Learning Curve of Motorcycling - More Than Just The Basic Course
As I have written and made videos about motorcycle safety, I have always been a strong supporter of potential motorcycle riders taking the Basic Motorcycle Training Program, such as in Canada, the Gearing Up Basic Rider program offered by the Canada Safety Council, or in the U.S., the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course. In addition, both offer training programs for more seasoned riders. We are never too long in the saddle to keep learning!
However, let’s take a look at the Basic Course more in depth. While the course is designed to get you on the road, with training that inspires you to do so safely, and with the skills necessary to get started, it is by no means the be-all-and-end-all for the motorcyclist. It is, by definition, a “Basic” course, with a minimum of 20 hours of parking lot riding. And while you can go from never having been on a motorcycle to being able to “multi-task” controllably a 2-wheeled “fun machine”, the basic course still has some important items missing from it, that you will have be part of your “learning curve of motorcycling”.
In Canada, as in the U.S., for “on the bike” training, there is a set curriculum that is to be taught, in a particular order, as each skill presented builds on the previous skills and information the rider receives and practices. It’s like building a house, you can’t put the roof on until the framework has been completed. As a trainer / coach / instructor, I have been involved with several training organizations, using their own prescribed curriculum, and in doing so, found that there are elements of each which should be added to one another to make an even better curriculum. In other words, continually review and act upon feedback, both from the students taking the course, but also what is happening on the road and analyzing the root issues new riders may encore once they leave the parking lot. Use the W-5 (Who, What, When, Where, Why) plus How to address these issues, and don’t be afraid to make the necessary changes to make the course better.
Wow! It sounds like I am really down on the training programs. I am not. Remember, they are basic and the dedicated instructors/ trainers / coaches do their utmost to give each new rider the best possible chance to survive on the road before you go there. Also keep in mind, 20 hours of “on the bike” training is not very much time to learn everything possibly needed, so you will have to continue to work on your “mental game and skill set”, the same as a pro athlete has to, to improve and stay sharp.
The following are some skill sets either missing from the basic course or not enough emphasis is placed on them.
1. Pushing The Bike – most courses teach the student to properly address the bike and lean it against your body for better support. From this position, you progress to pushing the bike. While this may seem easy, there are several things to look at which may get overlooked. First of all, in certain programs learn to turn the bike in one direction… toward them, or to the left. Turning to the right is also important, as the world does not always go to the left! Or, how about moving the bike backwards as if you were moving it out of your garage? It is amazing how many “drops” occur when moving the bike around. Even these skills are not “out on the road”, they help to preserve the expensive machines riders take pride in.
2. Parking Triangle – another simple skill that gets overlooked. When parking your bike, remember that 1st gear is your “parking brake”, and once you have learned how to put the bike in and out of its different gears, you should make it a habit of leaving the bike in 1st gear if you are going to leave it. To complete the parking, turn your handle bars to the left at the full lock position to help steady the bike (the front wheel, the rear wheel, and the kick-stand make the “parking triangle”.
3. Setting Mirrors – almost all training bikes do not have mirrors on them, for a very practical reason. With the number of times the bikes get dropped, the mirrors would not last long, and they can also be a safety hazard to the new rider and to the trainer who may need to hit the “kill switch”. Because you don’t have mirrors, you learn to look around more, especially shoulder checks, which become your “lifesaver looks”. Getting on a bike with mirrors, sitting up-right, before you venture out would be a great help to allow you to note how your shoulders could be in the way of seeing behind you (especially for sport bikes), and how much your mirrors don’t see (remember looking around and shoulder checks).
4. Picking Up The Bike- while this should be a part of the curriculum (remember you only get 20 hours of on-the-bike training), it would be indeed helpful, as most riders at one time or another will have to go through the process. Knowing how to properly pick up the bike, properly, without injury to oneself, usually can be found at Experienced or Advanced rider classes. I would like to note, however, many trainers / coaches will demonstrate proper techniques for this, if the opportunity (bike horizontal to the ground) presents itself.
5. Signal Lights – as mentioned in #3, most trainer bikes do not have signal lights, for mainly the same reasons. You learn to make hand signals properly, and while this is good to know on the road if your signal lights do not work, it is something you will have to concentrate on when you get on the road, keeping in mind most motorcycles do not have an automatic signal light cancelling system. After you made a turn and signaled, what do you think could potentially happen down the road if your light continues to flash, especially at an intersection? We teach riders not to assume turning direction when we meet a vehicle with its signal lights flashing, unfortunately, many drivers may think you are turning into their street and “jump the gun” and pull out, assuming you were going to turn. This does not end well in many cases!
