In my experience and observation, parking lot practice helps a whole lot of people. No, one won't be a contender for bike rodeo/gymkhana's as a result. But one can get a whole lot better at low speed maneuvering simply practicing it in a parking lot.

 

The tennis ***** are a good idea, but you have to be very careful not to look at them. You want them in your peripheral while you are focusing on where you need to be next. When making a U-turn, riders should be looking over their shoulders to the lane they want to be in. The head should remain level at all times....that goes for cone courses, sweeping turns, and heavy braking.

 

Better to practice in a parking lot than on a busy roadway where falling down might get you killed!

Here is another video showing many of the same manuevers in a parking lot. There are websites with diagrams showing how these courses should be set up. I couldn't tell what all of the courses in the video were, but here is a partial list in order:

140 Pullout
Slalom
Offset Cone Weave (AKA The Little General)
Metro
Cooper
Unknown
Intersection
540
Bump and Go
Mousetrap
Unknown
[/yt]

 

I could not do that course*, but I practiced turning my head and the friction zone until it was natural. I just started practicing it for 5-10 minutes each spring, along with panic stops. The panic stops have saved my *** three times, one elk, one deer and one truck.

Last Sunday we were riding back roads and the leader took a wrong turn on a narrow street, I simply looked all the way and without even thinking, rear brake, friction zone and made a tight u-turn. I stopped at the intersection and saw my buddies all backing up their bikes to finish making the turn. Made me feel good that I had taught myself that skill. They seem to think that practicing is ...well not manly. I don't care whether it is manly or not.

I have "Ride Like a Pro IV" and that is what I used to enhance my skills. I would like to take an advanced course. I did the riders course with my Road King, but that was just the basic figure 8, straight cones, swerve, etc. That's the stuff I practiced til it was natural. But I will tell you one thing I learned. IT WORKS.

* watching them do that course makes me dizzy. I am forever humbled when I see one of these riders take on those cones at the speed and confidence at which they can do it. For one thing, I not sure I could remember all the turns, let alone make them one after another after another...etc.

 

I think Joanna could take him

 

How about in the rain?

 

I couldn't do that on a bicycle, much less a hunk of metal that large.

 

Believe it or not, rain will not affect a bikes grip at these speeds.

 

Only in your mind! But that's the toughest thing to beat!

 

Nice display of riding skills! Brake and throttle control is the key...plus looking where you want to go. Notice he is on the rear brake to help settle the suspension; this helps a lot in tight slow turns