Parking Lot Practice
by rider on Dec.12, 2008, under General
That’s Jerry Palladino, a well known riding instructor and author of the excellent Ride Like a Pro video series making a slow speed, tight turn.
Unlike the bikes we used in the BRC (which weighed around 320 pounds), you can’t toss a large touring bike around with sheer muscle. You have to learn to make it do what you want it to with proper operation of the controls. Give a small, light bike the wrong inputs while moving very slowly, and you’ll have to put a foot down and wrestle it back upright.
Do that with a 750 pound Road King, and it’s going to lean over and come to a rest on the engine guards. You’re not going to wrestle it back upright.
And they’re no fun at all to pick back up.I know, because I did it.
Fascinating fact - if you tip a modern Harley over, it shuts itself off and displays “tip” on the odometer. The computer will not let you re-start the bike until you get it back on it’s sidestand and turn the ignition switch off.
So, how do you make a 750 pound bike go where you want it to go while it is moving at a walking pace? Three keys:
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1.Keep the clutch in the friction zone, supplying power to the rear wheel any time the bike is not straight up and down.
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2.Keep slight pressure on the rear brake.
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3.Turn your head and look where you want to go.
Check out the Ride Like a Pro site (www.ridelikeapro.com) for examples.
