Tim's Impossible Throttle Challenge!
Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:04 pmTim's Impossible Throttle Challenge!
In an effort to improve my throttle control I've created a great game to use either around the burbs or in the twisties. Great because the results have been more than I planned.
****Disclaimer. Don't jepordise your safety by doing the challenge. If you are a fresh beginner best learn to ride first and stay away from this until you'll be able to make sound judgements and get yourself out of any situation safely****
What it COULD achieve for you (if you need it or it works for you that is);
Improved throttle control and smoothness when
-cracking the throttle
-at maintenance throttle and roll off (Not stabbing the throttle on or cutting it harshly)
-accelerating
-decelerating
Increase comfortable corner entrance speed and entry confidence.
Increased mid-corner stability and confidence if you tend to get on the throttle too late or with a stab or toggle the throttle on and off.
Improved ability to judge safe corner entrance speed early.
Improved confidence in you bike and yourself.
Teach you how to ride 'The Pace'
Getting the throttle on earlier.
BIG claims! What is the magical challenge?
***Never release the throttle***
That's right, never.
Impossible you say? Well... Good point I'll pay that.
But it's what you will do WHILE you attempt to try and NOT fail which could improve things a lot.
Part 1 - Straight line riding.
Lets first address the thinking you can't possibly slow down with the throttle open? False.
'Maintenance' throttle I mentioned before is holding the throttle open just enough to maintain your speed, be it cranked or upright.
Just below maintenance throttle your bike will actually slow down with the throttle on, try it for yourself.
The second and more effective (but not as precise a skill) method to slow down is by changing down gears while holding the throttle at maintenance throttle or below.
So. Let's walk through what to DO.
Start on a straight stretch of road with no traffic close by.
Find maintenance throttle in a middle gear (3rd). Now gently release the throttle but don't let it go completely off. Get used to the feeling of almost letting it go, but not so that the drivetrain isn't engaged positively and the bike dives forward on the front forks. At this point my bike slows so hopefully yours does too. Then bring it back to maintenance throttle. Keep trying, indeed try it whenever you are cruising along.
Speed up slowly and get used to coming back to maintenance throttle and then slowing again, and the feeling as you let go of the throttle completely and fail the challenge. As you're getting better at it you may sometimes find yourself not sure if the throttle is actually on at all.
Also notice as you get better at it the feeling as you crack it back on as smoothly and slowly as you possibly could.
At this point try roughly cutting the throttle and notice the way the bike loads the front forks, as opposed to what can still be a quick but controlled roll off. Is this the way you usually roll off?
Crack the throttle straight from off to the stop as violently as you can, is this how you usually roll on? Probably not, but you get the idea.
Now change up a gear while holding Maintenance throttle. Your revs will probably blip up. Depending in your technique if you change quickly you should have nice clean change. With a small momentary drop in throttle to below maintenance you should have a perfectly smooth gear change.
For changing down gear you will be going from maintenance throttle or below, blipping to match the revs and maintaining maintenance throttle or below to slow down the bike. The higher the revs, the faster the bike will slow from the inertia of the engine.
Why should I bother with Step1? What has/could it develop? How does it work?
This straight line part of the challenge basically begins to smooth out your throttle control by playing the game of 'never release the throttle'. The often quoted but never qualified 'be smooth' and 'the best riders are the smoothest riders' tips never actually teach you a method for developing smoothness, more or less saying you're either smooth or not akin to saying to a runner 'be fast'. This is just not true, and I see playing this game akin to playing scales with a metronome for a budding musician developing REAL technique.
In reality there are infinite levels of smoothness and playing the game progressively makes you smoother by developing the high level kinesthetic relationship required for riding well.
In Part2 we will address playing the game into, in, and out of corners. This is actually the main reason to develop high level throttle control, cornering, and it is also where you will notice the biggest benefits of the game.
Tim.
In an effort to improve my throttle control I've created a great game to use either around the burbs or in the twisties. Great because the results have been more than I planned.
****Disclaimer. Don't jepordise your safety by doing the challenge. If you are a fresh beginner best learn to ride first and stay away from this until you'll be able to make sound judgements and get yourself out of any situation safely****
What it COULD achieve for you (if you need it or it works for you that is);
Improved throttle control and smoothness when
-cracking the throttle
-at maintenance throttle and roll off (Not stabbing the throttle on or cutting it harshly)
-accelerating
-decelerating
Increase comfortable corner entrance speed and entry confidence.
Increased mid-corner stability and confidence if you tend to get on the throttle too late or with a stab or toggle the throttle on and off.
Improved ability to judge safe corner entrance speed early.
Improved confidence in you bike and yourself.
Teach you how to ride 'The Pace'
Getting the throttle on earlier.
BIG claims! What is the magical challenge?
***Never release the throttle***
That's right, never.
Impossible you say? Well... Good point I'll pay that.
But it's what you will do WHILE you attempt to try and NOT fail which could improve things a lot.
Part 1 - Straight line riding.
Lets first address the thinking you can't possibly slow down with the throttle open? False.
'Maintenance' throttle I mentioned before is holding the throttle open just enough to maintain your speed, be it cranked or upright.
Just below maintenance throttle your bike will actually slow down with the throttle on, try it for yourself.
The second and more effective (but not as precise a skill) method to slow down is by changing down gears while holding the throttle at maintenance throttle or below.
So. Let's walk through what to DO.
Start on a straight stretch of road with no traffic close by.
Find maintenance throttle in a middle gear (3rd). Now gently release the throttle but don't let it go completely off. Get used to the feeling of almost letting it go, but not so that the drivetrain isn't engaged positively and the bike dives forward on the front forks. At this point my bike slows so hopefully yours does too. Then bring it back to maintenance throttle. Keep trying, indeed try it whenever you are cruising along.
Speed up slowly and get used to coming back to maintenance throttle and then slowing again, and the feeling as you let go of the throttle completely and fail the challenge. As you're getting better at it you may sometimes find yourself not sure if the throttle is actually on at all.
Also notice as you get better at it the feeling as you crack it back on as smoothly and slowly as you possibly could.
At this point try roughly cutting the throttle and notice the way the bike loads the front forks, as opposed to what can still be a quick but controlled roll off. Is this the way you usually roll off?
Crack the throttle straight from off to the stop as violently as you can, is this how you usually roll on? Probably not, but you get the idea.
Now change up a gear while holding Maintenance throttle. Your revs will probably blip up. Depending in your technique if you change quickly you should have nice clean change. With a small momentary drop in throttle to below maintenance you should have a perfectly smooth gear change.
For changing down gear you will be going from maintenance throttle or below, blipping to match the revs and maintaining maintenance throttle or below to slow down the bike. The higher the revs, the faster the bike will slow from the inertia of the engine.
Why should I bother with Step1? What has/could it develop? How does it work?
This straight line part of the challenge basically begins to smooth out your throttle control by playing the game of 'never release the throttle'. The often quoted but never qualified 'be smooth' and 'the best riders are the smoothest riders' tips never actually teach you a method for developing smoothness, more or less saying you're either smooth or not akin to saying to a runner 'be fast'. This is just not true, and I see playing this game akin to playing scales with a metronome for a budding musician developing REAL technique.
In reality there are infinite levels of smoothness and playing the game progressively makes you smoother by developing the high level kinesthetic relationship required for riding well.
In Part2 we will address playing the game into, in, and out of corners. This is actually the main reason to develop high level throttle control, cornering, and it is also where you will notice the biggest benefits of the game.
Tim.
