrade

Crossing the centerline may seem to be a result of riding quickly,but the real culprit is your cornering technique. Use the wholelane—not just the center—to maximize traction. Approaching aright-handed turn, get the bike way over toward the centerline, useboth brakes to decelerate, then get off the brakes before you leanover. Swivel your head around toward the direction you want to go,push on the right grip to lean right, and roll on a little throttle to pullthe machine around the curve. Consider practicing your corneringtechniques by yourself before joining the next group ride.

2

You’re out for a spin on a sunnyafternoon. You head for your favoritescenic backroad, eager to get awayfrom traffic and have a spirited ridethrough the countryside. You knowthat riding in the city is dangerousfor motorcyclists, so you watch thestreet far ahead to spot potential left-turners, and scrutinize drivewaysand alleyways for hidden cars aboutto pull out. It’s a relief to finally getfaraway and be able to concentrateon the curves.

You discover, however, that thepavement has taken a beating overthe winter, and you have toconstantly dodge grooves andpotholes. You’re also surprised tofind so many other vehicles on theroad. A lot of other sightseersapparently had the same idea youhad. There isn’t a lot of distancebetween curves for passing, but by

closing up your followingdistance at the exits of corners,you can pass the gawkersquickly if there’s no oncomingtraffic. At the moment, you’reanxious to get around the slow-moving minivan ahead, so you

move up close, shift down toprepare for a quick pass, and focus

on the oncoming lane as it comesinto view.

Suddenly, your front wheelswerves to the right, and youinstinctively wrestle the handlebarstoward the left. Before you canrecover balance, the bike smashesonto its left side, and you slam intothe pavement. You can’t believe thattwo seconds ago you were in controlof the bike, and now you’re slidingdown the asphalt. Apparently, yourfront tire locked onto the edge of apavement groove, and you lostcontrol of balance.

Groovy SurprisesA Pavement Groove Can Instantly Wrest Balance Out of Your Control

It is smart to watch fortraffic and avoid passing untilyou can see there is no oncomingtraffic, but whether in citytraffic or on the backroads, youmust always maintain yourawareness of surface hazards.If you observe that a road is inneed of repair, you should keepsome distance between you andthe car in front of you—even ifit’s a slow mover—to maintainyour view of the road surface.

3

You’ve taken the bike down tothe hardware store for a deepsocket, and it’s only five miles homeon the superslab. Saturday morningtraffic is heavy but moving along ata good pace, and you’re thinkingabout getting that oil pressuresender replaced now that you’ve gotthe right tool. You notice a compactcar towing a trailer with a heavyhard tractor. The trailer and its loadappear too large for the small car,and you watch with alarm as the rigsways ahead of you.

Suddenly, just where thefreeway curves, the car snapsleft, the trailer jackknifes, andboth overturn, spitting out theyard tractor. An instant later,drivers around you brake andscatter, their tires smoking. Youquickly reach for the front brakeand squeeze progressively withall four fingers to allow theweight to transfer forwardbefore applying maximumfront brake. Simultaneously,you step down hard on the rearbrake pedal, but in the panic youpush down too hard, and the rearend slides sideways in the curve.Your survival reaction takes over,and your right foot lets up on thepedal. In a split second, the rear tiregrabs the pavement again, snappingthe rear end back toward the centerso violently that the bike flips.You’re catapulted off the bike, which

tumbles down the pavement behindyou. Miraculously, you slide to a stopwithout getting run over, and yoursmart decision to wear your leatherseven on a short trip pays off.

Deciding to do a quick stop wassmart, too, and your technique tobrake progressively helped prevent afront-wheel slideout. Overbraking onthe rear should not have preventedyou from stopping effectively, evenwith the rear end sliding sideways. Itwas your survival reaction to let upon the rear brake that caused theviolent high side flip.

