Motorcycle Safety Training - April 2009 - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

**inspiron** · 04-06-2009, 03:05 AM

I took a motorcycle safety course yesterday. It was the same “module” that I took 3 years ago – I decided to repeat it so that I could measure my progress and to correct any bad habits I may have picked up over the years, as well as taking the opportunity to get “back into” riding after a long, cold winter.

The group was smaller than last time – there were 2 instructors, each taking one “module”. I was in module “B” (advanced / refresher) – we were 8 riders in total. There were 6 or 7 riders in the module “A” group (basics), too.

The morning started early (we were told to be there at 7:45am on a SUNDAY MORNING!). There was a short introduction where the instructors introduced themselves and the administrative stuff was discussed. We then split into groups and mounted up.

The first exercise was exactly that – gymnastics on the bike. We were to ride up and down the parking lot, and when Ivano (our instructor) honked his horn, we were to look at him and try to do what he was doing – kneeing on the seat, standing on the seat, riding side-saddle, doing leg lifts, “Superman” (stomach on the seat, legs stretched out behind the bike), or sitting on the tank with both legs waving in front of the bike.
After this warm-up, Ivano had set up three slaloms – the first with 5 meters (about 16 feet) between the cones, then 4 meters (about 13 feet) and finally 3 meters (about 10 feet). We were to ride the slalom at a walking pace. At the end of the slalom, Ivano had set up a 10 meter (33 foot) “slow lane” which we had to ride a slowly as possible (this is one of the required maneuvers to get a motorcycle license in Switzerland – the minimum time for 10 meters is 15 seconds). After a couple of test runs, I was able to ride the slow lane in 19 seconds.

Ivano then set up two cones 6 meters (20’) apart, which were the center points of 2 circles. Our challenge was to ride a tight figure 8, again at walking pace, and try to use the full turning radius of the bike (turning the forks all the way to the stop).

All of these exercises were intended to demonstrate / remind us about the “blicktechnik” (look where you want to go).

After the coffee break, all 9 of us were lined up in a row, with Ivano in the middle. We were supposed to stay in a row, keeping pace with Ivano as he accelerated and stopped. Needless to say, this isn’t easy. The point of the exercise was to show us that your bike really does go where you are looking, even if that’s not your intention, since everyone was looking at Ivano, so we all continued to “converge” on him.

Ivano then set up a panic stop situation for us. We accelerated to a specific point, then come to a stop as quickly as possible. After a couple of good stops with my bike, I borrowed Ivano’s bike (A BMW F650GS with ABS) and did a couple of stops to see how a motorcycle ABS feels. Very, very different.

The last exercise before lunch was a 6-meter (20 foot) slalom which we were to ride quickly, using different techniques to lean the bike – first using the “traditional” method (lean the bike, keeping your upper body in line with the bike – bend at the neck), then by pushing the bike (pushing the bike into a lean while keeping your upper body straight – bend at the hips).

After lunch, we had some theory training how to correctly ride curves – which lines to take, where to brake, roll and accelerate, etc. We then went out to a nearby road with a nice curve, and Ivano took video of each of us riding back and forth past him through this curve a few times.
We then mounted up and went for a short group ride around the town, to see if we had paid attention during the theory part (rules for group rides – each person is responsible for the following rider), which we did! No one was lost during our 20 minute group ride.

The last “active” exercise was the “test”. Ivano gave us instructions and didn’t take any questions: The instructions were to ride down to the end of the street and wait. One at a time, we should ride up the street quickly, accelerating until we are in at least 3rd gear. When Ivano drops his hand, we should hit the brakes and slow down until we are keeping pace with him (he was walking slowly backwards), being sure NOT to pass his hand. When he lifts his arm again, we are to accelerate hard away from him.
Almost everything went well during this “test” – I rode up, stopped hard, downshifted into 1st and kept pace with his hand. When he threw his arm up, I let out the clutch too fast and killed the engine. D’OH! A quick tap on the started button and I was away. (It was still better than one of the other guys, who popped the clutch into an unplanned wheelie).

We then sat down and analyzed the videos that Ivano had taken in the curve – focusing on the chosen line, the head position (look where you want to go – keep the eyes parallel to the road) and making sure that the feet were back up on the pegs (not hanging off, risking getting caught under the shifter or brake pedal).

All in all, it was a valuable day – I definitely noticed that maneuvers which I used to fear are actually quite fun, and that my skills as a rider have gotten much, much better since I started taking these courses back in 2003.