Smoother motorcycle riding is naturally safer and lets you move faster without breaking any speed limits. While you’ll naturally improve with experience after gaining your motorcycle licence, learning to ride with less hard braking and accelerating is going to save you fuel and leave you feeling less fatigued after each ride. Below are four motorcycling tips for a smoother and more enjoyable ride.

Your journey to smoother motorcycle riding

Nearly every motorcycle license begins with compulsory basic training (CBT) course. Whether you take your CBT training in Crystal Palace, at one of Phoenix’s other training centres, or at a completely different motorcycle training provider altogether.

Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s onto the full licence training. Again the focus is safety and awareness of what’s around you. These are the foundations of smooth riding, but by no means do they ensure a smooth ride. Phoenix Motorcycle Training courses do include advice and tips for smooth riding as it is naturally safer and more enjoyable than the alternative of a jolting, stop/start style of riding, but our main focus for full licence courses is to increase your ability to a level that will ensure you achieve your licence safely on your first try. Trying to pack too much into your training can be counterproductive to this aim.

Advanced training courses are where the focus begins to shift from the necessities to finessing your skills and helping you to become a smoother, safer, and better motorcyclist. To get an inside look at the tips and tricks you’ll learn for a smoother ride in advanced training, read on…

Plan a smoother ride

Most smooth riding is about being aware of what’s around you and continually planning ahead. That means easing off the accelerator when you spot a potential hazard, assessing the situation, planning and then executing the manoeuvre before accelerating away. Some call this the ‘slow in, fast out’ approach to riding and hazard perception. This is one of the skills you need to demonstrate in the Mod 2 part of your licence test and you’ll get better at it as you gain experience.

Honest Appraisal

After each ride, go over in your mind what you did well and not so well. Think about your performance and how you could improve it. Then act upon these insights next time you mount your motorbike and take it for a ride. Giving yourself time to mentally go over each trip helps you to understand your riding and spot areas where you can improve for a smoother and safer journey next time.

Talk it out for a smoother ride

One of the key elements of having a smoother ride is maintaining your concentration throughout. Being focused on what you’re doing and what is ahead of you will support your planning and help you process the relevant information needed to keep your ride flowing with ease. It can help to talk it through as you ride. By vocalising what you see and what you need to do, you’re giving yourself additional stimulus that will compound your interest and focus. Unless you’re wearing a half helmet, which is less safe than a full helmet, no one will be able to see you taking this advice.

Practice makes perfect

The more you ride, the better you will get and the smoother your riding will become. As they say, practice makes perfect! To become a smoother rider faster, advanced training will help. Being mindful and conscious of what you are doing each time you get on your motorcycle will help you ride smoother and smoother each time.

If you’re considering a career as an instructor, smooth riding will need to be part of your motorcycle riding repertoire. Phoenix Crystal Palace and all of our other training centres provide motorcycle instructor training – these courses not only teach you how to become an instructor, but they also include tips on smoother riding too.