4High SidingIn a Panic Stop, Overcooking Then Popping

the Rear Brake Can Send You Flying

While freeways arestatistically less hazardous thanarterial streets, freeway accidentscan occur with little warning, andtypically involve chain reactions. Ifyou observe a swaying trailerahead, you should take immediateaction to separate yourself fromthe problem, not simply watch and wait for the problem to turninto a disaster.

5

It’s Saturday morning, and youcan’t wait to get the bike out for aride. The sun is shining, the sky isblue, and the air is calm and warm.It’s a perfect day to go exploring thefoothills, before tomorrow’s stormfront blows in from the west.

By noon, you’re miles fromhome and a little surprised that darkclouds are starting to move insooner than the forecast hadpredicted. When you see raindropsstarting to dampen the restaurantparking lot, you reluctantly decideto cut the ride short and head homebefore the streets get really wet.

Taking a more direct routealong an urban arterial, you can’tbelieve how slippery the road is insuch a light rain. When you stopfor a red light, you’re shockedwhen both tires begin to slide,

and you barely manage to keepthe bike upright as it finally stopshalfway into the crosswalk. By thetime you turn into your driveway,the slick streets have you reallyparanoid.

Road GorpA Little Rainwater on the Road Turns the Surface into a Slippery Mess

City streets are extremelyslippery during the first fewminutes of a fresh rain, as the accumulated “road gorp”emulsifies with water. It takesabout a half hour of steadydownpour to completely wash theaccumulated oil off the pavement.Increasing your speed alsodemands more traction at a timewhen traction is poor. Ratherthan try to hurry home, the safertactic is to stop for a leisurelylunch and allow time for the rainto wash the road surface.

You’re out for an early ride inthe country, away from the hasslesof traffic. The narrow backroad onwhich you travel passes farms andcurves through a shady forest.You’re aware of the hazards ofbackroads, such as loose gravel andwet leaves, so for this ride you’rewearing your most protective ridinggear: leathers, gloves, and full-coverage helmet. And you plan tokeep the gear on even when the sunbegins to warm the air.

You settle into a comfortablyaggressive ride, slowing only forlocations where there are narrowbridges and many hidden driveways.When you enter a deer migrationarea, you maintain speed, but watchcarefully for wild deer alongside the road.

Suddenly, as you round a tightturn, you see a brown shape in theleft ditch—perhaps a log or a soggycardboard box. But a second later,the brown shape raises its head, andyou instantly recognize the tall ears

of a deer. But the deer justcontinues to stand theremunching, so you assumeyou can cruise by withoutany evasive action.

But a second or twobefore you pass, the deer springs into action,scrambling onto thepavement directly in frontof you. You attempt to

brake and swerve, but the deer dartsone way and then the other, and youcan’t avoid a collision that knocksboth you and the deer to thepavement. Fortunately, neither ofyou is seriously hurt. The deerclatters away, leaving you to surveythe damage to your bike. You silentlycongratulate yourself for wearingyour leathers today.

Bounding BambisIn Deer Country, a Smart Rider Is Prepared

for a Quick Stop

The reason for deer signs isthat there is a history of numerousdeer strikes in that area. So whenyou enter a deer zone, you shouldexpect to encounter wild deergrazing alongside or leapingacross the road. Deer typicallyspring into action as a vehicle getsclose. The best tactic for avoiding adeer strike is to be prepared for aquick stop. If you see a deer next tothe road you should immediatelybrake, especially if the deer isfacing the road and, therefore,most likely to leap in yourdirection.

6

You’re on a quiet two-lanehighway in forest country, enjoyinga relaxed July ride. There are signsthat deer are present, so youcontinue to watch the sides of theroad. You also know that loggingtrucks come roaring through, so youcheck your mirrors occasionally.And when you do see an emptylogging truck gaining on you rapidly,you move over into a convenientslower-traffic lane to let the truckerby. Suddenly your tires bump downover a steep pavement edge, andyou realize the left lane has justbeen repaved. At the end of thatlane, you gradually ease backtoward the left, but when your frontwheel hits the edge of the newpavement, the handlebars aresuddenly yanked from your grasp,and the bike slams over onto its leftside in a shower of broken plastic.

