The Learning Curve for a new rider - slow speed skill practice

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Scooterpie
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The Learning Curve for a new rider - slow speed skill practice

Postby Scooterpie » Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:48 pm

Most new riders struggle with a few things when they first start riding and it can be a daunting process. New riders often feel fearful. Take a breath, remember we all started somewhere, we have all felt the same thing. It is healthy to feel a bit of anxiousness when you are learning to ride and developing new skills. The learning curve is steep in the beginning, but once you master the basics and build on those skills it becomes better with practice. One of the biggest things a new rider should consider is their commitment to continual learning, take an MSF course if you haven't already done so, if you are a long time rider consider taking a skill refresher course. Comit to practicing regularly at minimum monthly.

Take your bike regularly out to the parking lot and practice your slow speed skills. Slow speed skills and mastering your friction zone are the key to your everyday riding. Anyone can ride fast, but riding slow is an art. Riders use slow speed skills in stop and go traffic, parking lots and more than you think you would. Master these skills and you will be a solid rider. *Make sure the parkinglot area you are using is clean and free of debris i.e. gravel, sand, leaves & tree debris, oil drippings from cars.

To practice slow speed skills in a parking lot use the parking stalls as markers. If you need a cone substitute, buy a bunch of tennis balls & cut them in half, they are perfect! I regularly go out to the parkinglot and practice slow speed straight line rides, I go as slow as I can using the friction zone and practice smooth stops & starts. Figure 8's, uturns (usually the width of 2 1/2 stalls) and cone slaloms. This gets you using your friction zone, remember your clutch varies the amount of power to the rear wheel. Generally you are using very little throttle when doing slow speed skill practice, the key is to keep the engine revs up just enough so the bike doesnt stall, your throttle controls the amount of gas to the engine. When doing slow speed skills you will be using your rear brake it helps provide stability. Stay off the front brake in these exercises. *Remember to Look Where You Want To Go! It makes slow speed skill riding easier. When you are practicing uturns get your head turned & look. Most new riders struggle with keeping their head and eyes up, hone the skill of 'looking where you want to go', trust me once you start doing this motorcycling gets easier! You should be scanning a good 12 to 15 seconds ahead of you, if you are looking down at the front of your bike it takes away from your reaction time.

Pay attention to your riding posture , when we get stressed we tighten up our bodies, relax! Relax your shoulders and arms, use your core, keep your wrists flat and an easy grip on the bars, grip the tank with your knees.

if you are struggling with skills in everyday traffic, take your bike to the lot and practice, after you do this you will notice smoothness to your riding. A lot of new riders feel they lack confidence, a lot of the time it is because the basic skill set isn't solidified. Regular practice builds skills and confidence!
4 wheels move the body, but 2 wheels move the soul!
My bike: Honda 2012 NC700S 'The Duchess'

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