We’re all guilty of the odd bad habit or two. Luckily our road, dirt and track pros are here to help us do something about them
1 Not actively steering
The symptom: You don’t feel fully in control of your motorcycle’s position through corners
How to solve it: “By actively steering you’re taking charge of exactly when and how your bike turns. Also known as countersteering, the basic principal goes like this: if you’re riding a lefthand bend you should consciously push forward and down with the left palm on the left handlebar. For a righthand bend, you should push forward and down with the right palm on the right handlebar. The easiest way to remember is to push in the direction you want the motorcycle to travel. This will keep the machine in the correct line for the corner, stopping you from drifting wide. You must also look where you want the bike to go – to the corner exit and beyond.”
2 Tipping in too early for abend
The symptom: You cut corners, ending up towards the central white line or the kerb
How to solve it: “When tipping in for a corner, you need to maintain speed until you reach the apex (the point of the bend where you are at the greatest lean angle). Slow down on the approach to the corner and once you have the correct speed for your ability, countersteer to turn the bike, then use a positive throttle (open just enough to be neither accelerating nor slowing) until you can see the corner exit. As you accelerate, the motorcycle will lift up and go straight, and if you’ve done this too soon you’ll start to run wide. To practise, try riding 5mph slower than you normally would, because this will allow give you extra thinking time. Select a gear that gives enough response without being too snatchy and allows you to maintain a set speed while cornering.”
3 Wobbly at junctions
The symptom: You feel overwhelmed and worry you might drop your bike
How to solve it: “On the approach, decide if the junction is ‘open’ or ‘closed’. If the junction is open, the view out onto the new road offers good visibility. If the junction is closed with poor lines of sight, then slow down enough so that you can stop smoothly without panicking. Make your decision whether to stop or go at least two car lengths from the junction. If you’re not 100% certain, you should stop and check. At speeds of under 1520mph use the rear brake to prevent the motorcycle
