Practice ain't worth much if you don't know how to practice. Get the DVD for $20. Your skills will sky rocket using the techniques in this video. https://www.ridelikeapro.com/store/d...ike-a-pro-dvd/

 

Yeah I have seen those..I had a buddy that used those and the collar got bent and he had to buy a new set of engine guards cause he couldn't get it off...plus they look cheesy on a Harley to leave on all the time....

 

When I got my 09 Electra Glide retired police bike it had been 2 years since I'd had a big bike. I took a Ride Like a Pro class and it's incredible what you can do when someone competent shows you how.

I was a pursuit driving instructor in a prior life and during my training felt the same way. My God, you can make a POS Crown Victoria do crazy stuff once you know how.

I bought a set of the crash guard umm plastic guards and leave them on. It's a retired police bike, after all.

 

Stop the lie probably means stop subscribing to other videos and subscribe to his. Just a guess.

Like golf, there are lots of people selling skill videos. They seem to offer some good advice and things to practice. The only thing I see that I find questionable is that they always seem to focus on a small range of the riders skillset and the advice is always passed off as the end-all and be-all of riding. Other skills can get ignored if one routine becomes the focus. Granted, low-speed handling is a skill we all need to keep sharp but it's just one component of riding. e.g...riding like a pro means being to handle in all conditions and situations, not just doing low-speed full-lock U-turns around a pylon in a parking lot. I would spend just as much time with gaining and maintaining skills with emergency braking,high-speed obstacle avoidance, and other drills and techniques. You don't want to ignore this other stuff. These things are not as sexy and don't get the focus of skill or training videos so they rarely get any air time or discussions.

 

Here you go.

Ride Like a Pro Houston

Remove your saddle bags. Pick up some tubular pipe insulation for Home Depot or Lowes to wrap around your engine guard and some painters tape to tape up anything else that might touch the ground.

 

Very good post. Riding fearful lends to not learning. We try to instill this in new riders, but sometimes their ego gets in the way, and they still want a literbike. Sure wish I could find their friends...

 

This, exactly!

Bag guards are cheap, and they work at slow speed. If you're worried about scratching the chrome on either the crash guards or the bag guards, an old piece of hose or similar will protect them pretty dang well. There's no guarantee you won't scratch something if you drop it, but from experience, odds are in your favor that you won't with the right precautions.

There's no other way to learn this skill than practice. A school may help shorten the curve by showing you some tips and tricks, but you'll still ultimately have to practice.

 

Seems you need to work on 3 things.

1. Clutch & throttle control. Feathering the clutch and good throttle control is essential in slow speed maneuvering.

2. Using the rear brake and staying off the front brake. Lightly using the rear brake at slow speeds gives the bike stability and helps keep the bike up. Note: Don't use the rear brake while turning because it'll straighten up the bike making it difficult to make the turn, but use the rear brake to scrub off speed (if needed) before you make the turn.

3. Body position. Head up and eyes forward. Don't look down at your forks because that's where you'll end up...on the ground. Keep you head up and look forward in the direction you want to get to. To make u-turn type maneuvers turn your shoulders in the direction you want to turn with head up and eyes looking far ahead at where you want to go, not where you are. Make sure you have enough bend in your elbows to control and steer the bike.

Take the MSF training if you haven't. Take the bike to a parking lot and practice practice practice. It takes a little time. Good luck.

 

Northwest motorcycle schools offers a "Ride like a cop" program.
Bear in mind, motor officers practice before EVERY shift. Or daily, whichever is more frequent.
I applaud the op for wanting to be better.

 

This is spot on! Practicing without knowing the mechanics, physics, body positioning etc is just wasting a lot of time. I say the same thing when I teach baseball to kids.