Niall McKenzie explains

[idleidolidyll]

I did a riderskills course some time back.
The most educational thing he got me to do all day was to ride as fast as I dared down this nice twisty bit of road but I wasn't allowed to look at the speedo or use the brakes.
Seems to me, it has quite a bit in common with what III is saying.

interesting

i'd add something to that: do it in just one gear

learning to be smooth is very very clever

[discotex]

i'd add something to that: do it in just one gear

+1

I often go out and ride in 2nd gear only and hardly use the brakes. Can do anything from about 30km/h to license losing speed in that one gear so more than enough for the open road.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Slow in, Fast out.

Isn't it common knowledge? I mean seriously everyone should know that.

we are still talking about corning aren't we

[Bass]

learning to be smooth is very very clever

Bingo!
But it also included so many other techniques such as using the VP to set up entry speeds way early. It also allowed time for picking the best (longest view) line.
I guess in summary that it forced me to get myself properly prepared for every corner.

I'm not sure about "just one gear". It was a lonely bit of road and one of the instructions was to ignore speed limits. (We won't discuss the top speeds that I was told we reached). So I was forced to use the techniques that I had been taught over a very wide speed range.
I still think that this was a definite plus.
Also, the Sprint doesn't really have a wide "useful" rev range, despite what I have read in here - at least it doesn't in comparason to the RF I had previously

[Mr Merde]

interesting

i'd add something to that: do it in just one gear

learning to be smooth is very very clever

Strange that this topic has come up.

I commute 80+km each way to work.

Lately I have been focusing my attention on riding smoother.

I have been very conciously attempting to keep away from using the brakes on my bike. In doing this I have been forced to concentrate more on the road and bre more aware of other traffic.

My riding has been a little slower but one heck of a lot smoother.

There has also been the added bonus of returning better fuel consumption than I have had for quite a while.

I havent eliminated using my brakes totally but have relied upon throttle and clutch control in a more controlled way. Not snapping of the throttle followed by having to haul on the brakes suddenly.

My route to and from home and work involves a country road full of twisty corners and the Southern Motorway in Auckland.


Chris

[Subike]

My Grand father, Father, and two uncles, all of whom rode bikes from the 1920's up to the 1980"s . The last one of them , my dad, died 3 years ago. All of them rode bikes most of their lives and only one was ever involved in a serious incident.
Theyall said the basically same thing when I was learning.

""Always ride at a speed where you can stop in 1/2 the distance you can see in front of you.""
Now that may seem a little crazy, but speed is not the killer, its not being able to stop before you hit the thing that kills you because you were outriding your braking distance.
This applys to the road , not the track, where a whole different riding style is used.

[Finn]

so far so good but here's where it differs from the race track:

DON'T front brake hard into the corner, instead drop down a few gears and let out the clutch carefully to drag your speed down without compressing the front forks.

I have no problem with this and I'm sure it works fine on a chook chasing puddle jumper but what about a litre sports bike? As far as I'm aware there isn't a lower gear than 1st to slow the bitch down.

[SPman]

Interesting take. I call bullshit though.
......

So far everyone I've met that has done a trackday or two has been a responsible rider who tames it down on the road knowing they can ride as fast as they want next trackday.

Must have ridden with different people to me and that includes a lot of KB'ers who have done track time and raced!
And not all of them are with us now........

learning to be smooth is very very clever

Try riding up your favourite bit of road without exceeding the speed limit, as fast as you can and minimum use of brakes - I did that up 22 one day and it was the most fun I've had in years.

[discotex]

Must have ridden with different people to me and that includes a lot of KB'ers who have done track time and raced!
And not all of them are with us now........

I take your point but... I've met more riders I'd consider dangerous at KB rides than at trackdays.

The point I was making (and stand by) is that nutters are nutters. Trackdays or not they ride like they ride.

I personally ride slower and safer on the open road having been to trackdays as I no longer feel the need to use the road as a race track.

[rocketman1]

[QUOTE=idleidolidyll;1749531].....how to ride fast and safe on the roads rather than on the track.

There is one inherent problem with slow in fast out, (which incidentally , i agree with) and this is it: on roads that you have not travelled before, HOW FAST IS SLOW IN?? ....this is where people come unstuck.. blind corners can be very deceptive, I'm sure people think that I am too cautious on blind corners...
Hey 48% of bike accidents happen on corners.. so the message aint getting through about slow in..is it? This depends so much an your bike, the conditions and your ability.
Fast on the straights but be cautious at intersections and blind corners..you cannot avoid what you can't see..

Yes travel fast but safe, it can be done, but watch those blind bends..

[idleidolidyll]

some interesting comments here.
One thing we used to do when I lived in Christchurch was to start at the Hilltop (I think that was the name) and 'race' down into Little River with the engine turned off.
Obviously smoothriding was the key and brakes were the enemy.

Passing slow vehicles was ' interesting' to say the least!