Hardest technique to master?

Reading the traffic, braking in the wet & not having to lift your bum off the seat to fart.

 

Scratching an itch on my nose, controlling how wet a sneeze is, and not sticking my foot out when losing traction.


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Taking my sunglasses off and putting them into my pocket without stopping.

 

When I first started riding I was complaining to a friend of mine that all the cars kept "cutting me off." He told me it was my own fault. At first I was offended by his remark and wanted to really blame the other drivers but then my friend explained that I needed to work on reading the traffic better. He said to always ride with an out and to plan for the fact that all the cars would not see me and would try to cut me off. When I changed my mindset and started looking more at traffic as a whole, I began to see the drivers coming into my lane before it even happened. I planned for it and soon I wasn't getting cut off anymore because I could see it coming before hand. Same thing happens on the track, you need to see the space you have available instead of the space that is currently occupied by other riders.

 

When we first got the electronic I-Pass to use on the Illinois tollway system, I used to try to go thru the tollbooths fast by picking the lane that was open and heading straight for it. But every time I got near the open booth someone would change lanes and pull in ahead of me. It took me the longest time for me to figure out not to head to an open booth but to head to the one that would be open when you get there. Now I look for the one with just one car already in the booth and it is always open when I get there. Now I barely slow down for the toll booths, I just z oom right through.

The lessen here was to anticipate which lanes would open up vs. just blindly heading to an open booth. Practicing this all the time and not just at toll booths has made me a more aware rider.

See the big picture and how ALL things around you are developing, not just tunnel vision in front of you.

 

Just keep your eyes wide open when you feel a sneeze coming on & it won't happen ... though you may blow your eyeballs out against the back of your visor ... you take your chances either way :nod: ...

ACE

 

Well, let's see... a couple days ago, I was on my way home from Mesa, AZ and the map app on my phone froze and the screen went blank. I had to turn the phone back on, remove my left glove so I could use the touch screen, setup the map app, and put my glove back on... while riding at the ton. I thought that would be really difficult... but it wasn't....

I think the hardest skill for a new rider is friction zone. If a new rider gets the friction zone, they can do anything else. The hardest skill for an experienced rider who wants to master twisties is... well, it's the whole thing. Proper body position, knowing how good your brakes are so you can keep it fast as long as possible before hitting the brakes to enter the turn, choosing your line, looking through it, leaning off the bike... not getting your ass of the seat, but leaning PROPERLY... keeping it smooth through the curve....

 

Any advice for those rare times when ya sneeze and fart at the same time? Never could figure that one out but I did come up with what IMO is a suitable blessing. "Gasunheit"

 

Adjusting brake markers. I have learned they are not set in stone. Say I hit a turn perfect and get a great drive out, then coming into my next turn I'm coming in hotter than before and my brake marker seems way to deep, end up trail braking longer and blow that turn ruining all the time I made in the previous corner. I need to adjust my brake markers on the fly better.

 

Those markers are only that. They are just called brake markers.

 

They are very useful but they are always moving. Not only in my above mentioned reply but lots of other things make them change like tires.

 

I think for me it was actually getting my butt off the seat far enough to lay my arm across the tank and drag knee. huge courage barrier. throttle control was pretty easy I think. once I finally *removed buttox, move over, induce countersteer, look through the turn, and throttle out* it all came together. well.. i guess that's kinda everything isnt it...

 

Remembering to zip up my jacket BEFORE I put my gloves on.

 

THIS!!

and getting your keys out your pocket, or fastening your helmet

 

THAT too!





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I would say if someone is moving tires that are being used as brake markers, they should really not do that. That is if I understand what you are saying. Brake markers can be almost anything visable that is permanent from painted stacks of tires, permanent signage, painted patterns on a crash or airwall or on the track itself.

 

The only thing thats the hardest for me is dealing with all the nim rods that dont give a shit about anyone other then themselves...and especially the ass holes that dont use there signals. jm2c

 

I am a fan of Keith Code. He wrote an article in Motorcyclist once that had a big concept, which requires you do a bunch of things right. Properly gauging entry speeds on your turns. That is a complete concept that you can screw up in any number of ways, but when you properly gauge your entry speeds that really eliminates a lot of the "OH SHIT" moments.

Jose

 

Aint that the truth. Code knows his craft...back in the mid 80's my buddy had him as his mentor..then won the now defunct class formula USA. championship. Funny how they both in the last few years worked at Motocyclist....Barry Burk