Sylvain Guintoli is crushing it on YouTube right now, as the former WorldSBK champion continues to pump out insightful videos about riding motorcycles while the world is stuck at home.
If you missed his explanation on why racers dangle their leg during braking, you should go watch it right now. It is the most exhaustive and complete breakdown on the subject that we have seen to date, and Guintoli combines his unique experience with clear explanations.
Moving ahead, the Frenchman is back with another video about riding technique, though this one is geared not so much towards racers and high-level track riders.
Instead, we think it fits well for intermediate-level riders who want to work on their track skills.
That being said, just about any rider should be able to glean a couple useful tips from Guintoli’s explanations. We definitely picked up a couple maintenance items to our riding technique for this season.
We would just add that points #4 and #6 in the video are pretty dense topics, and you will hear other rider-coaches offering different advice on these categories.
This is where we remind ourselves that Guintoli is mostly talking to a less-experienced crowd, and those subjects could easily be 15-20 minute videos in their own right, and encompass a bit more nuance than what is offered here.
For instance, on applying the brakes going into a turn, you will hear many rider-coaches offering the opposite advice, instead saying that one shouldn’t stab the front brakes, but instead load the front tire more progressively.
Considering that most beginning riders (and even quite a few high-level riders) don’t apply nearly enough front lever pressure in high-speed braking zones, Sylvain’s advice holds quite a bit of water as a starting point for track riders, but the data (and physics) does show that loading a tire progressively allows it to handle more g-force.
Similarly, for his section about breaking down a track, you will hear the often-repeated Ken Hill school of thought, which breaks down turns into exit-corners, entry-corners, and neutral-corners.
Again though for new riders, learning corner exits is an easier skill to master (especially with modern rider aids) and will make the biggest improvements on their lap times. But again, this is a topic with a bit more nuance than there is on face value.
In the context of speaking to beginner and intermediate riding levels, we would still tend to agree with Guintoli’s advice, with the caveat that these subjects evolve further as your riding skills improve.
If you aren’t following Guintoli on YouTube right now, you really should. He’s making one of the best channels about riding motorcycles and is a legit authority.
Source: Sylvain Guintoli (YouTube)
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