06/08/2026
Top Tip Thursday 💥💥💥
This week I am talking to you about something that many riders struggle with.......slow control 🤦♂️🤦♂️
In my experience, the vast majority of riders I take through IBT and driving test preparation have issues with riding slowly in a composed and controlled way, both on the straight and while turning. This forms a good deal of what needs to be overcome to get them competent, confident and safe.
Why is slow control important???
Lots of road based scenarios require us to ride slowly and under control. Think anything in our villages, towns or cities, dealing with slow moving traffic, tight turns, mini roundabouts, emerging from T junctions, parking up, getting on the ferry 🙉. If you cant control the bike at slow speed, you are not a complete rider..
Many born again bikers, returning to biking after some years away have particular trouble with slow control. Why??? Because as riders, we dont practice it outside of training. It is a perishable skill...if you dont use it, you lose it. As bikers we look for consistent progress and flowing roads with a minimum of interruption. All the while we are neglecting a vital skillset.
Why is slow control hard???
Its a question of simple physics. Gyroscopic forces of a wheel that is turning means it wants to stand up. The faster it turns the greater the gyroscopic forces are. Think of a spinning Topp...
Now take that gyroscopic force away in large part and you lose the effect of momentum. That same wheel no longer wants to stand up...hence, the instability we feel when we slow things all the way down.
The Four Key Principles.
1. Set your Throttle!!!!
Slightly elevated revs that are consistent, (no blipping the throttle here as it sends the bike mixed messages) mean your machine has revs available when you feed the power to the rear wheel. Too few revs you are flirting with a stall.😉
2. Use your Clutch Friction Zone
Remember, your clutch is the ultimate power regulator for slow speed control. It is the single biggest element for struggling with control. The Friction Zone, allows you to finely tune just how much power is being sent to the rear wheel and dictates your stability.
The first part of your clutch movement is dead space and nothing happens, then you will feel 'the bite', this is the earliest part of the clutch engaging. Just millimeters further and you are in the Friction Zone...when the clutch is fully out, its fully engaged and you have 100% power of that gear at your throttle hand!! The biggest point to understand here is your Friction zone is your best friend for control at slow speed, in 1st-2nd gear. Many riders move far too quickly through the friction zone and engage far too much drive for what they need. They generally end up surging wide, dont be that rider 😉.
Feel the friction Zone, understand the Friction zone and practice using it😎🏍, thank me later.
3. Cover the rear brake
When considering slow control, the rear brake is far better placed to support balance and stability. It pulls the rear of the bike down and regulates the amount of drive you are getting in support of your clutch control. Due to its location on the machine and its more measured braking force it will not upset your front end handling.
Leave the front brake alone at slow speed. Your body is hardwired to use it so even covering it can be troublesome...if you're moving slowly, while turning especially, and you use the front brake, the immediate loss of momentum and stability will have your bike tipping over aggressively and many will drop it.
4. Look, Look, Look
The biggest body postion culprit that catches riders is not getting the knee down or counter weighting in turns, its their head!!!!
Riders look down at the clocks as if the secret to life is down there...they also become fixated on obstacles and hazards...classic target fixation is when you look there, your bike will move toward where you are looking.
The solution is simple, look where you want to go. The eyes can drift so think, point your chin to your intended direction of Travel.
Last point of note....mechanics dont like using the Friction Zone for fear of wearing or burning out their clutch....the simple answer is the majority of bikes run wet clutches, meaning the clutch plates are sitting in a bath of oil , helping to reduce unnecessary friction and heat...the bike is engineered to be used in this way. However unnecessary or prolonged use of the Friction Zone should be avoided...
Ride Safe
Don 😎💪🏍
