Precision Control

One of the most beneficial skills that a beginning rider will learn at the Motorcycle Operator Safety courses is the ability to control the motorcycle. This includes starting and stopping, balance and turning the motorcycle at both low and high speeds. This article will discuss some of the precision control techniques that students learn in the Motorcycle Operator Safety courses.

One of the very first things riders learn when they take the class is starting and stopping. This gives each student in the class the opportunity to learn how to get the bike rolling in a very controlled environment. To get the bike moving you slowly release the clutch while simultaneously opening the throttle. It is very similar to driving a car with a manual transmission. After doing this for a while, the student will then learn how to shift into second gear. This is done by squeezing the clutch in, and then lifting up on the shift lever with your left foot. To shift back into first you squeeze the clutch in, and then push down on the shift lever.

Probably one of the most important skills to master on a motorcycle is the ability to stop the bike as quickly as possible while maintaining control. In the class, each student takes turns approaching a marked area on the course at around 25 miles per hour. At the designated point, the rider is instructed to stop the bike as fast as possible. Stopping the bike requires a lot of things to happen at the same time. First, you must squeeze the clutch in with your left hand. Next, you shift back down into first with your left foot, squeeze the front brake with your right hand, and push down on the rear break with your right foot. This sounds more difficult than it really is. After doing it for a while it becomes muscle memory. The key is to squeeze as hard as you can on the brakes without going into a skid. If you go into a skid you risk losing control of the bike. Skidding also means it will take the motorcycle longer to stop.

Another skill students learn at the course is how to balance the motorcycle. Obviously, when traveling in a straight line your best balancing point is directly on top of the bike. Balancing becomes a bit trickier when trying to balance the bike while turning, or when carrying a passenger. Turning the motorcycle at higher speeds is usually accomplished by leaning your body in the direction that you want to go. This changes your balance point from atop the motorcycle to one side or the other. The proper balancing point during a turn is going to change on almost every turn. It is important for every rider to learn how to balance at slower speeds before trying to take turns at high speeds. The majority of motorcycle fatalities are a result of misjudging your speed through a turn. Another dangerous situation can occur when carrying a passenger. A rider should give their passenger a crash course on balance before taking them on a ride. Many passengers who have not ridden before are afraid during turns because they feel like the motorcycle is going to tip over. Their reaction is to lean the opposite direction of the turn. This could very easily result in an accident. The best way for a beginner to avoid an accident with a passenger is to not take a passenger. A novice rider should master all basic techniques before giving rides to other people.

Turning a motorcycle at slow speeds is very similar to turning a bicycle. You turn the handlebars in the direction you want to go. The key at slow speeds is to keep your eyes up. The reason for this is because there is a tendency for the bike to go where your eyes are looking. In the class they teach you to look through the turn when going slow. Many seasoned riders will tell tales of how they did damage to their bikes when going less than 5 miles per hour.

Turning a motorcycle at high speeds is absolutely nothing like turning a bicycle. In fact, it’s the opposite. At high speeds the instructors at the course will teach you to actually push down on the handlebars in the direction you want to go. For example, when turning right you actually push down with your right hand. This will cause the bike to lean to the right. When turning left, you simply push down with your left hand. When turning at high speeds the handlebars are actually going to be straight because the entirety of the turn will be completed by leaning. Novice riders can be a bit nervous to try this technique because it seems very foreign to what they are used to. After trying the technique a few times they will learn to love it. Many riders will tell you some of the most fun they have on a bike is executing leaning turns.

Learning precision control is one of the best benefits of taking the Motorcycle Operator Safety courses. Mastering precision control is what makes the difference between a seasoned rider and a beginner.