SKILLS
Basic Training Fails (Part 2) By Jon DelVecchio #208163 DROPPING YOUR MOTORCYCLE lever is overstressed in waiver courses, but to sit on a motorcycle. How hard can it be to it should be. A quick squeeze can help a sit on the seat and reach for the grips? stinks. Doing it in view of others is even new rider regain control of a runaway When riding a motorcycle skillfully, the worse. motorcycle, and these courses are often body appears to be one with the bike. It’s These unfortunate mishaps actually conducted in cramped parking lots. easy to notice riders who are truly relaxed. happen more often than people think, as Experienced riders typically tip-overs accounted for more don’t cover the clutch beyond than half of the crashes low-speed maneuvers when recorded in a 2016 Virginia Tech slipping the clutch in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation friction zone is proper technaturalistic study. nique. Most students intuitively Whether it’s poor footing at a stop covering the clutch by the stop or loss of balance at middle of the waiver course so parking lot speeds, drops can this practice really isn’t a really ruin your day. At a problem. minimum there’s going to be The opposite is true for unnecessary scuffs somewhere covering the front brake on the bike. In the worst cases, lever—a big no-no in waiver possible outcomes include body courses and a technique that aches and broken motorcycle or might take riders years to pick rider parts. up on their own. I believe I once took a training course covering the brake lever is a where a guy dumped his Harley great idea for riders as it bagger in a U-turn and got decreases reaction time and is stuck beneath it—talk about useful for controlling speed and adding insult to injury. Thank steering. This was discussed goodness most tip-overs aren’t extensively in my previous serious. article. Last month, my article As with any new skill, you identified primary aspects of have to walk before you can fundamental training that may run, which is the case with be short changing riders in the long run. This article highlights Known as a “dirt nap” in ADV circles, some say you’re not truly a biker until you upper body placement. Besides drop your bike in front of a crowd. Photo by C. Mark Wessinger. using special techniques for low four secondary aspects. While speed turning and swerving, the first two may be nitpicking, novice riders are taught to lean their upper the other two are pretty serious. Basic training courses stress an almost half with the motorcycle, meaning their As with the first article, my intention robotic body placement on the motorcycle. chest centerline is the same as the centerisn’t to slam the waiver courses or suggest This baseline body positioning can look line of the motorcycle, the centerline radical curriculum changes. I’m a huge fan unnatural at times, and nobody expects a referring to the vertical line splitting the of them. Not only did I get my start rider to be as stiff as they are during a rider or motorcycle in half when viewed through a waiver course, but I spent 10 waiver course once they become more from the front. years teaching one before branching off comfortable. Accomplished riders know that leaning into advanced training through my own Certainly, the posture skills taught to the upper body into the turn and “kissing school. Let’s jump in… newbies have more in common with the mirror” is a good technique which lifetime posture than not, but there are naturally reduces motorcycle lean angle. In some major differences. Riding Posture other words, the rider’s chest centerline is First of all, I believe covering the clutch It seems crazy to say that there’s a right way
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BMW OWNERS NEWS | July 2021