MSF Traction Clinic

[SteveADV]

Today, I attended a MSF workshop at my local BMW Motorrad dealer. Topic: traction. Sounds like boring subject matter but it was a great refresher. Good stuff and a good time with other bike folks that needed a February fix in cold northern Ohio.
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[Dale]

I would like to do something like that. I will take instruction from anyone that talks about proven methods to improve my riding.

I have the Ride Like A Pro video, hell I can't do all he does and I don't think it is geared for someone who rides the streets and highways. I feel it is more for someone who does specialty work with a motorcycle. I did at one time get instruction from a police instructor for about 30 minutes, he said I needed to do the course faster to keep up my momentum. I can not make my mind work as fast as needed on that course. That is why I am a very conservative rider.

I joined the local Goldwing club in hopes of finding some instruction, but all these people want to do is ride 45 mph to and from eating establishments. I have taken the MSF instructional course and found it to be very good.

 

[justscootin]

Ride Like A Pro video,

I never new anything like it existed so I went to pirate Bay and downloaded "Ride Like a Pro V"
Thanks for the idea

 

[Xian Forbes]

I go on the bmw shop rides and have found it helpful to ride with other Beemer heads. Especially the guys on the GS's and RT's, I find they like to ride at a pace that's not to fast and not to slow. Plus there usually is a destination planned and the routes, at least around here are interesting.

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[JaimeC]

Get a copy of Keith Code's "Twist of the Wrist II." One of the best texts on traction management and cornering I've seen.

 

[exavid]

Even though scooters don't have a clutch you can apply a lot of Jerry Paladino's tips. Using your rear brake to control your speed with just enough throttle to engage the centrifugal clutch makes it a lot easier to make those sharp, slow turns. I have no difficulty riding lock to lock figure eight or go 'round and 'round with the handle bar locked all the way over using the rear brake to control speed. It won't hurt the clutch either because you want to use just enough throttle to engage the clutch. With that little throttle it won't overheat the clutch. One of the most important things I learned early on back in the late '50s was to look where you want the bike to go. As Jerry says, "the bike will go where you look". That's really the fact. If you try riding a slalom course you'll quickly find out that you have to look where you want to go, not at what you want to miss. Looking at the cones is a good way to run over them. I could do the same with my Goldwing but it's a bit less worrisome on the GT.
Leaning forward and down into the turn at speed is really helpful when you enter a curve a bit too fast, it will tend to stand the bike up a bit giving more clearance. It takes a good bit of riding before most folks realize the bike will almost always turn tighter than the rider believes, if you get in trouble in a curve just push that bar down a bit more and lean your body forward and down into the turn. You don't have to be a knee slider but body English can sure make a difference.

Here's a link to some Youtube videos from his Ride Like a Pro program:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekkUzhh9E9A