6. “Flashing Brake Light” – this is a tactic I use even with my other 4-wheeled vehicles. A bright red light may indicate that you are going to slow down or come to a stop (and keep in mind most motorcycles only have 1 tail / stop light), but it can, and sometimes does, get lost in the “clutter” of other things going on. However, pulling back on the brake lever several times to “flash” your brake light grabs more attention from other motorists, and can go a long way to make you more visible. Even if the trainer bike does not have brake lights, this is a simple skill that should be taught.
7. Gearing Down When Coming To A Stop- a very good practice to get into, getting into 1st gear when you come to a stop, and most rider courses promote this practice, even if the highest gear you may get into is 3rd and up to 40km/h max. However, transferring this practice to streets where you may drop one gear at a time to use engine compression to slow you down, get in the habit of tapping your brake lights to let others behind you now you are slowing down, for the same reasons as #6 above. Again, keep in mind, a smaller target such as a motorcycle and rider can be hard for others to judge your speed or intent.
8. Eye Rotation – A big part of the basic motorcycle course is getting the student to pick up their eyes and look way ahead to where they are going, especially in tight corners, and this is done very well. There is an old saying, “Eyes up, stay up. Eyes down, go down”. It is essential to have good “situational awareness” by knowing what’s going on around you. However, because your trainer bike usually doesn’t have mirrors and, if you are lucky to have one, a speedometer, the student doesn’t really get the opportunity to practice their eye rotation, or “eye sweep”. That is, looking down the road where you want to go, then a glance to your left mirror; then back down the road, then after 7-10 seconds, check your right mirror. Look back down the road, then after a short period of time (7-10 seconds), glance at your speedometer and instrument cluster (you might see your signal light flashing!), then back down the street. Repeat. Knowing what is going around you is one of a motorcyclist’s greatest assets!
9. Stretching – often overlooked, but so important for your enjoyment of riding! It is hard to enjoy yourself if your neck or shoulders hurt, or your back is sore, or your legs feel weird and knees bother you from trying to tuck them into the tank all the time. Simple stretches for about 5 minutes before you begin, and after you have been riding for awhile will improve your riding experience. When your body aches, it is hard to concentrate on anything else but that.
10. Lane Decisions – it is unfortunate that most training sites do not have the room to provide actual highway lanes to practice on, but most sites are “borrowed” and the training organization does the best to simulate actual highway conditions, the best it can. While the student is on the bike, selecting ones lane position is hampered by the size of the pathways set up, or in the curves just because of the logistics already mentioned. Therefore, when you head out on the road, know the part of the lane that makes you easier to see and ride your bike (the left hand part of the highway lane), but do stay far enough from the centre line as to not encroach on it, or cross the centre line with your upper body when you go around a corner (that’s a good way of losing it).
3 Things You Can Do To Speed Up Your Learning Curve
1. Take The Basic Course and Ask Plenty of Questions – as a motorcycle trainer / coach, I always encouraged my students to ask questions, and I was willing to stay after the course was done at the end of the day or at noon break (most trainer / coach’s do the same thing!). To that end, there are no such things as silly or “stupid” questions. One of the best ways we learn is to ask questions, and if you remain silent, you will have missed a glorious opportunity to learn more, especially that not covered in the curriculum.
2. Use of Video – GoPros or similar action video cameras are an invaluable learning and teaching tool! You can mount them on your bike just about anywhere and reviewing the video gives you a visual record of your travels, and any potential problems that you may or may not have picked up on. If mounted to your helmet (be careful here, as some jurisdictions do not allow cameras to be attached to the helmet), it allows you to take note of how often you moved your head around, and give you an idea of what you were looking at, and how long. I also mount mine on my windshield facing back at me, which lets me have a better idea of my eye rotation, situational awareness, and did I do my shoulder checks properly. After all, we do not want to become complacent! I also have more than one GoPro, and will synch them with my video processing software to compare aspects of what I was doing, or should have done.
Another good teaching tool with video is the “Buddy System”. Have a buddy or friend, with an action camera, follow you for a ride, and then at the end of the ride, review it with your buddy, or do so yourself later. It is amazing what you can learn by watching yourself.
3. Pick A Goal – Before you go for a ride, pick a goal or a skill that you want to improve on, and go out and work on it. Once you believe you have improved on it, choose another one and then work on it. I suggest picking just one goal per ride, and that one goal may happen over a number of rides. If it is a skill that you are unable to do, then you would be best to seek further training, either from an “experienced” or “advanced program”.
