At 6:00 AM the roads were wet and it seemed our ride wouldn’t happen.  But three hours later, the roads were drying off and the sun was peeking here and there through the large storm clouds.  We decided to race the rain and work our ride in before the storm arrived.

            The temperatures were in the mid 80s but, with the gathering storm, the humidity was way up making for a sticky ride.  Some of the neighborhood construction had been completed, so we headed off into a small neighborhood that we hadn’t ridden in for over a month.  The road was newly paved and nice and twisty.  One of the skills I was working on this week was counter steering or, as Jerry Palladino of Ride Like a Pro calls it, pushing.

            With counter steering the concept is more confusing than the action.  Counter steering is how a rider leans the bike into curves on the road.  In a car the driver turns the steering wheel along the path of the curve.  On a motorcycle the rider counter steers the bike into a lean because turning the handlebars at speed would cause the bike to fall (and, most likely, the rider too).  The reason it is called counter steering is because as I push forward on either the left or right side of the handlebars, the front wheel seems to steer (just slightly) to the opposite side.  This counter steer guides the motorcycle into a lean to follow the curve of the road.  As I said, the application is easier than the concept because counter steering and leaning the bike, to a non-rider, might seem likely to lead to a crash.  But in reality, the counter steering allows the rider to follow the curves of the road and is quite enjoyable.

            So I had success and fun with that skill practice.  Another skill we were working on this week is turning from a stop.  In the case of turning right or left from a complete stop, the rider should turn the handlebars.  By turning the handlebars first and then heading into the turn, I can maximize the available roadway for the turn and avoid going into the opposite lane (right turns especially).  The challenge here is once the motorcycle starts moving, the front wheel tries to straighten out.  I was better able to keep the handlebars turned when going to the right and found myself straightening the handlebars on left turns.  It wasn’t until the second to last left turn that I was able to keep the handlebars turned.

            This week I again had trouble remembering to watch my mirrors when stopping.  Not until we were halfway through the ride did I begin to incorporate the mirror checks.  I did better at checking them as I approached the stop rather than as I stopped, but I need to development my stop awareness at the get go.  Then all of my stopping skills will be going well.

            I had a few moments riding the Ducati where the heat nearly overwhelmed me.  I think the bike’s heat coupled with the humidity makes for a challenging ride.  This unpleasant warmth made our slow circles and S-turn practices a challenge.  I found myself almost target fixating in the gravel lot and narrowly avoided the wooden beams laid down to form the parking lot.  But I managed to squeak by and opened up my visor fully to allow more cool air inside.

            Not too many animals about as they were probably already sheltering from the impending storm.  I did have a dragonfly zoom into my path flying straight at me before lifting himself up and over my helmet.

            When we went to our stand up and stop practice lot, we felt the first drops of rain.  I could hear the rain hitting my helmet and saw the drops on the gas tank.  It was an early warning as the skies did not open up, but we proceeded to the school field so I could practice on the R Nine T some.  I seem to be in an on/off pattern with the R Nine T.  Last week went smoothly, so this week I stalled constantly.  And this week was when I added coming to a stop and restarting.  I did not have one successful restart from the stop.  On the bright side, next week’s practice should be another on week.

            We returned the motorcycles to my parents’ garage and headed home.  The storm began just as we pulled into the driveway, so the motorcycles let us outride the rain.  Next Saturday is showing clear skies, so let’s hope it stays that way.