Curtesy of www.sportrider.com
Motorcycle riding tips for in the city  Ten years ago I signed on at Motorcyclist magazine and began commuting to work on a motorcycle over the busiest freeways and streets of Los Angeles. In those 10 years of commuting, two staff members had commuting accidents, neither of which caused significant damage or pain. That's five to seven editors riding to work every working day for 10 years. If we were the survey panel, the conclusion would be that commuting on a motorcycle is an extremely safe way to get to work. And with the proper skills, it can be.
Experience is a great teacher, but an often painful one. To help shortcut experience, we've compiled five basic steps to existing in traffic to help get commuters out of their cars and onto motorcycles. You'll save time (one of the few nonreplenishable resources we have!) and reduce parking problems, and your work day will begin and end with less stress and more pleasure. One thing we know for sure: That sport bike in your garage isn't just for Sunday mornings.
URBAN GUERRILLA STEP ONE: TRUST NO ONE
 This missing mirror lens blinds the driver to your presence until you are alongside and is a detail you must learn to automatically recognize and avoid as you scan traffic. Learn to rely on one person, and one person only: yourself. Be paranoid. When you see a dented, dirty or neglected car, be especially paranoid. Dents are a rolling history of mistakes, and you don't want to be involved. Dirt and neglect show disinterest, and that disinterest probably bleeds into their driving as well.
Experience has taught us to watch for particular car types in addition to neglected cars. Volvo works hard to promote the safety of its cars, and that means some owners of Volvos buy them because they know they're going to be in an accident. Sure, it's an unfair generalization of Volvo owners, but it's an observation made after a decade in Los Angeles. Watch for minivans. They're usually purchased to carry the kids, so the driver is often dealing with much more than the road. Beware of high-performance cars in a hurry; a modern car can accelerate and change lanes surprisingly quickly, so give them room if they're driving aggressively. Give four-wheel drive pickups some room because (another unfair generalization) they're often driven by aggressive young men who believe that might makes right. What car types can you trust? None.
URBAN GUERRILLA STEP TWO: AVOID BLIND SPOTS
 How other drivers interpret your actions has a great deal to do with urban riding skill. If this rider uses his turn signal to show his intention to make a right turn on the upcoming street, the Volkswagen driver exiting the 7-Eleven may assume the rider is pulling into the 7-Eleven and mistakenly accelerate directly into the bike's path. In this case, the rider must stay in the left side of the right lane and signal his right turn immediately before the street-and keep a close eye on the VW. If one thought rules your urban riding, let it be this: Stay out of blind spots. If you can't see the driver's face in the car's mirror, that driver can't see you and you simply don't exist. Place blind-spot avoidance on top of your priority list for urban survival. Use acceleration, deceleration and lane position to "ride in the mirrors" of the cars around you. Develop a blind-spot warning buzzer that blares every time you approach a blind spot. The Highway Patrol teaches its riders to constantly move through traffic, to ride slightly (slightly!) faster than traffic and move through blind spots rather than sitting in them. Good advice.
Of course, just because you're riding in the mirrors of a car doesn't mean that driver will use that mirror before changing lanes into you. Position yourself so that if the driver fails to see you in the mirror, you still aren't in danger of getting tagged. You will know when you're riding well and staying clear of blind spots because you are no longer using your horn to warn encroaching drivers of your presence; they've already seen you in the mirror, alongside or ahead. In fact, our response to "loud pipes save lives" is "get out of the blind spot."
URBAN GUERRILLA STEP THREE: BE DEFENSIVE, BE AGGRESSIVE
 By predicting this car's last-second freeway flop, this rider has made plenty of room for the expected mistake. Avoid passing on the right, and never pass immediately before a freeway exit, intersection or driveway; give the driver a chance to drive poorly without your involvement. Accelerate ahead or fall behind. Combining defensive tactics and aggressive riding will create a riding portfolio that will weather any storm. The secret is knowing when to use each of the tactics. After all, blasting aggressively down Main Street is an open invitation for trouble. Conversely, creeping slowly down Main Street invites different but still deadly trouble, putting you at the mercy of other drivers' skills-or lack thereof.
Defensive riding means being aware of your space and maintaining that space by positioning yourself in surrounding traffic. Riding defensively is a way of looking at traffic to predict its effect on you, and making sure that effect is minimal.
Riding aggressively is much less a way of riding than an applied technique to be exercised only occasionally. As motorcyclists, we must put ourselves in view, and sometimes that means a bit of aggressive throttle use to come up even with a driver's window. Simply put, sometimes slowing down is extremely dangerous and some aggressive acceleration or lane changing is called for.
 Correct lane positioning will allow you to be seen and keep you away from danger. This rider approaches the cab in the right side of his lane so the cab driver will see him in the cab's mirrors. As the rider approaches the cab's blind spot, he moves left to gain valuable space in case of a sudden lane change. Create your own traffic destiny. Put yourself in a position with an escape route if your worst-case predictions come true. Look for traffic patterns and try to move through traffic, rather than sit within a knot of traffic. The time you become lethargic will be the time somebody parks a Suburban in your lap at 60 mph.
URBAN GUERRILLA STEP FOUR: MAKE ROOM FOR OTHERS' MISTAKES
In case you haven't noticed, drivers make mistakes. Dozens of them, from no turn signal to last-minute freeway exits to locked brakes at a yellow light to-well, how long a list do you need? America's current driver's training programs aren't going to correct America's drivers in the foreseeable future, so the secret is to plan on and predict the mistakes and make sure you're not affected. In other words, give 'em room to screw up.
 A car's blind spot varies according to the vehicle, mirror size and mirror adjustment. Anytime you're parallel to a car, truck or van, you're in the most dangerous spot on the road. Learn to move through this Death Spot aggressively; don't ride in a blind spot, even for a few seconds. Understand this: You won't change the mistakes being made out there, but by recognizing and giving them room to happen, you won't be negatively affected by them either. There's no reason to get upset, violent, aggressive or reactionary; once you begin to make room for mistakes, it becomes almost humorous to watch the stupidity around you because you will no longer be taken by surprise or put in danger.
URBAN GUERRILLA STEP FIVE: SLOW DOWN IN TOWN
Speed itself doesn't kill, but it sure makes those sudden stops painful. Basically, too much speed makes us unreadable. The car driver looks down the street, sees a headlight approaching at what he guesses to be the speed limit, and proceeds through the intersection. Unfortunately, the bike is doing double the speed limit and slams into the side of the car. Whose fault is it? Not the car driver's. Slow down to be seen; slow down to avoid being misread.
 An ugly chain reaction can be started when a car squeezes into the right lane of a crowded freeway, and you'll be affected if you don't take action. Predict possible outcomes and place yourself safely in surrounding traffic. Often that means safely accelerating ahead of the mess. Slowing down allows you to stop before becoming involved in someone else's mistake. Even if you're the Kevin Schwantz of braking, it takes more distance to stop a bike from 50 mph than it does from 30 mph; that extra distance usually isn't available to urban guerrillas.
Slowing down gives your brain a chance to notice things and more time to react. Your peripheral vision widens and you relax enough to read and predict traffic. Try walking down the supermarket aisle and reading labels, then try running down the same aisle. Now imagine all those soup cans are about to jump into your path and you'll see how slowing down affects your perception. There are plenty of places to go fast, but in and around traffic isn't one of them. If you can't slow down in town, put me in your will.
URBAN GUERRILLA BONUS STEP: PRACTICE
 Intersections are our toughest challenges. This rider is moving into the right side of his lane to gain and give the most unobstructed view possible, a good idea since the car waiting to turn left is all but blinded by the UPS truck. Slow down, cover your brakes, and use your lane to position yourself for maximum conspicuity. When everything goes wrong and the above five steps fail to keep you in safety's arms, you'd better be a good motorcycle rider. Get to an empty parking lot and practice braking; take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced RiderCourse. Experiment with flicking lane changes. Become intimately familiar with the effects of countersteering, experimenting with differing pressures on the handgrips. Practice quick glances in the mirrors and hurried looks over your shoulder, as if you were initiating an emergency lane change. Use your turn signals in all conditions so that you'll remember to cancel them when things get stressful. Know the route you and your neighborhood commuters take on the way to the freeway and study the mistakes being made; when you're not on your bike, watch traffic patterns and instances that would get a rider in trouble.
All this is practice, and it's just as important for the urban guerrilla as it is for the expert-level roadracer. You can't win a trophy with your commuting prowess, but you can step out of the car or bus and add two irreplaceable things to your life: time and enjoyment.
This article was originally published in the August 1995 issue of Sport Rider.
Riding Skills Series: Using Reference Points When Riding
Using Reference Points: You Need To Know Your Exact Location Before You Can Pick Up Speed
writer: Lance Holst
photographer: Adam Campbell  Andrew Trevitt uses all the track by scraping his knee over the inside curbing, effectively gaining another foot or more of pavement for the bike to widen the radius of the turn. Many riders unfamiliar with the track limit themselves by not using the final bit of pavement this way. Don't be intimidated by putting a knee on the curbing; just remember to lift it up lightly over the gator's-teeth profile some tracks use. Elsewhere in this issue is my coverage from the Ducati 848 world press intro (page 40) in the south of Spain at the Circuito de Velocidad de Almeria. Because I was new to the circuit, with its many fast blind corners, some cresting hills and others sweeping off into the distance, I found myself frustrated with the task of learning the new track, something I'm usually pretty good at. The answer lay in the lack of easy reference points.
Reference points are typically referred to in racetrack terms, but there's nothing that says you can't use them on a few of the trickier sections of your favorite roads as well. They're valuable anytime a rider benefits from having advance information to signal where he needs to be at a certain point. For instance, a favorite road is often long enough that memorizing every portion of every corner is basically impossible without years of experience on that same section of pavement. Using a reference point-it could be a skid mark on the tarmac, a road sign, a tree, or some other immovable object on the side of the road-enables you to determine your precise location and thus your control actions. "OK, there's that big tree with a broken branch; that means I need to be on the left side of the lane for this approaching corner so I miss the big pothole on the entrance."
 It's difficult to use reference points when you put yourself in a position where it's hard to see. For demonstration purposes, I show what not to do by running my GSX-R too close to Trevitt, thus blocking much of my field of awareness. I might argue that The Geek is so thin that he doesn't block much of the view, but you get the point. Reference points are best located on the asphalt or directly adjacent to it whenever possible. A recent class I taught at Laguna Seca brought to light the danger of using distant objects on the horizon as the sole point of reference for judging where you need to be on the track. Riders who fixated only on a telephone pole visible as they approached the blind, high-speed crest of turn one ended up in differing areas on the exit depending upon their location as they neared the turn. You need to have multiple reference points so that you know where you should be in approaching a turn when using a distant object like the telephone pole as a reference. Using things like trees or telephone poles on the horizon as your only point of reference can easily be misleading because of parallax; if the object is too close in relation to you and the turn, your visual perspective of it can change depending on your location. The advantage of patches, paint or skid marks on the track itself is that they are consistent, one-dimensional and don't require a repeatable approach.
 Here's GSX-R-mounted Trevitt powering off a corner using the dark line (probably laid down by Mikolas earlier in the day) as his corner-exit reference cue to begin picking up the bike off the edge of the tire and twisting the right handgrip smoooothly on. Note the direction The Geek's helmet is pointed, his ever-moving gaze focused well down the track toward the following corner. However, if the pavement doesn't have any markings and the sides of the track are featureless, then using objects a good distance away from the pavement surface becomes a necessity. Also, if you're following someone at high speed, it's very easy for them to block your view of the upcoming pavement (even at a distance, not just in their slipstream), robbing you of your usual reference points on the track surface; by the time you notice them it's often already too late. You need to have multiple reference points that allow you to locate yourself without relying solely on any one item. Basically, it's similar to the way GPS uses multiple satellites or how sailors in the past used stars to ascertain a location.
