Sunday, November 22nd was another beautiful day in motorcycle paradise…
A crowd of about 40 riders gathered at 8am at the Physician’s Plus Medical Clinic (in Redwood City) for Harry (Doc) Wong’s FREE Monthly Motorcycle Clinic. Our topic was “Wet Weather Riding Skills” (despite what the website states…).
As usual, Harry’s flawless weather-predicting found us riding on some wet roads under a beautifully clear sky. After the clinic seminar we separated into 4 smaller riding groups to practice our new skills on the 900+ turns of the planned route. Recently patched Tunitas Creek Road was less the f***ing goat trail of days past and more like a damp mossy winter wonderland.
(Alas, all my favorite bike-swallowing pot-holes have been paved-over and the rain cleared the slippery redwood duff with the storm water runoff. Despite the improvement, it was still a blast!)
The main skills Harry reviewed in the morning pre-ride seminar included:
- Smooth riding for better wet weather riding control and
- Weighting the outside peg in a wet turn.
Smooth Riding
The smooth riding part included a review of what NOT to do:
- DON’T Brake erratically or suddenly in wet conditions.
- DON’T Give your bike erratic or choppy throttle input
… and a review of what you SHOULD do:
- Choose your lines in advance (as usual).
- Slow down a bit and keep your pace at a level where you can ride in a relaxed and smooth way.
- Remember that shady areas may be wetter or slippery with moss and adjust your speed/riding accordingly.
Weighting the Outside Peg in a turn
A gift from our brothers and sisters on dirt bikes, weighting the outside peg in a slippery-condition turn can help keep the bike more upright and stable and can also help you recover from a minor slide.
The clinic also included the usual review of:
- How to know if you're riding over your skill level
- How to best ride with a group (for fun and improving skill level)
- Motorcycling Personal Relations 101
Please join us for the next Harry (Doc) Wong Street riding clinic.
-Hillary
'97 R1100RT
DoD #2106