As an 80s kid, I would read Motorcyclist mag and Cycleworld cover to cover every month. It is good to see a person behind those words (and photos) doing well.
I learned to ride from my friends in the late 70's. Experience has been a my teacher over the many miles since then. Some lessons have been scarier than others. Over the years I also read lots of books and magazine articles on riding techniques, including Ken's. I've watched lots of videos - some good, some not so good. I knew that I was no expert, but I was confident that I had the general idea of how to ride safely. I was also having fun exploring on two wheels. Encouraged by posts on Craig's Living Off The Slab web pages, I signed up for my first ever riding class - Ken's Street Riding class - in September of this year (2024). I went in expecting to refine what I already new. I was sure that being watched and coached by an expert rider would bring out things I'd missed in my previous reading and video watching. I learned a ton more than I was expecting to! It was money well spent. The more I practice what Ken taught, the less I have to think about it. My cornering lines are much smoother, more comfortable, safer, and more fun. One day with Ken was worth more than years of experience. I wish I'd taken the class years ago. I will definitely take it again.
Craig, thank you for this episode. I hope you can do more of these in the future. Like you, I am an older rider at 60. Safe riding is number 1 priority for me at my age. Crashing is not an option. I took up street riding at 58. I ride a T120 Triumph. My only past motorcycle experience dates back to 1970s dirt bikes. Riding has really added a joy to my life I did not fully anticipate. Love all you do with your channel. I live in NC. A little too far to take a class with Ken. Not that I want put this as a bucket list item in the future. I've found it a little discouraging to find so few riding training courses beyond basic MSF in my area. When Ken recommended MotoMark1 IN NC I signed up for a course today! Glad to know Ken highly recommended them.
If I were a millionaire, I would have a scholarship fund set up so that anyone who wanted to take Ken's classes, or participate in Tony's Track Days could do so. It's rare for me to get out and ride and not have some tip or technique that I've learned by way of Ken that hasn't kept me safe, given me joy or enabled me to pass on something that I've learned from him. You are a good interviewer, Craig. Thank you!
I finally got a chance to watch the full video, been travelling. Excellent interview and Ken seems very down to earth and easy to talk to. I appreciate his knowledge and experience gathered over the years and will look to add his book to my small collection for some off season reading. Thanks Craig for introducing Ken to your channel.
This has been great thank you both, 59 yrs old from central Ma been riding for just a couple months and plan to do msf in spring, and hopefully more advanced training and analysis from Ken after that. Besides yourselves, there are a few excellent youtubers where I apply what they teach on the road, and I've certainly made mistakes already albeit at lower speeds where I've learned valuable lessons, going too fast into a sharp corner, and positioning for escape in heavy traffic (where I realized I was not in the right place after the fact). I'm forming the muscle memory you talk about, riding with proper strategy in mind, and consistently practicing low and higher speed maneuvers...still have a long way to go!
This is awesome! It makes me sad that I'm the only one at the track days on a Victory Vision. The thing is an absolute joy to blast around the curves on. C group is very friendly and welcoming.
Great comment on discerning good from bad on RUclips. I used to use correct understanding of counter steering as one of my key metrics, but after finding that Keith Code was the only person who seemed to fully understand it, I had to lower my bar. Even folks like Motorman and others still teach the “magic speed” myth that counter steering somehow stops working below a given speed, typically 10-15 MPH is given, and this simply nonsense.
That was my response that you used and I appreciated his response. Nothing is “always”, and when I come across instructors with that mentality, I tend to put them on ignore after that. For the record, I have been an “instructor “ for over 45 yrs (not motorcycling, to be clear).
Thank you Craig for producing this video. Very informative. You are very lucky to have a person like Ken in your area. Hope you continue producing content like this one.
I use the same strategy as IAM for much of my riding in Pennsylvania. One of our biggest hazards is deer and many of our roads have fairly narrow berms with brush and trees along the side. Staying towards the left side of the lane gives better visibility for deer and more reaction time if one comes out. Cutting a tight apex on a PA back road is a way to shorten your lifespan. Now, when riding out west where you can see for miles in every direction, I tend to ride a more “textbook” line through the corners and curves.
