Chapter 5: Technical driving conditions and technical driving facility

The manoeuvres you learned in the closed practice area (chapter 2) were designed to get to know the motorcycle. And to give you a sense of the motorcycle's centre of gravity and balance. The manoeuvres in traffic (chapter 4) were designed to teach you how to function as part of the overall traffic situation. You should practise some routine situations and generally become more familiar with the motorcycle. This chapter prepares you for manoeuvres on a technical driving facility. At such a facility, you have the opportunity to experiment with some riding conditions and physical laws of nature. You don't do these kinds of experiments in traffic. But they are important to learn. Should you find yourself in a critical situation, you can more easily avoid accidents and mishaps if you are prepared for how the motorcycle reacts. At the technical driving facility, you need to practise critical situations. This means, for example, stopping at a short distance and braking and evasive manoeuvres. You also need to know how speed affects your chances of completing an evasive manoeuvre. Finally, you need to know why the motorcycle reacts the way it does. This way, you can avoid panic braking that often ends badly. These exercises are done on a solo motorcycle. The motorcycle licence entitles you to drive with a sidecar and trailer. Therefore, you will also need to complete a few exercises on a motorcycle and sidecar. You do not need to complete exercises in driving with a trailer.

Legal requirements for brakes

§ As you probably remember, the law states that with or without a load, the brakes must be able to stop the motorcycle safely, quickly and effectively. In other words, this means that the braking distance at 30 km/h when using both brakes must not exceed 7 m. If you only use the front brake, the braking distance must not exceed 9 m.
And if you only use the rear brake, the braking distance must not exceed 11 m.

Road grip or traction

Traction refers to both the friction between the tyre and the road surface, but it also means that the tyres grip and bounce off uneven road surfaces. Traction is necessary for the power from the engine to turn into acceleration and for you to brake and steer.

Loading, tyre pressure and tread pattern
Driving with passengers or heavy loads on the back increases the pressure on the rear tyre - and therefore relieves the pressure on the front tyre. This means that the grip of the front tyre can be reduced to the point where it makes it harder for you to steer. It also makes the motorcycle more sensitive to crosswinds. When you start and accelerate, the weight shift between the front and rear increases. The weight shift can be counteracted slightly by having the passenger lean forwards with you.
Tyre pressure also has an impact on traction. Grip - and therefore the ability to steer safely - is reduced if there is too much or too little air in the tyres. Most motorcycles have a long groove pattern on the front tyre and a cross groove pattern on the rear tyre. A worn tyre tread pattern greatly reduces grip in the wet. As you know, the tread should be at least 1 mm deep, but there's absolutely no reason to wait that long to change your tyres. As a rule of thumb, you should change your tyres when the tread is 3mm deep.

Utilising traction
When braking on a slippery road where traction is reduced, there is a risk of the wheels locking. The correct way to brake here is to apply the brake pedal gently and pull the handbrake lever very lightly. If the wheels lock, the braking distance will be much longer and there is a greater risk of skidding and falling off. If you are riding through a bend with reduced traction, avoid even the slightest acceleration or gentle braking. This also increases the risk of skidding and thus a crash. The same applies during an evasive manoeuvre. It is simply poor and extremely dangerous driving technique to brake and steer at the same time.

Front or rear wheel skidding

If you brake hard, so that one or both wheels lock up, it's difficult keeping your balance on the motorcycle. You will usually skid, and if If you're reactions are not very fast and correct, you'll fall off. As soon as you notice that the wheels are locking, let go of the the brakes and pull in the the clutch until you have straightened the bike up. You can then accelerate again and slowly release the clutch lever. With this method you utilise your traction to steer. During a skid, never try to accelerate or brake, this will only make the skid worse.

Cornering and the ideal line

The centrifugal force becomes stronger the faster you drive and the sharper the turn. If the speed doubles, the centrifugal force quadruples. If the speed triples, the centrifugal force increases ninefold. If the curve radius of the turn is halved (i.e. the turn becomes sharper), the centrifugal force doubles. Conversely, if the curve radius of the swing doubles, the centrifugal force will halve. Therefore, you should always try to flatten the bend and drive in the line called the ideal line. If the centrifugal force becomes stronger than the road grip, your motorcycle will skid and you will most likely fall off.

You also need to be careful not to turn in too early. If you do, you'll be forced to correct your steering and there would be a risk of crossing into the oncoming lane.

