Be a better motorcycle rider in 5 days: Day 1

Are you smooth and confident? Do you ride faster than your buddies without really trying? Are you relaxed at peg-scraping angles? If so, please read something else, this five day motorcycle riding course is for someone else. It's for the rest of us who wobble from near-misses and can't always keep up with our group ride on Sundays.

But after this course things will be different. In five days you'll be a hero to yourself. You'll also go faster, rider safer and have a lot more fun.

The syllabus will take you through mental attitude, basic cornering, throttle control, knee down and much more. We'll cut out your point-and-squirt riding style and transplant a new philosophy of smooth lines, maximum visibility and intelligent hedonism. By next weekend you'll be a master or your money back.

What you'll need

• A brain
• A decent bike
• Decent tires
• A clean visor
• The desire to learn

Tools for this better riding motorcycle course

MIND completely focused on the path through the corner

EYES looking as far ahead as you can see

BODY relaxed and comfortable

THROTTLE confidently riding the bike around the bend

KNEE out to lightly skim the deck

BIKE perfectly setup

TIRES matched and at the right pressure!

Day 1 - What we'll cover today is the cornerstone of smooth riding

Get your mind in working order

Without it, consider yourself meandering towards a bit accident. Every action you take is controlled by your mind. Think to yourself: what do I want to do? If the answer's "Go fast no matter what", then forget about it. The right answer is "ride at the right speed and keep my self and my buddies alive to be 80".

Tell yourself out loud: "I am going to be aware of every single action I take on the motorbike. You'll get looks but less so than if you're lying in a ditch. Most top racers spend the pre-race period calming their mind of every distraction, concentrating on the start and the run-up to the first corner. No one wins races on pure aggression.

Get your body relaxed

What's your riding position? Ever had that cramped feeling between your shoulder blades? It's actually tension and if you're tense you can't ride well. You can't move around smoothly on the bike, and every action is slower, jerkier and harder. The trick is to start off relaxed, then you have a chance of staying that way. Keep your head right and body loose and you'll be riding smoothly. So every few minutes when you're riding, check to see if you're tensing up. If you get that knife between the shoulders, a stiff neck, or grinding teeth and locked jaws, back off, breathe deeply, hold a half-smile (try it!), and stay slower for a few miles while you're working on getting smooth again. In the end you'll go faster naturally.

Scan the horizon

Looking directly in front of your tire you'll wobble around and react to things after they happen. If you look as far as you can see ahead of you, you'll follow a smooth, accurate line, anticipating and dealing with what ever happens in advance. The closer your patch of vision is to the front of the bike, the harder it is to ride smoothly. Make looking further part of your on-bike mantra whether you're making a U-turn or riding flat-out roads. You'll notice the difference straight away.

Keep your eyes up! The first sign of tiredness is gradually focusing closer to the front wheel. Learn to recognize this and deal with it. A short rest now is better than running yourself into the ground.

Take the the wide view

Just looking into the horizon is never enough. You need some attention in reserve to check in all directions and keep you updated on anything likely to affect you. Think of it like a radar in a low-flying plane. Scan to keep warned of things coming up ahead like flocks of birds, missiles, other aircraft. On the road you'll be continually updating your mental reports on following traffic (especially if it's flashing lights), side roads that could spill in slow moving cars into your path, road surface changes and tens of other things.

At the same time, you're quietly keeping tabs on your bike too. Note fuel levels, revs, gear, and so on. It's all going on in the back of your mind, only coming to the front when a alarm goes off.

That's it for now. Now, see for yourself how much difference it makes looking further ahead than usual, staying relaxed and keeping tabs on your mind and your whole environment.

Try these skills & drills!

① Close your eyes, clench your shoulders hard and hold a few seconds. Then breathe out and release slowly. It helps relax your muscles and reminds you what tension feels like, so you can recognize it and do something about it. Do it for each major set of muscles in turn, then your whole body. Top preparation for a ride.

② Look at the far end of a long hallways or corridor in your home and walk to wards it. It'll be a straight line. Now try it looking at your feet! You'll weave into the wall. The same happens on your bike, only much faster.

Keep it up and eventually you'll be ready to test your advanced motorcycle riding skills at Nurburgring.

Check back Tuesday, you'll learn…

• how to brake
• how to look, and
• nightmares