Some observations

Motor Officer Riding tips

Once our recruits successfully complete 90 hours of riding around (and sometimes through) cones, they are required to complete 50 hours of mountain riding. We begin with a few hours in the classroom discussing how the new skills they have learned (Set up/clutch/throttle /head/eyes) are applied in mountain riding.

Instead of making turns within the confines of a cone pattern, they are making turns in a larger pattern (the road) at greater speeds. This can also be said about riding at the track, which is really a large pattern of turns ridden at greater speeds.

The principals of set up, head/eye, and applying power to the rear wheel are the same(clutch/throttle or rolling on the throttle if you are on the track or in the mountains).

I was following a student down a mountain road earlier this week. He happened to be following the head trainer. The head trainer (who trained me several years ago) was riding a decent pace. I saw the student late appex a couple of turns and also noticed that he didn't apply his brakes to set up his entry for the next turn.

I'm like the kid in the movie, "6th Sense", but instead of seeing dead people, I see people crashing. I get on the radio to tell him to "cut the cord" between him and the bike in front of him. The student doesn't hear me (probably because he is in panic mode) and he is staring at the edge of the roadway. I see his body straighten up and then he collides into the side of the mountain.

The rider is ejected from the bike and the bike (2007 Electraglide) tumbles down the road, almost crushing him. Fortunately, he got away with a minor knee injury.

I have been to many fatal motorcycle accidents and believe that improper set up (for the speed they were travelling) and target fixation ( Wow, that wall is coming at me really fast...) are usually the cause of accidents with inexperienced riders. Witness statements, skid marks, gouges in the road, and point of rest lead me to my conclusions.

The important lesson here is to not ride above your head. We all find ourselves a little too hot into a corner. The key is to recognize the signs that you are approaching your personal threshold and dial it back. Scrub your speed, look away from the danger, and push your handlebar in the direction you want to go. If you make the save, evaluate what you did wrong and what you did right. My speed is dictated by how well I was able to execute the 3 fundamentals-set up/cluth and throttle/head and eyes. When you do this, your ride will be smoother and faster.

Here are some drills that I do. I will present them in the order that I would teach someone in my class. I hope you find them useful.

Drill#1: Find a driveway with an incline-the steeper, the better. Ride your motorcycle up the driveway until your back tire is about 6-8 feet from the bottom of the incline. Come to a stop with your left foot on the ground and use the rear brake to keep you in position. Bring your RPM to 1100 RPM and keep it there. Slowly release the clutch until you feel your bike move forward. Slowly release the rear brake. The goal is to use the "gray area" to hold your bike in position. Let the bike roll forward a few inches, then let it roll back to it's original position. Without using the brake, release the clutch until you feel the bike move forward again. Your finger movements should be subtle. You should NEVER pull the clutch lever all the way in or release it all the way out when you are doing slow speed drills. The key to this drill is to find where the gray area is on your motorcycle and commit it to muscle memory.

Thanks for your observations and tips, Eddie. I'll be passing them along to the newbie I've been working with.

Drill #2

Once you have practiced Drill #1 and can feel what it's like to have a load to the rear wheel, you are ready to do U turns from a stop.

Here is the starting position for a left u turn: Left foot on the ground, right foot on the peg (or board). Lock the handlebar to the left. Look over your left shoulder and pick a target to look at while you execute the turn. Bring your RPMs up to 1100-1200 RPM. Let out the clutch until you feel the bike start to pull forward. Once you feel the bike move forward, lift your left foot and put it on the peg (or board). Continue to hold a steady RPM and increase your momentum by letting out the clutch lever. The bike will swing around and go right where you are looking at. The trick is to be smooth with your clutch and hold a steady RPM.

Unless you are riding a dual sport, supermoto, or scooter, do NOT lean the bike in the direction of the turn from a standstill! Keep the bike upright for the first foot or so, then let the lean happen by itself. Once you gain momentum, the "falling feeling" won't feel as bad. Also, you will have time to keep the bike from falling by letting out more clutch instead of breaking your ankle when you put your foot down to save your bike.

I cannot stress enough how important it is NOT to put your foot down to catch your bike. If you have saddlebags, you are going to run over your foot/leg because the bike is still in motion while your foot and leg are stationary. Stay with big turns until you are comfortable with your technique.

Common errors that lead you to putting your foot down or dropping your bike are: A sudden drop in RPMs, pulling the clutch lever in too far, straightening out your handlebars as you are turning, and looking down at the ground because you did one of or a combination of the errors I mentioned.

Right turns and left turns are done the same way. Start with big u turns, then make them tighter as you gain more confidence. A typical U turn on a Harley Davidson Police Motorcycle is about 16 1/2 to 17 feet. If you can do a u turn inside the distance of 2 parking stalls in both directions, you have this drill mastered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksrNgaEmQPg

For beginners..

Before you try U turns, do 90 degree and 45 degree turns using the same technique.

