The basic art of Motorcycle Slow Riding Control.

On a recent UK Driver Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) Instructor assessment, it was pointed out to me that as long as someone could ride in a figure of eight then that was “all that was required for CBT"

Although technically correct, this disappointed me because I am an 'old school' Instructor. I started training in the 80's for Star Rider. We would only be paid expenses (and not a lot of that), but we would spend our weekends doing part one test training in the mornings and part one tests in the afternoon.

A test area was normally a car park or something similar. It would be marked out in paint as the rules were very rigid with set measurements. I still have them in my training manual. The fig 8 was a controlled area. If you put 4 cones in a line each 11 feet (3.35 meters) apart. Then place 4 cones as follows: From the centre two go out 9 feet (2.74m) at right angles one cone either side of the two centre cones. (Unless we were testing Scooters – they got an extra 3 foot at either end due to their limited turning circles!) You will end up with two cones in the centre of a ring. If you actually set this up as measured you will find there is actually not much room to turn a bike around those two centre cones while not going out of the outer circle. Feet down were minor faults. But as it was over the greater test as a whole and every dab was a mark. (8 was the maximum over the whole test if I remember correctly?) With three fig8's to complete that could be a challenge for some. Going outside the area was a instant fail.

In the late 80's the Japanese were starting to bring in more fancy faired bikes. Little learner legal racers. They looked the part, but did not have enough steering lock to get round a Fig 8 though. Well, not unless you were very confident and could counterbalance, plus had mastered slow riding like an expert and use Gymkhana level skills. We had to resort to encouraging such techniques with some trainees while other less abled folks would get advised to borrow a more test capable bike off of a friend.

We however considered the Fig8 to be a demonstration of basic control skills. I say 'We' . The examiners of the time were not the full time government examiners of today. Part one test examiners were local volunteers as well. Our usual one being the local Government Road Safety Training Officer (we will come back to him).

So what is the Slow Riding system?

Let's work through this step by step.

1/ Motorcycle Engines, especially small motorcycle engines, need to be 'revved up' to produce power. When you look at performance power charts, most motorcycle engines peak at around the 6000 to 8000 rpm. Tick-over is around 1000 rpm. In order for a small engine to produce enough power to be useable, you have to open the throttle and keep the throttle open. The common fault here with car drivers is that they are not used to revving the engine that high. I have even seen some instructors and examiners start to panic when the revs are only around 4000 to 5000 rpm. Yet if you were out riding on the open road, this is the range that the revs would be within, sometimes much higher. What will become an issue, is if the engine revs drop too low because the engine can easily stall. However, the application of power will pull a bike upright out of a corner, so make the power is available for when you need it. As you let the clutch out the revs will start to fall as the engine starts to come under load, so the throttle needs to be opened slightly more to compensate.

2/ The Clutch is what enables the rider to control how much of the engine power is used to drive the motorcycle forward. When explaining this point to a car driver I would point out that car clutches are dry, normally dry plates forced together by springs. Car drivers are taught that the moment the vehicles start to move, then get off the clutch. Most motorcycles are opposite to this. They have wet clutches, multiple plain and friction plates sitting in a bath of oil. A motorcycle clutch is designed to be slipped. However when doing so there are also factors that need to be noted: As you ease the clutch lever out there will be a point where the plates of the clutch start to engage with each other and start to drive the bike forward. If you were to hold the clutch lever at that point you would probably find the clutch start to engage more. This is due to oil displacement. As the plates are forced together by the springs, the oil between them is forced out. If you pull the clutch back in a tiny bit then you will let some oil back in. Part of the art of slow riding is finding, feeling and using that biting point. We call it “feathering the clutch”.

Motorcycle clutches ridden slipping at slow speed will overheat very quickly. I suggest everyone has a go at slow riding control. Just remember not to do it for too long.

3/ The back Brake. So why the back brake? Well you are producing plenty of power by keeping the revs up and your controlling how much power you are applying to move forward. But what's holding you back?

Technically either brake will do. However, here it's not a good idea to be powering the back wheel while trying to stop the front. You also don't want to be applying the front brake if you are trying to steer round things. If you apply the rear brake it acts as reins to hold the bike back.

Think of this like a fire triangle:

You need fuel, heat and oxygen to burn.

