Riding Tip: Precision Requires Practice
Last Updated: March 4th, 2024
Precision Requires Practice. I was speaking to an experienced motorcycle rider the other day, and he had an interesting question for me. He asked me why I profusely promote being gradual and precise with our throttle (see this article) and brakes. He stated that learning how to ride on the dirt taught him to be abrupt with his throttle and brakes. For example, if he wanted to turn a bike on the dirt, he needed to quickly break traction by using the throttle to spin the rear wheel to get the bike headed in the direction he wants. Also, using the rear brake abruptly allows him to lock up the rear tire, so he can back the motorcycle into a turn and to square the turn-off. Okay, but street riding is VERY different in that we have a much bigger traction pie on the road than in the dirt. I had to think a bit about what he was asking me. Turns out, being precise matters on the street and in the dirt.
Admittedly, as a flat track fan, student, and competitor, I’ve explored using the brake and throttle in this very abrupt way. What fun! But then I was taught a better way by guys like Tealdo Teal, Lee Parks, and Rich Oliver. Spinning ain’t winning was often thrown out there. They enlightened me on how being abrupt with the throttle and/or brakes can upset the chassis tremendously and reduce my access to available traction (we discuss this at length in our Total Control Advanced Riding Clinic). We are, as street motorcycle riders, lovers of traction and all the glory it can provide us, so why would I want to do anything that would possibly reduce the fun while exponentially adding risk?
Another interesting aspect popped up, and that was the concept of feel. If our bike is chopping up and down due to abrupt usage of our brakes and/or throttle, our brain is going to have a difficult time quickly making sense of what is happening. The delay in mental processing can cause us to ride behind the bike (a discussion point made in this article). When the brain lacks certainty, fear is not far behind. Being afraid can increase our potential for mistake-making. There is a strong case for lighter, longer usage of our controls to reduce the potential for mistakes. There’s an even stronger case for planning our actions even further in advance.
Sure, in competitive situations we understand riders are trying to reduce the time they spend on the brakes and increase the time they spend on the throttle, so it may seem like they are chopping on and off the throttle and brakes. Looking at the data logging files of racers, we see examples of what might look like that; however, a closer examination shows a precision with the roll-on/roll-off of the throttle and brake application that are exceptional; even bordering on super-human. They get paid the big bucks for a reason – hundredths matter. Precision matters. Yes, electronics are massive aids and have changed the sport of motorcycling massively over the past twenty years, but if precision matters to the best riders in the world, I will hope that it would matter to you. Our riding enjoyment and safety depend upon it.
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Bill Seltzer has been a Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach since 2003 and a Total Control Advanced Riding Instructor since 2011. He currently serves as the Marketing Director for TEAM Arizona and is a member of the Arizona Strategic Highway Safety Planning committee. Have questions or comments about the article? Email him: Bill@MotorcycleTraining.com
