3 different stages in u -turns for class 2b test.
1. queuing up behind a first rider making an u turn
2. positioning to the u turn point after the first rider go off
3. making the u turn.
stage 2 is the most difficult if there is a rider before due to the short distance movement and braking you have to make without point deduction.
ground rule during u-turns:
right foot always on peg to cover brake, left foot always down.
if your right foot leaves the right peg, immediate failure.
lets go through each step:
1. approach and queue behind first rider making u turn slowly. stop without wobble, and stop close to the left lane dotted line marking.
why? you need the distance and radius to make the next turn.
if your the first rider, good for you, skip to step 3.
2. determine your first eye aim head level and aim to the right to a certain angle so that you can make your short turning movement slowly. anchor your right foot to right peg.
open throttle and clutch out slowly to make that slow turn to the turning point.
half the distance before reaching the turning point, close throttle clutch in and foot brake gently.
as an instructor put it, front brakes should be used 1% compared to the 99% braking effort on gently stopping the bike. do not over use the front brakes since this will defintely cause wobble.
3. once you are at the turning point:
a) impt: at least 2 lanes must be clear for you to make a safe turn. if its day light you might have to stick out yr head abit and giraffe abit to watch out for vehicle to make your turning decision.
b) CHECK BLIND SPOT.
c) turn your head all the way to the right for your turning point. the more you turn your head, the sharper your turn,
d) open throttle, clutch out, drag your rear brake to control the turning.
e) complete your turn as soon as possible and also as smooth as welll, shift up to gear 2 and get out of there.
hope this helps!
25 April 2013
wobble part 3: lane change/ blindspot check/ turning
1. when you check blind spot, do it with a gradual turn of head. dont jerk!
dont rush into a blind spot check. the more excited or last min u do the checks, the more likely you are going to cause the bike to wobble.
2. lane change should be initiated by aiming with your eyes the end point you want to reach after the lane change. lane change must be done in a straight line during class 2b test.
if you do not lane change in a straight line from start to end, and go in a 3 section line instead, (like how a lightning bolt will be drawn), definitely a higher chance of wobbling with multiple change in directions.
3. before making a turn, make sure you have completed the blind spot check in time.
you need to slow down in advance and turn in a lower gear for more power during turning e.g. gear 2 or else the bike will wobble. also, look and aim where you want to go.
4. for sharper turns from stops to avoid wobble, lean the bike in the direction you want to go, make sure you do not drag the brake (this cost points in class 2b) and look where you want to go and open throttle gradually. the power of the engine turning the rear wheel should dominate the energy of the turn, not your body steering inputs. this will reduve wobble.
5. the best way to do this gradual is to have high situation awareness and planning before committing into a change in bike direction. the less last min decisions u make in steering inputm the less wobble. the faster u go and you change direction, the more you wobble.
dont rush into a blind spot check. the more excited or last min u do the checks, the more likely you are going to cause the bike to wobble.
2. lane change should be initiated by aiming with your eyes the end point you want to reach after the lane change. lane change must be done in a straight line during class 2b test.
if you do not lane change in a straight line from start to end, and go in a 3 section line instead, (like how a lightning bolt will be drawn), definitely a higher chance of wobbling with multiple change in directions.
3. before making a turn, make sure you have completed the blind spot check in time.
you need to slow down in advance and turn in a lower gear for more power during turning e.g. gear 2 or else the bike will wobble. also, look and aim where you want to go.
4. for sharper turns from stops to avoid wobble, lean the bike in the direction you want to go, make sure you do not drag the brake (this cost points in class 2b) and look where you want to go and open throttle gradually. the power of the engine turning the rear wheel should dominate the energy of the turn, not your body steering inputs. this will reduve wobble.
5. the best way to do this gradual is to have high situation awareness and planning before committing into a change in bike direction. the less last min decisions u make in steering inputm the less wobble. the faster u go and you change direction, the more you wobble.
push starting the easy way out
i ride a phantom ta200. this means i dont have a kick starter and when your battery dies.. you gotta push start!
since phantom ta200 is an old bike no longer in production.. learning to push start isnt easy especially during class 2b lessons the cb125 was muchhhh lighter.
anyway, steps are as follows.
1. turn on the ignition, turn on the petcock.
2. change to gear 3 or 4 at least. if u find the gear lever start in neutral, roll forward a little and try again until you can change gear.
