Direct Access Scheme (DAS)

Tips and advice for your forthcoming DAS training

May 24 2020

The Cornering Edit – Part 4

Laura Smith Advanced Motorcycle Training, Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), Direct Access Scheme (DAS) Apex, Bends, bends and corners, Cornering, Hitting the apex, Linking bends, Positive throttle, Power delivery, Running wide, Throttle sense

Exiting and Linking bends

In this 4 part blog, I explain all aspects of cornering, for all levels of riding. This final section is Exiting and Linking Bends. There are three previous blogs, which are Vision & Planning, Speed & Braking and Counter Steering. I recommend you read those first to make more sense of this.

Up until this point, as you approach the bend, you should have:

Gathered all the information available to you
Decided the severity of the bend
Slowed down to an appropriate speed before the bend
Changed to an appropriate gear before the bend
Initiated Counter steering to start cornering

Safety over position

Whether you’re a learner rider or you have moved onto an advanced level, you’ll know position plays a big part in cornering. It is important to remember that no matter what you may have heard about ‘holding your line’ your safety always comes first.

For learners, I recommend staying in the centre of the lane, but this is not rigid. If you see a problem on the road surface, or there’s a hazard, you must have some flexibility to move position or slow down. Remember the road surface is your braking surface.

When cornering at any level, if there’s a road surface problem on your line (the line is the position you take up on the road), always move to avoid it. Imagine moving to the offside (closest to oncoming traffic) of the road surface problem – let’s say a manhole cover for example. What if there’s a large vehicle coming the other way? You’ve moved out the way of a potentially minor problem and now put yourself in a more dangerous position near oncoming traffic.

For advanced riders there are more alterations you can make to your position prior to cornering. To keep things simple, I won’t be talking about them here. If you want to know more about positioning for bends, I strongly recommend further training.

Positive throttle

When you ride a bend and counter steer, you shouldn’t need to adjust your speed. If done correctly, your throttle will be maintained consistently to pull the bike through the corner, at the same speed. This is known as a positive throttle. If this isn’t set before the bend you could end up sitting the bike up (throttle on) and then back down (throttle off) as you go around the bend, this is known as fifty pence piecing.

At the apex

The apex is the point in the bend where the lean angle is at its greatest. In other words, the part where your bike is leaning the furthest into the bend. It’s not until you’ve reached this point, that you can consider putting the throttle back on to exit the bend.

Exit and vision

Once you can see where the bend is going, you can start to plan the next section of road. Usually when you’ve reached the apex, the view of the road ahead starts to open up. It’s at this point, your speed can potentially be adjusted.

Throttling on

Often riders have timing and delivery issues when throttling back on to exit a bend. They either put the power on too early, which pushes the bike out wide (and sits the bike up) or they wait too long to add throttle.

Throttling on at the right time is definitely a skill in itself. It took me a long time to perfect this. However when you get this right and in a responsive gear, you will be leaving the corner quicker than the speed you entered. Remember the saying “slow in, fast out”.

If you’re in a responsive gear though, your throttle may feel a little on the twitchy side if you’re not used to it. So don’t attempt to put the throttle on aggressively, or it could leave you feeling out of control.

Throttle sense

Throttle sense is an important part of riding and I don’t think there’s enough emphasis on it. Power delivery is about being super accurate and delicate. Nothing is aggressive or rushed. If you ever try to ride your bike with aggression or in a rush, you’re bound to have problems.

Think about how you hold the throttle too, make sure your wrist is flat and on the same angle as your knuckles. Riders often hook their wrist up, which is known as cocking the wrist. This will encourage way too much throttle without meaning to.

Plan ahead

When riding, it’s important to plan ahead and I have talked about the importance of this during the first part of this series, called Vision and Planning. However, this is about being able to move from one bend to another, smoothly and seamlessly. See the bend; adjust your position (as an advanced rider), adjust your speed and gears and ride the bend at a speed that’s appropriate for YOUR ability.

