MOTORCYCLE TRADER 57
Instructor Lee gives us his end-of-day report on
Cliff. “Initially, we had to work on his vision and
his posture, and I got him to set up his brakes
earlier before entering a corner,” he says. “His
line selection and bike control was already good,
so it was just a matter of putting it all together,
getting him turning his head, leaning his body
- not the bike – and slowing down sooner before
entering a corner.”
To d ay ’s course is Cliff’s first taste of professional
rider training since obtaining his licence about 15
years ago.
“I don’t think I fully appreciated the importanceof
rider training. You never stop learning,” he says.“I
definitely didn’t understand the importance of setting
up for a corner either, especially blind corners, which
always freak me out. Braking, adjusting speed, road
position, gear selection and body position – there’sso
much to breakdown.
“I didn’t realise how effective a bike’s braking can
be in an emergency situation and the real-world benefitsof
dragging the rear brake through a corner. That was an ‘Ah-ha!’
moment for me.
“I really got a lot out of the course. To dedicate the entire
day – and your complete attention – to improving your riding
is just so rewarding. Even to just be away from the phone and
daily-life stuff to just ride my bike felt awesome,” Cliff says.
He wasn’t the only one, and as one student succinctly put it:
“That’s the most wet riding I’ve done in a day, and I’m all the
better for it.” Too right.
Today’s course is
Cliff’s first taste
of professional
rider training
since getting his
licence about
15 years agoIt was a big day for Cliff as he
focussed on the exercise and
his riding techniques all day.