The slow speed riding challenge is something any motorcyclist can use to practice their motorcycle riding skills.  All you need is an empty parking lot and some pylons (or empty Tim Hortons coffee cups).

As long-time viewers may appreciate, the Yamaha Challenge has become something of a tradition at Motorcycle Experience. Dave sets up a Yamaha related challenge and lets the chips fall where they may aiming to illustrate skills you’ll need as a motorcycle rider and demonstrating how to face those challenges. There was the Yamaha BWS 125 Scooter bet pitting Bryan Hudgin against the elements, and his gas tank, on the long road between Baie Commeau, Quebec and Goose Bay, Labrador. Then there was a series of dirt riding challenges where Bryan took his skills off-road to demonstrate adventure riding techniques. In honour of this illustrious tradition, in 2015 Dave and Matt Fletcher, of Yamaha Canada, set out to challenge OPP Officer Anthony Mann to a series of parking lot maneuvering challenges on a Yamaha FZ07.

In this first challenge, Dave and Matt lay down the law at the Picton Airport in Prince Edward County.  The first challenge seems relatively simple on paper, but it actually takes a lot of skill and it’s an important one to practice, as we say, at least once every riding season.   Dave and Matt marked a straight course, about 50m long and Anthony has to ride out that 50m in more that 45seconds. He can’t put his feet down or swerve outside the pylons.

When taking this challenge to task, be sure you use the clutch as the accelerator and keep the revs up. It will help you with the centrifugal force which will help keep the bike upright. Also, engaging the rear brake, not the front brake, to slow down helps to maintain control.