The more comfortable you feel at cornering at a slower pace, the more time you’ll have to focus on the next piece in the puzzle – the next bend. If you are wound up or anxious about going into a bend, the chances are, your eyes will not be where they should be – seeing where the road goes next.

So, after you’ve hit the apex and before you throttle on, decide how much power you need. If there’s another bend, do you need so much power that you’ll need to brake again in the next few seconds?

The next bend

Quite often, if there’s a series of bends, there’ll be clues, such as a warning triangle for an S bend, or the paint work on the road will remain solid, for example. Do you ever look at the paint work on the tarmac to help you read the road? What about chevron markers? Cars in front braking? Are there any cars coming the other way – can you see the roofs of their vehicles over the hedges? These are all clues to help us work out whether there are any more bends in the road.

If you have any questions on this cornering series, please get in touch. If you’d like me to cover any other areas of riding, please let me know?

Women Only Motorcycle Training is part of RMT Motorcycle Training, based in Redditch, Worcestershire.

May 23 2020

The Cornering Edit – Part 3

Laura Smith Advanced Motorcycle Training, Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), Direct Access Scheme (DAS) bar pressure, Bend assessment, Braking, Cornering, Counter steering, Slow in fast out, Speed, steering, vision and planning

The Cornering Edit - Part 3

In this 4 part blog, I will explain all aspects of cornering, for all levels of riding. In this section, the penultimate section, I will explain counter steering. I have already covered Vision and Planning and Speed and Braking, I recommend you read those first before carrying on. The final part of the edit, out tomorrow, I will discuss linking bends.

Counter Steering

So most of you I hope have already heard of counter steering. If you haven’t, don’t worry, to some extent you’ll already be doing it, without even knowing. You might hear bikers talk about counter steering as steering in the opposite direction to the corner or leaning off the bike and these might not make much sense to you.

Counter steering helps us to corner more effectively. Have you ever gone into a corner and drifted over towards the white line? Or even gone over to the other side of the road? This can be because you’re carrying too much speed and target fixating to the outside of the bend, but it can also be a lack of input into the handlebars, or counter steering. This technique will transform your riding and make you feel a lot more confident when taking a bend.

The Easy Explanation

The easiest way to explain (and this is for all riders), is to look at the bend that you are about to go into. Let’s say it’s a left hand bend. Take your left palm and push forward and down (diagonally towards the ground) on the handlebar, in the direction you’re travelling. So in this instance, it’s to the left. The bike will start to lean over to the left.

If you want to go around a right hand bend, you’ll need to push forward and down, on the right handle bar. This will lean the bike to the right. I tend to call it ‘bar pressure’ when explaining to customers, it makes it easier to understand and visualise what needs to be done.

Light Grip

You’ll only need a small amount of pressure when doing this, so practice on quiet roads to begin with and remember to loosen the grip on your bars! We only want about a 20-30% grip, as anything more than this will encourage your elbows to lock, arms become straight and steering input will become more difficult.

More Experienced Riders

As a more experienced rider on a larger machine, I recommend a slightly more advanced method. This still includes putting pressure on the handlebar, forward and down in the direction you want to travel. However, it also includes using the other hand, to lift the handlebar upwards and towards your body, to remain in full control of the handlebars. I teach this when I’m preparing students to take their Module One test on the Hazard Avoidance exercise. I also teach this to customers at advanced level.

Too Much to Think About

When learners start their riding journey, there are so many different things to think about, they don’t always have enough brain capacity to think about counter steering as well. Although at RMT Motorcycle Training, we teach counter steering from CBT onwards.

As we progress on to more powerful machines, it’s important to understand counter steering or bar pressure. It can be the difference between staying safe and ending up in a world of pain!

Always remember…

Remember this blog is to help support and guide you, but my recommendation is to ALWAYS undertake further training. It can be difficult to self teach and critique what you’re doing. I’d also think twice about taking advice from anyone who isn’t a professional trainer. Unfortunately there’s a lot of poor or inappropriate advice out there, you really don’t want to get it wrong when you do not fully understand what to do.

