Advanced motorcycle riding course
Cornering
Reading Bends
How to assess the severity of the next bend (or even the one after that) as you are approaching
Vanishing points
or "limit point" as it's sometimes known is probably the most useful visual clue to the bend, Do you want to know how to extend that vanishing point ?
Approach speed
Selecting the speed on approach is key. Slow in, fast out. . but how slow is slow and how fast is fast ? what about wet weather cornering ?
Lines
No, not the painted ones (they're slippy) but the correct position in the road, and at what point and under what circumstances you change that position
Gear selection
it's all about control and setting up for the corner. More important on larger capacity machines
Control and smoothness
To have control in a bend it needs controlled smoothness. Even at low speed a motorcycle will become unstable in a corner if control input is not smooth.
Counter steering
The direction control! Widely misunderstood, hopelessly explained by most, yet it’s probably the most useful technique in advanced road riders arsenal.
Progression
When and how to dial in the power through the corner.
"Sorry mate didn't see ya"
That's not a lot of help when they have just pulled out in front of you, and no it has nothing to do with wearing a hi-viz jacket. Wouldn't it be nice if you knew what other road users where going to do in well in advance. Reading bends is one thing, but mind reading is even more fun. (and it's not a magic trick)
Roundabouts
straight lining techniques
Often seen, but is it safe ?
Approach methods
Exactly how you line up the roundabout, speeds, gears and position
Checks
Do you know exactly what to check for, in which order the checks are done, which ones you can miss out and when ?
Timing concepts and stability
Get it right and you are through the roundabout in no time, but get it wrong. . . diesel, gravel, that car behind the bus may just upset your day.
Overtaking
Where, when and how
If you are waiting for a clear road to drop a gear take off at high speed, you have probably already missed several overtake opportunities. This is a motorbike, you are riding, not a double deck bus you are driving. Best of all, overtaking on a motorbike has little to do with using a lot of speed.
Filtering
yes filtering through traffic is legal
There are some rules (what else would you expect), but knowing where, when and how to filter is very useful, but knowing when someone is about to do something daft in that queue of traffic is vital.
Abort
What to do when things go a little wrong
Sorting out the bend you went into a little to hot, swerving around the kid that ran out from between the cars, and stopping quickly and under full control. Sounds obvious, but have you got those techniques correct and ready for deployment by reflex rather than thinking.
The wet
How to deal with wet slippery roads.
It rains, the road gets wet (followed by your hands and crotch), but we still need to ride. what else do we need to consider?
If it's on two wheels and one the road and you've ever thought "how do I learn to do that?" then contact CAT-ONE from the enquiry below
Enquire on-line
We have covered an awful lot above, and not everything can be covered in enough depth in a single day. So if there are specific aspects you want to improve, make sure we know what they are.