Shaking and vibrations in the motorbike

Shimmy and wobble are words for the oscillation of primarily the front end that can suddenly occur when riding at moderately low speeds of between 50 and 100 km/h. This can be caused by tyre wear, tyre pressure, an imbalance in the front wheel, loose spokes or damaged rim. It can also be due to worn or misajusted steering head bearings or improper maintained front forks. Wobble or so-called high speed weave, comes suddenly - and especially at higher speed, above 120 km/h, - and causes a tilt or oscillation around the entire axis of the motorcycle. It may be caused by the rigidity of the frame, additional attachments such as top box or side cases, loose swing arm and wheel bearings, damaged suspension, mass distribution of the load (passenger, luggage...), including your own body weight. If you experience weaving, immediately lean forwards. Once the weaving has stopped, slow down by releasing the throttle. You can then straighten up again and continue driving.

Exercises at the technical driving facility

At the technical driving facility, you will try the riding techniques and conditions you have learnt about in the first part of this chapter. By reading this section, you are prepared for the exercises you will complete under the guidance of your instructor. For some of the exercises, your instructor will need to accompany you as a pillion passenger.
You will complete exercises both on a solo motorcycle and on a motorcycle and sidecar, for example.

1) Braking distances at different brake forces and speeds. At 60 km/h, practise stopping the motorcycle at 50 m, 30 m and 20 m respectively.

2) Braking while riding in a straight line. You must stop at a marked destination. For each exercise, the speed will be increased until you reach 70 km/h. Then you must stop in the shortest possible braking distance, also at a speed of up to 70 km/h. You need to learn to disengage the clutch and use both brakes. Once you're confident, your instructor will be on the pillion as a passenger.

3) Riding in a slalom and counter-steering. At 40-50 km/h, ride slalom between at least 6 cones that are at least 20 metres appart. Then complete the exercise with rhythmic counter-steering. Counter-steering is when you want to change direction quickly, start your steering by pushing or pulling the handlebars in the opposite direction you want the motorcycle to turn. For example, if you want to steer to the right, you first turn, or push/pull, the handlebars to the left. Counter-steering is necessary to prepare you for the avoidance manoeuvre.

4) You need to learn how to find the ideal line through a bend or corner. First through a bend marked with cones and later without. You need to enter the bend from both the right and the left. You will also need to do this with your instructor as a passenger.

5) Braking with an evasive manoeuvre. You need to learn how to pull in the clutch, brake with both brakes, release the brake and counter-steer around an obstacle. This is an important exercise! Get good at it and then try the double avoidance exercise.

Riding a motorcycle and sidecar

Once your familiar with a solo motorcycle, you'll have to forget most of the techniques you have learnt for a short while, because now your time has come to try riding a motorcycle and sidecar.
While it is not essential to understand the theory of riding a motorcycle and sidecar it certainly helps, so here goes. The first thing to understand is that the motorbike with the sidecar will feel nothing like the motorbike without the sidecar. Riding a sidecar combination has nothing at all to do with riding a motorcycle, or driving a car, or trike, or any other vehicle you may have experienced. You have to turn the handlebars during the turn, which can be a heavy task. When you start or accelerate, the sidecar combination tends to pull to the right due to the heavy sidecar. When braking or decelerating, the sidecar combination tends to pull to the left due to the kinetic energy of the sidecar. If the sidecar has brakes, it will pull less to the left. If the sidecar combination is heavily loaded or the sidecar has a long load, the steering will be even more affected by the sidecar. The slower you drive, the more you are in control. A sidecar can be designed for either goods or passenger transport. On a goods sidecar, its total weight and load must be written on the side. A passenger sidecar may only transport the number of passengers it is approved for plus one child under the age of 10.
Here the obligation to wear a crash helmet also applies. Crash helmets do not have to be worn where seat belts are fitted.

Even gentle right turns, such as during an overtaking manoeuvre, can be enough to cause the sidecar wheel to lift. If you ride too fast when turning left, the rear wheel could lift. You can counteract this by leaning backwards to the left. If the rear wheel lifts, shut off the throttle immediately and steer towards the sidecar. If you brake before the sidecar combination is straightened up, there is a risk of tipping over. It doesn't take a lot of speed to tip over during this exercise.

Practice with a sidecar combination

At the technical driving facility, you will experience how a motorcycle and sidecar combination is different from a solo motorcycle. You will practice different steering, acceleration and braking exercises.

1) Riding in a figure of eight around two cones that are as close to each other as possible.

2) Riding slalom between at least 9 cones with a progressively decreasing distance.

3) Acceleration and braking. At 70 km/h, stop at a point marked with cones, using both brakes. You choose when to start and with what force you should brake. Then you should brake with the shortest possible braking distance with gradually increasing speeds up to 70 km/h.

4) You ride in a circle to the right with increasing speed until the sidecar wheel just starts to lift.

5) Riding through bends to the right and left.

The exercises at the technical driving facility are a final polishing of your new skills. And you should now be ready to Ride! Are you? In the next chapter, you can read about what to expect in the theory test and practical driving test.

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