How to improve your skills during everyday riding situations?

[RJ2112]

I had to google it to get an idea of what is ment by 10/10ths. So if I'm understanding this right it's your driving ability and knowledge of the road vs the bikes handling ability?

My ability to control the bike is the ultimate limit to my survival, riding. To misquote Dirty Harry... "A man's got to know his (and his bike's) limitations". Doesn't matter what someone in a magazine article did with a similar bike to mine in controlled circumstances.... those aren't numbers I can expect to pull out of my arse in a panic situation.

If my practice and skills don't account for maximum threshold braking, I won't be able to stop as short as the bike is capable of. That's not something you can do without practice, and having drilled it into muscle memory. If I don't know how long a distance is REALLY involved in the panic stop, and I cannot get the bike to perform to that level..... bad things will occur.

If I overestimate my ability to stop, I will carry too much speed into a situation and that will make it go beyond my control. That puts me into the 'swerve' portion of the response..... which also doesn't go well without routine practice.

What happens on clean dry pavement, compared to wet uneven pavement? How about wet uneven pavement with a bit of mud tossed in? How about if the suspension is 'sacked out'? Old brake fluid? Worn tires? What happens when you add a passenger? And (god forbid) a few brews?

I've already tried using my knee and shoulder and ribs as my 5 MPH bumper...... the shop did it's best fixing all that up, but it will never be the same as it was prior.......

Just like dressing for the crash, practice for the situation you will ultimately need to avoid. That way you can limit the testing of your gear's abrasion resistance.

 

[lonesoldier84]

you ride after having a few brews? madness.

 

[RJ2112]

you ride after having a few brews? madness.

In a word, no. That will get you killed. I tried that 30 years ago.... it didn't end all that well.

Riding is more about information management than anything else. If you impair your ability to process information about your environment..... you need to slow down to where you can process faster than the bike is going.

Training, and practice are the things that allow you to assimilate that data at higher rates than coming at it cold.

10/10ths means you are leaving absolutely no margin for error. There's too much sh*t going on, riding on the street to try and run that pace. That means you are constantly running at speeds that are faster than you can stop in the space you can see. At 60 MPH, that's right at 120 feet. 2 seconds.

Run faster than that, or tighter spacing, and it will eventually bite you. Alcohol affects your perception, and the speed you can process info at. As it also lowers your inhibitions, you may forego the laws of physics and assume the guise of Superman....... The Laws have not agreed to this. The results are all too predictable.

 

[Misti]

So your saying it isn't correct to use the engine/ transmission to break? I do this all the time when I drive a car that is a stick, and have assumed it would be best to do on a bike as well, as long as your not jumping to many gears where you'd cause your back tire to slide out on you like if you were to lock up your back tire.

If the revs have dropped enough with just the throttle roll off that it is safe to downshift then it should be fine but I often see riders still way high in the rev range just bang it down a gear to initiate slowing before braking and that is not good.

For me it depends on my REVs and traffic behind me:

If I have cars behind me, I always touch the brake to light up the stop light when slowing down.
Now, if my REVs are below 5-6,000 I downshift to keep the REVs around that range. If my REVs are higher than that then first I slow down with the brakes and then downshift.

Thanks,

^^^ good explanation. Important to hit the brakes when cars are behind you to let them know you are slowing.

Cheers,
Misti

 

[Misti]

"help us gauge our corner speed?"
This question is harder than what I initially thought!!!!!!

I try to do all the braking before the turn. I'm still approaching the turns slow since I do not have experience enough to take turns fast and be comfortable with it.

So, while braking before a turn, I try to scan the turn (its angle, upcoming traffic, debris, road condition, kids, pets, etc.) and then I take the turn while rolling on the throttle (makes me feel the bike more stable this way)

Thanks

It is a hard question and one that a lot of riders don't consider, they just approach the turn and hope they have chosen the correct speed.

You mention that you get your braking done before the turn and that you roll on the gas through the corner to get a more stable bike which is excellent.

You also mention that you scan the turn to check for than angle and such. Do you ever pick a point in the middle of the turn, the apex, as a guide for where you want to be mid corner? Do you think that having a mid corner reference point would help you gauge your entry speed at all?

What about the timing of WHEN you look into the turn? Does it make a difference if you LOOK...then TURN as opposed to LOOK............wait...........and then turn? Which option would be the most beneficial do you think and why?

Misti

 

[AngelFZ]

It is a hard question and one that a lot of riders don't consider, they just approach the turn and hope they have chosen the correct speed.

You mention that you get your braking done before the turn and that you roll on the gas through the corner to get a more stable bike which is excellent.

You also mention that you scan the turn to check for than angle and such. Do you ever pick a point in the middle of the turn, the apex, as a guide for where you want to be mid corner? Do you think that having a mid corner reference point would help you gauge your entry speed at all?

What about the timing of WHEN you look into the turn? Does it make a difference if you LOOK...then TURN as opposed to LOOK............wait...........and then turn? Which option would be the most beneficial do you think and why?

Misti

Before anything, thank you so much for your time and help. It is greatly appreciated.

Being a beginner on the bike, there are too many things I still need to learn, practice and improve, and I really wish I could get to do a track day (even better, many) I think it is a matter of time (probably a couple of month, hopefully within a year).
Of course, it is better to learn something right first, instead of trying to modify what you learned wrong (bad habits!!!)

Ideally, I would like to see the apex and from there have an imaginary line which I should follow, of course, easier said than done, but I'll start working on this. There are not a whole lot of roads with nice turns around here, but there is a little one nearby where I try to ride every time I'm heading back home. So, I'll start putting this to practice :thumbup:

 

[Vince]

Hi Guys, new rider and in general i am very comfortable on the bike ... but maybe its me over thinking things but what's the best mathod to perfect for going slow 'traffic' speeds round roundabouts in second gear ... is it better to feather the back brake while keeping and the revs up using the clutch + throttle OR better to lay right off the clutch and do it all with rear brake + throttle?

 

[fzme]

Hi Guys, new rider and in general i am very comfortable on the bike ... but maybe its me over thinking things but what's the best mathod to perfect for going slow 'traffic' speeds round roundabouts in second gear ... is it better to feather the back brake while keeping and the revs up using the clutch + throttle OR better to lay right off the clutch and do it all with rear brake + throttle?

Neither. Just use steady throttle. The only time you should ever use your rear brake by itself is when you are either making a slow 180 degree U-turn or you are on gravel or dirt. Keep in mind that 75% (or more) of the bike's braking power comes from the front brake. Also think about how much more difficult it is to apply a small/moderate amount of pressure to anything with your toes (compared to your fingers) especially when you're putting weight on your heals. You can very easily lock the rear because it is harder to interpret how much pressure you're applying with your toes. Bottom line--just practice throttle control. Closing the throttle initiates pretty sharp engine braking anyway, so at times when you need to slow down, just getting off the gas can do the job for you. And be careful using that rear brake. Most of the time, you don't need it anyway.

 

[rdrManny]

For corners and tight turns.. Relax and Drop your inner shoulder ( right shoulder for turning right) little bit. While you are there, give gentle press to inner handle bar. Try to practise in empty parkg lot. Also I recommend taking ERC if available.
SLOW, LOOK,PRESS,ROLL