CYCLE WORLD RIDING S K I L L S TIPS FOR EVERY MOTORCYCLIST S K I L L S TIPS FOR EVERY MOTORCYCLIST CYCLE WORLD RIDING S K I L L S TIPS FOR EVERY MOTORCYCLIST MARK LINDEMANN CONTENTS 1 Start Out Right 29 Foil Bike Thieves 2 Get Your License 30 Lock It or Lose It 3 Find a Riding School 31 Pick a Lock 4 Learn from Every Ride 32 Pass in a Turn 5 Perform a Pre-Ride 33 Pick the Perfect Line Check 34 Pass a Car Safely 6 Break In an Engine 35 Take an Object Lesson 7 Know Your Transmission 36 Ride Rough Roads 8 Shift Without the Clutch 37 Swerve Safely 9 Know Your Bike’s Limits 38 Never Buy a Bike You 10 Improvise a Cruise Can’t Lift Control 39 Restart on a Hill 11 Become a Better Rider 40 Get Back on the (Iron) in 12 Steps Horse 12 Countersteer Correctly 41 Understand Stopping 13 Don’t Get (Tank) Slapped Distance 14 Master Trail-Braking 42 Make an Emergency Stop 15 Go Engine Braking 43 Handle a Skid 16 Don’t Disregard the Downshift 44 Understand ABS 17 Take Them for a Ride 45 Don’t Go Too Low 18 Make a Great First 46 Don’t Get High Impression 47 Ride in the Cold 19 Stay Dry 48 Survive a Crosswind 20 Be a Good Passenger 49 Play in the Snow 21 Ride Safely with Junior 50 Get Your Bike Wet 22 Encourage Kids to Ride 51 Accessorize for the Rain 23 Split Lanes the Right Way 52 Beat the Heat 24 Play Safely in Traffic 53 Survive in the Desert 25 Avoid Target Fixation 54 Choose Your Colors 26 Use Your Radar, Rider 55 Be a Night Rider 27 Read the Radius 56 Park Your Streetbike 28 Read the Crown 57 Get a Room 58 Tread Lightly 89 Launch at the Dragstrip 59 Kick Up Some Dust 90 Make a Pit Stop 60 Ride Over a Log 91 Drag a Knee 61 Try a Trials Bike 92 Get the Hang of It 62 Dustproof Your Goggles 93 Get Down to the Elbow 63 Ride in the Mud 94 Pack for a Trip 64 Prep Your Bike for Mud 95 Get a Driver’s Attention Riding 96 Find a Great Ride 65 Ride in Sand 97 Ride in a Group 66 Carry Spare Gas 98 Learn Common Rider 67 Ride Washboard Hand Signals 68 Filter Dirty Gas 99 Ride Over Bridges 69 Get in a Rut 100 Cross Railroad Tracks 70 Ride Flat Track 101 Ride with a Sidecar 71 Ride in Swamps 102 Tow a Trailer 72 Rock and Roll 103 Ride Around the World 73 Get the Holeshot 104 Know Your Documents 74 Stand Up for Yourself 105 Ride Like a Native 75 Make Some Sparks 106 Take the Top 10 Rides 76 Burn Out the Day 107 Explore Baja 77 Make Your Bike Backfire 108 Ride the Longest 78 Drink and Ride? Highway 109 79 Pop a Wheelie Survive Latin America 80 Do a Stoppie 110 Experience Vietnam 81 Survive a Crash 111 Ride Long (No, Really Long) Distances 82 Handle an Emergency 83 Prepare for a Track Day 112 Cross Africa 113 Negotiate Roundabouts 84 Pack for the Track 114 Carry a Live Pig 85 Don’t Be That Guy 86 Know Your Flags Index 87 Tape Your Hands Credits and 88 Warm Up Your Tires Acknowledgments 1 START OUT RIGHT In the bad old days, we learned to ride a motorcycle without much professional input: We just stumbled into it with no real instruction, thrashed around awkwardly, tried to avoid disaster, and counted ourselves lucky if we could hang on for more than a couple of minutes. Today, though, there are much better ways. Here are some good places to start. 2 THE MOTOR VEHICLE GET YOUR DEPARTMENT In most countries you LICENSE need some sort of license. That motor vehicle department is also a good Motorcycle laws vary greatly from place to ask about rider-training place to place, but one truth is very resources. If nothing else, they usually evident: Unlicensed riders are more have literature telling you what to likely to be involved in an accident. expect on the test. You may have difficulty getting insurance without a license, too. MANUFACTURERS Every major Start by visiting your local motorcycle manufacturer has a Department of Motor Vehicles, either website, and most of them have links online or in person. Find out whether to rider-training information. It your local laws require you to take a doesn’t matter which brand you start written test, a riding test, or both. with, although some will offer free or While you’re there (or on the website), discounted training courses if you determine whether they have any pre- purchase one of their bikes. test materials you can study—they often do, at no charge. A DEALER Your local dealers Find out if there’s any specific probably won’t offer training, but training you will need before you take may know who does in your area. the test, and what equipment you need to have for the test: helmet, YOUR LOCAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB gloves, boots, jacket, and/or a bike? Clubs like the American Automobile Also, inquire with the DMV whether Association (“Triple A”) in America, attending a certified riding school can the AA or RAC in the UK, the ADAC substitute for all or part of the test. in Germany, and many more often Study the laws, and take rider cater to motorcyclists as well as auto training if you decide this is right for drivers. Invariably they can steer you you (it is). Practice your skills, towards insurance, licensing, and especially low-speed maneuvering training solutions. and, when you’re ready, go for it. 3 FIND A RIDING SCHOOL Motorcycle