Remember, we are all life long learners who want to extend their life long. Knowledge is easy to carry with you.
Ride Skilled – Ride Smart – Ride Safe
However, let’s take a look at the Basic Course more in depth. While the course is designed to get you on the road, with training that inspires you to do so safely, and with the skills necessary to get started, it is by no means the be-all-and-end-all for the motorcyclist. It is, by definition, a “Basic” course, with a minimum of 20 hours of parking lot riding. And while you can go from never having been on a motorcycle to being able to “multi-task” controllably a 2-wheeled “fun machine”, the basic course still has some important items missing from it, that you will have be part of your “learning curve of motorcycling”.
In Canada, as in the U.S., for “on the bike” training, there is a set curriculum that is to be taught, in a particular order, as each skill presented builds on the previous skills and information the rider receives and practices. It’s like building a house, you can’t put the roof on until the framework has been completed. As a trainer / coach / instructor, I have been involved with several training organizations, using their own prescribed curriculum, and in doing so, found that there are elements of each which should be added to one another to make an even better curriculum. In other words, continually review and act upon feedback, both from the students taking the course, but also what is happening on the road and analyzing the root issues new riders may encore once they leave the parking lot. Use the W-5 (Who, What, When, Where, Why) plus How to address these issues, and don’t be afraid to make the necessary changes to make the course better.
Wow! It sounds like I am really down on the training programs. I am not. Remember, they are basic and the dedicated instructors/ trainers / coaches do their utmost to give each new rider the best possible chance to survive on the road before you go there. Also keep in mind, 20 hours of “on the bike” training is not very much time to learn everything possibly needed, so you will have to continue to work on your “mental game and skill set”, the same as a pro athlete has to, to improve and stay sharp.
The following are some skill sets either missing from the basic course or not enough emphasis is placed on them.
1. Pushing The Bike – most courses teach the student to properly address the bike and lean it against your body for better support. From this position, you progress to pushing the bike. While this may seem easy, there are several things to look at which may get overlooked. First of all, in certain programs learn to turn the bike in one direction… toward them, or to the left. Turning to the right is also important, as the world does not always go to the left! Or, how about moving the bike backwards as if you were moving it out of your garage? It is amazing how many “drops” occur when moving the bike around. Even these skills are not “out on the road”, they help to preserve the expensive machines riders take pride in.
2. Parking Triangle – another simple skill that gets overlooked. When parking your bike, remember that 1st gear is your “parking brake”, and once you have learned how to put the bike in and out of its different gears, you should make it a habit of leaving the bike in 1st gear if you are going to leave it. To complete the parking, turn your handle bars to the left at the full lock position to help steady the bike (the front wheel, the rear wheel, and the kick-stand make the “parking triangle”.
3. Setting Mirrors – almost all training bikes do not have mirrors on them, for a very practical reason. With the number of times the bikes get dropped, the mirrors would not last long, and they can also be a safety hazard to the new rider and to the trainer who may need to hit the “kill switch”. Because you don’t have mirrors, you learn to look around more, especially shoulder checks, which become your “lifesaver looks”. Getting on a bike with mirrors, sitting up-right, before you venture out would be a great help to allow you to note how your shoulders could be in the way of seeing behind you (especially for sport bikes), and how much your mirrors don’t see (remember looking around and shoulder checks).
4. Picking Up The Bike- while this should be a part of the curriculum (remember you only get 20 hours of on-the-bike training), it would be indeed helpful, as most riders at one time or another will have to go through the process. Knowing how to properly pick up the bike, properly, without injury to oneself, usually can be found at Experienced or Advanced rider classes. I would like to note, however, many trainers / coaches will demonstrate proper techniques for this, if the opportunity (bike horizontal to the ground) presents itself.
5. Signal Lights – as mentioned in #3, most trainer bikes do not have signal lights, for mainly the same reasons. You learn to make hand signals properly, and while this is good to know on the road if your signal lights do not work, it is something you will have to concentrate on when you get on the road, keeping in mind most motorcycles do not have an automatic signal light cancelling system. After you made a turn and signaled, what do you think could potentially happen down the road if your light continues to flash, especially at an intersection? We teach riders not to assume turning direction when we meet a vehicle with its signal lights flashing, unfortunately, many drivers may think you are turning into their street and “jump the gun” and pull out, assuming you were going to turn. This does not end well in many cases!
