Proficient Motorcycling (VIDEO)

[WingAdmin]

I posted this video, talking about the book Proficient Motorcycling:



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Links to the books:

Proficient Motorcycling: https://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motor ... 1620081199

Mastering the Ride: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1935484869/?tag=goldwingdocs-20

Find This Item on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620081199?tag=goldwingdocs-20

[Sassy]

Been riding almost 60 years, think I'll continue to use what has worked so far.

[DonR]

Looks like a great book!

[Gnarly]

Got both books, about a month ago, along with David L.Hough’s ‘Street Strategies for Motorcyclists’.

Only halfway thru the first book, but since it’s The Frigid Season here in Kenwacky, I’m using these books to (somewhat) alleviate acute Trike Withdrawals, and to fine-tune what the last 53 years of riding has taught me.

Sure enough, less than 20 pages in, I found an answer to a personal “gray area” and cannot wait for decent riding weather to try it ‘by the book’.

[thboyd29]

Bought the original book when it first came out (seems longer ago than 2000), but I was a regular cover-to-cover MCN reader from back during Roger Hull's time, when the mag was known as Road Rider, so I'm well acquainted with Hough's work with MC safety. Heard him speak at GW rallies a couple times. First time, I was walking through the parking lot on the way to hear him speak, when I ran across a guy removing the rear wheel from his BMW (they'd recently introduced a single-sided swingarm on their bikes). Turned out it was Hough, who used the wheel as a prop during his talk to illustrate several points. When he was done, he went out, bolted the wheel back on, and rode off.

[echinus1988]

It's funny that you bring this book up at this time. I just started reading it about 10 days ago. It has information in it and I think it's well written.

I'm going to finish and see what I can learn.

Ride safe!

[Wildwilly018]

I won this book in the contest and have read some of it. Maybe things are different in the states, than here in Canada, but didn't agree with some of the stuff in the book. But it is a good read. As was mentioned by Sassy, with 48 yrs riding licensed, I will stick with what I have learned and what has worked all these yrs.

[blupupher]

I won this book in the contest and have read some of it. Maybe things are different in the states, than here in Canada, but didn't agree with some of the stuff in the book. But it is a good read. As was mentioned by Sassy, with 48 yrs riding licensed, I will stick with what I have learned and what has worked all these yrs.

So what things do you not agree with?
I can't think of anything skills wise that would be different in the States than Canada. Yes some of the specific laws may be different, but the physics of riding are the same, and controlling the bike is the same as well.

Not accusing you personally, but sometimes we learn bad habits, and have been doing them for years.
But just because we have been doing them for years does not make it correct.
Being open minded that you don't know it all and maybe there is a better way to do something can make you a better and safer rider.
I have not been riding as long as you, but in 35 years of riding I have learned that I don't know enough, and every class I take, every video I watch, and every book or article I read can teach me something.
Every time I ride I practice little used skills (emergency braking, swerving, u-turns, slow speed riding, practice the friction zone, etc...) and try to become better.

This thread got me interested, I just ordered both books of e-bay for $10, so it will give me something to read on my downtime on my next roadtrip.

[Wildwilly018]

I won this book in the contest and have read some of it. Maybe things are different in the states, than here in Canada, but didn't agree with some of the stuff in the book. But it is a good read. As was mentioned by Sassy, with 48 yrs riding licensed, I will stick with what I have learned and what has worked all these yrs.

So what things do you not agree with?
I can't think of anything skills wise that would be different in the States than Canada. Yes some of the specific laws may be different, but the physics of riding are the same, and controlling the bike is the same as well.

Not accusing you personally, but sometimes we learn bad habits, and have been doing them for years.
But just because we have been doing them for years does not make it correct.
Being open minded that you don't know it all and maybe there is a better way to do something can make you a better and safer rider.
I have not been riding as long as you, but in 35 years of riding I have learned that I don't know enough, and every class I take, every video I watch, and every book or article I read can teach me something.
Every time I ride I practice little used skills (emergency braking, swerving, u-turns, slow speed riding, practice the friction zone, etc...) and try to become better.

