5 Things to learn at Royal Enfield Slide School

Look Where You Want To Go

Vision is a crucial aspect wherever you ride/drive. Be it on the track, road, or an oval full of loose sand. And flat tracking, just like any other motorsport, also demands your undivided attention. So, where you look is where your bike will move. We learned to look toward the entry/exit of the corners as per the line of choice. Supposedly, if you’ve started steering inside the corner, the line of vision could be near the exit. However, the rider has to keep looking forward and avoid target fixating. Moreover, the goal is to look at an adequate distance so you don’t miss out on the consecutive trajectory.

Engine Braking over Rear Brakes

We were told to go as fast as we could and let go of the throttle right at the entry point. This led to intense engine braking since the bike was ridden in the first gear only. Now, the rider can slow down using the rear brake, which could lock the rear wheel and cause a possible low side. Further, you need consistent momentum to slide in and out of the corners which can be attained by mitigating the throttle thereby relying on engine braking. However, slight taps on the rear brake can come in handy but a full stomp will wash out the rear tyre. 

Countersteer All The Time

To give you a perspective, the flat track-ready Himalayan rides on block pattern tyres and is devoid of the front brake setup. So, the only way to chop the speed is the rear brake. And similar to riding on the tarmac, flat tracking also includes counter-steering to move in the correct direction. This means the handlebar would point to the right side while you are entering/exiting the left-hand corner. It allows you to carry speed through the corner and adds to the balance when the bike is leaned over and the contact patch under the front tyre is decreasing. 

Body Position

One of the trickiest bits and also where we all struggled the most was the body position. Simply put, your torso needs to be straight with elbows up, right kneed tucked towards the fuel tank, hips twisted, head and foot up with your toe pointing ahead. Yes, that’s a lot to memorize at once but once you get a hold of the current body position, flat tracking gets even more exhilarating. Moreover, the throttle needs to be operated as if you’d twist a door knob: light grip and relaxed inputs. Let the bike decide the flow with your inputs following it ahead. 

Define Your Pace

All the above aspects work in tandem once you understand your comfortable pace. Right from the throttle input to the entry point, cutting the gas, counter steering, mitigating the rear brake, and then siding out again, the pace needs to be increased gradually. Once you are close to the limits, try to go faster, set tighter lines, and exit with a little more gas. The point is to understand the entire process step by step and then execute it together. After all, these actions have to amalgamate for a perfectly executed slide.

Photo Credits: William Mathew