What You Will Learn in a Sports Bike Class
A sports bike, or street motorcycle, is specifically designed for speed, acceleration, cornering, and braking on roadways, usually at the cost of fuel and comfort compared to other standard motorcycles. It is usually smaller than a motorcycle, with a reduced handling capacity. There are various classesifications of sports bikes. There are sports bikes which are designed only for off road usage, for people who enjoy riding off road, dirt tracks, in remote areas, etc. The bikes are typically lightweight with wide tires, short wheelbase, low to the ground and a small engine. Many of them are built with performance parts like Brembo, K&N exhaust, snorkel, etc., in order to enhance performance.
The other type of sports bike is the sports bike which is designed for on road performance and often also fitted with suspension for a smoother ride. The main purpose of these bikes is to provide good handling, high speed, agility, and braking. These types of bikes use suspension which is often developed from the track using air pressure and then tuned to the needs of the rider. A lot of the current technology is used in the Brembo brake system, for example, because it is highly efficient.
Street sports bikes are designed mainly for comfortable rideability and normally have less electronics and more comfortable saddle. A street sports bike will generally have little electronics apart from a throttle response and a dab throttle. Street sports bikes were not developed with cornering in mind. Cornering is not a primary feature of sports bikes and so they do not have well developed suspensions or powerful engines for strong cornering.
When a sports bike is outfitted with a suspension system, it will usually have a lot of travel. This is because the purpose of the sports bike is to have a fast, agile ride. Because the suspension is so far back, the shock is absorbed over a great distance between the saddle and the ground.
Sport bikes are usually equipped with front and rear disc brakes, much like a motorcycle. Sport bikes were developed primarily for their cornering capabilities and not for their braking capabilities. A sport bike does not have the capability to absorb a great amount of shocks because it is not developed for that function. The suspension is not designed to provide a smooth ride when cornering and the tires have been developed for high speeds and not for high performance riding. The tires on a sport bike are generally not fit for high performance riding.
Sports bike riders tend to be on their feet most of the time. Because of this, you want to be sure that your feet are comfortable before getting used to riding on a sports bike. Getting used to the riding position is easier if you take the bike for a test drive to an indoor garage and try out different riding positions. You want to make sure that you can handle the angles of the cornering with your body in each different position. If you find that you cannot handle these turns at first, you may need to learn more about how to handle an off road riding position.
Once a person has learned how to handle an off road riding position, they will want to move up to a street riding position. Most sports bike frames are not made very sturdy and are not designed for off road use. Therefore, the seats and back of a sports bike rider will break down easily. A sports bike rider can break their tailbone, their kneecap, or any other bones in their lower back just by riding on one of these bikes for a period of time. There is no way to prevent this from happening, which is why a sports bike rider needs to learn how to keep their body in a fixed position all the time. Once a person has learned how to keep their body in a constant, balanced position, they can begin riding in a more relaxed style and will not risk injury.
One last thing that someone in a sports bike class will learn is how to have fun while they are riding. Sports bike classes are not for bikers that want to get in better shape or that want to compete with other riders in races. These groups are made for people that want to have a great time while they are riding their bike and to feel good about showing off to friends that come to the class. Becoming a good rider takes time and practice, but anyone can make the commitment and reach their goals if they take their time and do the work necessary.