motorbike tips

maneuvering:

• the bike goes where I look. look around the turn I want to do.
• keep elbows up.
• shift body weight to counterbalance the bike. E.g., if turning left, the bike is leaning left, so I should be hanging off the right side of the bike, with my left thigh on the seat.
• hug the bike with my knees; don't let them flop around
• hips can shift but my upper body should usually be upright and pretty static, like with skiing.
• above 30 km/hr, may need to counter steer when beginning a turn: to turn left, push the left handle forward as if initiating a slight right turn. The bike will lean left and aid the left turn. (this is an advanced technique)

exercises:

• tight figure-of-eights around two cones
• emergency braking
• slalom shifting and braking:
• keep feet splayed slightly outwards, to the sides of the shift level and rear brake pedal. That way I can easily pull in my left foot to shift up or down as needed. The right foot can lift to hover over the brake pedal as a precaution if something sketchy is happening.
• use the rear brake for low-speed maneuvering
• to stop from speed, use mostly the front brake (80/20 front rear) and be sure the bike stays straight. If the front wheel skids, loosen up (like a non-ABS car).
• shifting happens with the body of the foot, not the tip. Make sure I'm sitting far enough forward on the bike that my foot is in this position.