The Practice Guide
THE FRICTION ZONE: The friction zone is the area of the clutch between completely open and completely closed. Let's begin. Now, pull the clutch in and put the motorcycle in 1st gear. Put your right foot on the brake, begin by letting the clutch out and begin feeding a little throttle and stay in the friction zone. You should be feathering the rear brake so that it holds the motorcycle back slightly. You now have 3 ways to control your motorcycle, the clutch, the throttle and the rear brake. You must keep power to the rear wheel and stay in the friction zone and feed a little throttle. Now, let's try the slow race.
LEARNING TO LEAN THE MOTORCYCLE AT SLOW SPEEDS: Remember, the further you lean the motorcycle, the sharper the turn you can make. Start by making circles in a parking lot, try to find a lot with lined spaces. At first try making a 30' circle to the left. Remember, stay in the friction zone, feather the rear brake and keep your head and eyes up. Do not look down. NEVER touch the front brake while making these circles. If you do, it will pull you to the ground like a magnet ( right Tunes? ). Make sure to keep power to the rear wheel. If you pull the clutch in all the way, or release the throttle when the bike is leaned over, the motorcycle will tip. Practice these circles in both directions, left and right. You might find it easier if you have someone standing in the center of your circle. Focus on their eyes or the top of their head. Try and work the circle down to at least 20'. The idea is to lean the motorcycle over as far as you can, if you pegs or boards start to scrape, don't panic, this is just a warning that you're approaching the limit of your lean angle. Your speed in the circle should be between 3-5mph.
SLOW RACE: In this exercise, you want to go as slowly as you possibly can and focus your eyes straight ahead at least 5 to 6 feet off the ground. You must avoid the temptation to look down at your handlebars or the ground immediately in front of your motorcycle. If you look down, you'll have to put a foot down or possibly tip the bike over. If you begin to lose your balance and feel the bike is going to tip, simply let the clutch out all the way and the motorcycle will straighten back up. Once you regain your balance, pull the clutch in and re-establish the friction zone. You need to practice the slow race until you can consistently ride between 3 and 5mph.
THE U-TURN: When practicing the U-turn, measure off an area of 30' to start. Ride the motorcycle into the 30' space while in the friction zone, with your foot on the brake. Let's assume you are going to make a left hand turn. Pick a point on the right side of the allotted space and aim your front tire towards it. Again, keep your focus 4 to 5' off the ground. The idea is to allow the bike to dip to the right as soon as you reach your turning point. Then, immediately turn your head and eyes to the left as far as you can and allow the bike to lean as much as possible. Never look at the opposite edge of your allotted space, even a second's glance in that direction will cause the motorcycle to move 2 or 3 feet in the direction you don't want to go. The further you turn your head in the direction you want the bike to go and the further you lean the motorcycle, the tighter the U-turn will be. Depending on the type of motorcycle you have, you should eventually be able to turn within 20' or less. Make sure you practice the U-turn in both directions, turning to the left and to the right.
Remember, Ride Safe, this message is from the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers, Rick Eggett
DurhamDivas