Nemo Brinker said:

Thanks for your observations and tips, Eddie. I'll be passing them along to the newbie I've been working with.

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No problem

eddiet204 said:

Unless you are riding a dual sport, supermoto, or scooter, do NOT lean the bike in the direction of the turn from a standstill!

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Can you elaborate on this a little? Reason I ask is that is exactly what I do on my Sport Touring bike to make a u-turn from a stand still...bike is leaned into the turn with the handlebars turned before I'm moving. Why is it ok on a DS/SM but not on another style of motorcycle?

squid vicious said:

Can you elaborate on this a little? Reason I ask is that is exactly what I do on my Sport Touring bike to make a u-turn from a stand still...bike is leaned into the turn with the handlebars turned before I'm moving. Why is it ok on a DS/SM but not on another style of motorcycle?

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If you can do it, that's great. Most people learning this drill are going to drop their bike if they start out leaning it in the direction of the turn, especially if they are riding an Electraglide. Dual sports/SMs/UJMs/and scooters weigh about 450 pounds less, and are more forgiving if your technique isn't spot on (especially when you try this on a steep hill).

When I'm writing these posts, I'm thinking of the 60 year old guy or gal on a Wing or a Harley. I have tried these drills on a variety of bikes: Electraglide, R1150/1200RT, ST1300, CBR1000/600, KTM Superduke/Supermoto, R1/R6, Concourse 14, FJR1300, Kawasaki Versys, KZ1000P. I will post information that will suit all bikes, so there may be content that doesn't apply to you.

There are riders with tons of skill that may do things differently. The important thing is to find what works for you.

One of the really key things if you're gonna use a lean from a stop is that you're dead sure you're in 1st AND good on your friction zone (see drill 1) and BE DECISIVE. As Eddie says, getting your head around and finding a target is a premier skill, it helps you be focused and GET IT DONE. Look at the ground...hit the ground.

Being decisive also helps if you're leaning something heavy over because if you start into the friction zone, roll forward a foot and then get nervous and pull in the clutch--you're suddenly holding all the weight on one leg.

(And oddly, the bike feels like it rolls backward on the front wheel...)

and +1 getting yer feet up and out of the way quickly...

Drill #3

When you can perform drill #2 without difficulty, try doing 90 degree turns on an incline/decline. If you are comfortable with your technique, do U turns on an incline/decline. When you are on a decline, feather the rear brake if you need to scrub some speed prior to initiating your turn. Release the rear brake when executing your turn. Like your clutchwork in Drill #1, your movements with your right foot should be subtle. Avoid using the front brake when performing these drills because you will end up on the ground (cursing me). I use driveways and loading ramps.

If you are having trouble locking out the handlebars, you are probably seated too far back in the seat. Scoot up so you are closer to the steering stem and you shouldn't have any reach issues. If you are riding a bike with clip ons, you may get your right hand pinched between the tank and the throttle tube on right U turns. Before locking the bars to the right, rotate your hand forward on the throttle tube so there is a bend in your wrist. When you start to work the throttle, the angle of your wrist will straighten out and you will be able to work the throttle tube without clearance issues.

For beginners: Instead of starting from a standstill, try this drill while rolling at 3-5 mph.

CaptCrash said:

One of the really key things if you're gonna use a lean from a stop is that you're dead sure you're in 1st AND good on your friction zone (see drill 1) and BE DECISIVE. As Eddie says, getting your head around and finding a target is a premier skill, it helps you be focused and GET IT DONE. Look at the ground...hit the ground.

Being decisive also helps if you're leaning something heavy over because if you start into the friction zone, roll forward a foot and then get nervous and pull in the clutch--you're suddenly holding all the weight on one leg.

(And oddly, the bike feels like it rolls backward on the front wheel...)

and +1 getting yer feet up and out of the way quickly...

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Well put!

eddiet204 said:

If you can do it, that's great. Most people learning this drill are going to drop their bike if they start out leaning it in the direction of the turn, especially if they are riding an Electraglide. Dual sports/SMs/UJMs/and scooters weigh about 450 pounds less, and are more forgiving if your technique isn't spot on (especially when you try this on a steep hill).

When I'm writing these posts, I'm thinking of the 60 year old guy or gal on a Wing or a Harley. I have tried these drills on a variety of bikes: Electraglide, R1150/1200RT, ST1300, CBR1000/600, KTM Superduke/Supermoto, R1/R6, Concourse 14, FJR1300, Kawasaki Versys, KZ1000P. I will post information that will suit all bikes, so there may be content that doesn't apply to you.

There are riders with tons of skill that may do things differently. The important thing is to find what works for you.

