technique | Riding in the Zone

Blog Archives

10 Ways to Tell if You are a Good Rider

Posted on December 27, 2018 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

When asked, the majority of people think they are a good rider. The problem is that we suck at measuring our own abilities. This is so common that two researchers named Dunning and Kruger created the Dunning–Kruger effect that describes…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips Tagged with: Cornering, motorcycle, Rider training, Safety, technique

Tips for Surviving Alpine Switchbacks on a Motorcycle

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

This article was originally published in Motorcyclist Magazine. Their names are infamous; Pordoi, Sella, Gavia, Gardena, and of course Stelvio. These are just a few of the mountain passes that snake up and over the mighty Italian Alps and jagged…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle Tagged with: Braking, Cornering, countersteering, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique, traction

Top Ten Truths That All Motorcycle Riders Need to Know

Posted on August 23, 2018 by Ken Condon — 1 Comment ↓

Here is a list of the top 10 things riders need to know (but often don’t): 1. Traction management and direction control are directly affected by load transferring to the tires. 2. Timing of deceleration, braking, countersteering and acceleration directly…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Crashing, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips Tagged with: Braking, Cornering, crash, mistakes, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique, traction

The Real Value of Knee Dragging

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Ken Condon — 5 Comments ↓

The RITZ article on knee dragging is one of the most viewed posts on the website. I can understand why. Dragging a knee is a measure of sport riding accomplishment for many. Nothing says “sport bike hero” better than fully…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Musings, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Cornering, dragging, knee, knee drag, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, technique

Body Position Tips for More Effective Cornering

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Ken Condon — 27 Comments ↓

Most riders sit pretty much upright in the saddle. There’s nothing wrong with that, however they are not utilizing a simple tool that helps the motorcycle turn, engages the rider in the “dance” between human and machine and increases ground…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: body position, Cornering, countersteering, Motorcycle tips, technique, Track Days

What you need to know about Throttle Blipping

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Ken Condon — 16 Comments ↓

What is Throttle Blipping? To execute smooth downshifts it is important to match the engine speed with the road speed. You can do this by slowly easing out the clutch (after you apply the brakes, please). But sometimes a rapid…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips Tagged with: blipping, Braking, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Street Triple R, technique, throttle, Track Days

Riding in the Zone Podcast Episode 1- Trailbraking

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

This episode is on trailbraking. What is it, what are the benefits and how do you do it? Sometimes delaying your braking can be a useful tool. Trail braking is a technique that is done by continuing to brake beyond…

Posted in Motorcycle Safety, Podcast, Riding Technique & Tips Tagged with: mistakes, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Podcast, technique

Will You Stop Your Motorcycle in Time?

Posted on March 4, 2018 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

Getting your motorcycle stopped in time to avoid a collision is one of the most important skills you can have. But, simply being able to apply maximum brake force isn’t enough (even if you have modern ABS). Here is an…

Posted in Crashing, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips Tagged with: Braking, crash, Motorcycle tips, reaction, Rider training, Safety, technique

Video: Cornering Seminar with Ken Condon

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

At the request of the district manager for the Northeast Region, I booked several dates during mid-to-late winter of 2018. One event was held at Wilkins Harley-Davidson, located in South Barre, Vermont. As with each of the talk, around 100…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Crashing, Motorcycle Safety, New Rider Zone, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Video Tagged with: attitude, Beginner, Cornering, countersteering, Harley-Davidson, mistakes, Motorcycle tips, Rider training, risk, Safety, technique, Track Days, traction

Video Lesson: The Result of Poor Braking Ability

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Ken Condon — No Comments ↓

This is a clear demonstration of the consequences of not having proper braking skills. Take a look and then I’ll give you my opinion. I’ll wait. A shocking number of riders in this video’s original version blamed everything but the…

Posted in Crashing, Motorcycle Safety, Riding Technique & Tips, Video Tagged with: Braking, crash, mistakes, technique

