The best point made in this thread so far.

 

As many have stated: No duckwalking at stop or start... Hands covering front brake and clutch. Feet up immediately.

Some I like to see: Keep bike in first gear at a stop light with an avenue of escape (saved me a few times), deliberately turning head and looking through a turn, and the ability to execute a nice tight U-Turn...

 

This is one indication of an advanced rider. (Yep, it's me)

 

A limp, a few scars. Sun burned hands. Dirt on the tires and scratches on the windshield. A worn spot on the toe of the left boot. Head on a swivel. Big mirrors. Tapping the brake lights and flashing the headlight. Feet off ground as soon as the bike moves and both feet on the ground at a stop. Twist the throttle and drop the clutch at the same time. Ride on center and shift right for on comers, back to center. Pass fast. Use turn signals and your arm. Make a U turn with both feet on pegs. Back in for a safer exit. Never leave a stop until it is safe for your brother to follow. Follow wheels. Cover the front brake and rarely use the back brake, that is only for slow speed control. Never stop in the center of the lane. Keep the bike in gear until the vehicle behind you stops. Do all of these things and even the best rider will still crash when someone runs a stop sign or turns left in front of you or runs you over while texting or a deer jumps on you. How do I know? A limp and a few scars.

 

An experienced rider practices an emergency stop and an emergency avoidance maneuver about once a month. They use BOTH brakes simultaneously when braking except not during a low speed maneuver when the front brake is not used.

Never follows less than the three second rule and backs off more if a vehicle gets in front so that the gap is regained.

Never says " I had to lay it down today."

Is ALWAYS ready for the unexpected. So they never say "Someone stopped suddenly in front of me today."

Here's one that some may not agree with. An experienced rider will avoid riding with large groups of riders because your fate can be transferred to the lowest skills in the group. No HOG rides, no poker runs or charity rides. Just give them the $ and not your well being.

An experienced rider has always successfully avoided a vehicle turning left in front of them as they took action ahead of time on the assumption that it would turn left and not wait. Same for a vehicle pulling out of a stop intersection ahead.

An experienced rider is in gear, clutch pulled and in the best position to escape a collision from the rear when stopped at a traffic light.

An experienced rider will never have too much speed for an approaching curve and will know how to take the correct line, trail brake and accelerate.

That gentlemen will get one from 1956 to date without an accident, ticket or any one of more that forty bikes without scratches or dents from dropping a bike. Or whatever your start date is. Mine is April of 1956 with the first bike.

 

my last post really has nothing to do with the size of a bike in the grant scheme of it all. it has more to do with judging someones ability to ride on a glance. as someone else stated he also has duck walked his bike everyone does this does not make you a bad rider. there are times you cannot get away from it. ever watch ama super bike races they do it a lot.

And as baka said"It is obvious when someone is brand new? Sure. But we were all new once. As for expert skill levels? I doubt many have those. Even the ones that boast how great they are. "
I just personally have a problem with juding people on there skills or anything in life. and do I care if you ride a sportster hell no. if your on 2 wheels more power to ya but no one is as good on a bike as they think they are . so just because you see someone duck walking or something you wouldnt do don't ever thing your better then they are. people are way to eager to pass judgment of any kind on everyone.

only people I ever would think of judging on a bike are the ones who ride in shorts and sandals or tennis shoes. and its purely a safety thing.because they obviously have never seen what happens when you go down

 

I have raced Motocross for many years and can only use two fingers on the front brake.

 

I think you have all bases covered for some of the nay say'ers...fingers covering both the clutch and front brake, looking at where you want to go, not where you are....and I'm sure you're right foot is controlling your speed as you limit your engine rpms..to control the cornering....

Props to the poster who posted the list of identifiers that showed an experienced rider, I agree with all of them.

A good read is Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well by David Hough...great book to have around.

 

Reading this thread has made me realize some of the good and bad habits I have.
A couple things i have noticed that has helped me greatly.
When approaching a stop light or stop sign it seems the guys that approach the stop very slowly seem to have more issues with wobbling to a stop. I find that keeping a little bit of speed or momentum and braking positively at the stop increases my chances of a wobbless stop. Also as far as cornering is concerned my previous experience with road racing bicycles has been and advantage. I think I have a good feel for cornering in the sense that I feel and understand how to move the bike underneath me during sweeping curves as such. I see my buddies trying to totally leaning into a curve with the results of slower speeds and slower reaction to the way the bike is responding.
Also knowing the geometry of making good sweeps ( like understand how to apexing a curve) goes a long way towards more positive safer riding.
I would like to hear comments on my techniques.

 

You ever rode the Hill Country in Texas? Plenty of curves to practice on.

New riders almost never use the front brake at all.
Starting and stopping is the tell tell sign of how much experience a rider has.