3. find a clear road of at least 10-15m to walk your bike.
4. hold in the clutch, start walking really fast.
5. when you are walking fast enough at least 10kmh or jogging pace, drop the clutch suddenly.
(not slowly release)
6. if the engine starts, clutch in immediately, and open slight throttle to keep engine going.
7. shift back to neutral!
if you do this right enough, you dont have to run! just walk fast and it will work.
if you dropped your bike and this doesnt work then you need to open wide throttle since yr engine might be flooded.
on a cold weather, especially in the rain you might have to pull the choke. i find it even more necessary if im using vpower. not too sure why for the moment.
do a push start today! dont wait till when things happen then u have to practise!
since phantom ta200 is an old bike no longer in production.. learning to push start isnt easy especially during class 2b lessons the cb125 was muchhhh lighter.
anyway, steps are as follows.
1. turn on the ignition, turn on the petcock.
2. change to gear 3 or 4 at least. if u find the gear lever start in neutral, roll forward a little and try again until you can change gear.
3. find a clear road of at least 10-15m to walk your bike.
4. hold in the clutch, start walking really fast.
5. when you are walking fast enough at least 10kmh or jogging pace, drop the clutch suddenly.
(not slowly release)
6. if the engine starts, clutch in immediately, and open slight throttle to keep engine going.
7. shift back to neutral!
if you do this right enough, you dont have to run! just walk fast and it will work.
if you dropped your bike and this doesnt work then you need to open wide throttle since yr engine might be flooded.
on a cold weather, especially in the rain you might have to pull the choke. i find it even more necessary if im using vpower. not too sure why for the moment.
do a push start today! dont wait till when things happen then u have to practise!
28 November 2012
sorry folks
busy with exams till this fri! meanwhile something to share:
motorcycle physics: http://www.motorcyclejazz.com/motorcycle_physics.htm
meanwhile ride safe!
motorcycle physics: http://www.motorcyclejazz.com/motorcycle_physics.htm
meanwhile ride safe!
12 November 2012
wobble?? - part 2, wobble while stopping! / braking
situation 2: wobble when stopping - when does wobble occurs when you are almost slowing down?
some reasons are there, but what you need to know before hand is smooth stopping is related to:
a) slow speed control
b) bike stability management in terms of rear wheel gyroscopic force
reason 1. overuse of brakes! i.e. harsh braking; braking too late??; rushed braking?
> suspension dips! if u hard brake on front, front fork will dip down!
same thing - apply the rear brakes hard and the rear shocks will also dip the bike down!
this basically means that any of this harsh braking will result in upsetting the balance of the bike at low speed!
this will subsequently affect your balance and hence result in a wobble!
solution:
you do not need to use maximum braking force when slowing down. if there's a need to use harsh braking, that means you're braking too late.
key thing is: plan when you want to brake, and plan your time to brake!
* all that is required is engine braking by closing the throttle to slow down and applying the brakes with your finger TIPS so that u do not snatch the brake lever.
know your brake biting point! braking effort should be smooth and natural.
the next time you brake, make an effort to feel for the point where the brake lever starts to slow the bike - that is your biting point. this ability to feel the braking will be even more crucial during e-brake in 3.02. =D
* when to close the throttle? the recommended time if u are braking while in gear 1 or 2 is half the distance before spot u want to stop. (take note if in already in gear 1, remb to clutch in at the same time when u close throttle!)
of course, this may defer from person to person.
* one last thing is to know when you operate the brakes, u should reduce the pressure on the brake lever and the brake pedal gradually. this will reduce the sudden change in momentum and suspension that will result in the stopping wobble. (FYI: this refers to driving a car as well, not just motorcycles!)
>> **note that this is even more important when you pillion next time: this is for the comfort and safety of your pillion rider.
reason 2: rushing to land and put down your foot?
this is similar to when you wobble during moving off - your bike is moving relatively slow when you're almost stopping and the bike is now stable with minimum gyroscopic (upright force) from the rear wheel.
at this very moment before stopping, sudden movement will cause the bike to wobble.
don't rush to put down your foot! u will be stable the moment
if you can stop smoothly and have time to land that left foot. (surprisingly, this is usually coupled with anxiousness or kan chiong spideness with random snatching of the brakes.. see reason 1)
solution
a. momentum must be right when you put down the foot. not too fast, not too slow!
if too fast, you will rush to stop, too slow, your bike doesn't have enough momentum to stay upright and wobbbbble you go!