Please let me know if you have any questions about counter steering? And keep an eye out for my final Cornering Edit blog about linking bends together.

May 22 2020

The Cornering Edit – Part 2

Laura Smith Advanced Motorcycle Training, Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), Direct Access Scheme (DAS) Bend assessment, Bends, Braking, Cornering, curves, Motorcycle cornering, Speed, The Cornering Edit

Speed and Braking

In this 4 part blog, I will explain all aspects of cornering, for all levels of riding. In this section – part 2, I talk about adjusting speed and braking. However, if you haven’t already, I recommend you read part 1 – Vision and Planning, before you carry on. Part 3, out tomorrow, I will cover counter steering and part 4, I will discuss linking bends together.

Too fast or too slow?

A lot of bikers worry about their speed when going into a bend. Bend assessment is a real skill that requires time and understanding to perfect. However, you’re far less likely to have a problem when you ride the bend at a slower pace. This leaves some riding ability in reserve if things don’t go to plan. It might not feel as smooth as you’d like, but you’re less likely to run wide and be on the other side of the road!

Slow in, fast out

If you go into a bend too quickly, it can lead to big problems. Ever heard of the saying “slow in, fast out”? Always have this in mind when cornering. Most riders have problems with cornering because they are travelling too fast and in the wrong gear.

Have you ever ran wide in a bend? I know I have. So, my advice is to ride the bend, at a speed where you can stop on your side of the road, in the distance you see to be clear in front of you. When put like that, your speed when cornering should be relatively slow, or appropriate for your ability.

Braking before the bend

Braking as you go into the bend, really means your planning wasn’t up to the mark. Your braking should be done before you corner. Why? Any adjustments made in the bend can really upset the handling of the bike and can result in bigger problems.

Throttle off

When we turn the throttle off, the power of the bike drops dramatically. This is known as engine braking. If you are in a low gear and you turn the throttle off you may even feel your body weight being forced forward. We don’t get this kind of engine braking in a car – if you take your foot off the accelerator, the car will take a long time to slow down.

However on a bike, the engine braking is much more effective. So, the first thing to do in order to slow down, is to turn the throttle off. When I speak to bikers about slowing down, they tend to forget or not realise how effective throttling off can be.

Braking

We all know that using the front brake in a bend can be disastrous, depending on how the brake is applied and the road surface conditions. So any front brake application should be done prior to the bend and in conjunction with the rear brake. Braking using both brakes allows for more even weight distribution.

When we apply the front brake alone, the weight of the bike moves to the front end. This causes the front tyre to compress into the road surface. It gives the tyre more grip, but of course it can lead to a skid if too much pressure is applied. So when you apply the front brake (before the bend), make sure you are smooth and deliberate, not snatchy or panicky and make sure you are off it before you start to corner.

Rear brake

If you ride into a corner still carrying too much speed for your ability, as a get out clause, you can gently apply the rear brake. It will still upset the bike, but there’s definitely less chance of the tyre losing grip at the front end.

Again, the application needs to be smooth and deliberate, as applying the rear brake at high speed can also cause a skid.

The application of the rear brake will slow the bike down more gradually, but leave the front end unchanged in order for us to use the steering correctly.

Wrong gear?

When I passed my car test nearly 20 years ago, I was encouraged to move up through the gears and to be in at least 4th gear, even in a 30mph zone. This was to ‘show progress’.

So when I learnt to ride, I did pretty much the same thing, especially when riding a 125cc! However, when on a larger machine and in higher gears, we can have less control over the motorcycle.

Have you ever turned the throttle off and nothing happens? Or tried to put the throttle on (for an overtake for example) and it takes a few seconds to kick in? This is called an unresponsive throttle. The gear you are in is too high for the speed you are travelling.

To be more controlled when cornering, try using a responsive gear. One that gives you either an instant delivery of power, or when turned off, slows the bike down. Motorbikes are designed to be revved, so next time you’re on your bike, have a look at the rev range. If your bike runs up to 10,000 rpm, I would say you could comfortably ride at between 3-7,000 rpm.

