I have collected several riding instructions that we can use. They are of course only on paper and will never be learned unless you convert what you read into pure action. Practice on your garage first, then put in on clear street. Then let’s schedule a day at the track to put all things together.
BODY POSITION
Proper body position starts with the ball of the foot on the footpegs and works up from there. Sliding up against the back of the tank is a good place to start. This also helps keep weight off your hands and wrists on the bars. Get your body position set well before the corner entrance. The rider’s upper and lower body hang equally off the inside of the motorcycle to shift the combined center of mass inward and allow the bike to remain more uptight. Placing the balls of your feet on the pegs allows you to also use your calf muscles and keeps your toes away from the asphalt. Next, sit on the front of the seat near the fuel tank to stay connected to the bike with your lower body and keep your weight biased toward the front tire. Grip the bars like you would hold a bird in your hand: tight enough to keep the bird from getting away, but not so tight as to crush it. When a nervous rider clamps down hard on the bars, it feeds inputs that interfere with the bike’s ability to straighten itself out. Stay relaxed and trust the bike.
Hanging Off
Shift your body position by pivoting your lower body around the back of the tank to slide about half your butt off the seat. Doing this in advance of the corner keeps you from being rushed as you bend the bike into the turn and slows your perceived, or mental, speed. Getting your body in position and downshifting done well in advance of the corner gives you a significant amount of time to relax, set your entrance speed by smoothly releasing the brake and pick a precise turn-in point for the corner.
Weight the inside footpeg and push against the tank with your outside thigh as you countersteer to turn the bike in. Applying multiple, subtle inputs to steer the bike helps you to stay light on the bars and keep the bike stable. As the bike leans into the corner, shift your upper body off about an equal amount to your lower body so that your back is more or less parallel to the centerline of the bike but offset to the inside about four to six inches.
Hold your outside thigh against the tank so that it supports most of your body weight and allows your arms to be relaxed at a natural bend. As you exit the corner, pull your body back up with your arms and legs combined; using only your arms can feed unnecessary inputs into the bars, causing the front tire to get light and initiate headshake while accelerating off the corner. Unweight your butt just enough to slide across the seat and back into position; don’t jump up from one position to another, which can unsettle the bike. Consciously weight the outside footpeg to help the bike stand up and to transfer traction to the rear tire.
It’s important to not hang off so drastically.
MORE TO FOLLOW
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