Ride smoother and safer (and get paid to do it!)

[retro asian]

Good post. I agree, when you get into the "groove" of smooth riding it is very rewarding.

Also sometimes my cruiser doesn't turn in as tight as I'd like, so an additional help for me is smooth application of rear brake through the corner....and lots of throttle when I see that exit!

[howdamnhard]

Excellent post , I aim to be smooth whenever possible.

[sugilite:Me]

I'd argue that by backing off the throttle you're loading the front and losing stability, and that this will push you wider...

I'm talking about reducing the throttle in a already very controlled and gentle scenario. Chopping the throttle will still not have the effect you are talking about at the speed/pace I'm talking about, unless your bikes forks are dangerously stuffed.

Is it smooth to be on and off the gas?... Even the slightest twitch off the gas tends to give that instability...

Edit: Should you find yourself going too fast (in your head at least), what will happen then?

Same as my above comment really. I do not envision people will need to chop or alter the throttle in every corner, it is just a useful tool to have in the kit bag should you need it. Again, the entry speeds are gentle and when learning this technique, large safety margins should be employed. Just common sense really. If a rider feels they are going into the corner faster than they feel comfortable, there is still plenty of time to brake.

I'm starting to wish I had a on board video to show practical examples.

BMWST comments are right on the button.

[Smifffy]

Is this what is meant by Lazy riding? It's the style of riding I'm into, and seems a lot more natural than carving up and down my gearbox, whilst "blipping" on the throttle.

[yungatart]

Thanks for this thread, Sugilite...I am a slow, super cautious rider and have developed some bad habits (as we do).
After reading this I had a few (very slow) laps at Manfield on Saturday, spent some time over the weekend digesting your thread, and had an awesome ride home laast night in the wet.
Smooth, steady, in control and relatively fast (for me!)...I'm still grinning!
Thanks...keep posting this stuff....it works!

[MSTRS:Me]

Smooth, steady, in control and relatively fast (for me!)...I'm still grinning!

I can vouch for that. 200kms in varying degrees of wetness, on SH2, at a constant speed of 100-110kph (except where certain corners dictated otherwise). Little traffic meaning that cornering lines could be tailored to the conditions and road surface.
Smooth is gear/throttle control, as well as reading the conditions (read as 'possible threats') far enough ahead so that there are no surprises.

[sugilite:Me]

Is this what is meant by Lazy riding? It's the style of riding I'm into, and seems a lot more natural than carving up and down my gearbox, whilst "blipping" on the throttle.

I'm not a fan of the word lazy, but yep, it is a nice relaxing style for sure. I'll be talking about throttle blipping in a later post/session. I may even say something controversial on the matter

Thanks for this thread, Sugilite...I am a slow, super cautious rider and have developed some bad habits (as we do).
After reading this I had a few (very slow) laps at Manfield on Saturday, spent some time over the weekend digesting your thread, and had an awesome ride home laast night in the wet.
Smooth, steady, in control and relatively fast (for me!)...I'm still grinning!
Thanks...keep posting this stuff....it works!

Cool, thanks for the feedback, nice to hear about progress being made

[sugilite:Me]

Have moved the emergency braking post to it's own thread here...
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...post1129633267

I'll carry on with the smooth riding technique on this thread soon.

[BikerDazz]

I'll carry on with the smooth riding technique on this thread soon.[/QUOTE]


Hey, thanks for sharing this great info.

I do have a wee query - as I've been tooling around and trialling different techniques with cornering, I've tried sticking my left knee out when taking sharp left corners and it seems to me that this assists with holding my line tight; does this sound right to you and is it recommended or am I better to hug the tank with both knees and throttle off a little to hold the line? Or am I just confusing myself and totally off track?

Cheers in advance for the advice.

[sugilite:Me]

Hey, thanks for sharing this great info.

I do have a wee query - as I've been tooling around and trialling different techniques with cornering, I've tried sticking my left knee out when taking sharp left corners and it seems to me that this assists with holding my line tight; does this sound right to you and is it recommended or am I better to hug the tank with both knees and throttle off a little to hold the line? Or am I just confusing myself and totally off track?

Cheers in advance for the advice.