I don't ever claim to know everything buddy. I learn something new every season seriously. Just things maybe taught in courses there than I don't see taught here. I have never taken a riding course. Never was required in my younger days. Countersteering is something in the book that I just have never done. Watched a video and just seems unnecessary and maybe if not doe correctly could put you out of sorts. Lane splitting is totally illegal here in Canada which is brought up as legal in states.

[blupupher]

...
I don't ever claim to know everything buddy. I learn something new every season seriously. Just things maybe taught in courses there than I don't see taught here. I have never taken a riding course. Never was required in my younger days. Countersteering is something in the book that I just have never done. Watched a video and just seems unnecessary and maybe if not doe correctly could put you out of sorts. Lane splitting is totally illegal here in Canada which is brought up as legal in states.

Like I said, I was not accusing you of anything, was just wondering what you did not agree with.

Counter steering, well, whether you realize it or not, you are doing it. You can not ride a motorcycle without counter steering it.

Lane splitting is only legal in California.
Lane filtering is legal in a few states.
Lane filtering (motorcycle can move up to the front in between vehicles at a stop light when traffic is stopped) and lane splitting (going between vehicles on a freeway when vehicles are slowed or stopped) are 2 different things.
Both are practiced in many countries throughout the world.

Taking a riding course is not a bad thing to do. In the past 5 years I have started taking some type of motorcycle course (either on the bike, online or in person learning) every year or so.
I have learned so much from them and am a better and safer rider because of it. I had to relearn some things I was doing wrong, and learned skills that I had seen others do but had no idea how to do (riding at slow speed while keeping both feet on the pegs, u turns on small country roads and such). Riding a motorcycle down the highway @ 60 mph is easy.
Heck, set your cruise and a child could ride the bike at highway speeds.

[thboyd29]

<<snipped to edit stuff I didn't want to comment on>>

...I have never taken a riding course. Never was required in my younger days. Countersteering is something in the book that I just have never done. Watched a video and just seems unnecessary and maybe if not doe correctly could put you out of sorts...

I got a story for you. Like you, I didn't need a riding course to get my MC endorsement in the early 70's. Indeed, there was no such thing as a MC learner's permit in Michigan at the time, and I don't think riding courses were even available. All I had to do was ride around the block and make it back in one piece. I rode like that without any real incident for 10 years. Then, I attended a Gold Wing rally after buying my 82. One of our chapter members was an instructor, and he'd set up one of the exercises used to administer the licensing exam. The intent was to get up to a steady 15 mph/25 kph. At a certain point, you were signaled to either stop quickly or swerve either to the left or right. I had no problem stopping, but for the life of me I could NOT execute a swerve - because I couldn't execute a proper countersteer *when I had to*. The instructor and I talked about it at the campfire that evening, and later that summer I managed to get into a basic class (as in, "Lesson 1 - This Is A Motorcycle"), where I had the "Aha!" moment. Been either taking or teaching classes ever since.
Moral of the story - find a class and take it. It doesn't *have* to be a basic course, but the little training bikes they use for those classes are a flat-out hoot to ride, and everything you learn and practice transfers directly to your Gold Wing. Plus, there's no pressure to perform, since you already have your endorsement!
Perhaps you can start here: https://www.streetrider.ca/site/governm ... le-courses
Cheers!

[4given]

...
I don't ever claim to know everything buddy. I learn something new every season seriously. Just things maybe taught in courses there than I don't see taught here. I have never taken a riding course. Never was required in my younger days. Countersteering is something in the book that I just have never done. Watched a video and just seems unnecessary and maybe if not doe correctly could put you out of sorts. Lane splitting is totally illegal here in Canada which is brought up as legal in states.

