“For me, riding has never been about on the limit braking, knee down action or the rear tyre wiggling while nailing the throttle on a corner exit. I’ve always liked to save that stuff for the track and, if the truth be known, be it lack of bottle or just boring old common sense, from an early age, what little brain I have has always said no.”
(Niall Mackenzie, Visordown.com)
Fast riding is about being smooth and anticipating the road ahead.
A few tips:-
Be smooth on the bike. If you are moving around all the time the bike will be unbalanced before you get near the corner ahead. Roll the throttle on and off; don’t snap it open and closed.
Check your tyre pressures. Both over and under inflation can have a dramatic effect on the handling performance.
Relax. Take time to tune in to your bike and the road conditions. Give it a few miles before you make progress. Remember to breathe and blink your eyes. Holding your breath will make you tense up and the bike harder to control. An hour’s ride without much blinking will make your eyes sore and distract you.
Tuck your body in. Hanging it all out is fun but the wind drag at higher speeds will try to drag you off your bike and can be very tiring, affecting your concentration and reactions.
Read the road. Alternate between checking just ahead for road defects and searching far ahead for other hazards.