My experience is different in that I rarely see a cruiser rider than drags parts. Most I’ve seen will run wide and even crash (seen on video, not in person) before they lean enough to drag hard parts. Most don’t have the skill to use even the limited lean angle they have available.
Yes, the real measure that you have developed some mastery of a given activity is that you no longer have to consciously think about it. If you are still thinking about the details of a given activity or endeavor, but it physical or mental, that is a good sign that you still have significant room for improvement.
Can’t help but notice the lack of comments when it comes to training content.😢 Going fast and straight is easy. OWNING ur bike in an instant situation is priceless. Or, just being a boat ton better at slow speed gas station maneuvering compared to ur riding buddies is PRICELESS as well. 😆 Don’t just be watchers folks, be DOERS!
Part of it may be the length. I admit that when I see a video that is longer than a coffee break, I tend to either skip it or watch it in chunks. I’m on my third visit to this one and still not halfway through it. I almost never sit down or an hour at a stretch to watch a RUclips video. I think videos like this are best broken into segments that cover a given topic such as cornering, braking, road strategy, training classes, etc. That is, bite-size pieces.
Thinking about the old magazines brings back good memories. I subscribed to Cycle magazine for many years and really enjoyed reading Gordon Jennings among others. I also subscribed to Road Rider, later Motorcycle Consumer News, pretty much from its launch until its demise. I stuck with Rider up until a month ago. Their new format with colored backgrounds and text with insufficient contrast for my 64 year old eyes was just too much, so I let my subscription lapse after more than three decades. The only print magazine I still get is the BMW Owner News. They still use black on white print that I can read easily and don’t have the cutesy formatting crap that so many other print magazines now employ.
It would be nice if insurance companies would offer discounts or such for training. Then again, they make money either way so they have no incentive to do that. And I agree that the BMW MOA is a great organization in regard to safety training. I recently took one of the online Champ U courses and the BMW MOA reimbursed me 100% upon successful completion. I have been a BMW MOA member for 17 years now and it is probably the most safety conscious organization out there as they actually put their money where their mouth is.
As an 80s kid, I would read Motorcyclist mag and Cycleworld cover to cover every month. It is good to see a person behind those words (and photos) doing well.
I learned to ride from my friends in the late 70's. Experience has been a my teacher over the many miles since then. Some lessons have been scarier than others. Over the years I also read lots of books and magazine articles on riding techniques, including Ken's. I've watched lots of videos - some good, some not so good. I knew that I was no expert, but I was confident that I had the general idea of how to ride safely. I was also having fun exploring on two wheels.
Encouraged by posts on Craig's Living Off The Slab web pages, I signed up for my first ever riding class - Ken's Street Riding class - in September of this year (2024). I went in expecting to refine what I already new. I was sure that being watched and coached by an expert rider would bring out things I'd missed in my previous reading and video watching.
I learned a ton more than I was expecting to! It was money well spent. The more I practice what Ken taught, the less I have to think about it. My cornering lines are much smoother, more comfortable, safer, and more fun. One day with Ken was worth more than years of experience. I wish I'd taken the class years ago. I will definitely take it again.
Craig, thank you for this episode. I hope you can do more of these in the future. Like you, I am an older rider at 60. Safe riding is number 1 priority for me at my age. Crashing is not an option. I took up street riding at 58. I ride a T120 Triumph. My only past motorcycle experience dates back to 1970s dirt bikes. Riding has really added a joy to my life I did not fully anticipate. Love all you do with your channel.
I live in NC. A little too far to take a class with Ken. Not that I want put this as a bucket list item in the future. I've found it a little discouraging to find so few riding training courses beyond basic MSF in my area. When Ken recommended MotoMark1 IN NC I signed up for a course today! Glad to know Ken highly recommended them.
If I were a millionaire, I would have a scholarship fund set up so that anyone who wanted to take Ken's classes, or participate in Tony's Track Days could do so. It's rare for me to get out and ride and not have some tip or technique that I've learned by way of Ken that hasn't kept me safe, given me joy or enabled me to pass on something that I've learned from him. You are a good interviewer, Craig. Thank you!
