PETER LOUISSON
stuff.co.nz
For those learning to ride, there's a version of the New Zealand Road code specifically aimed at would-be motorcyclists. There's another you should also buy; it is written, coincidentally, by a chap named Code, Keith Code, and it could well save your life for it offers advice on the art of safe cornering on two wheels.
Since buying a bike at age 15, I had been riding on accumulated experience alone, until I happened upon the biker's bible, entitled Twist of the Wrist II. It addresses the cornering forces of a motorcycle, and explains how not to break the laws of physics when you're on board. You should consider it a mandatory purchase when buying a motorcycle.
Though motorbikes have been around around for over 100 years, manuals on the theory of riding a motorcycle were not written until the 1970s when Californian Keith Code published his first "A Twist of the Wrist" manual (for would-be road racers). That was followed by the instructional book for road riders, A Twist of the Wrist II, published in 1993.
He went on to establish the California Superbike School (CSS), essentially a teaching centre with the Twist II book as its core text. The school with the tag line "The Art of Cornering" is now a global phenomenon, so you can attend a CSS course pretty much anywhere in the world. There are four levels, and each goes deeper but completing the first is easily the most valuable, as it covers off the theory contained in the Twist II book, and includes on-track exercises so you can put the theory into practice. A trained instructor, your own personal coach, will follow you around and comment on your progress.
I bought the Twist II book about five years ago and started to implement some of its suggestions. Not long afterwards, I had the opportunity to undertake CSS level one at Phillip Island (the home of the Australian MotoGP) and jumped at the chance. At the beginning of the day, my allocated coach asked if there was anything bugging me about my riding. I mentioned running wide in corners. He answered "During the day, you will identify the reason for this, and you will cure the problem." And so it came to pass; failure to relax your upper body gives rise to all sorts of cornering problems on a motorcycle.
What CSS tries to do is identify all a rider's most glaring errors; bikes are inherently fairly stable once moving so the concept for the jockey is to interfere with that stability as little as possible.
If you're a motorcycle rider and have never undertaken any training, you should first buy Code's text book (Twist of the Wrist II) or the DVD, available here.
And if you wish to improve your ability, seek out a local riding school. The CSS operates out of Hampton Downs, and can be found here.
If you have never been on a race track, and find the whole experience a bit intimidating, level one is the perfect introduction to track riding. Be aware that track days can be addictive.
So, if you want to learn to ride right, buy the other Road Code, and consider a back to school day. They're your ticket to ride.... with confidence and safety.
Disclaimer: I have no personal affiliation or financial interest in the companies or products mentioned herein.