Happy November, riders!

Kenny Roberts wrote about "learning when the bike is stopped." The three-time world champion sat in the Dunlop tire truck and imagined laps... back on his 500, he broke the track record on his third lap and wrote, "It had all been done in my head." YCRS hopes our Newsletter articles help you improve your riding off the bike and our school helps improve your on-pavement riding soon.

What is Experience?

- By Nick Ienatsch

Do you think you have to crash to learn something? Do you believe you must go over the limit of grip and crash to discover where this limit is?

Some feel this way. The instructors at the Yamaha Champions Riding School (YCRS) don't. YCRS wants to teach you how to recognize problems that lead to a crash... without needing to hit the ground.

Most crashes come from a mental lack or loss of focus. We talk about "what's next," whether it's an intersection, cold tires, a brake zone on the track, a downshift. Keeping your mind thinking ahead is a great way to keep your mind on the subject at hand. The Lesson: Know that when your mind strays from the actual riding of the motorcycle, you will eventually be hurt. Get focused, stay focused.
Abruptness is the next culprit in motorcycle crashes. You are going to "grab a handful," "throw the bike in the corner," "slam on the brakes." Um, not for long. Understand that "grabbing, throwing, slamming, flicking, flopping" works just fine until you have more lean angle or the grip is reduced due to weather/new tires/old tires/slick cement in a parking lot/new asphalt/gravel/dirt road/mud... go ahead and pick your excuse. The Lesson: If you feel your throttle snap on, feel your brakes grab, feel you steering inputs upset the bike... you will eventually be hurt. These initial applications of brakes, throttle and steering should be so delicate that you can't sense them.
Third in line on the crash list is rushing into the corner. Rushing simply means you enter the corner with too much speed for the radius of the corner. Your entry speed ruins your exit, pushes you wide, scares you. You are rushing because you're too late to the brakes, you jump off the brakes too early, you never touch the brakes, you stab the throttle when you pick it up, your body position isn't allowing the bike to turn. Pick one... and fix it. Remember this: There is no penalty for getting into a corner too slowly. The Lesson: Rushing a corner's entry to the point where the rest of the corner is ruined will eventually hurt you.
The fourth reason we crash a bike, the fourth item you should commit to memory and review constantly: We keep making the same mistake and try to add speed to it. You know the mistakes you are making, whether it's getting caught in blind spots, poor emergency-braking performance, missing apexes, jumping around and upsetting the bike... they are the moments you feel scared or uncomfortable. And they are the very things you must work hardest on. The Lesson: Get tough on yourself regarding your riding weaknesses. Slow your pace and fix the problem; don't try to just add speed. Mistakes + More Speed = Crash.
Fifth reason: Cold tires. Yep, it's that simple. Cold tires. Rubber tires are designed to work within a certain temperature range and they simply have no grip under that range. I know... you already know this and are rolling your eyes. But I'm telling you that cold tires continues to catch out riders who know better but aren't focused on the problem at the right moment! And that makes all the difference in this sport: having your mind on the next problem at the right moment. How about thinking COLD TIRES every time you turn on your key? Maybe a little reminder on your triple clamp? Maybe a little sticker on the tach? The Lesson: Tires need heat, heat comes from use... don't ask them to do too much when they're cold.

Final thought: Yes, crashes can provide a tremendous lesson... but usually at a high price. The smooth, linear inputs we preach at YCRS allow the bike to communicate to you well before grip becomes an issue (except cold tires, which offer no hint of letting go until you're skating along on your elbow). This article is an attempt to get your mind focused on the messages from the bike and recognize impending disaster. It's a skill the best in the world have mastered and it's a must-do for you too.

Come and ride with us! www.ridelikeachampion.com In Arizona All Winter!

-The YCRS Staff