b. don't rush, feel for the moment when the bike almost stops while stable in a straight line*
c. keep bike in a straight line! *LOOK UP* while your doing so. (this actually leads to reason 3)
d. unfortunately, this needs practice. you need to learn to feel the bike momentum with your body and your butt especially to gauge how the bike is moving before you put down that foot.
e. this landing of the foot should be synchronized with your gradual release of brake pressure when your braking is almost complete.
reason 3. looking down when u brake?
as mentioned before, the eyes of the rider is the aiming device of the motorcycle.
this adage holds even when you're stopping and you decided to look down instead.. immediately you will lose balance and wobble!
"LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO"
if you look down, and don't look up, u will upset your balance
i cant explain in detail why this happens sufficiently but somehow this is the dominant rule all riders had to deal with when learning.
hence the simplest solution is:
*LOOK UP and through the horizon when your almost stopped and keep it that way!
alternatively, if there is another rider stopped ahead of you, LOOK UP and look through his/her helmet.
this will ensure you fixate your gaze at the correct level.
if you fear not stopping at the correct spot before the stop line, and find yourself having to look down to gauge your stopping distance, this also means you have to plan your stopping ahead of time!
do not do panic stops or last minute stops! that is solely reserved for e-brakes!!
so now what? in summary - what to practice as part of your stopping skill sets
- before every lesson commence, always check the amount of braking pressure that you need to exert for different levels of braking pressure!
- make sure you know your brake biting pt to avoid front wheel lock/skid or any jerks in your bike suspension when stopping!
- only finger tips only ! do not use your knuckle to brake!
- when braking, change down gear early, make full use of engine braking, look up through the horizon, make sure your handlebars are straight and not turned to the side!
- momentum must be right - feather the brakes or use light braking pressure, and not too slow on final stopping of bike!
- know the moment when your left foot should stick out and land forward down before stopping that causes the least shift in the bike momentum at slow speed!
you might want to look at this link on braking, especially on staged braking (point 10)
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/braking-tips.htm
on a final note: avoid last minute braking situations. be aware of your surroundings and maintain good following distance. part of the accidents out there involving riders include wheel skidding and lost of control. as a class 2b trainee, your role is to learn the skills of bike control well so that you do not panic and make the wrong move under such situations. I'm saying that because i skidded my phantom and almost didn't make it.. so...
meanwhile good luck in your lessons and ill try to cover the the other wobbles that you will encounter during lane check / blind spot checking and during turning of your motorcycle!
some reasons are there, but what you need to know before hand is smooth stopping is related to:
a) slow speed control
b) bike stability management in terms of rear wheel gyroscopic force
reason 1. overuse of brakes! i.e. harsh braking; braking too late??; rushed braking?
> suspension dips! if u hard brake on front, front fork will dip down!
same thing - apply the rear brakes hard and the rear shocks will also dip the bike down!
this basically means that any of this harsh braking will result in upsetting the balance of the bike at low speed!
this will subsequently affect your balance and hence result in a wobble!
solution:
you do not need to use maximum braking force when slowing down. if there's a need to use harsh braking, that means you're braking too late.
key thing is: plan when you want to brake, and plan your time to brake!
* all that is required is engine braking by closing the throttle to slow down and applying the brakes with your finger TIPS so that u do not snatch the brake lever.
know your brake biting point! braking effort should be smooth and natural.
the next time you brake, make an effort to feel for the point where the brake lever starts to slow the bike - that is your biting point. this ability to feel the braking will be even more crucial during e-brake in 3.02. =D
* when to close the throttle? the recommended time if u are braking while in gear 1 or 2 is half the distance before spot u want to stop. (take note if in already in gear 1, remb to clutch in at the same time when u close throttle!)
of course, this may defer from person to person.
* one last thing is to know when you operate the brakes, u should reduce the pressure on the brake lever and the brake pedal gradually. this will reduce the sudden change in momentum and suspension that will result in the stopping wobble. (FYI: this refers to driving a car as well, not just motorcycles!)