 Here's a shot of the first third of the slightly inappropriately named Sweeper on Buttonwillow Raceway Park's west loop with a plethora of visual reference points. Since it is decreasing radius in the clockwise configuration that Sport Rider tests with, I use a double-apex approach with an early turn-in point, then thread between the dark square patch (just right of center) and the long patch laid down by the outside wheel tracks of the cars. Walking the track is an excellent way to pick up reference points if that option is available. The level of detail you can see at a walking pace or kneeling down on the track is far greater than most riders notice in a weekend's worth of laps. By freeing yourself of the constant motion and distractions of keeping the bike on course at speed, you'll see the track in far better detail and more effectively create a map of points to chart your course through challenging sections. Note that the most beneficial time for a track walk is after you have enough experience riding the track to know where you need the reference points to do the most good.
Another technique for defining where your most essential points of reference are is mental visualization. Find a quiet area free of distractions, shut your eyes and envision several laps. This should include as much detail from all your senses as you can imagine: visual cues, what the engine sounds like, the inputs you make on the bike (like steering and shifting), bumps on the track, the timing of your movements, everything. There will be portions that are full of detail you can recall clearly, while other sections will be missing detail to the point where you feel lost. It's these points where you lack reference and need to fill in the blanks. Without reference points, you're basically riding blind.
Powerbands: What Gear And What Rpm Range - Riding Skill Serieswriter: Lance Holst
photographer: Adam Campbell  Honda's CBR600RR has a surprisingly strong midrange, illustrated by the torque curve's steep climb near 8500 rpm. The horsepower peaks at 105.1 at 13,650 rpm, yielding a wide powerband with a generous overrun to its 15,000-rpm redline. Even though it produces little more than half the torque of the Ducati and about two-thirds the horsepower of the Suzuki, the Honda spreads a very usable amount of power over a relatively broad 6000-rpm range, making it supremely user-friendly and requiring less shifting than you'd think possible on a middleweight One of the most frequent questions heard among riders centers around which gear to be in for a given corner. Often you're torn between high revs in a low gear or pulling a taller gear at lower rpm. Naturally, different engine sizes and configurations behave differently, and occasionally you'll find the perfect gear that pulls smoothly and strongly off a particular corner. A motorcycle's final gearing is always a compromise in some way for every rider, however; there will inevitably be situations where a corner or series of bends puts you outside the optimum gear and rpm. Varying engine configurations only make selecting what gear to be in that much more confusing. The '07 SR Bike of the Year test was a good cross section of the popular sportbike segments represented by the middleweight Honda CBR600RR, the literbike Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and the big-twin Ducati 1098S. All have decidedly different powerbands that require some adaptation and skill to get the most out of. Common belief has always been that twins are torquey and therefore require less shifting than higher-revving inline-fours, because you don't have to keep the engine spinning at high rpm to get enough power to enable a good drive off the turn. But as engine technology progresses and rev ceilings continue to rise for both twins and fours, there are many exceptions to the rule due to the overrev capability and improved powerbands of the multicylinder machines.  A good example is the GSX-R1000's powerband. Looking at the dyno charts, the Ducati 1098S may begin generating good steam as low as 4000 rpm on up to 9500 rpm, but the Suzuki begins its charge at 5000 rpm and carries it all the way to just past 12,000 rpm. The telling point is how much overrev each bike has. While the 1098S quickly bumps into the rev limiter at 10,200 rpm, the GSX-R continues pulling an additional 1000 rpm past its power peak. This means that while the Ducati's 6200-rpm power spread initially sounds like a lot, it pales in comparison to the Suzuki's 8000-rpm band. The flip side to that coin is that while the GSX-R has a wider power spread, the four-cylinder's more responsive and quicker-revving character makes throttle control much more crucial than on the Ducati. The Suzuki rises to its torque peak more aggressively and thus is more apt to break the rear tire loose while accelerating off a corner. The Ducati's comparatively lazy power characteristics not only help maintain traction while leaned over, but also enable you to begin your drive earlier off the corner because the engine isn't always threatening to spin the rear tire out from under you. Although the CBR has similarly aggressive four-cylinder torque characteristics to the Suzuki, they're tempered drastically by its lower power output. This results in easier throttle control and allows acceleration to begin even earlier than on the Ducati. Coupled with its more agile handling and superb brakes, the Honda can give the literbikes fits on a tighter road or track. The downside is that faster roads require more gearshifts to maintain speed and generate good drives off the corners, and taking advantage of the CBR's better corner entrance speed requires skill.  Twist the throttle at any reasonable rpm and Ducati's mighty 1098S lunges forward with more torque and immediacy than any true sportbike available (which rules out musclebikes like Hayabusas, ZX-14s and such). Between 6000 and 9000 rpm its torque curve towers over even the GSX-R1000, squirting the bike between corners with almost shocking suddenness. Lacking the high rev ceiling of the fours, the big twin's peak horsepower is 142.3 at 9650 rpm. But contrary to common wisdom, the 1098S offers a narrower rev range than the fours and less peak speed than the CBR600RR in first through fourth gears. Horsepower curves peak later in the rev range (often 80 percent to 95 percent of redline in most sportbikes) and signify the point at which power begins to drop off. This in turn indicates the point at which to upshift the engine as long as the rpm doesn't drop much below the torque peak after the shift. The spacing between gears gets ever narrower as we upshift to higher gears, making this less of a worry. In theory, the optimum shift point is different in each gear, based on the gap between transmission ratios; in real- world terms, shift up when you feel the acceleration go flat up top. Don't be fooled by a screaming engine that higher rpm always equals more power. Find the rpm at which the engine makes its peak power on the dyno chart and then factor in that most tachometers (like speedometers) tend to be very optimistic. When you feel the push diminish in the seat of your pants and see the tach needle slow its climb, it's time to shift up. Perhaps more significantly than sheer thrust, throttle response and rideability play a large factor in determining which gear works best in a particular corner. While more horsepower is available in a shorter gear, throttle response tends to be less sensitive in the middle rpm range than buzzing near the ceiling. The smoother power delivery in the taller gear may let you roll through the corner faster and carry more speed down the straight even without a killer drive. In some cases the overrev capacity of a four-cylinder can allow you to carry a lower gear farther down the following straight without danger of bumping into the rev limiter and upsetting the chassis. Even if you're past the engine's power peak it can be quicker and certainly easier to rev out the gear you're in rather than grab an upshift, only to have to downshift an extra time at the next corner. This is one situation where fours, with their wider rev ranges, can require less shifting than twins.  Suzuki's GSX-R1000 produces all the power you can use and more. Only when you ride it side by side with a five-year-old version is it apparent that the midrange has softened some in its quest for nearly 160 horsepower. The torque curve climbs sharply between 7000 and 8000 rpm, leaving the rear tire begging for mercy from there to past 13,000 rpm. You nearly always have a choice of two gears with Big Blue; do you want it arm-straighteningly hard or impossibly harder? First gear alone takes you to nearly 100 mph. Twins often have the advantage of more torque at low rpm, which can make them more forgiving of coming off the corner a gear taller. Just as you can use a four-cylinder's overrev capability to shift less, the twin's torquey bottom end can let you carry a higher gear through a corner without having to shift on the following straight. A twin's relaxing, pulsing power delivery is also more pleasant on street rides, where the higher-strung middleweight fours are often a downshift or two away from meaningful acceleration. Take advantage of your engine's strong points to reduce the number of shifts you make as much as possible while still maximizing its power output. Even at race pace, the fewer shifts you have to make-and the smoother and simpler those shifts are-the better and quicker you'll go. Most riders have the tendency to shift more than is needed rather than less. When in doubt try rolling through the corner in a taller gear and see if eliminating the extra downshift and corresponding upshift isn't less work and more fun.
Riding Skills Series: Overtaking Made Easywriter: Lance Holst With the ever-narrowing gap between modern production sportbikes and actual racing machines, it's only natural that noncompetitive, open track days are gaining widespread popularity. Not so long ago, the thrill of experiencing the unbridled freedom of an open racetrack came only after earning that right by becoming a racer. This entailed the completion of a novice race school and then slapping a set of competition numbers on your bike to do battle with your inexperienced yet adrenaline-charged peers. The time-honored novice racer rite of passage is made up of varying percentages of excitement and sheer terror that is best experienced in your early years before realizing your own mortality. Nowadays, getting your bike on the track is much easier and less risky, but there are still some valuable lessons learned from racing experience that can make your track-day time more fun and less dangerous. Perhaps the most valuable racing technique that can be applied to noncompetitive track days is passing. As a high-performance riding instructor, I'm often amazed at how often otherwise highly skilled riders find themselves seemingly stuck behind riders lapping several seconds per lap slower than themselves, and end up frustrated with their inability to get by. This often results in a variety of bold passing moves that either wind up unsuccessful in the end or cause a close call that can frighten and/or upset both riders. Early in my riding career, I had an instructor tell me, "Just treat [the slower riders] like a stationary object, like a speed-limit sign, that you're merely going past." The preceding advice seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many skilled riders target-fixate on the back of the bike ahead of them and unintentionally pull in right behind, as if mesmerized. I've seen a handful of riders without racing experience, however, that showed a remarkable ability to not fixate on slower riders and pass them almost effortlessly. When I asked them about it, the answer in nearly every case was extensive experience with racing video games. I can already hear the rationalizations: "I'm not wasting time playing stupid video games, I'm honing my overtaking skills to be a better, safer rider." In this case, at least, video games can help. Here's the typically frustrating overtaking attempt exemplified by many highly skilled track-day riders who don't have a racing background. As they close in on a slower rider, they visually fixate on the rider and find themselves following through the corner at the other rider's slower pace, then it's a drag race to the next braking zone resulting in either an untidy late-braking maneuver or another corner stuck behind, followed by... well, you get the point.
The vast majority of racing video games require the player to concentrate on the track ahead in the distance while still be keenly aware of the figure they're controlling in the foreground and any hazards nearby. Besides hand/eye coordination, this places a big demand on developing peripheral vision, and using that vision to plan ahead and make quick decisions-all useful skills when piloting a motorcycle at speed. While the difference between controlling a video game car/motorcycle and the real thing is obviously so vast that it's not worth comparing, the mental and visual skills necessary have a lot of similarities. Your control of the figure in the game, and your skill in scanning ahead and using visual cues in determining the best and quickest method to deal with upcoming hazards, are both essential to success. While we're obviously not saying that everyone should go out and blow their next paycheck on playing video games, the skills developed are definitely useful. Track-day organizations have various "rules of engagement" in passing etiquette, with perhaps the most common and sensible being no passing on the inside of corner entrances. This rule theoretically eliminates the most feared and potentially dangerous situation that most track-day participants are likely to face: a rider of unknown ability stuffing his or her way up the inside of another rider while executing the delicate balance of the front tire's braking and cornering capability. If the overtaking rider's combination of front brake lever pressure and lean angle overcomes the available traction while attempting to make the pass, or the rider being passed suddenly changes lines directly into the overtaking rider's path, a worst-case scenario obviously develops. This narrows the options quite a bit. Out-braking another rider (braking later or less to enter the corner first) is the next most common technique, but it requires a lot of skill and can also be frustrating and risky, especially if the bike you're attempting to pass is equal to or faster than the bike that you're on. It's a lot easier to make time using acceleration than it is while braking, and you'll have a lot of ground to make up in order for the pass to work. What about passing on the outside? That can be risky as well because the track can have less traction outside of the normal line and your speed and lean angle must be much greater for the pass to be successful. There's a far better and safer option: execute your pass at the beginning of the straight, rather than at the end. The hardest thing for nonracers to do is to not close right up on the back of slower riders entering a turn. The problem is that once you're on their back tire through the corner, you've become captive to that rider's corner speed. Because the slower rider is directly in your way, you cannot get on the throttle earlier, so the following straight then becomes a drag race to the next corner, followed by a late-braking contest. A better option is setting up the pass in advance. This is best done by looking far ahead (again, a primary skill that applies to all riding) and being aware of slower riders well before you come upon them. As you close in on other riders, take note where you're gaining the most ground, then manage your closing distance to best take advantage of your riding strengths. Discipline yourself to leave enough of a gap as you enter the corner to exploit your greater midcorner speed. Better still, use a later turn-in point and later apex so you're able to stand the bike up from maximum lean sooner and get back on the throttle earlier. If timed correctly, this will set you up to come underneath the slower rider at the corner exit with several miles per hour in hand. You will have enough advantage that even if the slower rider's bike is faster, he will not be able to repass you on the entrance to the next corner. Not only is this a much cleaner and safer pass, it's infinitely more satisfying than the typical drag-race-to-the-next-braking-point maneuver more commonly used at track days. A better approach to passing involves setting up the pass in a corner that plays to the strengths of your riding style or that of your bike, or the relative weaknesses of the rider you're overtaking. This may take only a few corners, or perhaps a few laps, to set up. Give yourself a several bike-length gap entering the corner to allow you to get a run through the apex and set up a strong drive exiting the turn underneath the other rider. It's always a safer bet to run beneath the other rider's line at corner exit-use a later turn-in point and later apex to set this up.