Like I said, I was not accusing you of anything, was just wondering what you did not agree with.

Counter steering, well, whether you realize it or not, you are doing it. You can not ride a motorcycle without counter steering it.

Lane splitting is only legal in California.
Lane filtering is legal in a few states.
Lane filtering (motorcycle can move up to the front in between vehicles at a stop light when traffic is stopped) and lane splitting (going between vehicles on a freeway when vehicles are slowed or stopped) are 2 different things.
Both are practiced in many countries throughout the world.

Taking a riding course is not a bad thing to do. In the past 5 years I have started taking some type of motorcycle course (either on the bike, online or in person learning) every year or so.
I have learned so much from them and am a better and safer rider because of it. I had to relearn some things I was doing wrong, and learned skills that I had seen others do but had no idea how to do (riding at slow speed while keeping both feet on the pegs, u turns on small country roads and such). Riding a motorcycle down the highway @ 60 mph is easy.
Heck, set your cruise and a child could ride the bike at highway speeds.

Counter steering is a concept that is difficult for us old timers to grasp yet we have been doing it ever since we learned to keep a bicycle from falling. I realized that I have been doing it subconsciously when I read about it years ago.

[Wildwilly018]

...
I don't ever claim to know everything buddy. I learn something new every season seriously. Just things maybe taught in courses there than I don't see taught here. I have never taken a riding course. Never was required in my younger days. Countersteering is something in the book that I just have never done. Watched a video and just seems unnecessary and maybe if not doe correctly could put you out of sorts. Lane splitting is totally illegal here in Canada which is brought up as legal in states.

Like I said, I was not accusing you of anything, was just wondering what you did not agree with.

Counter steering, well, whether you realize it or not, you are doing it. You can not ride a motorcycle without counter steering it.

Lane splitting is only legal in California.
Lane filtering is legal in a few states.
Lane filtering (motorcycle can move up to the front in between vehicles at a stop light when traffic is stopped) and lane splitting (going between vehicles on a freeway when vehicles are slowed or stopped) are 2 different things.
Both are practiced in many countries throughout the world.

Taking a riding course is not a bad thing to do. In the past 5 years I have started taking some type of motorcycle course (either on the bike, online or in person learning) every year or so.
I have learned so much from them and am a better and safer rider because of it. I had to relearn some things I was doing wrong, and learned skills that I had seen others do but had no idea how to do (riding at slow speed while keeping both feet on the pegs, u turns on small country roads and such). Riding a motorcycle down the highway @ 60 mph is easy.
Heck, set your cruise and a child could ride the bike at highway speeds.

Counter steering is a concept that is difficult for us old timers to grasp yet we have been doing it ever since we learned to keep a bicycle from falling. I realized that I have been doing it subconsciously when I read about it years ago.

I was out on my maiden voyage from winter finally yesterday. Kept very close eye on how I handled bike, but never noticed anything like this countersteering. If I am doing it I am not seeing it.

[Rambozo]

It's something you don't notice unless you go out of your way to observe it. Ride in a straight line at 30 mph or better. Pick one hand and forcefully push on that side handlebar without doing anything else like leaning or applying much force to the other end of the bars. Observe what happens to the bike and what direction you end up going.

It's the same thing that makes it about impossible to ride along a curb with the tires almost touching the side and try to pull away without crashing.
There is a guy on YouTube that build a bicycle that steers backwards. Turn the bars right and the wheel goes left. Most people could learn to ride it given enough time to unlearn old patterns and learn new. That bike doesn't countersteer at all, at least not from the prospective of the handlebars. And once people had learned to ride it, they lost the ability to ride a regular bike without again practicing long enough until their body learned what to do.

[blupupher]

One of the best demonstrations I have seen showing the difference between counter steering and steering.
You really do it already, you just don't realize it and what it is called.



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[Rambozo]

Here are two examples with bicycles that translate to motorcycles as well.



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