For me, on my Suzuki Bandit 650, third gear is a very responsive gear, but on my Kawasaki ZZR1400, second gear is more suitable at the same speed. This means before I go into a bend, I can turn the throttle off early and the bike has enough engine braking to slow down gradually and as a result, I rarely need to use the brakes.

Go slow to start

Build you confidence by riding slower to begin with. I used to feel peer pressure from other riders, so if you can, ride alone. Don’t worry about your speed though, I was told by a very wise man (owner of RMT Motorcycle Training) that the speed will come once you set and perfect the skill.

Please note that these blogs are designed to give you some basic information and it doesn’t replace the need for further practical motorcycle training, which I highly recommend for EVERY rider.

Keep an eye out on my social media page for tomorrow’s blog on counter steering.

May 21 2020

The Cornering Edit – Part 1

Laura Smith Advanced Motorcycle Training, Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), Direct Access Scheme (DAS) Bend assessment, Bends, bends and corners, Cornering, cornering skill, curves, vision and planning

Part 1 - Vision and planning

In this 4 part blog, I will explain all aspects of cornering, for all levels of riding. In this section, I will talk about vision and planning. In the second blog, I will talk about adjusting speed and braking. Then I will cover counter steering and my last installment will be on linking bends.

Laying the foundations

So I’ve recently seen a lot of requests for advice on cornering on social media forums. I remember when I hated cornering! A time when I would clench my jaw and my entire body would stiffen up just just as I’m about to go into a bend! Probably the worst thing you can do!

These days, I absolutely love it! I’m an advanced and learner level motorcycle instructor, so most of my riding is not for pleasure and on my days off, I don’t always want to jump back on my bike for a ride out. However, when I get to go on European advanced motorcycle tours with RMT Motorcycle Training, I really enjoy my riding. I can practice improving my skills and I enjoy being on new and challenging roads.

The most amazing sweeping corners

The best road I’ve ever ridden is along the Dalmatian Coast en route to Montenegro. Fast sweeping bends to really stretch my legs, fantastic road surface, a beautiful view onto the sea and warm weather. However, if I think back to when I used to hate cornering, I would have been a nervous wreck trying to negotiate bend after bend on that particular road.

How to transform your riding?

How did I go from being as slow as a snail and hating every minute of cornering to absolutely loving every second of it?

Well I’m not going to lie, it took me a while. I spent a lot of time on my bike, basically not really enjoying it. I remember coming home from ride outs and the palms of my hands were white. I’d have the imprints of my gloves still embossed in my skin! I’d been holding on too tight.

Vision

So the breakthrough moment for me was vision. I was reminded by a motorcycle instructor, whilst on my second European tour, just a few months after my crash, that I should be looking up. I think when we are learning to ride we hear certain phrases so often, we almost become immune to them. I find as an instructor, I spend a lot of time saying “look up!”.

Although, when we say look up, we don’t mean aimlessly. When cornering, we mean, you need to look for the vanishing point. Next time you get in your car – not bike – try and go around a few bends and practice lifting your vision up. You’d be surprised at how much more you’ll see. I used to practice this in my car, on my commute to work, during the winter months.

So what’s the vanishing point?

Well this is where one edge of the road appears to meet the other. If the two edges appear to be getting closer to you quickly, then the corner is going to be tighter and you’ll need to slow down. Furthermore, if the vanishing point is getting further away, the bend is straightening up.

I don’t solely focus on the vanishing point though – I am using it – but I’m also looking at the whole area in front of me. A bit like taking in a view from a balcony. I’m not focusing on one thing alone.

So what else am I looking at?

For any rider, novice or advanced, forward vision is the one area of riding that lets us down. Most bikers have problems because they simply don’t see what’s in front of them. It’s not on purpose, it’s simply because they aren’t designed to travel faster than running pace! Whilst technology has moved on and motorcycles have got quicker, evolution has not. So when we travel at even 30mph, our brains simply cannot take in all the information and potential hazards in front of us.