Overtaking in this manner reinforces a lot of good habits. Not only the aforementioned ones like avoiding target fixation, but also being able to ride in close quarters with others and not be drawn into their mistakes. This goes back to having good peripheral vision skills; being able to look far ahead into the next corner while still being cognizant of the riders in front of you, all while being aware of and exercising proper control of the motorcycle you're riding. It's a riding skill that goes a long way toward making you a safer rider-on both street and track.
Riding Skills Series: A Little Overcookedillustrators: Fran Kuhn 
1.Many times we have stressed the importance of looking ahead into a corner so that you can formulate a riding plan well in advance. Another benefit of looking where you want to go is that it can help save you when things get a little out of control; like when you're caught unaware in a corner going a little too fast. Obviously, these steps won't do you much good if you totally screw up and blast into a 30-mph corner at well over 100 mph, but if you find yourself running into a turn that tightens up unexpectedly, these points can help keep you rubber-side-down during a situation that probably qualifies as the number one trap for novice riders. 
2. Decreasing-radius corners (turns that tighten up toward the exit) can be very deceiving. Even if you're looking far enough ahead, the tighter section of the corner can catch you off guard. It begins innocently enough: You're already well into a turn when you notice it starting to tighten up. As you suddenly realize you might be running out of road, confusion can result as your self-preservation instincts start to cause a bit of panic. It's at this point where the big problems start; you're so worried about running off the corner that you "target fixate" on the outside, which results in... 
3. ...your body tensing up, with an immediate urge to get on the brakes, resulting in a locked-up rear wheel. You instinctively start picking the bike upright since you're applying the brakes, and you're busy staring at the outside of the turn. You end up going where you look, which causes you to skid off into the dirt. The root cause of this mishap? You should have been focusing on the turn ahead, not on the outside of the turn. It's hard to trust in your bike's capabilities in situations like this, but riding skill comes from the confidence of knowing your bike's proficieny as well as your own. Focusing your attention on the correct area allows you to better handle panic situations like this. If you don't have confidence in attaining max lean with your bike, too much of your attention will be spent on controlling the bike, rather than steering it in the direction you want to go. 
4. When you realize the turn is tightening up, as difficult as it sounds, ignore the outside of the turn; continue to look ahead, roll off the throttle gently, and simply feed in more lean angle. Keep off the rear brake and stay focused on your intended path. Most of today's machines can carry more lean angle than you think, and if you keep your focus on where you want to go, as long as your tires and suspension are in good condition, the bike will get you there. It's important to be smooth on the controls when you're getting toward maximum lean, since the tire's footprint is pretty small at that point. Dragging fixed hard parts is obviously not good; look at your bike from the rear to see which parts will touch down first when you get to max lean. If you lack the confidence to lean your bike over, practice-preferably at a track day or riding school.
Riding Skills Series: You Are Where You LookSince racers are more often than not traveling at warp speed, they must anticipate what their racebike is going to do long before it happens-which means looking far ahead of their present location.
 We know we're constantly harping on this subject, but we've seen one too many accidents lately that were caused by a rider getting into a corner a little too hot, locking up the brakes and/or straightening the bike, then running off the road. We can't emphasize enough how important it is to not only look where you want to go, but also to scan far enough ahead of yourself; this is basically a recital of the racing mantra, "Don't ride the front wheel." Riding a sportbike well means being in control, and although it may not appear that way, it's vitally important for a racer to constantly be on top of his motorcycle's handling. Since racers are more often than not traveling at warp speed, they must anticipate what their racebike is going to do long before it happens-which means looking far ahead of their present location. This is why racers seem to be checking out spectators on the side of the track when entering hairpins. Instead, they're looking at where they'd like to be in a 10th of a second. Yamaha 500 Grand Prix rider Norick Abe demonstrates.  Try practicing your vision skills at a fairly tight corner, either on your favorite canyon road or racetrack. As you approach the apex (or a fixed, readily visible point on the pavement), note how close you are to that mark before you begin to scan ahead for your next reference point. If you are staring at that point until you are nearly on top of it, you're target fixating-if the corner ahead tightened up or if you found an obstacle in your path, it would be difficult to correct. In fact, if you're looking at that point even 25 to 35 feet before you get there, you're still not looking far enough ahead.  You need to get your steering and vision skills honed to the point where you can hit a certain spot on the pavement repeatedly without having to actually look at it. This involves using your peripheral vision to see the intended path of your tires, while still looking ahead at the next reference point (or as far ahead into the corner as possible). Try this: Find a tight, second-gear corner, have a buddy stand on the side of the road, and have him observe how close you can come to a fixed point on the pavement repeatedly while keeping your head turned as you scan far ahead into the bend. Heading into a corner with a little too much speed or having a turn tighten up on the exit unexpectedly is terrifying for a novice rider. Modern sportbikes are highly capable machines, and as long as the suspension is even halfway close to being dialed-in and the tires are in decent shape, you are likely to be astounded at the lean angles/midcorner corrections they can achieve.  The most important point to remember when faced with having to tighten your cornering line is to look ahead into the corner-where you want to go. If you come into a turn a little too fast, roll off the throttle gently and force yourself to keep your vision fixed on the exit; don't panic and stare at the outside of the corner or the hazard you're trying to avoid. When you see racers making close passes, you'll note they're not looking at each other as they go by; they're looking past the object they need to avoid in order to get to their intended destination. Another disturbing habit we see with some sportbike riders is a tendency to "hug" the center dividing line when entering left-handers. The problem with this practice is that while your tires are technically on your side of the road, your body and some bike components are in the oncoming lane. Should there be a car or truck (or even another bike) drifting toward the line as you're headed in the opposite direction, you'll be in for a nasty surprise if you don't change your line. Plus, you drastically cut down on your available options if you find them drifting into your lane. Try to keep your tires far enough on your side of the center dividing line to allow your body and bike parts room while leaned over. You also should remember that if you're close to using all of the available ground clearance while riding on the street, you're "Riding on Reserve"; get thee to a racetrack, where you can practice riding at that level in a far safer environment. This article was originally published in the February 2001 issue of Sport Rider.
Riding Skills Series: Group RidingProper Etiquette Not Only Increases The Fun But Can Also Save Lives
writer: Lance Holt As someone who's been lucky enough to ride some of the top superbike and grand prix machinery on many of the world's finest racetracks, let me assure you that there's still nothing more pleasurable than riding on a favorite road in a group of familiar partners. Fortunately for me, as a frequent guest tester for Sport Rider, it's also a common occurrence. Conversely, don't underestimate the danger that out-of-sync or unpredictable riding partners can cause you. I've heard and witnessed enough horror stories to have no tolerance for being around riders who I don't trust. They represent a greater potential threat than all other dangers combined, since our exposure to them is often for a longer duration in a variety of unpredictable circumstances. Editor Kunitsugu's experience with an egotistical rider at a BMW model launch-who nearly crashed himself and the group's leader off the road-is a prime example (Wheelspin, Aug. '05). But just to give you an image of the real potential danger, I've heard the first-hand account from a former SR staffer who saved the life of a fellow motorcyclist whose leg was severed from his body by an impact with his riding partner's bike. Next time you're wondering if you might be over-reacting, imagine yourself being a part of that grizzly scene to keep your perspective.  For photo composition purposes, we staged the staggered-rider formation a bit too tightly. Ideally, give yourself a two-second gap to the person directly in front of you and approximately one second to the person staggered to your side. Staggering allows a tighter formation and an improved field of vision. That said, I prefer to focus on the positives, and there are few things as satisfying as following a group of well-ridden motorcycles as they precisely carve through a tricky set of corners, each tipping in and clipping apexes in seamless succession. Even more important, however, is that partners not surprise each other with unexpected moves or ride in each other's blind spots. I've been riding with Kunitsugu and SR guest tester Steve Mikolas for nearly 20 years and with Andrew Trevitt and SR guest tester Jim O'Connor for about half that. I'm confident no matter what surprise lurks around the next corner-a patch of sand, pool of oil or, as we just experienced, a deer skittering for traction with it's hooves clattering across the tarmac-that I know how each and every one of us will react a split second before we actually do. It's not just the years that we've ridden together that builds our trust, though it does help. There's also some basic group-riding etiquette that allows even newcomers to the group to fit right in.  Great roads and even better bikes are key ingredients for an enjoyable ride, but the most critical factor is being comfortable and confident with your fellow riding partners. Space yourselves out with at least a one- to two-second gap between you-and leave the who's-fastest competition for the track. When the road turns twisty, single-file formation works best. The first key to riding harmony is communication among the riders. Don't be shy about initiating a discussion, setting the guidelines before the ride begins. Make sure everyone knows the final destination and the route to get there. Solicit comments from everyone; don't behave like a drill sergeant. Discuss any recent changes to the conditions of the road or law enforcement crackdowns. Once you're rolling, the biggest communication factor will be visual: always know where the other riders are and what they are doing. This starts by making sure that you can see the rider behind in your mirror and see the reflection of the helmet of the rider in front in his mirror. That way you're visible in his peripheral vision at a glance without forcing him to turn his head to look for you or get distracted wondering where you are. Visually, you want to be scanning well in front of the bike in front of you, not staring at the rider's back. Be aware of what the riders ahead are doing with your peripheral vision, but don't fixate on them. All riders' visual awareness needs to be at least two to six seconds ahead; the faster your speed, the farther ahead you need to look. Don't trust the lead rider to keep you out of trouble because by the time you see him react, you'll already be behind the eight ball. Ideally, you'll recognize the situation as a group and react as a group, while still individually minding your responsibilities to help keep yourself and everyone else out of trouble.  Keeping the person behind you in your mirror's field of view is actually the responsibility of the following rider and alleviates any question as to the follower's position. The leading rider is responsible for ensuring that the person behind hasn't lost touch with the group. If you're riding in a multi-lane situation, let the leader choose the lane and the speed (within reason) and cue off him, moving as a group formation whenever possible rather than spreading out in multiple lanes. In passing situations, move as a group when the situations allow but realize that every rider is also individually responsible for his own judgment and personal safety. Allow the leader to set the pace, but let everyone know that there's no pressure to keep up. Let everyone in the group know at the outset that you'll be stopping at each major intersection, giving anyone who's dropped behind time to catch up and eliminating the fear that they need to keep up or be left behind. This situation should also figure into the pace that the leader sets. It's more fun to ride as a group, and no one's ego gets bruised in the process. Likewise, everyone should be comfortable waving someone past any time they feel like backing it down. Our passing etiquette is to only pass when waved by, and we always pass on the left when the coast is clear. Never pass on the right side. It sounds like common sense to most of us, but you'd be surprised how many riders think otherwise. Make sure everyone knows the difference between a street ride and a track day. The street is no place for competitive urges to push the pace up to elevated danger levels. This has happened a couple of times when new riders join the group, wanting to impress others with their speed; they always try to work their way up to the leader and then ride on his taillight as if he were Valentino Rossi preparing for a last lap pass to win the World Championship. Probably the best solution is to wave riders like this up to the front of the pack, then have the rest of group slow down, turn around and ride in the other direction.  When following, make sure that you can see the face shield of the leading rider's helmet in his mirror. You never want to be in his blind spot, which can make the lead rider uncomfortable or force him to turn his head to find you, potentially causing a distraction. The first time I rode on a track, I realized that while riding on the street, I had no idea what fast was. Unlike many racers, I never stopped enjoying street rides; I just no longer had the need to get a speed fix unless I was on the track. It's likely no coincidence that most all of my favorite riding partners have race experience. We settled the who's-fastest question long ago and don't have anything else to prove. The more riding experience I got, the more selective I became about who I chose to ride with. Who you ride with should be given at least as much-if not more-consideration as what you ride and where you ride. I've been fortunate to have cultivated a close bunch of riding partners who I absolutely trust with my life, which is good, because every time we ride together, that's exactly what I'm doing.
