Easy drills on your way to work…
Oct 6th, 2009 by Leo
A video from vlogger sfninja at the California Superbike School
I’ve been busy lately. Too busy to ride for fun. All my riding for the past few weeks has been commuting. Now I notice that when I’m commuting I get a good amount of practice with throttle control and shifting. And I get a lot of practice steering with one hand (although that isn’t necessarily a good thing). But my cornering abilities and body position (while cornering) really suffers. So what to do to get my cornering back on track – even during the commute? I think the easiest and most direct fix is the Steering Drill from Keith Code…
There are plenty of good riding schools out there, but what I appreciate about Keith Code’s philosophy is that he focuses in on the fundamentals first. So whereas other riding schools and teachers might show you how to position your body for corners by telling you to lead with your shoulder, Code starts you off by telling you to “do nothing”… The idea is to lock-onto your bike so that your body does not move in relation to your bike as you turn.
“But isn’t it better to lean into the turn?” Yes, there a place for hanging off, but if you can’t lock-onto your bike in a neutral position while turning, then you probably won’t be able to hang off or lean in effectively either.
So here’s the drill:
Do quick left and right turns while sitting in-line with your bike. You should be straight and in line with your bike as you make sharp left and right turns (or esses).
What most people wind up doing is the moto-cross thing where the bike leans left and right but their torsos stay straight up – “pushing” the bike beneath them. Or sometimes people try to lean into the turn in an attempt to overcome their inhibitions. But the best thing for the bike’s suspension and cornering ability is if you can remain in the same straight up position in line with the lean of the bike. So give it a try and tell me what you think.
Here are some helpful tips:
- It’s easier to stay locked-in if you sit back in your seat and lean lower toward the tank while pushing horizontally on the bars (rather than on a downward angle from above the bars)
- It’s also easier to remain locked in once you realize where the weight goes on a turn: when you lean left the weight will go on the right foot, and vice versa… If you do it the opposite way, then you’ll probably wind up doing the motocross thing without realizing it.
- Remember to stay loose on the bars by only pressing one bar at a time – rather than offering resistance with the other hand. You’d be surprised how quickly you can turn the thing at 30mph.
- Once you’re in the turn, you don’t need to hold the bar there. It will stay in the turn until you turn out of it. Don’t believe me? Give it a try.
Anyway, by all means some of you should be giving me tips on how to keep some corner-worthiness about me during this busy season… So if you have any tips or easy drills to hone one’s skills…on the way to work, then share the wealth in the comments section. Cheers!
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