Yes, sticking your knee out can indeed help you keep a tighter line, and yes I did note you mentioned on left handers!
It can be incorparated into the smooth style just fine

I'll prob write the next installment on smooth riding techniques tomorrow.

[quickbuck]

Nice thread sugilite. Great tips. I too, am sick of spending Race Budgets on consumables for my road bike through hard road riding..... Loving the 4.9l per 100k my 600 gets now!
Interestingly the rider of the Team Air Force ZXR400 (neil_cb125t) gets similar mileage out of his CBR600....

BikerDazz, yes, sticking your inside knee is a great technique, as this means you are actually putting weight on the outside peg, and feel free to put your outside knee into the tank....

Another step along from this is to gently slide your backside across the seat.

Now, we are getting a little further down the track from "Lazy" (Yup, misleading term) riding, but it is all about correct riding technique.

[ckai]

So when's the next instalment or have I missed something?

[sugilite:Me]

Cheers, thanks for the prod.

Working with the bike

A lot of riders do the majority of steering using their arm strength alone. While being perfectly acceptable, it does take a fair bit of effort and that mounts up over a longer ride.
Another option is to use your body to help steer the bike, in particular your legs and feet can greatly add to sharing the steering load and giving you a greater number of force bearing contact points (hands, knees, feet) aiding in steering the bike. This spread of loading forces really helps smooth things out and the bike handles and responds better as a result.
An example of this would be, when initiating a left hand turn, the rider pushes against the left handle bar (counter steering - see note below) with their hand/arm, while simultaneously pushing down on the left footrest with their foot and pulling against the tank with their right knee. (assuming their bike type/ride position supports use of the knee). Now you don't need to go being a Rambo or Ramboette using this technique, all good things in moderation is one of the major secrets of smoooooth!

Note: The concept of counter steering is now becoming more widely known. The basics of counter steering is to initiate a left hand turn, one actually turns the handle bars slightly to the right causing the bike to lean to the left. Visa versa for right turns. It is a fairly natural process, so I won't be covering it in any real depth here.

Exercises I've used to speed up the learning process:
Fortunately there is a relatively quick way of learning how to use this technique.

Find a quiet and winding road with a series of corners that can be taken easily in say 3rd gear, being a hill would be a added bonus too. Once a suitable road has been found, scout it both directions checking for any hazards. Once you are satisfied the way is clear, take the bike up to third gear, then at a very gentle pace, take your hand off the left handle bar and navigate the road one handed at a pace you feel comfortable. Believe me doing this will force you to quickly start using your legs, feet and knees to help steer the bike. Once you get to the end of your road, turn around and do it again heading the other way, now repeat this process at least three times. At the completion of the third run, try the same piece of road using two hands running at a faster (but still safe) pace. You will very likely be blown away by how easy and effortless steering your bike has become now your using your whole body in synergy with the bike. Keep practicing the above until it becomes a natural process in your riding. When practicing, do not hesitate at all to put both hands on the bars at the slightest hint of a hazard or if your feeling uneasy with the situation.

The one other thing I will cover in this section is when navigating "S" bends,where your transferring your weight from one side of the bike to the other.
Using your whole body to steer will naturally have you on the balls of your feet when navigating twisties. So when you are banked over on one side and it is time to turn it to the opposite side, use your legs/feet to take the weight off your arse, personally I often use my legs/feet to lift my arse just off the seat by a centimeter or two. I find doing that really smooths out the whole transition process and the suspension will really thank you for it too.

As ever, anyone is free to post any info they feel is relevant to the thread. I'm also happy to attempt to answer any questions people may have regarding the above

[R-Soul]

Is it smooth to be on and off the gas?... Even the slightest twitch off the gas tends to give that instability...

Edit: Should you find yourself going too fast (in your head at least), what will happen then?

Using a slight bit of back braking will stabilise it and increase turn in as well.

[R-Soul]

The road to Piha at about 7am is a fanatstic road to do that on.

I initially tried clamping on hard with my knees, to allow me to relax my arms for smoother control.

But then I found that for a given corner at a given speed, and a given lean agle, you can move until youfeel feel when your body is in perfect balance with the bike, so that both your legs and arms will be relaxed, and balanced by the forces on you and the bike.