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Tip of the Week
Want a real test of skill? Go slow.
This tip, and all of our tips-of-the-week, are general
principles provided for your consideration. They are not
hard and fast rules that should be applied without thinking
in all circumstances. Always use your judgement and take all
current safety factors into account while riding.
Going Fast is easy.
Just about anyone can get on a bike and drive in a straight line at
medium to high speed. At high speed the wheels act as gyroscopes and
the bike will stay up almost by itself.
The real test of a rider's skill is their ability to manage their
balance, steering, and braking. These are much more challenging skills
at slower speeds, and slow-speed practice is the best way to improve them.
Your slow-speed riding skills need improvement if you regularly experience
any of the following symptoms:
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You lack confidence when riding slowly, especially when approaching
traffic lights or stop signs. You drag your feet along the ground
while stopping, and are nervous about losing your balance.
When the light turns green, you accelerate very quickly away from
the intersection, to end the slow-speed riding situation as quickly
as possible.
Slow-speed turns, such as at residential intersections, are a problem
for you. You wobble, or turn wide - sometimes right out of your
lane. Tight turns in a restricted area such as a parking lot are a
particular problem.
When you are forced, by gridlocked traffic, to ride slowly for
an extended period, your ride consists of short bursts of motion
separated by stops with your feet down.
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Slow-speed practice
We use slow-speed practice as part of our training courses.
In our Experienced Riders Course, for example, many experienced riders
who handle of their bike well at highway speeds are surprised how poorly
they manage it at a walking pace.
But slow speed riding is more than a training exercise.
In real world riding, in parking lots and in gridlocked traffic, if you
can't control your bike at very slow speeds, you'll be riding with your
feet dragging the ground. (This is an unsafe practice for reasons we
discussed a few weeks ago.)
Take advantage of slow-speed riding opportunities you encounter, in safe
circumstances like quiet parking lots. (Improve your technique before
entering heavy traffic, not in heavy traffic.) Practice riding your
bike with control at a walking pace without dragging your feet.
Work your speed down as your skill builds. You'll discover some
critical techniques:
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Look into the distance, not at the ground. This is the
single most important technique. If you stare at the ground,
wheel, or handlebars, you will find balance nearly impossible.
If you look at the horizon it is much easier. Of course, you can't
ignore what is on the ground in front of you, but you don't need
to stare at it. Take a quick glance at the road in front of you,
then look farther ahead, using your peripheral vision to keep
track of your immediate area.
To ride at slow speeds, ride with your clutch only partially
engaged. We call this "slipping the clutch," and it is
an important technique for controlling your motorcycle.
You should learn where, in the travel of your clutch lever,
the bike just begins to creep forward, and practice riding
with the clutch held in that position. (If you drive a
standard-transmission a car, you may have been lectured
not to "ride the clutch". This doesn't apply to motorcycles;
slow-speed riding with the clutch partially engaged
is perfectly natural and will not harm the clutch.)
Once you master slipping the clutch, practice controlling your
speed with slight variations of your clutch position, while
holding the throttle constant. At very slow speeds, you
should keep your throttle position constant, and slightly higher
than you normally would, and use small clutch adjustments to adjust
your speed. This allows you to make much finer and smoother
adjustments to your speed and will reduce surging and jerking.
Keep your wrists and elbows low and shoulders relaxed.
Keep your knees tucked in against the bike. Many people have a
tendency to have one knee flap in the breeze, and this will
affect your balance.
Keep your feet on the pegs. If you have to put your feet down,
you are trying for too slow a speed. Speed up a bit, then work
slower as your balance improves.
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Observe other riders next time you are out in traffic. How well they
balance at slow speed is a true sign of their riding skill.
The MRC Tips of the Week are a collection of riding tips written by, and drawn from the riding experience of, the MRC instructors, a group with hundreds of years of cumulative riding experience. The tip changes every week. Check back to our main page every week to learn more from experienced riders.
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