Riding Skills Series - Clutchless UpshiftingUpshifting Without A Clutch
writer: Lance Holst   Once its fundamental theory is understood, the skill of clutchless upshifting is typically mastered in a matter of minutes. For first-timers, snicking slickly through the gears without the clutch brings a smile of wonderment, as if they just learned a new magic trick. Surprisingly, the last time this shifting trick was discussed in these pages it brought about a storm of controversy that continues through Sport Rider correspondence to this day. It's actually a time-honored technique that I first read about in a Motorcyclist story about Eddie Lawson more than two decades ago. After that story was published, Lawson earned four Grand Prix world championships, all before the rider-aid wizardry of electric shifters, which, by the way, use the same basic principles discussed here. Anyone who still doubts the advantages of clutchless upshifting is welcome argue with Mr. Lawson, though last time I checked he still isn't one to lose at anything. Though it's difficult for many to initially accept, upshifting without a clutch is in many ways simpler than the conventional pull-the-clutch-in-while-rolling-off-the-gas, shift-up,let-the-clutch-out-smoothly-while-rolling-back-on-the-gas method most of us grew up using. Instead, simply preload the shifter lightly, then quickly let off the throttle slightly and then back on and-presto-you're in the next gear. Done correctly, a clutchless upshift sounds and feels like that of an electric shifter, and no, it's not abusive to the transmission; countless years of the SR staff racing their personal bikes stand witness to this. The key qualifier here is the phrase "done correctly." Fortunately this is as easy to feel as it is to learn. First, understand that while accelerating, even mildly, you're able to lightly lift (preload) the shift lever with your toe without causing the transmission to shift or pop out of gear. By lightly, we mean perhaps two to four pounds of upward pressure for a moment before your desired shift point. Then, as the tach sweeps past the desired rpm, simply crack the throttle slightly off, then instantly back on, as quick as a blink of an eye. Don't fully shut the throttle; only close it enough to momentarily reverse the acceleration load on the transmission before returning the twist grip to its original position. Remember to release the pressure on the shift lever after the shift to allow the mechanism to ratchet back and index the next gear. As Kevin Schwantz teaches at his school, clutchless upshifting doesn't have to be under full-throttle acceleration and, in fact, is best learned under moderate acceleration at partial throttle. Once mastered, however, you'll find that it works at any speed and any rpm. Initially, it takes a bit of trial and error to get the timing and feel for it, and different bikes may require slightly different amounts of throttle change or quickness of movement, but you'll know when you hit the right combination. The shifter should snick into gear with a smooth movement and no notchiness. The bike's acceleration between gears should be virtually seamless. All this clutch-free shifting business isn't just to impress your friends or passenger, however; there are several tangible advantages as well. As a man who earned his living (and the '93 world championship) wrestling savagely unsophisticated two-stroke GP bikes before the days of engine-management software, Schwantz is able to demonstrate that a well-executed clutchless upshift upsets the bike less than a conventional shift. In my 26 years of experience, I miss fewer shifts when I shift without using the lever on my left handlebar. Exiting right-hand corners with my body hung off to the inside (I'm talking track riding here, since, for several reasons, I do not hang off on the street), it's far easier to just snap back the throttle for an upshift than to make sure my left forearm is in position to allow my fingers to properly manipulate the clutch as well. It's simply one less thing to do, one less thing to think about and one less thing to go wrong. We're not saying you should forget about using the clutch entirely; there are plenty of situations where it's likely to be to your advantage. But at the same time, clutchless upshifting is a skill worth learning. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't come to you on your first, second or 16th time. Practice it in a parking lot, or on a remote stretch of straight road, at moderate speed in an environment that allows you to give this novel technique your full attention and, by trial and error, varying the quickness and amount of throttle movement, it will come to you. When the situations warrant it, using your new shifting skill should give you all the satisfaction of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Experiment with varied quickness and amounts of throttle movement-and remember we're talking a small fraction of the total throttle travel here, so if you've got, say, a quarter-turn throttle, it's going to be perhaps a 16th of a turn or less. Think of it as Kevin Schwantz describes, "as almost just a thought, really," and you'll have the right idea. The satisfying feeling of finally getting it right is well worth the effort.
Riding Skills Series - Conquering CornersConquering Corners
writer: Lance Holst Really nailing a corner is one of the more thrilling experiences you can have on a motorcycle; but getting it wrong can be one of the more painful. The best approach to understanding cornering is "divide and conquer." You need to divide a corner into four main points: the braking point, turn-in point, apex and exit.  Entering Buttonwillow's decreasing-radius hairpin corner, Yamaha R1-LE-mounted Jim O'Connor takes a wider entrance than MV Agusta-mounted Lance Holst, who is demonstrating what not to do and why. Proper cornering technique needs to begin with hitting the turn-in point at your desired speed. If you're hard on the brakes, standing the bike on its nose with the rear tire in the air or slewing side to side, you're virtually assured of, at best, blowing the corner or, if you're not so lucky, tasting the asphalt. So begin by braking early and comfortably setting your speed for your corner turn-in point. The turn-in point and the apex are the most critical aspects of a corner. Turn-in points are initially judged intuitively by using your vision to determine approximately where you should begin your steering input. As you become more familiar with the road or racetrack you're riding and your speed comes up, the need for precise reference points increases. As with any aspect of riding, you want your vision to be at least one step ahead of the bike. Approaching your turn-in point, keep track of it with your peripheral vision, but the center of your vision should be focused toward the apex. Approaching the apex, look ahead to the corner exit and down the track. Smoothly scan your vision forward in constant motion, not stopping to fixate point to point. The moment your vision fixates, you begin to get behind what the bike is doing on the track.  The corner exit shows the benefits of O'Connor's later turn-in and later apex as he has his bike picked up and accelerating sooner while hapless Holst is still finishing off the corner to get the mighty MV pointed down the straight before any meaningful acceleration can be applied. The lesson here is that while a tight entrance may close up the gap early on, Jammin' Jim's late apex gives him several times that advantage at the exit. As the turn-in point approaches, begin easing off the brakes gradually as the bike is leaned into the corner. As the bike is leaned further into the corner, continue to transition smoothly off the brakes, making sure to be off the brakes entirely before maximum lean is reached. The bike's increasing lean angle and resulting cornering force mean that there is no additional traction left for braking. As maximum lean is approached, smoothly apply a slight amount of neutral throttle; this isn't accelerating, but instead balancing the chassis by transitioning weight off the heavily loaded front tire to balance it with the rear. At neutral throttle, you're allowing the tires to share the side grip load more equally, greatly reducing the risk of overpowering available front-tire traction. This middle portion of the corner is where you should do the majority of the turning, getting the bike pointed through the turn, so that by the time you approach the apex you're able to pick the bike up slightly (say 10 to 15 degrees from maximum lean) and begin smoothly opening the throttle to start accelerating. Do not attempt to accelerate before lifting the bike up from maximum lean. It's important to realize that the precision of the proper line varies with speed. At a relaxed street pace, placing your bike nearly anywhere in your lane can be an acceptable line. But as your speed increases, your margin of error lessens and the acceptable line becomes progressively narrower. At a race-winning pace, the proper line on critical portions of the track is squeezed to mere inches, or perhaps even fractions of an inch, wide. A specific turn-in point is where that critical precision begins, because where you begin your turn determines your apex and resulting exit of the corner. It's best to remember that our instincts (especially under stressful or panic situations) tend to cause us to turn in too early, which, in turn, forces an early apex that usually results in a wide exit point. The options available at this point are all bad: either scrub speed, increase lean angle or run wide. Reducing your speed can be accomplished by either smoothly rolling off the throttle or feathering the brakes, but both risk overcoming the available traction. Increasing lean angle after the apex is disconcerting for most riders, since they're already leaning as far as they're comfortable-and whether they're near the limit of traction or not, they perceive that they are. Running wide can put you into the dirt or grass in the best of circumstances or into the path of oncoming traffic in the worst. The lesson to learn is not to turn in too early. For instance: If you run out of pavement at the exit, you need to turn in and apex later. If you find yourself exiting the corner in the center of the track, you can either increase your speed or turn in and apex earlier. Study the corner diagram for a clear illustration of this.  Here's an illustration for cornering techniques The physics of cornering can be summed up in terms of corner radius (the measurement of how tight it is), corner speed and lean angle. For a given corner radius, increasing corner speed requires a larger lean angle. As a corner tightens up, we're forced to either reduce corner speed or increase lean angle. Maximum lean angle is determined by either the cornering clearance of the bike or the traction of the tires. Hanging your body off to the inside of the bike shifts the combined bike/rider center of mass to the inside, which allows the bike to be more upright for a given corner speed. This, in turn, allows you to increase your speed and use the additional lean angle you've gained. The fastest riders get their speed from maximizing the physics involved in cornering. Many corners are constant radius, meaning that the radius remains unchanged throughout, but there are increasing-radius and decreasing-radius turns as well. An increasing-radius corner opens up as you travel through it, which tends to inspire confidence because you have more track available on the exit. Decreasing-radius corners are just the opposite, in that they tighten up and rob confidence. There are factors other than radius that are critical to understanding corners as well: elevation and camber. An increase in elevation helps slow the bike, which tightens the cornering line, while dropping elevation has the opposite effect. Camber is how we define the banking or lack of banking in the cross section of pavement. Positive camber is the presence of banking, which slightly increases the available lean angle and traction and assists in turning the bike. Negative camber pavement slopes away, which decreases traction, robs us of available lean angle and encourages the bike to run wide. On any track or section of road, there are corners that inspire confidence and those that make riders uneasy. For corners that make you uneasy, study them carefully in terms of radius, camber and the available traction dictated by the surface and smoothness of the asphalt itself. Breaking it down helps you not only understand the corner better, but also allows you to come up with a different way to approach the corner that makes you more comfortable. Some riders assume that the fastest way around every corner is to enter as wide as possible, hit the apex at the center of the corner, and use every inch of pavement at the exit, essentially scribing as wide an arc as possible which, in theory, allows the highest corner speed for a given lean angle. This might be true if not for the fact that a tire using all its available traction for cornering force, or side grip, has no additional traction available for braking or acceleration. Leaning over at the limit of adhesion is also a risky proposition, depending too much on the available traction from a very small contact patch.  In the middle of the hairpin, O'Connor uses a later apex, while Holst, who closed up the gap slightly by taking a tighter line and covering less distance, has apexed earlier, which will keep him leaned over longer. If your goal is quicker lap times, the length of the straight following the corner determines which type of apex to use. Think of corners that lead onto long straights as "drive" corners, and turns that lead to short straights or other corners as "momentum" corners. Momentum corners are best approached with wide, sweeping lines that maximize midcorner speed and conserve momentum. Drive corners which lead onto long straights reward late apexes that allow riders to get their turning done early, in order to begin picking the bike up off the edge of the tire and accelerating sooner. The best option depends on your strengths as a rider, but more importantly, the strengths of your bike. What a Kawasaki ZX-10R does best, for instance, is accelerate. It turns the best lap times by late-apexing corners leading onto the straights, in effect compressing the corners and lengthening the straights. A rider maximizing his midcorner speed might arrive at the corner exit before the rider who slows the bike midcorner to get his bike pointed, but the late-apex rider will exit the corner with, say, two to three more miles per hour, which is an advantage held all the way down the following straight. The result is that Mr. Late Apex soon overtakes Mr. Midcorner Speed and extends that advantage all the way to the next braking point. On the other hand, a bike that doesn't accelerate as strongly-for instance, the Kawasaki 650R twin that Editor Kunitsugu raced at Daytona-can't afford to slow as much midcorner as a literbike, so maximizing midcorner speed in order to maintain momentum off the corner is paramount.
