Becoming a better motorcycle rider is about continually honing your skills. These skills are sometimes obvious, and other times not. Here we have put together our Top 10 tips to riding better and safer:
#1 RIDE IN A GROUP
Ride in a group safely and efficiently is one of the key skills of motorcycle road riding. Is good to share experiences with your mates.
#2 RIDE BEHIND A BETTER RIDER
Think you’re good? Riding with someone better will show you just how much you can still learn.
#3 RIDE IN THE RAIN
Riding well in the rain makes you focus on traction, lean angle, steering input, braking, and overall smoothness.
#4 RIDE ANOTHER BIKE
It’s easy to get complacent when riding the same bike daily. A new machine makes you sharpen your focus and keeps you learning.
#5 RIDE A DIRTBIKE
Nothing teaches you about traction and body positioning like a dirtbike. You’ll also learn what to do when you encounter water or sand on paved roads.
#6 RIDE ON A RACE TRACK
Nobody wants to finish last. Competition at any level makes you focus and try harder. If you have not yet, you should try your first ride on a race track.
#7 CLEAN AND MAINTAIN YOUR BIKE BY YOURSELF
As you clean your bike, you can spot problems. And doing your own maintenance makes you more aware of your machine’s overall condition.
#8 BRAKE HARD, WHEELIES & BURNOUTS
Don’t wait for a panic stop to practice this one. In a safe area, practice hard stops using both the front & rear brakes and measure the distance from various speeds.
Then practice clutch wheelies. The best way to master a new riding skill. Clutch wheelies are better than power/bounce wheelies because you can do them without accelerating (much); in tight areas, at very low speed, and they are much smoother than power wheelies both on the way up and down. You can also ride them out much longer and shift into higher gears.
Burnouts are the practice of keeping the bike stationary and spinning its rear wheel, causing the tires to heat up and therefore causing smoke from friction.
#9 SIT RIGHT
Motorcycles are dynamic vehicles; your body position makes a tremendous difference in how they respond. Riding like a couch potato doesn’t help.
#10 LOOK FARTHER
When we get lazy or tired, we look only a short distance in front of the bike. Lift your chin and look ahead. In turns, look where you want to go: through the turn, not just into the entrance.