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that's a fair answer, thank you for the clarification

Drill #4

Drill #4: Now that you have figured out where your gray area is and you can apply it to your turns, find an empty parking lot with painted stalls. You need 4 stalls (2 next to each other with 2 in front/back). You will ride a clockwise and counter clockwise oval within the width and length of 2 stalls. Set up on the outside line of a stall and use your gray area when you initiate your turn. Turn your head and LOOK over your shoulder after you set up and find your gray area. Pick a target on the horizon or above the horizon to look at before you start this drill. Just don't look at the ground-you know it's there, so don't look at it. Some riders look well before they initiate their turn and some do it while they are initiating their turn.

Once you are able to perform this, try a figure 8 within the same confines of 2X2 stalls. Once you initiate your first U turn, look back in the direction of the opposite corner. Once your bike completes the turn, go to the opposite corner and initiate a u turn in the opposite direction. If you are doing it correctly, you will be locked (or close to lock) and leaned over during your turns. If you are having difficulty with this, give yourself 2 1/2 or 3 stalls width instead of 2 stalls.

Common errors are: No gray area, no RPMs, not getting your head around, poor set up, opening up your handlebars, or a combination of the above.

If you get in trouble, straighten out the bike and ride out of the stalls. Since none of these drills incorporate the use of any cones, you should be able to attempt this without any problems.

This is a figure 8 on an incline. It's the first time I attempted it on a Harley, so my RPMs are higher than they should be. I use the rear brake to scrub my speed on the downhill portion. Scrubbing speed also decreases the radius of my turn, so I will feather it when I need it. Notice I said feather. Don't stand on it or you won't be able to make a turn. Standing on the rear brake will stand the bike up, opposite of the turn you are attempting to make. All your inputs have to be smooth. Abrupt inputs will upset the chassis and cause you to go out of pattern or crash (or both). Some riders use this techinque as a crutch because they don't have their gray area established. If you have to rely on the rear brake to make a u turn on a flat surface, you aren't in control of the bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9432t9UWtfM

These are excellent! Thank you for posting, I just picked up a new bike (zzr1200) and I've been struggling with low speed stuff as it's the heaviest/biggest bike I've owned and I'm not really comfortable on it. It's great and stable at speed, but low speed, difficult, these drills seem like they'd help out a lot.

+1 on the excellence of these drills!

I wanna do these drills now, but my sportbike bars make full lock turns a bit scary. Gotta borrow somebody's bike

RhytmRider:
I know what you mean... Eddie is putting together a weekend training:
Check page 4 of
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=290788

Drill #2

Thanks for the great tip. So im on your drill #2 and having trouble with balancing I guess. By "lock the handle bar to the left" you mean completely to the left then hold it there during the turn??? or just lock it as in hold it steady at your your comfortable turn radius? I locked the handle bar to the left all the way and found myself straightening it out for a wider turn while turning. If I lock it and start to accelerate, it feels like I'm gonna go down. I do try not to put my foot down every time and pick a target over my shoulder to look at though. So to save myself from falling, I have to let the handle bar back to the right a little bit and make a wider turn....Sorry if it doesnt make sense. Any tips on what I should do differently? Should I use by body to counter weight?

Bike practiced on is a 250cc cruiser.

eddiet204 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksrNgaEmQPg

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huge props to the SJPD rider in this video...amazing bike handling skills that is pure inspiration!

Jlee808 - when he says lock the handlebars, he does mean turn them until they stop ("full lock turn"). It's not easy to do so don't beat yourself up if it comes slowly (I sure can't do it consistently).

There are a things to keep in mind while doing the turn.

1) If you accelerate in it, to keep the bike on the same line, you will NEED to lean more. That might require counter-balancing with your upper body (by shifting your weight to the outside).

2) Constant speed will be easier to control, and you won't feel the need to straighten up the bike or put a fut down. To do this, your clutch control (feathering/gray area) and rear brake are going to be your very good friends, as you can increase power/speed with the clutch and scrub it or just modulate with the brake. Don't touch your front brake.

3) Be confident and GO FOR IT. You need to commit to the turn. This is hard to do as it's a mind game, but it will help your body coordinate all the moves.

Have fun, practice and be safe.

gabeschine said:

Jlee808 - when he says lock the handlebars, he does mean turn them until they stop ("full lock turn"). It's not easy to do so don't beat yourself up if it comes slowly (I sure can't do it consistently).

There are a things to keep in mind while doing the turn.

1) If you accelerate in it, to keep the bike on the same line, you will NEED to lean more. That might require counter-balancing with your upper body (by shifting your weight to the outside).

2) Constant speed will be easier to control, and you won't feel the need to straighten up the bike or put a fut down. To do this, your clutch control (feathering/gray area) and rear brake are going to be your very good friends, as you can increase power/speed with the clutch and scrub it or just modulate with the brake. Don't touch your front brake.

3) Be confident and GO FOR IT. You need to commit to the turn. This is hard to do as it's a mind game, but it will help your body coordinate all the moves.

Have fun, practice and be safe.

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Excellent tips!!!! Have you done Alameda S/O yet?