Traction Limit - Riding Skills SeriesYou've Passed The Traction Limit- Now What?
 In the previous RSS (Dec. '06), we discussed how our sense of speed can be impaired by panic, causing us to think that we're entering a corner too fast. This often leads to the desperate-and false-sense that we need to stay hard on the brakes as we lean into the corner. In my eight years of instructing thousands of students of all ability levels on racetracks across the country, I can tell you without reservation that this panic situation causes more crashes than all others combined. When done correctly, trail-braking ("trailing" the brake application as you enter the corner, making sure to ease off as your lean angle and cornering force increase) is a very useful tool, but it's one that should be wielded with caution. Like a razor-sharp knife, the line between success and failure is pretty thin, and the consequences can be costly. Visit www. sportrider.com/0703 for a link to more info on trail-braking. While novice riders typically lose front-tire traction from excessive trail-braking, they also sometimes transfer too much weight forward by chopping the throttle (shutting it suddenly) midcorner. In either case, the sensation of losing front-tire traction is the same: The feedback usually communicated through the handlebars to your hands goes quiet, similar to the volume suddenly being turned down on your stereo. The next sensation is that of the bars turning inward as the contact patch loses traction and the bike falls inward. Losing rear-tire traction is most often caused by too much throttle for a given lean angle. While expert riders have enough skill and experience to feel and control slides with throttle and lean-angle inputs, novice riders usually end up losing rear-tire traction suddenly and with little warning. The problem is that if the rider chops the throttle and the rear tire regains traction, the energy released from the momentum of the bike and rider's weight compressing the suspension completely and then springing back with full force can result in the dreaded highside, where the rider ends up catapulted high into the air, often with bone-crunching consequences upon landing. Ironically, the solution to both situations is throttle application. In the front-tire situation, smoothly but quickly applying throttle relieves the load on the front tire by transferring weight to the rear, allowing the front tire to regain traction. In the rear-tire situation, backing off the throttle ever so slightly allows the tire to regain traction, while the continued throttle application maintains rear-tire rotation so that it continues to propel the bike forward, its gyroscopic effect helping keep the bike upright. Both these situations, however, happen quickly enough that the techniques must be done on reflex, and the only way to make such action instinctive is practice. Obviously, practicing these techniques on the pavement is extremely difficult (and could lead to expensive repair bills, both from the hospital and bike shop), so the best way to learn throttle control in these situations is to practice on the dirt with 125cc or smaller machines, where the consequences of a mistake are much less costly. If you do happen to crash, the first thing to do is get away from the bike. You've probably seen videos of 125 and 250 Grand Prix riders hanging onto the bars as their bike slides to a halt so that they can pick the bike up and get back into the race, but getting one of your body parts trapped under the handlebar or other component is an easy way to lose it. Also, the bike has some serious kinetic energy built up; not only will it slide much farther than you, but should it begin tumbling, it will cause you even more serious injury if you become caught up in it. Try to relax and lay your body out as straight as possible to keep from tumbling. If you do tumble, you will more than likely end up violently whacking your appendages against the ground, often with bone-splintering results. While tumbling is a good way to avoid injury if you fall while walking or running, the energy built up traveling even as slowly as 30 mph will cause your arms and legs to fly outward uncontrollably. Sliding flat on the ground helps you scrub off that speed much more quickly, without the danger of exposing your limbs to additional impacts. Once you are sliding on the ground, you need to resist the temptation to get up before you've stopped. It's very easy to become disoriented and think that you are sliding at a walking pace, when in reality you are still traveling at speed. Should you try to get up before you've stopped, nine times out of 10 you will end up tumbling because your legs will be taken out from under you. A good practice is to wait until you think you've stopped, then count to five-then make sure you don't have any major injuries before attempting to get on your feet. Finally, the most beneficial thing you can do after a crash is be brutally honest with yourself about the cause and your possible contributions to it. It's all too easy to get defensive and, intentionally or not, place the blame on anyone or anything but yourself. From experience I can tell you that the riders who say they are never at fault for their crashes end up crashing for the same reasons again and again. As an instructor, I've always taken it upon myself to study each crash as objectively as possible, identify the factors (there are typically several) and have everyone learn from the mistakes of others-mine included. You can learn from personal experience as well as that of others. And when it comes to crashing, I strongly suggest the latter.
Controlling Panic And Target Fixation - Riding Skills SeriesOvercoming panic while out riding your motorcycle
 One dictionary defines panic as "a sudden, overpowering, often contagious terror." That's a remarkably accurate description of panic as it applies to motorcyclists. From the countless motorcycle crashes I've witnessed and investigated over 25 years of street riding, 14 years of road racing and nearly a decade of full-time motorcycle track instruction, I can tell you that panic is by far the greatest cause of crashes. Ironically, it's an instinct programmed into our minds back when we were defending ourselves against saber-toothed tigers that's the culprit, not panic brought on by the more commonly feared left-turning vehicles, lack of traction, etc., that are usually listed as the greatest dangers to our motorcycling well-being. Controlling panic is best approached on two fronts. The first is understanding what triggers panic and (obviously) avoiding the situations that create it. Any number of things can trigger panic, and they vary from person to person, but most are linked to time, speed or some state of surprise. These, not surprisingly, are interrelated as well. Of course, avoiding these triggers is best accomplished by expanding your visual awareness by looking farther ahead and using your peripheral vision to become aware of things before they become a hazard. Linked to visual awareness is speed; the higher your speed, the farther your field of awareness needs to extend and the better your bike control skills need to be. You need to be confident in the actual action of steering and braking at the highest speed you choose to travel, not just confident about it in theory. You must be able to do it on demand at a moment's notice, in the most unexpected and inconvenient circumstances. The second way to deal with panic is gaining knowledge of its responses and training yourself how best to counteract or overcome them. If you learn one lesson from this Riding Skills Series column, make sure it's this: Look where you want to go. It sounds ridiculously basic, but believe me, in a panic situation this action becomes perhaps the single most difficult-and yet most critical-thing to do. This is because in nearly every panic situation, the primary response is to target-fixate on the immediate hazard. Target fixation is dangerous for a number of reasons, but most critical is the fact that panic usually causes us to fixate on the bad (the brake lights of the car skidding in front of us, the ditch to the outside of the oncoming right turn or the gravel trap at the racetrack) and ignore the good (blocking out any available escape routes, or the turn you're attempting to make). For better or for worse (usually the latter), you and your motorcycle will go exactly where you're looking. Narrowing a rider's field of vision is just one of the negative effects of visual fixation. Fixation also impairs our natural perception of speed because peripheral vision tends to blur in a fast-forward-type effect not unlike that of hitting the fast-forward button on a DVD player. It's important to realize how little additional speed it takes to trigger panic entering a turn. Did you know that we all have a natural perception of speed based on visual information and other senses? How precise is this awareness of speed? Most experienced riders can feel a difference of 1 or 2 mph in turns. Advanced riders and racers' sense of speed is often calibrated in tenths of a mile per hour. Don't believe me? Next time you're at an AMA Superbike event, put a stopwatch on any of the front-runners and see how little their lap times vary (barring outside influences like lapped traffic and tire wear, obviously). You'll most likely see lap times differ no more than tenths of a second from one lap to the next. On a 2.5-mile track with lap times in the 1:30 range, a change of one second per lap is a 1.1-mph difference in average speed. That means that the racer's average corner speed, and resulting speed on the straights, is varying by no more than 1.1 mph from one lap to the next. A full-second change in lap time is considered a huge difference by racers. Let's say you're leading a group of friends down a favorite road on Sunday morning and approaching a challenging decreasing-radius right-hander that you've entered at 58-62 mph on various weekends, depending on the amount of coffee you had at breakfast and how confident you were feeling on a particular morning. How much additional speed would be necessary to trigger panic? Would you believe less than 2 mph? Just that extra 2 mph faster than your maximum comfort speed will make your eyes enlarge to the size of saucers; an additional 4 mph will feel like 100 and send you into cardiac arrest. The important point to remember, however, is that what feels like 40 mph too fast is most likely only 5 mph or less. And it doesn't take much additional braking to scrub off even 5 mph. The final important aspect of panic is that it typically doesn't dissipate until you've slowed to a running pace (say, 10-15 mph) or below; again, probably due to the fact that our panic instincts were programmed into our minds long before Kawasaki came along with the ZX-14. The typical panicked, target-fixated rider usually runs straight off the track, remains hard on the brakes and either tips over at a crawl or comes to a terrified stop in the dirt; in a 60-mph corner at a track I'm familiar with, it's usually within an average of about 10 feet off the edge of the track. I ask students, "If you're able to come to a stop 10 feet off the track, how fast were you going at the time?" The answer is, Not very fast. Panic so impairs our perception and judgment that it often causes us to go straight off the road or track when we could have easily negotiated the corner under different circumstances. The same can apply for a car turning in front of you or encountering an unforeseen hazard in the road. Panic induced by these situations can be overcome by resisting the temptation to fixate on the hazard; you must force yourself to continue thinking about your riding, scrub off the necessary speed and stay focused on where you want to go, not what you're trying to avoid. For instance, the aforementioned Sunday morning situation can be handled by looking far into the corner, dragging the brakes a little longer to bring the speed back into the comfort zone, and simply applying a smooth steering input to bend into the corner. We may never be able to totally eliminate panic from our riding experiences, but hopefully you'll have the basic knowledge and skills to realize that when you feel the panic start to come on, you have the power to reach over and flick the panic switch off just as quickly as it switched on.
Jamie Hacking - "The Hacker"Jamie "The Hacker" Hacking Discusses Hanging Off
 In our last issue's RSS, Miguel Duhamel, Mat Mladin and Ben Spies talked about their riding styles. This month, it's Jamie Hacking's turn. Body position is a somewhat subjective topic that has much to do with the physiology, personal preference and confidence level of the individual rider. Look at the top riders in the AMA Pro Racing series and you'll see that there's more than one way to sit on a motorcycle. It's interesting to note that in the higher-traction environs of MotoGP's stickier tracks and tires, riding styles seem to be converging toward something similar to this column's featured rider, Jamie Hacking, who at press time had just swept his third straight perfect double-race weekend, winning both the AMA Supersport and Superstock events. But it hasn't always been that way. In his first-ever AMA event 10 years ago, Hacking put his factory-supported Kinko's Kawasaki on the pole position at Phoenix International Raceway in what was one of the most fiercely contested 600 Supersport seasons ever. He led the race early on, but burned up his front tire on PIR's punishing banking and dropped back to finish seventh. I know my riding has come [a long way] since when I first got thrown into this whole deal," explains Hacking of his sudden career climb. "I came into this with [almost] no experience at all and [then] I was thrown into a factory deal and I had no clue on set-up or anything like that...it really hurt me when I was riding Superbike." The advantages of Hacking's radically hung-off upper body are indisputable laws of physics. The farther the rider's weight is offset to the inside of the bike, the farther the center of gravity of the combined rider/bike package is shifted inward, allowing the bike to carry less lean angle for a given corner speed or more corner speed at a given lean angle. Initially, Hacking says he doesn't feel there's any advantage to his riding style. But when pressed further about the midcorner speed he'd shown at Road America's famous Carousel, something clicks. "Yeah," he admits, "I've always had really high midcorner speed, you know. Maybe the counterbalance of me off the motorcycle is allowing me to feel like I've got more control in the middle of the corner with more speed like that. You know, Spies, he has a lot of corner speed too, and a somewhat similar riding style. He has the same off-the-bike position." With Hacking's radically hung-off riding style, however, comes an Achilles' heel. "I definitely depend on my front end a lot," he confesses. "That's the main thing, that with setup every weekend, that's the main goal. I've got to have a sturdy front end underneath me, just because I guess with the riding position that I have, you know, very over the tank, head way over the front of the handlebar, a lot of forward position, I have to have a good front that's up underneath me. If I don't have a good front end, it's a pretty tough weekend. Hacking, with his slight roadracer's stature, is also sensitive to bike ergonomics. "The Suzuki was definitely too big a motorcycle for me," says Hacking of his several years spent on the Yoshimura squad. "Back then it was a lot bigger than it is now. The Yamaha, with it being so thin, it just sits me real low, you know. I don't feel like I have to tug on the bike a lot. And when I do hang off of it, I don't feel like I'm overwhelmed with a big gas tank and frame." Then he adds a factor that mere a production-bike tester like myself seldom considers. "I like my seat angles," he says. "I like the top part real flattish. I brake so hard that I have a lot of lean over the front, so I don't like my seat to be tilted so that it feels like it's pushing me over the front of the bike." But like anyone who wants to stay at the top, Hacking's body position is always evolving, "It has, this year with the 600 [the new-generation R6], with it being so nimble and small, I'm having to be a little bit more gentle with it," he says. "I've seen in some of the pictures that it's changed my riding style a little bit; my shoulders are [positioned] a little bit different on the motorcycle. You've just got to be a little bit more gentle with it. But on the Superstock bike, you know, I have to change my riding styles for both bikes."
