My Contribution.... I belong to alot of forums, and have alot of experience, both years and miles. I'm by no means an expert, but I feel I've gotten pretty good at what I do.
I thought that this might be a good spot to share one of the tips I give to riders who are trying to improve their riding, so here goes:
EVERY ride should be spent working on technique. You should read and study all you can (I recommend Keith Codes' Twist of the wrist II).
When you get on the bike you should have ONE technique in mind that you need to work on - Looking through the corner, keeping your head up, body position, scanning with your eyes, relaxing your grip on the bars, smooth throttle control, etc, etc..
Work on that technique for that ride, and as many rides as it takes to make it second nature, then shift to another technique till it's second nature, etc..
No matter how long you've ridden and how confident you feel, know what your weakest point is and be working on it for the next ride. A ride that you're not working on is a wasted ride.
Sometimes riders get caught up trying to ride someone else's ride, or trying to work on 4 different things at once, then get frustrated by lack of improvement, when all they really need to do is work on ONE technique at a time and they will find overall improvement and understanding through that one at a time method, and eventually find huge gains overall without getting themselves in too deep and while feeling the success of getting better.
Think in your mind right now about what single technique you'll work on with that next ride, and make a habit of it...
Buy it, read it, mark the pages, make notes in the margins. I have been riding for 30 years and this book helped me concentrate on improving weak points I didn't think I had and helped me understand why we do some of the things we do without thinking while we ride.
Next weekend I'm actually heading up to SLO, CA, if the weather is good, to meet a college friend and do some rides. I posted a "hello" thread a few days ago and got a lot of good routes to take while I'm in the area. I may even get in a ride with Rob as I go through his area.
Thanks for both tips. I know both of those, keep arms loose and eyes looking ahead and not right in front of you, but can always do those better. One I should probably work on is a lower entry speed. It's not that I go into turns too fast for the bikes capability, it's just that I probably go in to them too fast sometimes for my own comfort level (wich isn't all that fast right now). I'm used to riding a mtn bike where I want to maintain as much momentom a possible.
Location: Santa Maria, CA Otherwise known as heaven on earth.
Posts: 1,797
Quote:
Originally Posted by lmtdgov
what's this last preiodic ride?
Next weekend I'm actually heading up to SLO, CA, if the weather is good, to meet a college friend and do some rides. I posted a "hello" thread a few days ago and got a lot of good routes to take while I'm in the area. I may even get in a ride with Rob as I go through his area.
If you are coming up the 101 freeway on Sunday and are going by Calabasas before / around 10:00, exit at Las Virgenes, go over the freeway and turn right onto Agoura road. We meet in the Albertsons parking lot (behind the McDonald's) for the group rides in my area. If you are on a tight schedule you can go on part of the ride then peel off to PCH or the 101. Just let me know your time constraints and I can adjust the route to suit. (It's good to be the leader!)
If, however, you will be rolling through on Saturday I'd be happy to give you a personal guided tour of as long or short a duration as you wish. It would mean I'd have to ride the same roads two days in a row, but I'm willing to make the sacrifice. Oh, how noble of me. Just give me an idea of your itenerary a day before, and we can put it together.
Infinitely adjustable, made of the finest materials available, and completely sourced from local suppliers -- gotta support the local economy! Order today and know handlebar Nirvana.
I never have to many problems with a grip,i never try to grab the bar very tightly just enough to back it up in case of an incident. just entry speed and rpms.difficulty slowing down soon enough,, downshifting to late and carrying the rpms up high enough to be smooth.damn engine brakes and there goes the smoothness right into the oncoming lane. like the man said pick something fix it then move on.good words
It is the main attraction to wearing fingerless gloves, though.
After my spill last week, I decided to re-learn how to use the rear brake, to know where the rear tire will start to break loose, and just to start using it again. Someone I trusted years ago told me that if he had his way, rear brakes would be removed from all motorcycles. I took his lesson to heart, and I shouldn't have.
I just finished reading "Ride Hard Ride Smart" by Pat Hahn, a good read with some interesting strategies on how to reduce your risk while riding amongst the cagers. It helps to temper my idealistic views of what riding will be like in the spring with a bit of reality!
I'll be picking up "Total Control" by Lee Parks next, I've heard good things about it...
Another resource I visit for Safety related information is Motorcycle Safety News. I find it pretty level headed with good advice!
Buy it, read it, mark the pages, make notes in the margins. I have been riding for 30 years and this book helped me concentrate on improving weak points I didn't think I had and helped me understand why we do some of the things we do without thinking while we ride.
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