Hi,

I'd call my a skilled driver. Short turns go easy but I'm Miles away from RLAP especially at walking speed.

I wonder how it works to Ride the Clutch? I've trained it a couple times but somehow it feels wrong to me.

My Bar is wide and deep (probably the Problem #1). Means i can't lock the bar cause i touch my tights with the bar. To get an shorter angle i lift of my curveinner foot from the Floorboard an strech it forward, on left, or move the tight off the Tank, on right. Beside that i have to lean forward to hold the bar.

Btw have you ever noticed the difference in manouvering with new tires vs. worn out ones. It's a huge difference.

Ok, in slow turns i use the rear brake and work with the Throttle. But what am I suppose to do with the clutch? My clutch is old and there is short engagement (Problem #2). What RPM should i have in small slow turns? I guess I run below 2.000 (maybe <1.500) rpm in short curves.

What is the trick about it? Hold your RPM at 2', 3', 4.000 RPM, get on the rear brake and contoll it with the clutch?
And why is it better to controll the forward movement with the clutch instead of the throttle (throttle moves easy while clutch is hard)?

While im writing this, I'm laughing about my self, asking this questions like a moron and knowing, I should better come back soon as I have a new clutch and a less old-style-cool-looking-bar.

Anyway I'm interested in how RLAP works.

 

1500 rpm is fine. You want to get the clutch just into the friction zone, where it is moving the bike but blipping the throttle a bit doesn't result in a speed change.

The short clutch engagement will make it a bit more difficult, but there's still got to be a friction zone.

Matt

 

"And why is it better to controll the forward movement with the clutch instead of the throttle (throttle moves easy while clutch is hard)?"


That is a VERY good question, and I'm certainly not an expert, but I'll tell you what I think may be the answer.

If you try to control the speed of the bike while moving slowly by using the throttle, any small movement of the throttle will have a direct and immediate effect to the back wheel, and any sudden change to the momentum of the bike will require an immediate and exact response on the throttle. This can result in a sudden jerk, or a stalled engine, which can cause loss of control of the bike.

When using the friction zone of the clutch, keeping the rpms of the engine steady is much easier so you are less likely to stall the engine or to cause the bike to jerk unexpectedly. If you have that "fine tuned mastery" of the friction zone, you can much better control the power to the back wheel.

So, by using the friction zone, the engine power and rpm can be kept at a more constant and even level, allowing more fine control of the amount of power being transmitted to the rear wheel at all times, which would result in better control of the motorcycle.

As you said, controlling the clutch can be difficult, especially if you have a narrow friction zone, but I'm pretty sure to get the level of control the Ride Like A Pro guys do, you have to master the friction zone.

Just taking a shot at it, so maybe someone else can give a better answer.

 

Both of the above are exactly right. The clutch give you immediate ability to add or take off speed in a more manageable manner. and smaller increments that with the throttle. The key is maintaining a steady rpm. Get the RLAP video or go take the course. I have the video and the things I've learned from it have made me a better rider in slow area but I'm planning on taking the course also. I know there are a few things I'm doing that can be improved but need someone to coach me up on what and how.

Good luck

 

The live course is excellent. I did it a while back with Jerry Paladino in New Port Richey. Well worth the time and cost.

Once everyone was up to speed, se would get 3 or 4 bikes in the intersection course and play follow the leader with one of the instructors. It was a blast.

Matt

 

Keep RPMs up a little so the engine is producing power. 1500 RPM sounds about right maybe a little more (most of my bikes don't have a Tach). Let out the clutch just enough so the bike moves, use the rear brake to control your speed.
Practice in a straight line first, see how slow you can ride without stalling the engine. Then try wide curves. Then the sharp turns.

 

By using the clutch & brake at the same time you keep a *constant* tension on the drive train. Constant tension means control. If you use only the brake, or the throttle you induce slack in the primary & secondary drive (chain or belt). That slack will make both braking & application of power jerky, which will make tight turning more difficult.

 

Have you tried using 2nd gear? I've found that I can control the bike much better in parking lots and stuff in 2nd. You have to use the throttle a little more, but you eliminate some of the jerkiness of 1st. I also tell myself to straighten my inside arm on tight turns, which forces your weight the opposite way of your turn, thus counterbalancing the lean of the bike. Picked these tips up from an ABATE course I took.

 

All quality answers. All I'd add is that you CAN run the engine at 4000 rpm while sneaking around practicing clutch control, but you'll wear/overheat the clutch, overheat the engine and sound/look like a tit.

Second gear can be used in slow speed work, but you'll have to use increased RPMs to compensate for the taller gear. First can be "snatchy" because it's a low ratio and the power is getting to the back wheel via a lot of intermeshing cogs, so it can feel like there's a lot of "lash" in the drivetrain. But with practice, smooth clutch work will be second nature. Also, overcoming the inertia of a stationary bike is what first gear is designed for. Pulling away from a stop in second puts un-necessary strain on the gearbox and can lead to something expensive happening.

Jut keep thinking, "Smoooooooth"...

 

I'm pretty sure Jerry says to hold your RPMs steady at a little over idle (2K RPM) and manipulate the clutch.