Concentration - Riding Skills SeriesFocused and relaxed on the road while riding
 Simply put, concentration is the key skill in taking in and processing information faster than your motorcycle is covering ground. It's also the determining factor in how quickly you can ride safely. It doesn't matter how strong your muscles are or how quick your reflexes react but how focused the gray matter between your ears stays on the job at hand. The difficult part of concentration is that it must be seamless for the entire time that the bike is in motion; even a momentary lapse can be costly and painful. To keep your concentration up, anticipate what's coming ahead whether it's the next corner on a track, the stretch of road ahead or a shifting pattern of traffic on your visual horizon. In traffic, the safest way to think is playing the what-if game with each oncoming car while still remaining aware of all the potential threats in your peripheral vision, as well. You should think "What if this car in the oncoming left-turn lane doesn't see me and turns left in front of me? What are my escape routes ahead, and do I have any cars to my rear or in my blind spots that are blocking these escapes?" It's not paranoid to think this way, it's the only way to stay safe and on your guard. A common cause of brain fade is thinking about a mistake you just made or something that caught you off guard. It's common for a small mistake to distract a rider and lead to a much bigger mistake. Don't let this catch you out. Remember, as long as your bike is moving forward, your mind needs to think ahead as well. Operating a motorcycle is a full-time activity that doesn't forgive wandering attention. At just 68 mph you're covering 100 feet per second. Even a slight spell of mind-wandering puts you hundreds of feet closer to potential situations that you should have been anticipating rather than reacting to and falling further behind what the motorcycle is doing. If we add speed to the equation, that requires continuous levels of heightened concentration. You might remember the example of Racer Z (Riding Skills Series, April '06) trying to match the pace of Kevin Schwantz at Road Atlanta when he fell behind in his cognitive process. This increased exponentially with each successive corner until it mercifully ended with Racer Z skipping through the gravel to a heart-racing-but safe-stop. We often aren't so lucky. There's a high level of concentration that some describe as being in the zone. When it's achieved, there's an almost magical sensation where things are perceived in slow motion. A motion picture camera records in slow motion by filming at a faster-than-normal rate (say, 36 frames per second) and then plays back through a projector at the standard 24 frames per second. The result of more information played back in standard time is slow motion. That's what we strive for by using our vision to take in the big picture, scanning two to six seconds ahead (up to 10-12 seconds ahead on the street in traffic) and constantly anticipating what's coming next rather than waiting and reacting. In this state of awareness, things are perceived in slow motion where you are looking and thinking far enough ahead that you're waiting for the bike and scenery to catch up. It's one of those heightened-sense-of-awareness states that is often difficult to achieve on demand-especially if you're dealing with distractions, whether it's with bike setup or life issues-but it's something to strive for. Most of our life is spent thinking in terms of hours, days, weeks, months or years. But, occasionally, we think in smaller units-perhaps minutes. Riding to our potential, however, forces us to think in terms of seconds and even fractions of a second. When our brain is concentrating effectively, it operates in units measured in milliseconds. There are 1000 milliseconds in every second, so make use of every one of them. The Mind-Body ConnectionThere's a connection between mental fatigue and physical fatigue that can't be separated. In order to maintain our all-important mental concentration, we must keep from overtaxing ourselves physically, as well. The biggest physical exertion on the bike is most often not the effort put into control inputs but, rather, simple tension in our muscles. Tension is one of those insidious things that creeps up unnoticed until we get off the bike and suddenly notice our stiff back, shoulders or neck while shaking the feeling back into our numbed hands and forearms. Riding relaxed is more difficult to do than it sounds, but it can be improved by optimizing your bike's control positions. Start with the brake and clutch lever positions in terms of reach from the handgrip and also rotation up and down, though many manufacturers limit this to prevent the levers from contacting the fairing edges at full steering lock (it's wise to check this before setting the bike in motion). Follow this by adjusting the shifter and rear brake-pedal positions. There's no right and wrong here, it's mostly personal preference. I prefer to have the levers set close to the bars where I have more leverage and greater control and feel. But just as many other riders can't seem to get the levers far enough from their bars. This is a constant source of griping when Sport Rider testers rotate through the bikes in a comparison test, "That damn Mikolas, always screwing with my brake lever." Ideally, all the controls should fall instinctively to hand without distraction. We don't want to plop our bodies on the seat and ride off as passively as a sack of potatoes, but we do want to remain actively relaxed. Do this by consciously maintaining a light grip on the bars. An excellent instructor I once worked with, Mark Gallardo, once described the grip as that of holding a bird in your hand: tight enough not to let it get away but relaxed enough not to crush it. Keep your back slightly arched to help absorb bumps and your knees gripping the tank slightly and weight the footpegs lightly with the balls of your feet on the pegs. Controlling the bike with a combination of small inputs using the upper and lower body together uses far less exertion than muscling the bars alone (which also encourages riders to use a white-knuckle grip and induce arm-pump). Another physical drain that's often overlooked is the simple act of breathing. Under tension or stress, our involuntary reflexes-the things we normally do without conscious thought, like breathing, blinking and relaxing-tend to shut down or at least occur much less frequently. Obviously, we're not completely forgetting to breathe, but we're also not breathing frequently enough to keep our muscles and mind optimally fueled with oxygen. In one of my other passions, target shooting, I learned that we compromise our muscle control and visual acuity in as little as 10 seconds of holding our breath. If the sights aren't aligned and the trigger doesn't break in less than 10 seconds, stop, take a breath and start over. If you don't, chances are that you'll botch the shot by forcing it to happen through slight muscle tremors or blurring sights. Handling a motorcycle properly takes a similar level of precision, and if you're not breathing more than once every 10 seconds, you're compromising your control. Focusing on breathing helps in your mental concentration, as well. All forms of meditation that I'm aware of have breathing as a central aspect of the exercise. Consciously remind yourself to take full breaths (in through your nose and out through your mouth) on your next ride and see if you notice an improvement. Staying mentally relaxed and focused enhances your ability to remain physically relaxed and vice versa. You won't achieve one without the other, and like the critical visual skills we talked about last issue, concentration is a key aspect of staying mentally ahead of the bike and what's happening on the road in front of you. Master it, and the world is your oyster. Without it, your head might as well be buried in the sand.
Body Position - Riding Skills SeriesWhat The AMA's Best Say About Body Position
 Last issue we covered the importance of body position and steering techniques and how they relate to each other. The only truthful way to describe the optimum body position is that it will vary depending on the rider's style and preference as well as the bike's strengths, weaknesses and setup. Anyone who teaches that there is only one optimum body position isn't being realistic or particularly observant in watching the variety of styles seen at the top level of AMA Pro Racing here in the United States. So that SR's Riding Skills Series isn't limited to just one authority's opinion, and to share some insight on what the top riders in the country are doing and why, we set out to the sixth AMA Superbike round at Utah's beautiful new Miller Motorsports Park with a notebook of questions. The top riding authorities in the country shared their answers. Mat Mladin "Oh, I love it," he says with a smile. "It's better than winning. I've had much more fun this year trying to reinvent myself to become more competitive in certain spots with Ben than I have [in past seasons] winning all the time. There's some stuff out there that I've seen that Ben was doing at a couple places at Fontana and Infineon that I used to improve to get myself back in the ball game consistently." It's his willingness to identify his own shortcomings and his ability to change and improve that make Mladin the past and future champion that he is. "I've been changing a few things recently," he admits, "I mean, you have to. The kids come up with new stuff; they do things differently and go faster. If you don't change, it's all over." While most riders talk about adapting their style to suit a certain bike or specific setup, Mladin is one of the few who seems to consistently net results from his adaptability. In 2000, Mladin and his Yoshimura Suzuki crew actually won the championship on a '99-vintage GSX-R750, putting off changing to the new-generation bike until the following year. When they did, Mladin and his crew, headed up by fellow Australian Peter Doyle, found solutions in the form of a thicker seat-pad backrest. "Oh, yeah, I actually asked for the foam trying to get my CG [center of gravity] forward," Mladin recalls. "My riding style didn't suit that bike, but I went on to win the championship that year [Mladin's third of six]. But when I first got on that bike...yeah, it evolved." The current Number One plate holder says his adaptable riding style is key. "Yeah, that's why I work hard on the bike," he says, "just moving around. A lot of people are just stuck to the tank and ride, but I don't find that works every weekend. Things have to change, you know. Sometimes to get more grip you have to get back a little bit. Sometimes to get the front working you've got to get forward a little bit. You've got to make the bad days as good as you can, and if you're not willing to change, it's very hard to do that." Miguel Duhamel Duhamel's distinctive, physically aggressive riding style is instantly apparent to veteran race fans. Like most riders, however, he admits his style initially came more from instinct than anything else. "You know, it just [came] out of necessity," he says, thinking back. "I needed to go fast, and it seemed that that was the way to do it. Back in Canada, when I started there, my left leg would actually be hanging onto the back number plate." Obviously, that radical Randy Mamola-style body position has evolved, but Duhamel's trademark upper-body-over-the-bars style remains. Does he feel it gives him an advantage when sliding (pushing) the front end. "Yeah, I believe so," he says, "because when you weight the front, you can feel it more. But sometimes when it works really good, you can [hang off the bike more], have [the bike] a little higher and not lean so much and carry more speed. It all depends on how the bike's turning. You've just got to be able to adapt yourself to that setup that you have on every race weekend." It's no coincidence that Duhamel shares the AMA Superbike win-streak record (at six) with Ben Spies. Duhamel's record stood for 11 years. Ben Spies Spies credits his unorthodox style to his shift from 125GP bikes to four-strokes. "I had a real problem with front-end push on the four-strokes," he says. "Maybe right when I got on the 600 I had a problem with that, and I really sit in the middle of the seat. I don't hang off much with my upper body, for whatever reason, I don't know. I'm real physical with the bike through the chicanes and stuff, and that's why my arms hang out. I think I just have more of an 'open' style [with my] upper body, but that comes from sitting in the middle of the seat." Spies' technique seems to yield an advantage in certain circumstances. "I do feel that my style works better at tracks like [Infineon] and Fontana, where you really have to throw the bike around and stuff like that," Spies admits. "But it's at these faster tracks where I've found I've been laggin' a little bit, and that's what I've been having to work on. It's just mid-corner speed in fast corners, that was my weak spot. That's what I've been improving on. I've always been good in the tight, twisty stuff and the real technical stuff. Now that I've just got to, on the real flowing stuff, I have to pick up my speed a bit." Spies' upper-body-to-the-inside style seems to be coming from the sport's younger generation of riders, but he's quick to dispel any notion that the veteran riders aren't keeping pace. "Some people think that, 'Oh, when you get older you stop hanging it out,' but I don't think that's the case," he says, shaking his head. "I mean, we won six in a row this year, [then] Mat came back at Road America and stepped up the pace and just rode harder. It's not like people say, 'Oh, you tend to slow down.' He's got a kid and he's pushing harder than ever. Like Miguel, he's not like that at all." Like other successful racers, Spies' motto seems to be, "Don't let up and stop changing." "I critique everything," says Spies. "I watch it on video and see what I need to do different. I'm always trying to make it better. I feel like the team's workin' better and I feel like I'm ridin' better and everything's just jelling. Everybody on my crew, basically, hadn't won too many Superbike races. Then we won six in a row, but nobody's head's gettin' big. After I swept a couple of weekends, I just wanted to go back and train harder so that I could keep doin' it. I've got that taste of it."