6. “Flashing Brake Light” – this is a tactic I use even with my other 4-wheeled vehicles. A bright red light may indicate that you are going to slow down or come to a stop (and keep in mind most motorcycles only have 1 tail / stop light), but it can, and sometimes does, get lost in the “clutter” of other things going on. However, pulling back on the brake lever several times to “flash” your brake light grabs more attention from other motorists, and can go a long way to make you more visible. Even if the trainer bike does not have brake lights, this is a simple skill that should be taught.
7. Gearing Down When Coming To A Stop- a very good practice to get into, getting into 1st gear when you come to a stop, and most rider courses promote this practice, even if the highest gear you may get into is 3rd and up to 40km/h max. However, transferring this practice to streets where you may drop one gear at a time to use engine compression to slow you down, get in the habit of tapping your brake lights to let others behind you now you are slowing down, for the same reasons as #6 above. Again, keep in mind, a smaller target such as a motorcycle and rider can be hard for others to judge your speed or intent.
8. Eye Rotation – A big part of the basic motorcycle course is getting the student to pick up their eyes and look way ahead to where they are going, especially in tight corners, and this is done very well. There is an old saying, “Eyes up, stay up. Eyes down, go down”. It is essential to have good “situational awareness” by knowing what’s going on around you. However, because your trainer bike usually doesn’t have mirrors and, if you are lucky to have one, a speedometer, the student doesn’t really get the opportunity to practice their eye rotation, or “eye sweep”. That is, looking down the road where you want to go, then a glance to your left mirror; then back down the road, then after 7-10 seconds, check your right mirror. Look back down the road, then after a short period of time (7-10 seconds), glance at your speedometer and instrument cluster (you might see your signal light flashing!), then back down the street. Repeat. Knowing what is going around you is one of a motorcyclist’s greatest assets!
9. Stretching – often overlooked, but so important for your enjoyment of riding! It is hard to enjoy yourself if your neck or shoulders hurt, or your back is sore, or your legs feel weird and knees bother you from trying to tuck them into the tank all the time. Simple stretches for about 5 minutes before you begin, and after you have been riding for awhile will improve your riding experience. When your body aches, it is hard to concentrate on anything else but that.
10. Lane Decisions – it is unfortunate that most training sites do not have the room to provide actual highway lanes to practice on, but most sites are “borrowed” and the training organization does the best to simulate actual highway conditions, the best it can. While the student is on the bike, selecting ones lane position is hampered by the size of the pathways set up, or in the curves just because of the logistics already mentioned. Therefore, when you head out on the road, know the part of the lane that makes you easier to see and ride your bike (the left hand part of the highway lane), but do stay far enough from the centre line as to not encroach on it, or cross the centre line with your upper body when you go around a corner (that’s a good way of losing it).
3 Things You Can Do To Speed Up Your Learning Curve
1. Take The Basic Course and Ask Plenty of Questions – as a motorcycle trainer / coach, I always encouraged my students to ask questions, and I was willing to stay after the course was done at the end of the day or at noon break (most trainer / coach’s do the same thing!). To that end, there are no such things as silly or “stupid” questions. One of the best ways we learn is to ask questions, and if you remain silent, you will have missed a glorious opportunity to learn more, especially that not covered in the curriculum.
2. Use of Video – GoPros or similar action video cameras are an invaluable learning and teaching tool! You can mount them on your bike just about anywhere and reviewing the video gives you a visual record of your travels, and any potential problems that you may or may not have picked up on. If mounted to your helmet (be careful here, as some jurisdictions do not allow cameras to be attached to the helmet), it allows you to take note of how often you moved your head around, and give you an idea of what you were looking at, and how long. I also mount mine on my windshield facing back at me, which lets me have a better idea of my eye rotation, situational awareness, and did I do my shoulder checks properly. After all, we do not want to become complacent! I also have more than one GoPro, and will synch them with my video processing software to compare aspects of what I was doing, or should have done.
Another good teaching tool with video is the “Buddy System”. Have a buddy or friend, with an action camera, follow you for a ride, and then at the end of the ride, review it with your buddy, or do so yourself later. It is amazing what you can learn by watching yourself.
3. Pick A Goal – Before you go for a ride, pick a goal or a skill that you want to improve on, and go out and work on it. Once you believe you have improved on it, choose another one and then work on it. I suggest picking just one goal per ride, and that one goal may happen over a number of rides. If it is a skill that you are unable to do, then you would be best to seek further training, either from an “experienced” or “advanced program”.
Remember, we are all life long learners who want to extend their life long. Knowledge is easy to carry with you.
Ride Skilled – Ride Smart – Ride Safe