I'm a lazy rider. And I love it. This also makes me a rather inefficient rider. Suits my style just fine, thank you very much. It's not that I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about it either. It has taken thirty-odd years to arrive at a skill level and a riding style I am comfortable with. Dialing in the "fun factor," and dialing out the danger element as much as possible provides maximum grins at the safest possible level. Longevity, both in the length of the ride and my preservation instincts to chronologically survive long enough to terrorize my children through better grandparenting are motivational material as well. Not to mention an intense fear pain.....

I don't work very hard even when I ride hard. An efficient rider will do all of the things necessary to make his motorcycle work at maximum efficiency. This is especially true, and most necessary when racing: hanging off, moving all over the bike, tucking in on the straights, using feet, knees, body, and arms to steer the bike, etc. You will see it on the street too. Not me. Too old. Too much effort. And it attracts too much negative attention from those that want us discussing our bad habits with his honor.

I have mentioned the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) theory several times. I would rather have a few well honed skills than a lot that I can't manage as well. Since I'm not in as good of physical shape as many young riders, reducing the amount of riding effort is paramount to my keeping up for any length of time.

I am a lean angle junkie. The closer to horizontal, the more I like it (up to a point, of course). All of that efficient riding reduces the lean angle for a given speed, or increases the speed for an equal lean angle. Very appropos on a race track, but not among my favorite options on the street. Bear in mind, that real roadracing and sane street riding have virtually nothing in common except that the controls perform the same tasks to change speed or position. There are only three things you can do with a motorcycle: 1) Communicate (lights, horn, bright attire, screaming, screeching tires, ad nauseum). 2) Adjust speed (throttle and brakes). 3) Adjust position (turning, cornering, changing lanes, etc.). Since you can only do three things with your motorcycle, it's my objective to perform them as well as possible with a mimimum number of gyrations. Please don't misconstrue this to suggest that everyone should ride as I do. I have simply found that these techniques (or lack thereof) works extremely well for me while maximizing the fun factor. Hopefully any article about riding styles will get you to think about how you ride and the ways that could increase your skill level and/or riding enjoyment.

So, how does this pompus old fart ride?? Well, here goes.....

1) Look as far ahead as you possibly can. You will go where you are looking. Since every physical input you make is dependent on your perception of the direction your bike is headed, proper visual directional control is the #1 rule of motorcycling. If you don't get it right, you will literally be lost on the road, and all of your physical maneuvers will be the wrong ones. When approaching a turn, visualize your turn-in point, then refocus ahead as far as you can around the corner. You will actually be looking around the turn when you flick your bike at your preselected "turn-in" point. Keith Code has a section in "Twist of the Wrist II" on this subject. He calls it the "Two Step." This section and how to deal with the seven "survival reactions" are more than worth the price of the book.

2) 99%+ of my steering is from handlebar input. I don't steer with my feet or knees, though many recommend it. I've tried it. It works. Too much work. I prefer handlebar input. I advocate pointing your shoulder when you turn your machine. When making a left turn, point your left shoulder into the turn, keeping your elbow bent, tucked in, and loose. This will insure your body is maintaining the same lean angle as the bike. There are times when you might want to use less lean angle than the motorcycle, such as a quick swerve or a tight series of esses. In that case, keep your body more upright and push on the handlebars to get the bike to move underneath you. It's a common dirt track technique that can work very well when necessary. Keep in mind, especially under emergency situations, the fastest way to get your motorcycle to change direction is with direct and decisive handlebar input. It uses more lean angle than keeping your body in line with the bike or hanging off, reducing ground clearance in extreme situations. It's also great fun. When playing hard, I get up on the balls of my feet. Let the pegs grind away, more great fun, but grinding holes in your boots gets expensive.