riding schools fall into These classes are often held at your several categories. Make sure you pick local racetrack. You’ll need your own the right one for your skill level. equipment and a track-prepped bike. BASIC RIDER LICENSING AND RACING SCHOOLS Separate from the TRAINING This instruction is the most association schools, these are often run common. It'll take you from zero to by former racers who either tour the applying for your license. Most of the country or operate out of a home track. time these classes are geared for The classes can last several days and are streetbike riders. Very often they will often a nice vacation opportunity for provide all the safety equipment you advanced riders: You can meet a famous need—and a bike as well. racer, hang out with him for a couple of days, and get first-hand riding tips—and ADVANCED RIDER TRAINING These lots of track time on a new course. schools are for street riders who want to advance their skills to the next level. DIRTBIKE SCHOOLS These courses They can be operated either by the same can be either basic or advanced. Like foundations that set up the basic the roadbike schools, you may want to schools, or they can be offered on pick one at an exotic location and make racetracks by various expert riders. a vacation out of it. This training is becoming more and more popular for RACING ASSOCIATION SCHOOLS the big twin-cylinder adventure bikes Many racing associations will require like the BMW GS series and the KTMs. you to take one of their school courses Your dealership can probably give you a before you can participate in an event. good idea of what’s out there. 4 LEARN FROM EVERY RIDE The first key to learning from a ride is Wednesdays, concentrate on your to do something different. If you footwork, weighting the pegs in turns. normally ride city streets, try riding Thursdays, practice smoothness. in the canyons. Or in the dirt. Or in Fridays, countersteering. And on the another country. weekend, put it all together. And even that five-day-a-week An athlete does pushups and sit- commute is an opportunity to hone ups not to become pushup champion, your skills. On Monday, practice your but to become more fit overall. Think braking. Tuesdays, look farther ahead. of your riding the same way. 5 PERFORM A PRE-RIDE CHECK Pilots perform a walk-around (a visual and mechanical inspection of the aircraft) every time they fly. You should as well—it’s called a pre-ride check, it’ll take just a minute, and it might save your life. Here’s what to look for. TIRES Check visually first, looking for LIGHTS Make sure the brake, excessive damage, wear, or nails in taillight, headlight, and indicators treads or sidewalls; check pressure work right. with a gauge at least weekly. ENGINE OIL Check the oil level RIMS Especially on dirtbikes and and add more if necessary. dual-sports, inspect the spokes to make sure none are broken. Run FUEL LEVEL Obviously. a wrench or screwdriver over the spokes—this will emit a tone, and a DRIVE CHAIN Check condition, loose spoke will sound different. tension, and lubrication. LEAKS Your bike shouldn’t be CLUTCH Check for smooth operation. leaking oil, coolant, fuel, or brake fluid. CABLES Check for loose control cables. THROTTLE It should operate smoothly, without binding, and fully NUTS AND BOLTS See if anything close under its own power. has vibrated loose, especially before and after dirtbike rides. Give a light BRAKES Pull the brake lever and tug with a wrench on any known depress the pedal to check that the problem nuts and bolts, especially brakes are operating as they should. the ones in the exhaust system. 6 BREAK IN AN ENGINE From “ride it like you stole it” to “you EASE INTO REVS Don’t over-rev the can ruin your engine in the first hour if engine, but don’t under-rev it either. A you’re not careful,” you’ll hear more pretty good rule of thumb is to take it superstition and voodoo around engine up to 50 percent of redline for the first break-in protocol than just about any 50 miles (80 km), and then up to 75 other aspect of owning a motorcycle. percent for the next several hundred. Most riders want their engine to have a Practice this in turn with the alternate long life, produce good power, and not on/off power and load technique we've burn oil. Here’s what to do to make already discussed. sure that happens. KEEP IT UP Never neglect routine MIX IT UP Avoid operating the bike at maintenance. Many bikes will call for a droning, constant rpm for the first an initial inspection after 600 miles several hundred miles or kilometers. (965 km): adjusting the chain, setting Speed up, slow down, and repeat—this the valves, changing the oil. Do it all— exercise will create both positive and especially the oil and filter. In the first negative pressure in the combustion few hours of operation, the engine will chamber, and especially on the rings. produce tiny metal shavings as the These alternating forces help create a parts wear in, and all that metal ends good ring seal, which boosts power and up in your oil and filter. Pull the plug cuts down on engine oil consumption. and get that junk out of there.