Clues on the road, otherwise known as Information

To help improve this, I advise dropping off the pace and looking for the clues that will help you. They are there, but we get complacent and tend to miss them. For cornering in particular, I look for warning triangles, white lines and the word ‘SLOW’ on the road, black and white chevrons and I also follow the hedgerows and tree lines of the road. It isn’t a guarantee, but following the hedgerows, treelines or lampposts, gives you an idea of where the road is going. This can also help determine the severity of the bend along with the vanishing point.

Bend Assessment

Bend assessment is a really big part of cornering successfully. So before you go into the bend (and the same applies for any hazard), make sure you know what sort of bend it is. Is it a tight, technical bend, is it sweeping and open, is there a good view going in, is the surface good? What are the possible hazards going to be as you go around that bend? Think junctions, private drives, broken down vehicles, horses, gravel, fuel spillages, a slower moving vehicle such as a tractor. The list is really endless.

Once you understand how tight the bend is, you can then start to focus on what speed you should be taking the bend.

Until next time…

For the next instalment of my Cornering Edit, please check out tomorrow’s blog which is on speed and braking.

Female rider enjoying a ride on her motorcycle

April 15 2020

The First Motorcycle Ride Out

Laura Smith Advanced Motorcycle Training, Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), Direct Access Scheme (DAS) First ride out, Lockdown, Motorbike ride out after Covid 19, Motorcycle ride, Post lock down ride out, Post Lockdown, When lockdown has lifted

The first motorcycle ride out… after a long break!!

So many of us are stuck indoors, respecting advice from officials and avoiding going out unnecessarily. For me I normally motorcycle ride at least 5 days a week, so this is probably the longest I have gone without sitting on a motorbike.

When we are finally allowed to ride our motorcycles for pleasure again there will be a number of things that will feel alien to us or that we have completely forgotten. So why not take a look through these tips to ensure you don’t have ANY issues when you get back in the saddle.

1. Take Your Time

As an instructor, I’ve found one of the biggest problems motorcycle riders encounter, is trying to rush what they’re doing. Whether that’s because of the type of job they do, or perhaps they feel they should be able to do it quickly, either way the results are the same. Once you make one mistake, it’s often like a domino effect, one mistake leads to the next and the next.

So be methodical, like a checklist and do one thing after the other, rather than trying to multitask; 1. Stow the stand, 2. Ignition on, 3. Check neutral etc. This isn’t just with new riders either, anyone who’s had a break from riding will probably make some mistake or another on the first few ride outs, so reduce the risk and take your time.

2. Remember the Basics

All the things that come naturally when you ride a motorcycle regularly can easily be forgotten:

Look up when you pull away (point your nose in the direction that you want to travel). Instinctively, we look down (just like when we walk), so fight the urge and tell yourself to look up.
Try not to target fixate on the ground or the kerb, keep your vision at eye level.
Slip the clutch when you pull away, until your motorcycle is up right and straight. If you haven’t ridden for a while you’re bound to be holding on too tight and therefore your throttle control may be a little twitchy, meaning you might put way more power on than you mean to! Slipping the clutch at low speed will keep the motorcycle under control.

3. Awareness and Planning

The first few sunny days of Spring are when we hear of more RTCs (Road Traffic Collisions) involving motorcyclists. We account for 1% of the traffic on the road, yet 25% of all the KSIs (Killed or Seriously Injured). We are not designed to travel faster than walking pace (evolution hasn’t caught up with technology), so when we sit on a motorcycle and travel much quicker than our brains can cope, we start to miss vital clues to keep us safe.

So why not go slower for the first ride out and get used to being back on 2 wheels. Motorcyclists, even those that drive too, sometimes have extremely poor planning, usually due to a lack of advanced training.

Make sure you are looking for potential and developing hazards, all the time. As well as this, book some advanced motorcycle training, or if you’re riding on L plates, try booking a day’s training designed to help you at your level.