What to Wear - And WhenTips and tricks: A practical guide to preparing for the weather on any ride
By Jason Black Photography by James Brown
 We've all had it happen, and it's usually quite unpleasant. It's that point during your travels when the realization hits that you are completely unprepared for the intemperate weather Mother Nature is force-feeding you. Whether it's extreme heat, cold or precipitation, most meteorological annoyances tend to send the unprepared, gung-ho motorcycle traveler hightailing it to the nearest shelter-usually in the form of a nice temperature-controlled motel room. But it doesn't have to be that way. First, however, you need the basics.  The Basics Helmet Look for an adequately vented helmet that fits snugly (remember, it will break in) and is void of any pressure points, especially in the forehead and temple region.  Jacket and Pants Helmut Kluckner, owner of Helimot European Accessories, gives this advice for buying a jacket. "One important thing is to make sure the sleeves are not too long," says Kluckner. "If the sleeves are the wrong length, the armor will be in the wrong spot and won't be as useful in a crash. The leather will also bunch up near the wrists and be uncomfortable. Also, beware of hard armor directly underneath the first layer of leather. There should be a layer of foam padding between the armor and leather, otherwise the armor can cause the leather covering it to fail." When it comes to protecting legs, many riders wear jeans on a daily basis. While better than wearing shorts, jeans offer virtually no abrasion resistance. When purchasing a jacket, it's a good idea to find a model that zips to protective pants, complete with padding in the hips, knees and preferably the tailbone. Gloves Boots COLD WEATHER  An electric vest helps warm the vital organs in the torso, which in turn allows sufficient blood flow to your other extremities. A fleece liner or sweater helps retain that heat. Beyond the Basics: Electric Vest: An electric vest offers the most bang for the buck when it comes to fighting off the cold. As your body cools, it begins conserving blood flow for your head, heart and other vital organs, and circulation to your extremities is reduced. An electric vest warms your torso, which helps maintain blood flow to your hands and feet (which are usually the first to get icy). There are a number of good electric vests on the market. Polar Fleece: A good polar fleece vest and pants supplies a valuable extra layer of warmth and insulation. Many motorcycle apparel companies and the aforementioned mountain/active-wear companies manufacture quality fleece clothing.  Full Riding Suit: Jeans don't cut it in cold weather, so a full riding suit is a necessity. Leather is preferred by many, but we like the versatility, comfort and protection of a full one- or two-piece textile suit. They can usually accommodate more layers of clothing underneath, and help insulate your body better than leather. Gloves: In a pinch, you can wear surgical gloves underneath your riding gloves or put rubber household cleaning gloves over the top to help protect them from wind shear, but the best investment is a quality set of insulated gloves. Most cold weather gloves are bulky to some degree, so make sure they do not interfere with finger dexterity and your ability to work the controls smoothly.  Make sure to close, tape over or plug the vents in your helmet and boots. Tips and Tricks: Electric Vest Placement: Electric vests are most efficient when placed fairly close to the skin-usually over the second or third layer of clothing. Collars are available on most models, but can sometimes add to bulkiness around the neck area. Fitment should be snug but not tight; make sure the vest does not restrict movement in the riding position, and leave enough room to add a sweatshirt or fleece underneath if desired. Electrify: You can stack on other electric accessories, such as grips, gloves, seat cushions or chaps, but remember that your alternator may not be able to handle multiple electrical accessories at once. Install a voltmeter to monitor your system and make sure it's not overdrawn.  Use a balaclava or bandana to help insulate your neck and head and keep cold air away from your skin. Balaclava or Bandana: Use a balaclava (available from most apparel manufacturers and any ski shop) or other cloth or fleece neck wrap for added insulation and to help seal air passages around the neck and head. Glove Liners: Glove liners made of insulating material such as DuPont Thermostat are available from most outdoor outfitting stores. They are lightweight, fit underneath most properly fitting gloves and add an extra layer of insulating heat around the hands.  Lightweight glove liners are a great way to add extra insulation under standard riding gloves. Warmers: Perhaps the best cheap tip, warmers offer a one-shot disposable air-activated heat source. They can be found at any outdoor supply shop (even Wal-Mart), cost less than a dollar each and are lightweight enough to be slipped in just about anywhere you'd like. Just don't place them against bare skin, as the heat output can be erratic. Remember: HOT WEATHER  Beyond the Basics: Jacket: Most apparel manufacturers offer a multitude of vented leather or textile jackets. We're not entirely sold on the new fabric mesh jackets on the market, but we agree that wearing one is better than riding in a T-shirt. If possible, buy a more versatile jacket with zippered vents. If you have the budget for a warm-weather-only jacket, we recommend a light-colored, vented leather model. Gloves: While it's possible to find very lightweight, vented gloves on the market, we believe the trade-off in protection is not worth the minimal comfort advantage. Wear light-colored, standard riding gloves (light colors won't stain your hands and are cooler) with a long gauntlet and wrist strap. Tips and Tricks: Soak Everything: When traveling in hot weather, use evaporative cooling. Soak your T-shirt, helmet liner, head-everything. Use these methods and you'll find yourself shivering on a 100-degree day.  Pack ice in perforated plastic baggies and stick them inside your jacket pockets for some instant evaporative cooling. Ice: Place ice in your jacket's interior pockets for effective evaporative cooling. For a somewhat slower cooling effect, use blue gel ice packs or ice in perforated plastic baggies. The more holes in the bags, the faster the ice water leaks out (and the faster it melts). Wet Bandana: A wet bandana around the neck will do wonders for lowering your body temperature. Anything cold touching the carotid artery in the neck has a supercooling effect, as it directly chills the blood going to the brain. A bandana will dry out fairly quickly, however, so consider using one of the gel/crystal tube ties available at many outdoor sport shops. Water Mister: Pressurized water misters are cheap and easy to carry. Throw one in your tank bag and use it at stops for quick, easy cooling on the face and neck. Sunscreen: Apply sunscreen to any exposed skin. You wouldn't go to the beach for eight hours without sun protection-why try it on your ride?  Wearing shorts under an easily removed full riding suit makes for quick cool-downs at rest stops. Wear Shorts: Under your gear, that is. Wear shorts underneath your full riding gear for a quick cool-down at stops. This is best used in conjunction with nonleather zip-off suits that can be quickly removed during short rests. Stay hydrated: Long hauls in hot weather can easily lead to dehydration, which will in time inhibit your ability to properly ride a motorcycle. Carry a water bottle with you at all times, or wear a backpack drinking system for on-road resupply. These systems have been worn by racers and street riders alike with tremendous success. If you prefer not to wear a drinking system, fasten one to the front of your tankbag for easy access.  Got water? A drinking system is invaluable on those long, hot summer rides. Remember: Drink, drink, drink (but not alcohol). WET WEATHER  Beyond the Basics: Jacket and Pants: Don't forget that all the basic protective gear is needed underneath a plastic or vinyl rainsuit, which will offer no protection in the event of a crash. Rainsuit: While some off-the-shelf riding suits are waterproof, we like the versatility and weather protection offered by a purpose-built rainsuit. They are relatively inexpensive and there are a myriad of one and two-piece designs available starting from $29 all the way to $150. We have found that two-piece rainsuits offer the best compromise, as they're easier to get into than one-piece outfits and offer the option of wearing only the jacket for light rain showers. Rubber booties: If you're on a budget, it's cheaper and just as effective to travel in your standard riding boots covered with rubber booties than to purchase a separate set of waterproof riding boots. Some motorcycle accessory manufacturers offer rubber boot-covers that are easier to put on than conventional booties. All can make life much more enjoyable and be had for under $20. Gloves: There are many waterproof gloves on the market that fend off the elements. Most of the major apparel manufacturers carry a wet-weather glove in their lineup, so take a look at your local motorcycle dealer or browse through the Internet. When buying wet-weather gloves, avoid anything too bulky that restricts hand movement and dexterity. Tips and Tricks: Seal your gear: Many textile riding suits are capable of fending off moisture for a short amount of time. This can be lengthened by using a sealant such as 3M's Scotchgard on the material, applied twice on the seams. Mink oil can be used for leather products, but beware, these techniques also reduce the material's ability to breathe come warmer weather. Defog: A fogged-up helmet shield is one of the most annoying problems during wet-weather riding, and it can be dangerous as well. Try the Fog City Fog Shield, which is a plastic laminate that adheres to the inside of your shield and eliminates fogging, or go to any ski or sporting goods shop and ask for an antifog cloth. Both work remarkably well and cost less than $5.  Large rubber household cleaning gloves can be used over standard riding gloves. You won't win any fashion contests, but they will help keep the wind and water away. Rubber Gloves: If you don't have a good set of waterproof riding gloves, large rubber household cleaning gloves or other industrial rubber mitts will fit over your standard gloves and are surprisingly effective at keeping out the rain. Thin surgical gloves can also be worn to help keep moisture off the skin. Boot Spray: Use a small amount of Pam vegetable nonstick cooking spray on the inside of your rubber booties for lubrication, which makes sliding them on and off a much less aggravating affair. It wipes off easily once the bootie is removed.
Tucking your gloves inside the sleeve of your rainsuit helps keep water from running down the arm and into the glove gauntlet. Glove Gauntlets: When riding a sportbike in the rain, try pulling the sleeve of your rainsuit over the top of your glove. This helps keep water from leaking through the gauntlet top and into the glove.  Goofy as they may look, garbage bags over your torso, feet and hands do a decent job of keeping you dry in an emergency. Emergency Rain Gear: If you're stuck in an unexpected rainstorm, look no further than your local supermarket. Large plastic garbage bags (with slits cut out for your head and arms) can be used to repel water from your upper torso, and smaller bags can be wrapped around the feet and hands to help fend off the moisture. Fashion points do not apply. Neoprene: Fairly inexpensive slip-on neoprene braces for your knees, ankles and wrists can easily be modified to help seal off openings in your riding gear. When slipped over seams in your gear (between the glove and sleeve, for instance), they help catch water before it reaches your skin. Remember: Stop the Rain.Even in warmer climates, it's important to keep moisture away from your clothes and skin. Wet clothes offer no insulating properties, and draw heat from your body much quicker than dry clothes. This is especially so when riding in wet, cold conditions, where the risk of hypothermia is highest.
