Instructional and entertaining motorcycle videos that help riders become more skilled and safer.
Ken is the author of "Riding in the Zone" and "Motorcycling the Right Way" and is former columnist for Motorcyclist Magazine and Motorcycle Consumer News and lead instructor for Tony’s Track Days. Ken offers motorcycle training in New England through "Riding in the Zone Advanced Rider Training".
Uphill/downhill obviously shift the weight distribution on your tires front and back. The force normal (perpendicular) to the road is decreased. A perfect vertical has 0 normal force (don't laugh, this is a thing in hill climbing). Uphill is much easier. Some of you weight is shifted to the rear tire. Slowing down can shift the weight back to the front. If you go into an uphill turn too fast, rolling off the throttle and smoothly getting on the brakes will get you slowed way down and restore you front/back weight balance. Very low speed turns (under 20 mph) don't have enough centrifugal force to hold you up, so you have to balance the bike (like a U turn). Downhill turns are much, much more dangerous. Your weight is shifted forward. The only way to restore balance is to accelerate. It is unlikely that you will be going slow enough to do this. Braking overloads the already highly loaded front tire. The rear tire can actually lift off the ground. Brake BEFORE the corner turn in. You don't have a lot of good options if you go too fast into a downhill corner.
Thanks for sharing, is there any difference riding such a tall bike, with such high center of gravity? In terms of handling, such is in high winds, body position in turns etc... Thanks
Four years ago, I retired and moved from New Hampshire to Arizona. Motorcycles have been my passion for over 50 years. Started in the dirt and then bought my first road bike (Yamaha RD 350), tricked it out and rode it like a dirt bike, crashing a number of times and getting into trouble with the law. In 1983, went to Penguin School at Loudon and then roadraced at Loudon in AAMRR and USCRA. After I stopped racing vintage in 2006, I bought a modern sportbike and did Tony's Trackdays at Loudon and Palmer. I recently bought my first adventure bike, a 2023 Triumph 900 Tiger GT Pro. I'm having a blast on the bike which is better suited to AZ riding than my Ducati 996 and GSXR 750. I've stopped doing trackdays here in AZ but would love to take my Triumph onto the track in something like your non-sportbike training days. Do know of anything comparable to your track-based training day here in AZ or even CA?
Fairly worthless video that is not accurate with numerous details. I have owned mine since 1983. It is the last Air Cooled 1000cc Engine that was produced. The Brakes are excellent. Engine puts out 104 HP without any vibration at any speed. The Long Wheelbase and Weight makes it very stable and far superior to the current Short Wheelbase Single Shock rear suspension Plastic Garbage currently produced.
The 1100F model sold in NZ & Australia had the lightweight "comstar" wheels finished in gold instead of cast wheels like on this one. We also had lower two-piece clip-on handlebars, and further rear set pegs. Honda accidently sent us a US spec foot peg bracket once by mistake, and the difference was very noticeable. Most U.S models from that era had higher bars and further forward foot pegs than the rest of the worlds models, the U.S spec CBX six has huge, almost chopper like bars, and very forward set pegs compared to other markets. Our ones came without the small fairing and a round headlight, but the fairing was an option you could order through your dealer. The fairing is also the exact same one used on the CX500/650E Euro sports, handy to know if anyone is searching for one. The 1100F is a rare bike here, the far sportier, racier, more powerful, CB1100R (which i'm pretty sure the U.S never got) was the more popular model, due to its race success in production racing, which was huge in the southern hemisphere at the time.
Such a pity that there is so much disturbances and chatter from the room in the audio. Would really be awesome if you got a wireless little microphone to clip on you shirt. That would improve the audio lots
You should add the video of leaning on and then abruptly pushing weight into the unmounted tire to demonstrate the importance of loading the tires (or just bring a tire) to your classes. It’s a visual that makes the point in an unmistakable and obvious way. (Maybe get a lapel mic because the lady near your camera was louder than you the whole time and made parts hard to listen to.) Love your content. You’ve helped my riding a lot over the years.
22:00 In your explanation of why pulling the clutch mid-turn is bad, I think you overstated the case. Pulling reduces control over the bike, that part is true. However, you said that pulling the clutch in a corner makes the bike very unstable. That is simply not true. Stability of the bike comes mostly from the bikes motion and geometry ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_and_motorcycle_dynamics ). So if you pull the clutch, as long as there is traction and the bike keeps moving (don't pull the clutch in an uphill turn!) then it's not going to fall down. If you are driving the rear wheel in a turn, and then abruptly pull the clutch, then the lean angle will change, and that'll briefly feel unstable to a rider who doesn't expect the bike to do this. But it'll still be stable, simply at a different angle, because the main cause of stability (motion and geometry) are still there.
I’ll agree that I overstated the point. However, I stand by the statement that coasting through a corner is a technique that will affect stability. And not in a good way. Of course there are times when you are going slower than first gear in which you must squeeze the clutch. But I’m talking about relying solely on momentum and not using the benefit of keeping tension in the drivetrain.
