Skidpans?

[Rik]

Hi All,
Does anyone know if there is any advance motorcycle training available that teaches skid control? I’ve seen plenty of “skidpan” car info about but nothing for bikes.
This stems from the recent cold snap that we had and me being caught out by a patch of black ice.

I wasn’t racing by any means but I still nearly lost it, I got through but to be honest this was due more to a good set of tyres and “Using the Force” rather than skill.

Thinking back I certainly went to “Brown Alert” at the time, but could I have done anything different or better?
I know it’s not just this time of year when we hit the skiddy roads; look at most road junctions or garage forecourts, etc and they are covered in diesel, come autumn and out come the wet leaves and so on.

So any ideas / comments gratefully received.

[Red Herring]

Calafornia Superbike School have a bike with outriggers on to allow you to learn/practice power slides. I suspect some other organisations must have something similar. Other than that I'm afraid all you can do is find somewhere quiet and practice...carefully.

If it's any help I've got a Supermoto bike and that is without any doubt the most fun you can have on two wheels anytime, but specially in the winter. They are just so forgiving when things let go that most of the time you are in with a good chance of saving it, and light to pick up/cheap to fix if you don't.

[AlistairL]

I think California Superbike School are the only ones with the bike setup with the outriggers, but the other place to learn about front wheel skids etc seems to be off-road. I think the BMW off road course includes this (I'd need to check my Long Way Down dvd )

I'm spending a weekend with http://www.i2imca.com/index.htm in April for their on-road advanced machine control, their other two machine control days are supermoto based and they do off road too, I'm hoping to learn a bit from them e.g. one of their base principles is that the rider gets in the way of the bike sorting itself - something that Keith Code talks about in his books too.

A.

[Rik]

I will look into the CSS and see what they have to say.
As I ride more or less all year round, I've been thinking of getting a 2nd bike but must admit would not have thought of a Supermoto. I guess some off road /green laneing skills wouldn't go a miss either.

Thanks for the info.

Rik

[hardboiled]

I tend to ride/commute most of the year around in all conditions however when I am walking to my father's house to pick the bike up if there is grit on the road AND puddles are frozen or there's lots of visible frost then I either take the car or the bus.

You could probably practice for the odd slippy manhole cover you come across or touch of diesel on a roundabout but IMO ice is ice and without spiked tyres you're more than likely going to come off and get hurt.

[Horse]

Don't know if it's still in the syllabus, the the MSF (in the USA) used to include controlling a rear-wheel skid in their post-test course.