3) I use the front brake only. Again, this keeps things simple, especially since it does 90%+ of the braking on a sportbike (the SV is definitely a sportbike). It avoids the pitfalls of over braking the rear and lowsiding, or even worse, releasing a locked rear brake, resulting in a highside. Ouch! And expensive. I get all of my braking done before pitching the bike into the corner. I don't use trailbraking on the street unless I've done something thoroughly stupid, and it is a last ditch effort to stay upright. Trailbraking with the front brake is something you must practice. There are times when it is your only option other than crashing. It is amazing how much front brake you can use leaned over in a corner, but you'll never know how far you can be leaned over, or how much brake you can use unless you practice until becomes instinctive and reactive. On a track day, I will use a little trailbraking, but get off the brake early and smoothly, getting back on the gas ASAP, with a smooth throttle roll-on. I also practice maximum stops using my rear brake for those teeth clenching, heart stopping moments when quickly coming to a complete halt is the only alternative. Unless your rear wheel is in the air, a bike will stop quicker using both brakes in a panic situation. Keeping both wheels on the ground and braking just short of lockup is the fastest way to come to a stop and maintain control.

4) Use a smooth throttle roll-on and get back on the gas as soon as possible. I usually turn into a corner off the throttle, then get on the gas ASAP. Many times an inexperienced rider will roll off the throttle (or grab the front brake) when he should stay on the throttle. A gradual throttle roll-on stabilizes the suspension. Rolling off the throttle, or using the front brake inappropriately upsets your bike's handling tremendously. Keep in mind that either rolling off the throttle, or applying too much throttle will make the bike run wide in the turn, upsetting the chassis, and maybe dumping you into the greenery. Too much brake, no throttle, too little throttle, or too much throttle may upset your chassis immeasurably. Don't let anyone kid you, smoothness counts. So does lots of practice.

5) I don't use all of the road. I don't ride all the way over to the centerline or to the outer edge. This accomplishes two things: 1) If I goof up or see an obstacle in the road, I have more room to get around it. 2) It's more fun and, in my opinion, safer because you use more lean angle (fun) at a slower speed (safer). If you are uncomfortable with pretty healthy lean angles, this may not be the technique for you. My rules don't apply to everybody. Do what works best for you, giving you the best control and most confidence.

6) I like late apexing, but there are exceptions. You must be flexible enough in your riding habits to adapt to the ever changing conditions on the street. As an example, late apexing can be to your advantage in a right turn because you can see around it better and avoid obstacles. Also, if the car in the other lane is going too fast, he will be going off the outer edge, not into your lane. There are exceptions to every rule. Some idiot, at some time, will figure out a way to get in your lane, so don't run all the way to the center line on right hand turns. Murphy's Law, ya know?? Left hand turns are an altogether different situation. A late apex will allow you to see the traffic coming at you better, but if it is a tight turn and the oncoming car is out of control, he will be coming into your lane. You may see him too late. Splat! Again, not getting too close to the centerline at your apex will give you that extra safety cushion. Also keep in mind, if your tires are right at the center line, you are leaning into the turn and your bike and body may actually be over the center of the road in the other guy's lane. Certainly a great potential for pain.

7) I don't hang off in the turns or tuck in on the straights when street riding. It attracts too much negative attention. I also keep my straight line speeds down, usually in the 70 to 75 MPH range to a max of 85-90 MPH. When cornering, I prefer the "funnest" line, not the fastest line. I prefer the sensations of increased lean angles. That's why I don't use the whole road or hang off.

8) If you are a sport rider, try backing off your usual pace 5 or 10 percent once in a while. You'd be surprised how relaxing and how much fun it can be. You will also see some neat scenery that you never knew existed on roads you've been riding for years. Great therapy upon occasion.

9) Lastly, I practice a lot in a controlled environment. That means a track, a parking lot, or a safe, relatively untravelled back road. I always "dress for the slide, not the ride." For street riding, this includes a leather or cortex jacket, jeans, race gloves, and race boots, and a full face helmet. I absolutely never get on a track without full leathers. You will be amazed at how fast even the heaviest jeans shred at relatively slow speeds. I doubt God ever put cattle on planet earth for the purpose of having man slide along asphalt in their dead hides, but they do a helluva fine job of it.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. I find these techniques work very well for me. I am having more fun riding now than ever before. Part of it is because I have a riding style that I am comfortable with, and part of it is that damned silly little SV named "Lil'bit." If you aren't having as much fun riding as you think you should be, perhaps it is time to examine your riding habits and modify them to increase your enjoyment of our great sport. You sure as hell can't blame the SV if you aren't havin' fun.

The End