Who practices their low speed skills?

PrivatePilot said:
Just wondering who else practices their skills (aside from just plain riding) regularly?
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Actually it is where I have been riding. How about around a garbage can with a 15 or more percent grade and a top heavy motorcycle weighing in at 1000 ± 20 pounds with my passenger and luggage doing a few clicks in the hairpin. Not easy and I wish I had a trials bike for that.

That was easier in my younger days. 2023 was my last year of riding those out of the way roads. Now riding the far less technical roads locally.
 
Lightcycle said:
There's a trials technique that I'm trying to master right now where there's no rear brake involved, only front.

You use it when your lean is so extreme you need to take the inside foot off the peg. This means that although you're able to use the rear brake for left turns, for right turns, your right foot is basically on the seat, so you're only able to use the front brake to control your speed.

Scary part about using the front brake is that the drive from the rear wheel is compressing the forks, which makes steering very difficult.

I'm okay doing the lean bit, still trying to master the front brake control without dabbing. Or dumping the bike... 😭

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It's called "body English" . Demonstrated by my good friend Les Birchall here in this video at our annual free school. (daughter in the blue jacket)
 
Enjoyed the RTI Technical Skills course in the spring and now feel a lot more comfortable when doing quick U Turns and slow manoeuvring when the bike is loaded with luggage etc.

And as an added Bonus, I received a $150 reduction in my insurance renewal.
 
Wingboy said:
It's called "body English" . Demonstrated by my good friend Les Birchall here in this video at our annual free school. (daughter in the blue jacket)
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Not quite.

Yes, counter-balancing is what he's explaining, but what I'm getting at is low-speed-control using front brake only. Your buddy is not using the front brake at all, just idling and counter-balancing.

Here is a demo of front-brake-only control (starts at 3:20)


Watch his right foot, how it's right at the tip of the foot peg. No rear brake at all.

Most introductory riding schools teach new riders to use the rear brake + high idle + feathering clutch for slow-speed control, which is very easy, since you're not fighting the compression of the forks and it's easier to turn the handlebars. Also, you're able to separate out your throttle input with the brake control since it's two different limbs.

The clutch + front-brake-only skill is next-level stuff when you need extreme counter-balancing, with the right foot able to pivot on the peg to influence body position, and sometimes even completely off the peg to counter-weight, so you cannot use the rear-brake for speed control.

Very difficult, especially if you've been brought up using rear-brake only in slow-speed situations.
 
Lightcycle said:
Not quite.

Yes, counter-balancing is what he's explaining, but what I'm getting at is low-speed-control using front brake only. Your buddy is not using the front brake at all, just idling and counter-balancing.

Here is a demo of front-brake-only control (starts at 3:20)


Watch his right foot, how it's right at the tip of the foot peg. No rear brake at all.

Most introductory riding schools teach new riders to use the rear brake + high idle + feathering clutch for slow-speed control, which is very easy, since you're not fighting the compression of the forks and it's easier to turn the handlebars. Also, you're able to separate out your throttle input with the brake control since it's two different limbs.

The clutch + front-brake-only skill is next-level stuff when you need extreme counter-balancing, with the right foot able to pivot on the peg to influence body position, and sometimes even completely off the peg to counter-weight, so you cannot use the rear-brake for speed control.

Very difficult, especially if you've been brought up using rear-brake only in slow-speed situations.
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There's a lot of skill in that YT video.

I use front, rear brake, and clutch in varying combinations, but that's Moto Gymkhana, and I'm a novice at best. I've tried front brake and clutch with mixed results and have yet to find use for it in my Moto Gymkhana goals.

But like anything else, knowing different techniques may sort itself out to being useful at some point.
 
STARSHIP said:
Enjoyed the RTI Technical Skills course in the spring and now feel a lot more comfortable when doing quick U Turns and slow manoeuvring when the bike is loaded with luggage etc.

And as an added Bonus, I received a $150 reduction in my insurance renewal.
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Ok how does that work?
 
Did motorcycle masters this summer.
It was fun, but I lost my hat.
 
Baggsy said:
Did motorcycle masters this summer.
It was fun, but I lost my hat.
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Yeah that's the one I did a few years ago. Great fun.

How'd you lose your hat? Inquiring minds need to know.
 
sburns said:
Ok how does that work?
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Riders Plus provides a discount for 6 star rated riders. and taking this course moved me from 5 to 6

Here is the list of Courses Advanced Rider Training - Riders Plus Insurance Canada

Actually it was $162 credit

"As per your request, kindly be advised that your new driving record is 6* as per your Riders Training Course. There was a change in premium of -4 for current expiring term and -162 for your renewal term"
 
STARSHIP said:
Riders Plus provides a discount for 6 star rated riders. and taking this course moved me from 5 to 6

Here is the list of Courses Advanced Rider Training - Riders Plus Insurance Canada

Actually it was $162 credit

"As per your request, kindly be advised that your new driving record is 6* as per your Riders Training Course. There was a change in premium of -4 for current expiring term and -162 for your renewal term"
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Thanks for this, I never knew about it. Will check it out.
 
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