Basic Control: Starting, Stopping, Shifting, and Turning
Starting: FINE-C
Fuel valve on, Ignition on, Neutral confirmed, Engine cut-off to RUN, Choke if cold. Squeeze the clutch, shift into first, then ease the clutch out to the friction zone while adding a little throttle. Release smoothly as the bike begins to pull and pick your feet up.
Stopping
Use both brakes together: progressive squeeze on the front lever, light-to-firm pressure on the rear pedal. Come to a stop with the left foot down and the right foot holding the rear brake, so you don't roll on a slope. Keep the front wheel straight as you stop.
Shifting
Match gear to speed. Upshift with a firm, quick lever movement and a slight throttle roll-off; downshift before a turn, not during it. Never coast with the clutch pulled in or in neutral - you give up engine braking and the ability to accelerate out of trouble.
Turning: slow, look, press, roll
At parking-lot speeds, use the friction zone plus light rear brake for stability, turn your head to the exit, and counterweight the outside peg if needed. Above roughly 12–15 mph, countersteer: press the grip on the side you want to go and the bike leans. Look through the corner - the bike follows your eyes.
Worked example
A rider brakes mid-corner on a wet street and the front tire slides. Reasoning: braking while leaned uses traction the tires already need for turning. The fix is to set speed before the corner, then maintain throttle or gently roll on through it.
Traps
- Grabbing the front brake at low speed with the bars turned.
- Coasting through a turn with the clutch pulled in.
- Staring at the center line instead of the exit.
- Downshifting mid-corner and upsetting the chassis.