Fortunately, your decision towear your leathers today paid off inlimiting your injuries to bruises, and

the bike is still operable, but youcan’t believe how quickly you lostcontrol of balance.

Edgy AttitudeThose Steep Edges of New Pavement Can Be Your Downfall

While it is wise to let fastermoving traffic go by, you shouldbe more aware of the roadsurface before changing lanes.Even though there may not be anywarning signs of an edge trap, thedifference in color and texture ofthe new and old paving is a clue.You should expect hazardousedge traps wherever highwayrepaving is in progress. Steeppavement edges can trap the front tire of a two-wheeler andmake it very difficult to maintainbalance if you approach at anarrow angle. To bounce the front wheel up and over suchedge traps without falling, it isessential to move away from theedge and then swing back at awider angle—preferably at least45 degrees.

7

Most of the time you ride byyourself, but one of yourcoworkers has expressed aninterest in motorcycling,and you’ve agreed totake her for a Sundayafternoon ride. Youprovide the ridinggear, including ahelmet that fits properly, ariding jacket,and leathergloves. You alsoexplain what toexpect on the ride,and take it easy for thefirst hour to allow her to getcomfortable gradually. Now thatyour passenger has relaxed and isenjoying the ride, you graduallyincrease speed, carving throughthe corners on this shadybackroad.

Up ahead you observe a deergrazing alongside the road. As youget closer, the deer raises its headand suddenly leaps out of the ditchinto your path. You reach for thefront brake and attempt a quickstop. But as you brake harder, yourpassenger slams into your back, andyou realize you can’t brake as hardas you need to without beingpushed up onto the tank. Youmanage to miss the deer by inches,but the experience still leaves youshaking and your passengerfrightened.

8Pushy PassengersChange Your Riding Techniques

When Carrying a Passenger

Although it is smart toprovide proper riding gear andgive a new passenger time toadapt to a motorcycle, you alsoshould realize that extra weightaffects performance, includingyour ability to make a quick stop. If you’re carrying a newpassenger, it’s a good idea to ridemore conservatively for the entiretrip. And if you do spot a deer onyour ride, you should immediatelyapply the brakes instead ofwaiting until the situation turnsinto a panic. Remember that witha passenger you can use morerear brake than when riding solobecause there’s more weight onthe rear tire. But you should stillplan for longer stopping distanceswhen carrying a passenger.

9

You’ve been out for a Sundayride with some buddies, cruisingthe backroads on your sportbikes.It was a great day except for athunderstorm that blew throughan hour ago. Now the ride is over,you said, “See you around,” at thelast coffee stop, and you’reheading home. There’s stillenough daylight to wash the bikeand lube the chain before puttingit away.

Two blocksfrom home,you’re brakingto make a leftturn when thebike suddenlystarts to fishtail.The rear endslides out to theright, and thenwhips left andback again, andwhile you’restill fighting forbalance, thebike slams onto

its side. You aren’t hurt, but yourfairing is scuffed and the left-sideturn signals are dangling. It’s astruggle to pick up your bike, and you realize the surface is coated in slippery clay. As you lookaround, you see a trail of claytracked out onto the pavement froma nearby construction site. Thethundershower earlier had turned itslippery, especially over the plasticlane markings.

Macadam MuddlesThe Key to Identifying Surface Hazards IsObserving Changes in Color or Texture

Just because your group ride is over doesn’t mean your ride is finished.You need to keep your head in your ride in progress until you get home,rather than allowing yourself to get sidetracked by future issues, such asmaintenance. You need to always scrutinize the pavement ahead so you canobserve a different color and surface texture, and notice such things asslippery clay tracked over the street’s shiny plastic letters and arrow.

Once you are aware of a hazard, you can maintain traction bypositioning your tires to the left or right of the white plastic surfacemarkings, braking earlier and more gently, and squeezing the clutch tobetter control rear-wheel braking.

Permission for these excerpts from Street Strategies ©2001 given by Bowtie Press.

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