To book your advanced training day with me, click here www.WOMT.co.uk/advanced

RMT Motorcycle Training offers a course called Take Control, subsided by the Safer Road Partnership, meaning the day will cost £50! There’s 2 versions, one for advanced riders and one for learners. This can also be booked with me if you would prefer a female trainer. Click here for details.

4. Relax and Ride Solo

The more tense you are on a motorcycle, the more difficult everything becomes. So, relax your grip on the handlebars, drop your shoulders down, unclench your jaw, have a slight bend in your elbows (if your motorcycle allows) and mentally stay calm. Talk yourself through what you’re doing and for your first few motorcycle ride outs, stay local and on less technically demanding roads.

It’s also a good idea to ride on your own for the first few outings, especially if you’re feeling rusty! The temptation to keep up with partners or friends who rides faster can lead to riding out of your ability and that causes big problems. When you ride alone, it takes all the pressure off. You know you’re going to be nervous and a bit shaky, so it won’t matter if you do something wrong as no-one is watching!

5. Pre Motorcycle Ride Checks

This is a given after a long spell off the motorcycle. I like to use the acronym POWDERSS to ensure my bike is in good working order:

P – Petrol

Petrol is always a good start! Always check the filler cap isn’t seized or in need of some WD40 when you put the key in. Make sure there’s no damage around the filler cap too, the last thing you want is fuel dripping down onto your engine or brakes.

O – Oil

Usually you would need to check the level before you start the motorcycle, but check your owner’s manual for guidance. I’d also check the brake fluid reservoirs here too.

W – Water

Check the coolant level or if your motorcycle is air cooled ensure there is no debris or mud on the fins, that might prevent the hot air from dispensing.

D – Drive / Damage

Check the chain and use the acronym TLC

Tension – check the chain tension, put your finger underneath the chain and push upwards, your owner’s manual will tell you how much slack you need, don’t forget though this is with you sitting on your motorcycle, so if you can ask someone to help you with this it might be more accurate. If you do need to adjust your chain, make sure you check your wheel alignment afterwards too.

Not mechanically minded? Take it to your local garage and they will do it for you. Don’t know where to go? Ask a biker friend for a recommendation.

Lubrication – use chain lube or engine oil. I like to use a thicker lubricant during the winter months but if you’re a fair weather rider, you’ll probably prefer the stuff that doesn’t ruin your shiney back wheel! I can recommend Wurth High Performance Dry Chain Lube for the Summer. https://amzn.to/2RGOefB

Condition. Make sure the chain is in good condition, ensuring the links are free moving and not stiff, or even damaged. Make sure there’s no rust on the chain itself and check if the teeth on the sprocket aren’t worn out or bent over, if this is the case it’s definitely time for a new kit.

E – Electrics

Make sure all your lights are on and working!

R – Rubber

Check the tyres and use the acronym ACT

Air. Check the owner’s manual for the correct PSI reading. Don’t be tempted to check the sidewall as it’s usually a maximum reading.

Condition. Look for nails, glass or foreign objects embedded in the tyre. Check the sidewalls for tears, cuts and bulges.

Tread. Make sure you have at least 1mm of tread over 75% of the width of the tyre, over 100% of the circumference. Also think about the age of the tyres, the tread might be ok but if the tyres are old and rock hard, they aren’t going to offer you the grip you require.

S – Steering

Check your steering movement and make sure you can turn the handlebars lock to lock. If there’s a snagging feeling, there might be a cable caught.

I’d also check the headstock bearing, if you have a centre stand I would put the bike on it and push the back wheel onto the floor, raising the front wheel up and turn the steering through the centre. If it feels like it’s notchy or not smooth, it’s usually a sign the headstock bearings are on their way out.

S – Suspension

Once off the stand, with the front brake applied, push forward and down on the handlebars to establish good rebound and check the front fork stanchions for any ring marks, where there may be a leak.

If you would like any advice or guidance, please get in touch and I will be happy to help. info@womenonlytraining.co.uk