Signs of an advanced rider
#71
Ultimate HDF Member
Never puts both feet down at a stop.Even when riding 2 up. Uses compression braking until the last second,and uses gears,not brakes,to set up for curves. leaves the scoot in gear at lights.
#72
Road Master
When riding in town or fast country back-roads, get into the habit of ‘arming’ your brakes by riding with one finger constantly on the lever. You can still use the throttle and hold on to the bars, but should you have to brake hard and fast, just having your finger already on the brake will give you an advantage – a potential life saver.
#73
When you guys talk about covering the front brake, are you completely letting off the throttle as you cover the brake? If not, try this experiment. While mounted on your started motorcycle, but not moving and in neutral, throttle up to about 2,000 RPM and cover your front brake and clutch as you would if you have sensed the possibility of having to make an emergency stop. Now, imagine a car has just entered your path making a right turn and squeeze the front brake and pull in the clutch with the urgency needed in an emergency stop.
If you can't get off the throttle while squeezing the brake lever, the engine will continue to rev at 2,000 RPM. Now imagine you're actually under power. When you pull in the clutch, the RPM's will climb up quickly. That will cause a whole mess of engine whine and, if you were in an emergency situation probably add to your stress.
Try it and be honest about it since I already gave away the potential problem.
Regarding outside-inside-outside curve negotiation, I think that makes a lot of sense on a nice, even, debris free road. The roads around me have some pretty deep tire tracks. If it hasn't rained in awhile, the middle of the lane gets some pretty nasty crud build-up. So if I go outside-inside-outside in a curve, I pop out of and into tire tracks as well as cross the crud zone in the middle. To me, it seems safer to just adjust my speed so I can stay in my "lane" throughout the entire curve.
Enough of the hijacking of the thread by me. To stay on point I would say that the riders that have always impressed me have "smoothness." They make riding a motorcycle look effortless.
If you can't get off the throttle while squeezing the brake lever, the engine will continue to rev at 2,000 RPM. Now imagine you're actually under power. When you pull in the clutch, the RPM's will climb up quickly. That will cause a whole mess of engine whine and, if you were in an emergency situation probably add to your stress.
Try it and be honest about it since I already gave away the potential problem.
Regarding outside-inside-outside curve negotiation, I think that makes a lot of sense on a nice, even, debris free road. The roads around me have some pretty deep tire tracks. If it hasn't rained in awhile, the middle of the lane gets some pretty nasty crud build-up. So if I go outside-inside-outside in a curve, I pop out of and into tire tracks as well as cross the crud zone in the middle. To me, it seems safer to just adjust my speed so I can stay in my "lane" throughout the entire curve.
Enough of the hijacking of the thread by me. To stay on point I would say that the riders that have always impressed me have "smoothness." They make riding a motorcycle look effortless.
#74
Road Master
Nothing wrong with using the gears to slow and set up for curves but what the hell is wrong with putting both feet down when you stop? Is this something you perceive only noobies do because they can't ride to your standards?
#75
Outstanding HDF Member
Started riding at 11, am 50 now, don't need no stinking list to ride properly, or fall over properly.
Seriously, you guys ride around judging other riders based on how they start, stop, turn, park, brake, take off, corner or put their feet down?
Seriously, you guys ride around judging other riders based on how they start, stop, turn, park, brake, take off, corner or put their feet down?
Last edited by Jeff W; 08-12-2013 at 09:56 PM.
#76
If you mean someone who rides a sportbike I really don't know what you're talking about. In addition to riding standards and cruisers I ride sportbikes and race bikes (on the track).
Not sure if I'd be considered an 'advanced' rider but I've ridden a broad varieties of bikes since 1969. I must say that reading some of the posts in this thread are more than a little amusing. Somehow I think some of my bikes have tires with more mileage than some of the posters above.
#77
Sometimes I waddle,
Sometimes I ski,
Sometimes I lay rubber,
Sometimes I wear DOT.
How will I change things up today....
#78
We all know what makes a squid a squid, but I got to thinking of the things I see that tell me the guy has a good handle on his machine, or signs of an experianced rider.
Here's a few to start off the list. Please add your own.
1. Smooth pull away. Lots of guys either blip, or rev their bike too much when pulling away from a stop. To me, the expert can make his bike smoothly pull away with both his clutch and his throttle perfectly in tune so it pulls away like an automatic car. I'm talking normal street riding not track days.
2. Perfect balance at slow speeds. Watch most guys take off. Untill they reach a speed of about 25mph a lot of guys wobble all over their lane. A good rider can pull away without any wobble.
3. Guys that ride mostly around the speedlimit, but exceed it just enough to keep moving very slightly faster than traffic and stay visible and assertive. This one is hard to describe, but I know it when I see it. It just speaks of a professionalism and politeness while riding, but they don't just toodle along in blind spots like so many cruiser guys have a tendency to do.
Here's a few to start off the list. Please add your own.
1. Smooth pull away. Lots of guys either blip, or rev their bike too much when pulling away from a stop. To me, the expert can make his bike smoothly pull away with both his clutch and his throttle perfectly in tune so it pulls away like an automatic car. I'm talking normal street riding not track days.
2. Perfect balance at slow speeds. Watch most guys take off. Untill they reach a speed of about 25mph a lot of guys wobble all over their lane. A good rider can pull away without any wobble.
3. Guys that ride mostly around the speedlimit, but exceed it just enough to keep moving very slightly faster than traffic and stay visible and assertive. This one is hard to describe, but I know it when I see it. It just speaks of a professionalism and politeness while riding, but they don't just toodle along in blind spots like so many cruiser guys have a tendency to do.
How do these make an advanced rider?
I do all these and I'm like dogshit tier level riding experience.
#79
Also I find that when running sweepers I get much finer control of the positioning of the bike when slightly pulling on the handlebar side away from the direction of the turn.
This is still countersteering, but instead of pushing the handlebar on the low side of the curve I find that a fine steady back pressure on the high side handebar ( opposite side of the direction of the curve) gives me much better control.
This is still countersteering, but instead of pushing the handlebar on the low side of the curve I find that a fine steady back pressure on the high side handebar ( opposite side of the direction of the curve) gives me much better control.
#80
The one thing I don't get is this 1 foot down at a stop thing, I ride a dresser with my wife on the back, 700+ pounds and I am supposed to trust one of my skinny legs? Nah, I don't buy it. Please explain the logic.
Last edited by fairchild; 08-12-2013 at 10:37 PM.