You need Throttle, Clutch and Rear Brake used together to ride a bike slowly.

If you have not done this before and you practice this technique you will know when you get it right because your ability to control the bike at slow speed will improve ten fold.

On an automatic you can still use the control. Just use your back brake against the force of the engine. Rather than just trying to control your speed on throttle alone. Using this technique you will find it much easier to ride in slow moving traffic.

Practice it. If it does not work for you then please come and ask me why and I will try and help.

If you have not previously used this technique and you don't notice an improvement when you start to try then I would suggest you are doing it wrong.

So what happened to the Part 1 test?

In 1990 it all changed with the introduction of the CBT. Although this did not really change the standard to which we trained, there were some noticeable changes in how we trained new riders. Specifically in context to this was the removal of the outer area size restriction from the CBT.

I was very lucky when I started out as an Instructor with my two teachers both being highly skilled advanced riders. One was also an IAM Advanced assessor, whilst the other was the Local Government Road Safety Training Officer (and part 1 test examiner). It was not easy for me as an aspirant instructor because the Standards set by my teachers were high. I am however very grateful for this as it set my standards high. What has been evident ever since is that if a student reaches our standard they will be more than prepared for test standard. Students only have to impress one DVSA Examiner. We try to make sure they can pass a test given by any DVSA Examiner. Or any other examiner for that matter. Not that we expect more than required.

We have always just tried to teach people to ride.

Now unfortunately market forces mean lots of short intensive training courses are all the rage. Where all that is taught is how to pass the test. A couple of other recent changes have now watered down the standard even more. First one is the introduction of another test. Ok I can say lots of good things about it as well. Doing all the hazardous exercises that used to be done on road: Emergency Stop, wheeling the bike, U-turn ect – all now off road, makes it far safer and far more standard. Only now the U-turn is done on a flat surface.

One big reason for teaching slow riding control properly at CBT was so that the control skill was there for a U-turn on main test. So learners are still doing a U-turn what's the difference?

Public roads are cambered. When broken down the test candidate would be required to pull away, then quickly turn into the equivalent of a small hill start up camber. While trying to turn the bike under control, the camber road will change and mean that they then would start travelling down hill and start to gain speed. This was the common test fail point. The sudden pick up of speed and worry of completing the turn often causes the rider to panic – disengaging the clutch and requiring a foot down to stabilise – This equals a test fail. I am not saying this test was perfect. Different examiners chose different roads and some where more technically difficult than others. Slight hills and heavy cambers adding to the issue.

I would often get someone returning from test and mentioning they had got a minor point for over revving but passed. I also had some fail for putting their feet down. Which result would you prefer?

The other issue of course, which ties in with the start and purpose of me writing this is that this skill is not being taught. I was told that I was not required to put any emphasis on it at my CBT Assessment. The demonstrated level of control that I had questioned was a figure of 8 that although was within the outer reaches of the training area, was much bigger than I expected and did not show any level of clutch control. Just a base level ability to ride along slowly with the clutch fully engaged.

Having checked with my original CBT notes (I know where they are at the back of the 'Star Rider Instructor Manual' as the pages are whiter and newer than the rest.), “the trainee must be able to ride the machine round a figure of eight circuit. There is no set size or number of circuits, but the trainee should demonstrate that they are able to balance and control the machine. It may again be pointed out the method of covering the back brake whilst riding slowly to give extra stability”

I am happy to accept that at a base level, some may not be able to master the full slow control skills at CBT level, but is that reason enough to stop teaching it? In all my years as an Instructor or Training Centre Manager, we had very few students who could not grasp slow riding control. Yet everyone left with a basic understanding of it and were still allowed to continue as long as they had demonstrated some sort of safe Fig8 on the training area.

Training Schools don't need to teach anything more than the ability to turn through a semi circle and stop for the new off road U-turn. So that is where the standard will be set. No need to teach to a higher standard than that.

So the top level of clutch control now required to reach UK test level is for the Hill Start. I think that is a shame as it feels like a step backwards. I have over the years been responsible for overseeing thousands of CBT's. We have never had an issue teaching slow riding control. It is a valuable riding skill and should not be forgotten from somewhere in basic training.

The one saving thing is that it is still considered to be worthy of being taught as an advanced skill.

Shame people will have to wait that long before learning it.