>> **note that this is even more important when you pillion next time: this is for the comfort and safety of your pillion rider.
reason 2: rushing to land and put down your foot?
this is similar to when you wobble during moving off - your bike is moving relatively slow when you're almost stopping and the bike is now stable with minimum gyroscopic (upright force) from the rear wheel.
at this very moment before stopping, sudden movement will cause the bike to wobble.
don't rush to put down your foot! u will be stable the moment
if you can stop smoothly and have time to land that left foot. (surprisingly, this is usually coupled with anxiousness or kan chiong spideness with random snatching of the brakes.. see reason 1)
solution
a. momentum must be right when you put down the foot. not too fast, not too slow!
if too fast, you will rush to stop, too slow, your bike doesn't have enough momentum to stay upright and wobbbbble you go!
b. don't rush, feel for the moment when the bike almost stops while stable in a straight line*
c. keep bike in a straight line! *LOOK UP* while your doing so. (this actually leads to reason 3)
d. unfortunately, this needs practice. you need to learn to feel the bike momentum with your body and your butt especially to gauge how the bike is moving before you put down that foot.
e. this landing of the foot should be synchronized with your gradual release of brake pressure when your braking is almost complete.
reason 3. looking down when u brake?
as mentioned before, the eyes of the rider is the aiming device of the motorcycle.
this adage holds even when you're stopping and you decided to look down instead.. immediately you will lose balance and wobble!
"LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO"
if you look down, and don't look up, u will upset your balance
i cant explain in detail why this happens sufficiently but somehow this is the dominant rule all riders had to deal with when learning.
hence the simplest solution is:
*LOOK UP and through the horizon when your almost stopped and keep it that way!
alternatively, if there is another rider stopped ahead of you, LOOK UP and look through his/her helmet.
this will ensure you fixate your gaze at the correct level.
if you fear not stopping at the correct spot before the stop line, and find yourself having to look down to gauge your stopping distance, this also means you have to plan your stopping ahead of time!
do not do panic stops or last minute stops! that is solely reserved for e-brakes!!
so now what? in summary - what to practice as part of your stopping skill sets
- before every lesson commence, always check the amount of braking pressure that you need to exert for different levels of braking pressure!
- make sure you know your brake biting pt to avoid front wheel lock/skid or any jerks in your bike suspension when stopping!
- only finger tips only ! do not use your knuckle to brake!
- when braking, change down gear early, make full use of engine braking, look up through the horizon, make sure your handlebars are straight and not turned to the side!
- momentum must be right - feather the brakes or use light braking pressure, and not too slow on final stopping of bike!
- know the moment when your left foot should stick out and land forward down before stopping that causes the least shift in the bike momentum at slow speed!
you might want to look at this link on braking, especially on staged braking (point 10)
http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/braking-tips.htm
on a final note: avoid last minute braking situations. be aware of your surroundings and maintain good following distance. part of the accidents out there involving riders include wheel skidding and lost of control. as a class 2b trainee, your role is to learn the skills of bike control well so that you do not panic and make the wrong move under such situations. I'm saying that because i skidded my phantom and almost didn't make it.. so...
meanwhile good luck in your lessons and ill try to cover the the other wobbles that you will encounter during lane check / blind spot checking and during turning of your motorcycle!
09 November 2012
sorry folks, i have been busy with work and motorcycle maintenance since i passed months back!
perhaps will cover some part of the experience as a new rider here..
well.. class 2b isnt as simple as just passing and getting yr licence!
somethings i'll wish to cover in the future with time to come..
1. u-turns!
2. a proper lane change! (and why this is impt in the real nasssssty world
3. part 3 and 4 on wobble!
4. class 2b cheat sheet =DDDD
5. things to know or be concerned about after your class 2b when u want to get a bike or already have a bike but is lossst
i'll try to time my updates on Sundays so at least there's something to read! =DD
meanwhile enjoy learning and RIDE SAFE.
10 July 2012
motorcycle control - control sensitivity
by the end of class 2b lessons, the below finer details of bike control should be familiar then:
- throttle sensitivity:
- jerking the throttle causes sudden changes in momentum
- eye point:
- looking ahead, planning ahead, looking where you want to go
- clutch sensitivity:
- use finger tips to control,
- control the rear wheel's willingness to upright due to gyroscopic forces,
- controls low speed,
- must be able to link to rear wheel's response and rolling momemtum
- front brake/rear brake:
- brake's biting point,
- ability to squeeze hard like squeezing a lemon and not snatching the brake,
- 4 stages of braking
- and also not locking up the wheels
- butt sensitivity:
- to sense wheel traction,
- to sense momentum of rear wheel at low speed
- and changes in suspension position due to acceleration/deceleration changes
- to be further continued...
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