I finally got a chance to watch the full video, been travelling. Excellent interview and Ken seems very down to earth and easy to talk to. I appreciate his knowledge and experience gathered over the years and will look to add his book to my small collection for some off season reading. Thanks Craig for introducing Ken to your channel.
This has been great thank you both, 59 yrs old from central Ma been riding for just a couple months and plan to do msf in spring, and hopefully more advanced training and analysis from Ken after that. Besides yourselves, there are a few excellent youtubers where I apply what they teach on the road, and I've certainly made mistakes already albeit at lower speeds where I've learned valuable lessons, going too fast into a sharp corner, and positioning for escape in heavy traffic (where I realized I was not in the right place after the fact). I'm forming the muscle memory you talk about, riding with proper strategy in mind, and consistently practicing low and higher speed maneuvers...still have a long way to go!
This is awesome! It makes me sad that I'm the only one at the track days on a Victory Vision. The thing is an absolute joy to blast around the curves on. C group is very friendly and welcoming.
Great comment on discerning good from bad on RUclips. I used to use correct understanding of counter steering as one of my key metrics, but after finding that Keith Code was the only person who seemed to fully understand it, I had to lower my bar. Even folks like Motorman and others still teach the “magic speed” myth that counter steering somehow stops working below a given speed, typically 10-15 MPH is given, and this simply nonsense.
That was my response that you used and I appreciated his response. Nothing is “always”, and when I come across instructors with that mentality, I tend to put them on ignore after that. For the record, I have been an “instructor “ for over 45 yrs (not motorcycling, to be clear).
Thank you Craig for producing this video. Very informative. You are very lucky to have a person like Ken in your area. Hope you continue producing content like this one.
I use the same strategy as IAM for much of my riding in Pennsylvania. One of our biggest hazards is deer and many of our roads have fairly narrow berms with brush and trees along the side. Staying towards the left side of the lane gives better visibility for deer and more reaction time if one comes out. Cutting a tight apex on a PA back road is a way to shorten your lifespan. Now, when riding out west where you can see for miles in every direction, I tend to ride a more “textbook” line through the corners and curves.
Thank you both for your your efforts in producing this video. A good listen.
My experience is different in that I rarely see a cruiser rider than drags parts. Most I’ve seen will run wide and even crash (seen on video, not in person) before they lean enough to drag hard parts. Most don’t have the skill to use even the limited lean angle they have available.
Yes, the real measure that you have developed some mastery of a given activity is that you no longer have to consciously think about it. If you are still thinking about the details of a given activity or endeavor, but it physical or mental, that is a good sign that you still have significant room for improvement.
Can’t help but notice the lack of comments when it comes to training content.😢
Going fast and straight is easy. OWNING ur bike in an instant situation is priceless.
Or, just being a boat ton better at slow speed gas station maneuvering compared to ur riding buddies is PRICELESS as well. 😆
Don’t just be watchers folks, be DOERS!
Part of it may be the length. I admit that when I see a video that is longer than a coffee break, I tend to either skip it or watch it in chunks. I’m on my third visit to this one and still not halfway through it. I almost never sit down or an hour at a stretch to watch a RUclips video. I think videos like this are best broken into segments that cover a given topic such as cornering, braking, road strategy, training classes, etc. That is, bite-size pieces.
Thinking about the old magazines brings back good memories. I subscribed to Cycle magazine for many years and really enjoyed reading Gordon Jennings among others. I also subscribed to Road Rider, later Motorcycle Consumer News, pretty much from its launch until its demise. I stuck with Rider up until a month ago. Their new format with colored backgrounds and text with insufficient contrast for my 64 year old eyes was just too much, so I let my subscription lapse after more than three decades.
The only print magazine I still get is the BMW Owner News. They still use black on white print that I can read easily and don’t have the cutesy formatting crap that so many other print magazines now employ.
Road strategy is like playing chess. What are my options if that guy pulls out? Where can I go if that car turns?
It would be nice if insurance companies would offer discounts or such for training. Then again, they make money either way so they have no incentive to do that. And I agree that the BMW MOA is a great organization in regard to safety training. I recently took one of the online Champ U courses and the BMW MOA reimbursed me 100% upon successful completion. I have been a BMW MOA member for 17 years now and it is probably the most safety conscious organization out there as they actually put their money where their mouth is.