Downshifting &"Blipping" the Throttle
photographer: Kevin Wing
 1. Downshifting smoothly on a sportbike, especially while braking hard from high speed, requires a definite measure of skill and dexterity. In order to avoid upsetting the bike, the engine rpm must be matched to road speed when the clutch is fully disengaged, otherwise the rear tire will momentarily "chatter" and upset the bike as the engine is forced to match road speed involuntarily. This means that the rider must "blip" the throttle to raise the engine rpm during downshifts-but he must do this while simultaneously pulling on the front brake lever to slow down. While this riding skill is obviously necessary on the racetrack, it can also pay big dividends in street-riding situations where riding smoothly is a must; for instance, any situation where you are cornering and braking at the same time.  2. The idea of blipping the throttle between downshifts can be intimidating for the uninitiated, but with a little practice, the technique can soon become second nature. First, make sure that your levers are adjusted so that they are comfortably in reach of your fingers when sitting in a normal riding position, and that your throttle is adjusted for minimal play in the cable. The front brake lever should be angled downward enough to be easily gripped with your hand in the closed throttle position. With the engine running in neutral, try blipping the throttle slightly while pulling firmly on the brake lever-note that it doesn't take much throttle movement to get the revs up. Then practice simultaneously pulling and releasing the clutch quickly when you blip the throttle (remembering to continue pulling on the brake lever as if you were slowing for a corner).  3. The next step is to practice this technique while riding in a safe area with no traffic. As you brake and begin your downshift, simply perform the same practice drill as before, but add the act of downshifting. The action of blipping the throttle and the downshift should be simultaneous and quick, and it doesn't take a whole lot of revs to match the engine to road speed; unless you're riding at racetrack aggression levels, all it will require is a slight throttle blip. With practice, you'll know just how much is necessary at various speeds. Note that mostly the palm of your hand handles the act of moving the throttle because your upper body weight is centered on your palms under braking anyway, and your fingers are busy actuating the brake and holding the bar. All it takes is a slight wrist movement to blip the throttle. You'll find this will help avoid affecting your braking action due to influencing your fingers' grip on the brake lever.  4. If you find that you still have problems with this technique, try adjusting your brake lever in so that it's easier to reach (without hindering your ability to pull the lever in for maximum braking, of course). If you still have trouble, you will have to employ the "non-blip" method many racers (such as AMA perennial front-runner Eric Bostrom) still use. This simply means the clutch is released gradually after the downshift so that the engine rpms can progressively match road speed without the rear wheel chattering. The downside is that the rider loses the added engine braking while the clutch is disengaged and the bike "freewheels," and he must compensate with the additional use of the brakes during this time. Also, it requires even more skill at manipulating and controlling the bike while simultaneously releasing the clutch lever slowly and gradually.
Riding Skill Series: Smooth OperatorFrom the April 2004 issue of Sport Rider magazine
writer: Kent Kunitsugu  1. In last issue's RSS, we showed how smooth downshifting helps foster improved bike control. In fact, smoothness in all aspects of riding, whether it's braking, accelerating, or even body movements/weight shifts, can play a huge role in whether you're able to tackle your favorite road or track with confidence--or apprehension. You'd be amazed how much easier it is to go faster when your riding is relaxed, yet alert--not rushed and frantic. Pro racers refer to this as "trying too hard," and they often find that their lap times are slower because of it. When your physical actions on the controls are too "tight" and somewhat impulsive, you end up concentrating too much on those riding tasks, and trying to fix the mistakes that often occur because of that rough riding style.  2. Using the brakes properly is probably one of the most difficult riding skills to learn, and it requires much more skill than twisting the throttle. Many riders only use the brake like a light switch: all on or all off. What they don't realize is that not only are they unnecessarily upsetting the chassis by simply grabbing a handful of front brake lever, but they also aren't utilizing the numerous advantages that applying the brakes smoothly offers. One of the biggest benefits of smooth braking is weight transfer. By squeezing--not grabbing--the front brake smoothly (and quickly--remember, you're still trying to slow in a minimum distance), you're allowing the bike's weight to move to the front end, where it helps the tire gain more traction. If you go for maximum braking too quickly, you will easily overpower the tire's available traction because there is hardly any weight on it (and hence, a smaller contact patch) at that time.  3. Another advantage related to smooth brake application is the weight transfer's effect on the front suspension. Abruptly applying too much front brake suddenly slams all the bike's weight forward, usually overpowering the fork springs and damping to the point of fully bottoming the fork. With no available fork travel to absorb any bumps, the chassis often becomes very unstable, as the rear of the bike tends to pivot around the steering head. This results in the "tail wagging" you often see from racebikes at the limit of braking (Ben Bostrom's braking style is a perfect example), and this usually causes bike control problems for most riders entering a corner.By smoothly applying the front brake, you're allowing the chassis weight to "set" on the front end and assist the front tire's traction level before you suddenly demand maximum performance from both the tire and front fork.  4. Another benefit of learning to smoothly apply the front brake is that the technique helps teach brake modulation. A brake is just like the throttle; it is a speed control. And just as you learn to use the throttle judiciously on corner exits as you balance power with available traction, the same can be said for the brakes on the entrance to the corner. Learning how to gauge and control your speed as you approach the end of the braking zone can help add mph to your corner entrance and midcorner speed, which will usually pay dividends off the corner and down the next straight. More importantly, however, learning brake modulation will also help save your bacon on the street. Gaining maximum braking by balancing on the fine line of tire traction as you slow to avoid that errant four-wheeler is much easier with this acquired and very valuable skill, and with continual practice, the act of using the brakes properly will become natural to you.
Body Positioning And Steering Techniques
Last issue, we outlined the importance of mental concentration and staying physically relaxed on the motorcycle. As with virtually all skills in riding motorcycles, these two are closely related with the interwoven techniques of body position and steering. Whether you're going to hang off the bike on a racetrack or stay centered on it while riding on the street, proper body position starts at the footpegs and works up from there. Anytime you're not using your feet for shifting or applying the rear brake, place the ball of your foot on the footpeg. This allows you to shift your weight more effectively than hooking your heels on the pegs, as most street riders are prone to do.  Proper body position starts with the ball of the foot on the footpegs and works up from there. Be consistent with where you sit on the seat while in cornering mode because moving even a few inches before or after ahs a big effect on weight distribution and handling; sliding up against the back of the tank is a good place to start. This also helps keep weight off your hands and wrists on the bars.  Get your body position set well before the corner entrance, as you begin your transition to the brakes, not, as most riders do instinctively, while you initiate your steering input. Ideally, the rider's upper and lower body hang equally off the inside of the motorcycle to shift the combined center of mass inward and allow the bike to remain more uptight for a given speed around a given radius corner. Riding with your heel hooked on the peg presents a couple of problems. First, most riders end up pointing their toes outward, where they can drag on the ground prematurely (very distracting, if not scary). And second, riding this way forces you to use your quadriceps (in your upper leg) to lift your butt off the seat for weight transfer. Placing the balls of your feet on the pegs allows you to also use your calf muscles and keeps your toes away from the asphalt. Next, sit on the front of the seat near the fuel tank to stay connected to the bike with your lower body and keep your weight biased toward the front tire. Be consistent with your seat position because it has a major effect on the weight distribution and, hence, the handling characteristics of the bike. Your back and arms should have a natural, relaxed bend to allow your body to absorb bumps without feeding them through to the chassis. You want your body to act like part of the bike's suspension, not part of the frame. Finally, as we described in the previous Riding Skills Series segment, grip the bars like you would hold a bird in your hand: tight enough to keep the bird from getting away, but not so tight as to crush it. Stay Relaxed  A slight arch in your back and a natural bend to your elbows helps you stay relaxed and absorb bumps without unintentionally feeding them to the chassis through the bars. Think of your body as part of the suspension, not part of the chassis. Use your back and abdominal muscles to help support your upper body weight and keep a light touch on the bars for improved feedback and stability. Hanging Off While you're beginning to set up for the corner, shift your body position by pivoting your lower body around the back of the tank to slide about half your butt off the seat. Doing this in advance of the corner keeps you from being rushed as you bend the bike into the turn and slows your perceived, or mental, speed. Getting your body in position and downshifting done well in advance of the corner gives you a significant amount of time to relax, set your entrance speed by smoothly releasing the brake and pick a precise turn-in point for the corner. Handling all the aforementioned tasks early frees up an enormous amount of time and concentration for the really important aspects of entering the corner. Weight the inside footpeg and push against the tank with your outside thigh as you countersteer to turn the bike in. Applying multiple, subtle inputs to steer the bike helps you to stay light on the bars and keep the bike stable. As the bike leans into the corner, shift your upper body off about an equal amount to your lower body so that your back is more or less parallel to the centerline of the bike but offset to the inside about four to six inches. Hold your outside thigh against the tank so that it supports most of your body weight and allows your arms to be relaxed at a natural bend. As you exit the corner, pull your body back up with your arms and legs combined; using only your arms can feed unnecessary inputs into the bars, causing the front tire to get light and initiate headshake while accelerating off the corner. Unweight your butt just enough to slide across the seat and back into position; don't jump up from one position to another, which can unsettle the bike. Consciously weight the outside footpeg to help the bike stand up and to transfer traction to the rear tire. It's important to not hang off so drastically that it compromises your body's connection with the bike or your ability to control the bike should you lose traction from the front or rear tire. Keep your head upright, looking two to six seconds in front of the bike at all times. Most riders find it helpful to keep their heads close to perpendicular to the ground, which gives a better sense of balance and visual orientation, as well. If you stay tucked in behind the bubble, your vision of the road ahead will be compromised. Steering Technique Your initial steering input should begin with countersteering (pushing forward on the inside bar to use the front wheel's gyroscopic effect to bank the bike into the corner) while at the same time pressing down on the inside footpeg. Isaac Newton discovered that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Pushing down on the inside footpeg at the same time you push forward on the inside bar helps effectively anchor the body to generate both forces and, as we shall see, the forces complement one another in steering the bike. Once countersteering banks a motorcycle into the turn, increasing lean angle is a matter of pivoting the bike around its center of mass. The greater the lean angle, the tighter the bike carves through the turn. Footpegs are effective levers on either side of and slightly below the center of mass. Pressing down on the inside footpeg helps pivot the bike around its center of mass and steers it into the corner while requiring less effort from your upper body at the bars.  Notice the progression of how these riders shift their weight from right to left while transitioning from one direction to the other. By weighting the inside footpeg and using the outer thigh to pivot the bike around its center of mass, substantially less countersteering force is required. Applying the inputs as low as possible allows the bike to remain more stable than using countersteering alone. Throughout Kevin Schwantz's career on Grand Prix bikes, which weighed between 250-286 pounds and produced upward of 175 horsepower, he found that the lower his steering inputs were into the chassis, the more stable the bike was. Consequently, while he did use countersteering to initiate the corner, from that point on he used as little upper body input as he could. Instead, he relied on weighting the inside footpeg and using his outside thigh to pull the fuel tank to the inside of the turn and finish the steering input. As a result, his arms could stay more relaxed on the bars and keep the bike more stable. Schwantz's motorcycle competition career began at a young age in observed trials, where he learned the value, even necessity, of using lower body inputs to control his motorcycle. This lesson he applied all the way through his World Championship-winning career. While pushing forward on the inside bar, weighting the inside footpeg and pulling the outside thigh toward the inside of the corner might sound complex, in actual practice you'll likely find that you've already been doing it to some degree. When focusing on using the upper and lower body to steer the bike more effectively, most riders feel that someone's installed power steering on their bike. It turns in much easier with less effort, and with a little practice it becomes second nature. The added stability of this light-on-the-bars technique is ever more important as bikes get lighter, shorter and more powerful. From the apex of the corner on, weighting the outside footpeg gives a couple of advantages. First, it helps stand the bike up off the edge of the tire to generate a larger contact patch and allow the rider to accelerate. Second, it helps transfer the rider's weight through the rear contact patch to the ground, increasing traction. This is another lesson Schwantz learned from a trials-riding mentor. Traversing a steep slope of loose dirt on a trials bike while weighting the inside footpeg forces the rear contact patch away from the hillside and causes the rear tire to lose traction and slide downhill. Riding across the same slope while weighting the outside footpeg forces the rear contact patch into the hillside, maintains traction and allows the bike to ride straight across the hillside. Whether you're riding across an incline or leaning a motorcycle over on the pavement, the principle is the same. Practice using your upper and lower body together, and you'll find that your motorcycle steers more easily with less effort and remains more stable.
|
|
|
Riding tips |