Thank you for posting this. I appreciate advice. I need to be way more cautious as I am getting older and my reflexes are slowing down. Completely agree with your suggestions. A lot of guys are thrilled with "twisties", I honestly DO NOT find them the highlight of my rides. This is a very extreme turn, even more so heading down the grade. I find the reduction of my speed, often effected by the rider in front of me, results in the counter steering typically used in a corner, to be effected. Practice practice practice.
I will assume the USCRA will negotiate this circuit "clockwise" as opposed to "anti-clockwise", correct Doug? Then again I don't know what your going to do. But very informative video nonetheless! Thanks (I show up once an a while Dennis Bell) Lol!
Thanks for the ongoing explanation while you are riding. Is there anything against shifting gears on such roads more frequently, such as going up to fourth in the short straights, or varying between second and third between the turns, thus avoiding higher revs, as, apparently, the goal here was not a sporty riding? This is not the first time I see that twisties are typically accomplished pretty much without shifting gears. I'd appreciate your comments on this.
If I could chose one training course that I've taken that's had the most profound effect on my motorcycling, I would have to say it was this one. I've taken lots of other classes since this one and learned and worked on lots of technical skills, but having taken this course, it opened my eyes to realizing that there were so many skills that I didn't even know that I didn't posses (or that these skills even existed), which would make riding safer and more fun. That led to a hunger and a desire to learn these skills, master them, and try to find out what else I was missing out on in terms of skills to develop. This is coming from someone who never had any desire whatsoever to go to a "race track". One negative from this training, is that I then realized how much fun the track could be, and I shortly thereafter realized how much fun racing could be, and honestly I'd probably have just saved a lot of money becoming addicted to drugs instead of becoming addicted to the track! HAHA(No but seriously, drug addiction is a serious problem and no laughing matter...)
Trail braking is a game-changer for riders willing to learn it. I firmly believe it should be taught from DAY ONE for anyone learning to ride. Slow, Look, Crash, and Burn is unsafe for so many reasons. It is fine for under 25 MPH stuff in a parking lot, but not much else. Delayed apexes are also a life-saver in turns like that. Thanks for sharing! Great information!!
Thank you very much. That brings back memories. I myself rode the Z1000R Eddie Lawson Replica from '83-'90 (Japan own import, unthrottled, 104hp). We - 3 friends (2x Z1000R + 1x CB900) mainly rode alpine passes (Grossglockner high alpine road, Stilfser Joch). The Z1000R was more strenuous to ride than the CB900. We also rode on the racetrack (Salzburgring) once - but the bikes were clearly overtaxed there (caused German Angst).
Had the 1100f when I was 20 years old. Canadian/ euro version with the lower bars, more rear set footpegs, no fairing (round headlight), and gold modular wheels. Unfortunately it met an untimely end when a taxi turned left in front of me.
The Kawi R is a cool bike, but the Honda is way ahead any way compared, 1/4 miles times, Top Speed, and on a track, the Honda will run circles around the Kawi, wait to get the Honda dialed in, and if the sound is causing You to believe the kaei has more power, put a loud pipe on the Honda, (though I wouldnt). Nice video though...
Restored mine and sold it to the Kaplan motorcycle museum in Connecticut. Should have kept it,but getting to old for a sport bike.jr did a test ride on it,it was pretty cool.14,000 original miles.
Ken !!! You come off a tiger , haven't ridden a T700 , you jump on Aprilia and you ride it like a granny, and you pick the shit out of it, meaniness review buddy 🤔
The enter wide exit tight strategy works most of the time but I had a close call yesterday when there was loose gravel on the outer part of the road in my path. I couldn't turn in tighter so I braked hard but that means the bike is upright and unable to turn. I skidded through the scattered gravel but stayed on the bike, the wheels just entered the grass verge before I was able to release brakes and turn into the corner. I think a safer strategy is semi wide into the turn so that you have some extra room if you need to brake hard for road surface hazard.
I need to post more videos of my 83. Mine was given to me literally. It sat in a basement for 10 years not running. Took a couple years to get it going.. every seal, bushing, and bearing was replaced.I got a short video on my channel of the R6 starter clutch conversion. I ended up with a Barnett carbon fiber clutch set up in mine, but I feel the oem plates with heavy duty springs is a lot smoother but I like the grab of the Barnett. I also cut out the crossover pipe on the exhaust and welded the holes and bought a set of nonbaffled slip ons. Got a video of that on here too. My forks required automatic transmission fluid, thought that was interesting. I wouldn't recommend heavier oil in the forks.. Mines a 10 footer too lol.. Still get attention for a big ole ugly bike.
Hello . You know a lot i think about the 1983 cb1100 . Mine has a single fat airshock in the middle . Is there anything you can tell me about the differences between the rear shocks . Is one a Supersport ?
