RickBlaine said:
I've been reading Proficient Motorcycling, and I have found it extremely helpful, but I have a couple of questions about what I have read so far:
Good choice. When you are done, consider the second book and look into Sport Riding techniques.
RickBlaine said:
1. When slowing down before entering a turn, e.g. a highway exit ramp, I often fear that the car following behind me is going to flatten me. Am I slowing to much or too quickly, or is this an irrational fear?
First off, put yourself where you are most visible. Usually for me, I will ride in the left tire track where my tail light is obvious to the driver behind me. When my off ramp is coming up, I will put on my turn signal and flash my tail light a couple of times. Then I will move into the right tire track soon before making my exit.
If it is a longer off ramp then I won't slow down at all until I am off the freeway. If it is a short one, then I will flash my brake lights again right before I start slowing down. I have a habit of always flashing my lights before slowing down not matter what. I also give an occasional random flash anytime just as a reminder to the person behind me that I am there.
With a lot of practice with your braking, you may consider not braking at all until you are off the freeway. Even on short off-ramps, I will wait until I am off the freeway most of the times before slowing down at all. But I ride a modern super sport so mechanically, braking isn't an issue.
RickBlaine said:
2. Hugh says to "cover the brake" when approaching intersections and alleys. However, to cover the brake I must roll off the throttle, and that causes me to slow down considerably -- risking either getting rear ended or having to roll back on the throttle, possibly just at the moment that I will need to brake. Am I missing something? How do I cover the brake without (engine) braking?
I always cover the brake and clutch with my first and middle fingers. Some people use only one finger, some use their middle and ring, your results may vary. But always having your fingers over the brake shortens response time, and makes it easy to give the brake a tap to flash the person behind me, or to make sure the disc is clear of water, or any other number of good reasons.
It is possible tha you have your brake lever adjusted too far out. I can use the entire throttle range without removing my fingers.
RickBlaine said:
Thanks. This leads to another question. Where are your fingers on the brake lever? (near the center of the bike, where the lever is closer, or near the end of the handlebar, where the lever is farther away (but you have more leverage)? I have been wondering whether I should move my grips farther out on the bars, so that when I squeeze the levers I am doing so closer to the ends. Does that make sense?
On my RR, my fingers are very close to the pivot point. There is techincally less leverage there, but that isn't an issue. On my KTM I use three fingers, so the lever is pretty well covered. But the KTM has a single small disc, and I can pinch my fingers between the bar and brake lever if I am braking hard enough.
Most important part is having everything adjusted to fit you best. Adjust your levers (clutch, front and rear brake, and shifter) for what is most comfortable for you. May even need to adjust your clip-ons/handlebar too.