Thinking in Vs-Dissecting Cornerspeed

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Paul Duval — 5 Comments ↓

Guest writer Paul Duval shares his thoughtful observations about performance cornering based on electronic data gathering. Corner speed. It is the holy grail of motorcycle road racing and track day riding alike. Knee down and railing, carving the corners like…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Guest Writers, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Cornering, guest, Motorcycle tips, racing, technique, throttle, Track Days

Proficiency Pledge

Posted on January 1, 2018 by Ken Condon — 2 Comments ↓

I always thought pledges were a crock until I learned the potential benefit in encouraging behavior change, risk awareness and a quest for greater proficiency. The point of signing this pledge is four-fold. First, it is a way to help…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, New Rider Zone, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips Tagged with: attitude, mistakes, Motorcycle tips, riding, Safety, strategy, technique

Video Lesson: How to Manage Downhill Turns

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Ken Condon — 5 Comments ↓

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THE ENERGICA REVIEW, CLICK HERE. SORRY FOR THE MESS UP. There is nothing like video to help demonstrate cornering techniques. Ride along with me as I explain cornering and the nuances of managing a downhill turn,…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Video Tagged with: Braking, Cornering, mistakes, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique, traction

Video Lesson: Learn by Following an Average Rider

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Ken Condon — 2 Comments ↓

Here’s a video of me commenting while following an average rider through a twisty road. I point out the rider’s body position, cornering lines and throttle timing, and comment on how he could do better. Notice his mid-corner adjustments. This…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Motorcycle Safety, New Rider Zone, Riding Technique & Tips, Video Tagged with: Cornering, Harley-Davidson, Motorcycle tips, Rider training, Safety, technique

5 Tips from an Aging Sport Bike Rider

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Ken Condon — 44 Comments ↓

Note: This article pertains to all types of riders. So, please read on. What happens to sport bike riders when they get old? Most people think of sport bike riders as young men in their 20’s or 30’s. A lot…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Family of Riders, Motorcycle Musings, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days Tagged with: aging, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique, Track Days

Video Lesson: Uphill Hairpin Fail

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Ken Condon — 6 Comments ↓

Here is another installment of “Videos Lessons” where we pull from the seemingly never ending supply of rider videos from which we can learn. Even though these are 2 very slow speed crashes, the injuries could have been serious. I…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Crashing, Motorcycle Safety, New Rider Zone, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Video Tagged with: Cornering, crash, Harley-Davidson, mistakes, motorcycle, Safety, strategy, technique

Yet Another Crash Video We Can Learn From

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Ken Condon — 13 Comments ↓

Here is another video that I’m pretty sure demonstrates how we humans don’t want to admit when we screw up. See the video of the poor guy who sideswiped a big truck on his R6. The problem that he says the…

Posted in Crashing, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Video Tagged with: Cornering, crash, mistakes, motorcycle, Motorcycle tips, Safety, technique

Guest Writer: Why Street Riders Benefit by Riding the Track

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Ed Conde — 23 Comments ↓

Guest contributor Ed Conde shares his experiences about how track days have helped his street riding. The Next Level I came to riding late. I did not begin riding until I was pushing 50. I tried to make up for…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Guest Writers, Motorcycle Safety, Rider Education, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Braking, Cornering, countersteering, Motorcycle tips, New England Riders, Rider training, Safety, shifting, technique, Tony's Track Days, Track Days, traction

Guest Writer: Becoming “That Rider”

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Jeff Meyers — 1 Comment ↓

It was a long and cold winter here in the Northeast, but at the first Tony’s Track Days event of the year at the beginning of May, we were given clear skies and ideal temperatures. Last year, I worked hard…

Posted in All Things Motorcycle, Guest Writers, Motorcycle Safety, Riding Technique & Tips, Track Days & Racing Tagged with: Cornering, mantra, Motorcycle tips, technique, Tony's Track Days, Track Days, trailbraking

4 Reasons Why You Need to Use Cornering Lines

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Ken Condon — 2 Comments ↓

A “cornering line” is the path you follow around a corner. Riding a narrow, single-track vehicle means we are able to select the left, center or right positions within the lane. The “basic” cornering line starts by entering the turn…