Speed Up by Slowing Down
If you want to go fast, you’ll first need to go slow. Going fast isn’t just the twist of the throttle. Going fast demands responsibility, and requires proper training, control, and respect. You need to have the knowledge, skill, and practice to go faster. Going fast means you need to have the trained reaction time to respond appropriately. For example, in the case of applying the brakes while at speed (and we’re talking more than 20 mph). Before you turn up the speed, practice at slower speeds. We’ll discuss the steps.
Slow Down
We aren’t here to be the fun police; we are here to set you up for success (if you want it). Most motorcycle accidents are single occupant crashes, which means no other vehicle (you know, the other vehicle everyone else wants to blame their misfortune on) was involved. What typically causes these accidents is a simple lack of knowing how to control the motorcycle, and practice. Which is why we suggest slowing down first so you can learn the movements required to eventually form those automatic, lightening-fast reactions.
“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” This is a common saying amongst motorcycle instructors and coaches. At CLEAR Moto, we want you to learn the ins and outs of operating your motorcycle, slowly, and smoothly. Like learning a dance or a new language, you must learn each step or the syllables before you can perform a dance or speak a sentence. Motorcycling should be treated the same. Oh, and hey, before we go on, give yourself a pat on the back for being here, reading our blog. It’s up to you to keep you safe, so great job on spending a little time digging into this. We appreciate you and applaud you for making safety and control your priority as a motorcyclist.
There is no shame in breaking things down into smaller parts when it comes to learning how to ride your motorcycle, or learning a new riding discipline. Not everyone has the same capacity or pace for learning. Figure out what works for you. We suggest resisting the urge to skip or rush ahead to the fun and fast stuff. Keep in mind, just like learning a dance, some moves will come to you more easily than others. Nothing about learning is linear, so embrace the sucks, ride the ups and downs, and relish in the little (and big) victories.
Speed Up
As you spend time focusing on the “Slow is Smooth” part, speed will come, almost naturally. You’ll gradually become a little faster and a little faster. All the while, within control, and building your proficiency. As you begin to get faster, we encourage you to become comfortable and accurate with your ability to stop on command and within full control. We aren’t talking about slow, leisurely stops, we’re talking high speed, abrupt emergency stops! Again, it’s generally the stop (or lack there off) that gets a rider in trouble. Avoid the panic in a real emergency and practice in a safe and controlled manner. Braking is a skill that too many riders ignore during practice.
Stop
Learning to stop with intention is a wonderful and necessary skill that too few riders spend time practicing. It will help you learn your motorcycle’s capabilities and provide you with a new sense of confidence and control. Gaining and refining your ability to stop can actually increase your speed. This is because you’ll have the skill and confidence to stop at higher speeds, making going faster less risky. However, understand that double the speed means triple to quadruple the stopping distance. We’ll say that again, double the speed can triple or quadruple your stopping distance. Most training courses will limit the max speed you can stop at (for safety reasons) which limits you from experiencing a realistic stopping distances at higher speeds (the speeds you’ll go on the road or interstate). Also, keep in mind that there are many factors that can disrupt your ability to stop within the distance you intended. Factors such as low tire tread, wet roads, or improperly inflated tires, just to name a few.
At CLEAR Moto we do our best to provide you a higher speed stopping exercise but don’t always have the space (run-off) to offer a 40 mph stopping opportunity. If you are interested in stopping at faster speeds, please check out the BMW US Rider Academy as they offer a higher speed stopping exercise (I believe it’s at least 40 mph and they demonstrate it at 60 mph).
What to Practice
This is largely based on what you need to learn, where you are now, and where you want your skills to go. Taking a lesson or a course with a professional motorcycle coach is a great place to start to give you a base to work off of. However, we like to focus on the CLEAR Moto Five Foundational Skills of vision, balance, clutch, throttle, and braking control. We whole heartedly believe that these five skills with the right practice will provide you the launching off point that will allow you to explore and conquer more challenging skills.
Here are a few skills that you could practice on your own:
Clutch Control (feathering the clutch)
Stopping by alternating which foot goes to the ground (avoiding having a dominant side or putting out both feet)
Where you are looking (this can be practiced as you drive your car too, just become aware of where and what you’re looking at)
How you’re breathing and contacting the motorcycle (the heavier handed you are the more response you’ll receive, and sometimes that isn’t what you want so work on lightening your body thus calming your body and relaxing the motorcycle)
Braking more deliberately (add a little more speed and little more oomph to your stops to begin feeling more comfortable with sudden and abrupt stops, but remember to only do this in a straight line)
How to Get in the Practice
Don’t skip head, rushing to read the last chapter, and hurrying to get better. There are a lot of skills that make up your foundation that deserve your attention and dedication. Slowing down will make you a more skilled rider. Remember slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Take your time learning and refining the foundational skills. CLEAR Moto has Five Foundational Skills that we teach as the base for all other intermediate and advanced skills. If you are willing to dedicate your time to practice with intention, you’ll be better off. We’ve seen it time and time again in riders that have rushed ahead without dedicating time to their foundational skills, they fall apart once they are challenged with more complicated and advanced skills. Just like the tale of the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.
We suggest starting with professional motorcycle training to help set a base for you to work from. You can then dedicate time specifically for practicing on your own. If you want to practice in a parking lot, getting a small stack of soccer cones is a handy way to set up courses and targets for yourself. You can find soccer cones at any sporting goods store. Soccer cones are inexpensive, low profile, colorful, and easy to pack or strap to your motorcycle for transport. If setting time aside or practicing in a parking lot isn’t your thing, practice while you ride by exploring our blog Ride More with Intention and Consideration. Setting an intention or focus for your ride as you ride to and from work, or wherever your motorcycle takes you can also help you grow into a more skilled rider. Ideally, spending time practicing in both spaces is best. Working on the slow stuff or your weak skills in the safety of an empty parking lot is good, while then taking your skills building to in-motion practice gives you some real-world scenarios you’ll never get in a parking lot.
CLEAR Moto offers many courses ranging from Beginner to Advanced, and specialize in the adventure riding segment. We believe that breaking things down into their smaller parts helps you learn and understand the techniques and concepts we teach. Our goal is to help you become more confident, have more proficiency, and gain more control, all while maintaining safety throughout the learning process. So, if going faster is your goal, we invite you to slow down first.
