What makes a good rider?

**Kittyhawk** · 26th April 2007, 18:21

What makes a good rider?....

What do you observe when someone else is riding in front of you? their lines, gear changes, how they lean their bike around a corner on open roads/twisties.

If someone overtakes you how can you tell they are good and know what they are doing?

Lane splitting, if you pull into a lane and someone splits past do you watch their moves?

Is there anything that you've picked up from riding in a group with others eg. a rider in front of you
leans off their seat, and then you've tried it and it works for you.

What are things which make a rider unsafe to be around?

**Disco Dan** · 26th April 2007, 18:24

My 2c

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...=45812&page=19

**Kittyhawk** · 26th April 2007, 18:31

Lol oh dude!!

**surfchick** · 26th April 2007, 18:31

re your lanesplit question IF someone catches me lane splitting

i always watch their little scrawny asse to see what they're up to. i especially enjoy the bullet fast crappy wobbling 250cc ones that bolt past looking for a double articulated lorry to mate with... or something even more humiliating like a cefiro or sunny or bongo...

**Karma** · 26th April 2007, 18:31

Originally Posted by Kittyhawk

What do you observe when someone else is riding in front of you?

The road... it's the safest way to ride.

**Bonez** · 26th April 2007, 18:40

Originally Posted by Karma

The road... it's the safest way to ride.

Ditto. Do find "knee downs/outs" on public roads quite ammusing though.

**flash** · 26th April 2007, 18:40

i say a smooth rider is a great rider, someone thats not erratic and begging to crash

**Sketchy_Racer** · 26th April 2007, 18:40

On the road.

A good rider is one that is ALWAYS in control..

On a track.... the one that beats me around a corner :grr:

**vamr** · 26th April 2007, 18:41

Originally Posted by Kittyhawk

If someone overtakes you how can you tell they are good?

When someone overtakes me on a korean made bike with their leg down certainly impresses me.

**flash** · 26th April 2007, 18:43

Originally Posted by RG100!!

On the road.

A good rider is one that is ALWAYS in control..

bang on there rg100, bling awarded

**vamr** · 26th April 2007, 18:47

Originally Posted by Bonez

Ditto. Do find "knee downs/outs" on public roads quite ammusing though.

Elbow downs are the new black.

**Black Bandit** · 26th April 2007, 18:54

Smoothness always impresses me. Always hear the commentators complimenting Biaggi's smooth riding style on SBK. Which I guess equates to control?

Your's was good Kittyhawk - on yesterday's ride I was impressed with your throttle control (and not too much braking) approaching sweepers - caused some interesting corners for me though as I realised a bit late that you had slowed for the corner even though the brake light hadn't lit up.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 26th April 2007, 18:55

First of all you shouldn't just be watching the bike/vehicle ahead of you, you should know what all vehicles around you are doing and expecting the unexpected from them.

Smooth riding and lines, (not erractic) someone that's in control, doesn't tense up when corning, (even with grit and crap on the road and corners, a good rider has spotted these and have picked the best line around) the bike should flow naturally around the corners.

Something you probably can't see the rider should be relaxed, knows his/her surroundings, and is thinking ahead.

**Disco Dan** · 26th April 2007, 21:25

Originally Posted by vamr

When someone overtakes me on a korean made bike with their leg down certainly impresses me.

not sure it is impressive. stupid, certainly. if a person wants to try going around corners with their foot off the peg doing motox style then they are either stupid or inexperienced. Although in this case, what you saw vamr yesterday was both.