| Riding Tips 3......Wet weather riding
EVERY week Andy Ibbott -European Director of the California Superbike School - passes on some tips to improve your riding...
YOU learn more about traction and braking, riding in the cold and wet of winter than on any track day.
Your natural survival instincts will make you want to tense up, but this is exactly the opposite of what you need to do to keep control of your bike when traction is reduced.
WHAT YOU NATURALLY DO:
* Tense up
* Delay getting on the throttle
* Look where you don't want to go
* Steer the bike slowly
WHICH HAKES THE BIKE:
* Feel more unstable and twitchy, which makes the front end feel heavy and the rear too light
* Go where we don't want it to
* Use too much lean angle
In other words, the key is relaxation. This allows the front of your machine to follow the road better. Just try it. Go over a stretch of bumpy road with your arms tensed up, then, try it with them relaxed and floppy and the ride will be noticeably better.
You also need to get on the throttle as soon as possible in a bend. This lets you drive through the corner and balance the bike. The more time you spend on a closed throttle, the longer the front wheel is loaded up. This means the tyre has to work harder which increases the risk of it losing traction - and you crashing.
In addition, check out the road surface and plan a line that covers parts of the road which look drier and less slippery than others.
Finally, don't be scared to turn the bike quickly. If you turn slowly you have to lean the bike further over for longer. It is vital you keep the bike as upright as you can on the fattest part of the tyre.
Stick to these tips and by the time Spring comes you'll be sharper, safer and faster.
Frightened Frank  | 
14-Mar-2004, 10:24 
Linear Mode
