lebedo

Just found it...I guess. Rider stability and body positioning.

So just a quick test I made standing on my feet. If I push my body to the right using the left big toe, my right ankle bends till the right foot is on his side. If I use the toe 's balls to push rearwards, upper body lowers to the front. If I push forwards upper body stands up.

I think that foot position depends on what you want to do. If you are on the balls it's for motion. You can push and your leg acts as a spring. If you just want to support your weight the arch is better as the leg can't move. The heel can also helps. For pushing I prefer to use the ball of the big toe as it's stronger. It also flatten the foot and push the knee into the tank. Japanese motorcycle instructors generally speak of using the arch with toes facing forwards.

You are right. Will do. Thanks.

So for pushing pulling, I'm more of a push Guy than a pull one. Also, once in a turn, I completely let of the bars, just to see what happens. Bike stays on its line even if you completely remove both hands of the bars. I was able to do that going flat or downhill but not going uphill as bike was loosing speed.

When teaching lines, speed and angle of attack are major mistakes of my students. They are always late on the exit : they should use the exit ( second half ) of the turn to lean it then bring it up so that the bike is up at the start of the straight line. Instead they wait for the bike to be in the straight line after the turn. Then they lean the bike and bring it up in the middle of the following straight. They also always are late in pre position so that the bike goes in a straight line to the entrance of the turn. They are always going diagonally waiting for the end of the straight line to position it in the entrance.

Hi there. I'm a motorcycle instructor in France. This Tuesday one of my students crashed in a curve during a course. He is fine but injured. I was following him driving my car and we had radio communication. The crash happened in a left turn. Not a blind one or an accute one. Remembering what happened in the previous right turn I Can say that my student had not the right timing and that he attacked the left turn with the wrong angle of attack : too much angle to easily turn his head to the left. He attacked the turn diagonally not straight. So he brought too much Speed. Not because he was fast but because he was late in his timing : when he should have been decelerating he was accelerating. Then he rolled off the gas. No braking. Then he tightened on the bars. No steering. Then he fixed his attention on what he was going to hit. Attention was targeted on what he wanted to avoid. Bike was not steered at all and went straight on the target. There was no braking even just before he hit the ditch. Thankfully he just crashed where there was mud, so he has no major injuries. Don't know how it can help. But this is what happened. I was following him so I saw the crash. I Can also say that I saw the crash coming before it happened but my reaction time to give him instructions was always 1 or 2 seconds late. I can now analyse what happened : things you say at CSS are right. They are vital on road. I Can also say that the crash began the turn before when he was late on his line. He tried to correct this but always 1 or 2 seconds late.

Thanks Cobie. So my First Step is OK. Now I will focus on my Second Step.

Of course, the main benefit is confidence. I know where I am at the entrance of the turn : it'as a choice I made not something imposed by the turn . So I can focus on my next point , where I want to be in the middle of the turn before being into the middle of the turn . It gives me Timing and actions to do before they're imposed to me. It's the start of a Plan .

So I did some homework today. Cool thing is that for me, homework is riding... I focused only on my First Step : how do I find it ? How do I use it ? What am I doing once I reach it ? What benefits does it give me ? I find my First Step by looking as soon as I can at the outside of the turn . Then I let the bike go as straight as possible doing nothing except reducing speed if needed . I don't use it intentionally as a TIP . Sometimes it will be , sometimes I will have to push it away into the turn . I mean it's not a fixed TIP for me as I approach it . I turn my head into the turn when I'm close to it ( speed was not high as I'm riding on public roads ). Usually at this point, when I turn my head , the road is broader . I found that by using this First Step , it gives me more room to turn into , a better view onto the turn, a line to go into the turn . When not having this First Step I start the turn sooner and slower and spend a lot of time leaned over . Line is also saccadic as the eyes move step by step into the turn and the bike follows that saccadic line . View is restricted a few meters in front of me . I would say that I use this First Step as a reminder to look into the turn . It gives me more room and more time to choose a line . Hope this makes sense.

Argh... I now think it's more...

My typo is awful... I mean " after rereading...and relooking..., I know think it's more... Sorry for that...

Thanks guys for your help. Jaybird I do have ATOTW 1 and 2 . They're like Bibles to me ! Cobie: I initially thought that the First step was where I would steer the bike. I spot it as soon as possible then ride the bike to it and steer thee bike once on it. But after rereading page 99 and relooking Andy Ibott's video on that particular drill. For now, I think it's a more a reminder to look into the turn rather than a turning point. Hope that makes sense.

Of course for transitions I was using my outside knee and ankle. Don't know if I did the right way but the ride was safe and enjoyable. No pressure on the bars so I could move without upsetting the bike. I really pulled my helmet inside the turn until I could feel there was no tnesion in the elbow. Basically my helmet was kissing the mirror.

I did a really enjoyable ride today. Not a long one. Just enough to focus on my upper body position and input. At first I feeled tense, sensing that my inside arm was pushing the bike underneath me. I wasn't happy with that,so I tried to move around the bike by using my ankles and knees. I could feel it was better, I was less stressed on the handlebars. But still, I wasn't happy with what I was doing. So I remembered the " Move your helmet one width to the inside " and give it a Go. As I tried to move it, I steel was tense ans could feel I was moving using the handlebars. So I tried to move my helmet with my knee and ankles until I could feel a bend in my inside elbow. Tension was gone from my both arms and I was ready for countersteering.