Table Of ContentTOTAL CONTROL
High performance street riding techniques
Lee Parks
Foreword by Erik Buell
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Section 1: Chassis Dynamics
Chapter 1: Traction
Chapter 2: Steering
Chapter 3: Suspension
Section 2: Mental Dynamics
Chapter 4: Fear
Chapter 5: Concentration
Chapter 6: Right Attitude
Section 3: Body Dynamics
Chapter 7: Vision
Chapter 8: Line Selection
Chapter 9: Throttle Control
Chapter 10: Shifting
Chapter 11: Braking
Chapter 12: Body Positioning
Chapter 13: Low-Speed Turns
Chapter 14: Riding Two-Up
Section 4: Machine Setup
Chapter 15: Suspension Setup
Chapter 16: Chassis Tuning
Chapter 17: Ergonomics
Chapter 18: Aerodynamics
Section 5: Rider Setup
Chapter 19: Fitness
Chapter 20: Riding Gear
Epilogue
Appendix
Suspension Testing Log
Index
Photo Credits
Foreword
Most people who have heard of me in the motorcycling world know me as a motorcycle
engineer/designer and motorcycle manufacturer/entrepreneur first with Harley-Davidson, then
Buell and now EBR. While that is true, a smaller number of people know that I am an avid rider
and ex-racer, which is what really led me down this trail of fun and madness.
I truly love motorcycle riding, and as I started riding, it aligned with my fascination with
learning and stretching what I can accomplish and control. So first I started pushing myself on the
street. Young and brave, and still ignorant that led to a few crashes. So some wiser older guys
pointed me to the race track. Best thing that ever happened. There were no schools then for
learning riding, but if you opened your eyes and listened, there was a lot to be learned.
Unlike the street where being bravest and stupidest might make you look fastest, the track was a
true comparison. And it became one where I wanted to measure myself. And once measured,
then I wanted to do better. So slowly I learned bike control by 1) watching what the fast guys did,
2) by listening to what they said, 3) by asking questions and, finally by trying the new things. First
I learned about lines on the track and how to maximize speed with them. Next, I learned how to
pass and not be passed. Once I could ride with the fast guys, smaller things became important—
like body position, weight transfer, and transitions in and out of corners. As I found these physical
controls, it led to learning about technical controls that I could apply such as suspension settings,
tire and brake compounds, and more. Next came even more esoteric subjects like chassis rigidity,
CG and swingarm pivot location, wheelbase, etc. It was all incredibly interesting and incredibly
personal. Everything I learned applied to getting me around a track better, and it could be
measured and quantified.
My goal was road racing. As I learned I moved up the ranks until I was running in the Daytona
200 and finishing top 10 in AMA F1 and Superbike. It was incredible how dedication to learning
had moved me from a street squid to a world class rider level. It wasn’t talent and it wasn’t
bravery. And it surely wasn’t about money. It was all about approaching riding as a learning
experience and always making the best out of what I had available to me. All this also led me to
going to engineering school for my degree, and all of a sudden math, graphs, and statistics had a
reason for me—my motorcycle racing.
Of course, every mile in life leads to more learning, and that is what makes life good. But the
road I had taken took many years and a lot of dedication. When people would ask me how to
become better riders I could really only say, “Devote a whole lot of time to it. Put in enough
hours and most people can ride well.” Or I would try to explain quickly from my perspective, but
most went over people’s heads. I was not a good teacher.
It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, because it meant that learning to ride well might be out of the
reach of many people. And what a shame that would be. How could people learn the skills it took
me so long to develop and that were really worth having?
I think that is what intrigued me most about Lee Parks and his approach. Yes he had raced, but
not at the same obsessive level as I had for years. What Lee had done was, as a writer, to start
capturing what he was learning while racing, in a format that allowed him to learn faster. And lo
and behold, this allowed him to put it into a format where he could share it. And in a really
interesting way, he blended solid engineering data in with the riding skills part of what he was
teaching. For me, that really counts. I need to understand from several levels what is happening
with me on the bike—not only the direct connection between rider input and result, but what
happens in between with the machine. Lee has created a riding technology that really helps
explain a lot in one clean and easily understandable book.
In Total Control, Lee covers a very large range of knowledge about motorcycles and riding
them well. You still need to go practice, but as you read this, you will know what to look for while
you are practicing. It will give you a step-by-step practice portfolio, rather than just randomly
trying things while riding. You will get better if you read and practice what he is teaching. How
far you go will depend on many things. But without a doubt you will improve, and at a far faster
pace than you would without the comprehensive lessons here. Lee has dedicated himself to
making riding a motorcycle a safer and more satisfying experience in less time, and I thank him
for it. Total control is waiting for you. Take the step.
— Erik Buell
Acknowledgements
I originally figured that writing the original book would be a cakewalk given that it was simply
supposed to be a written version of my Advanced Riding Clinics (ARC), which I knew like the
back of my hand. I could not have been more wrong. With this edition, I likewise figured it would
pretty easy given that I was just going to update the book with some newer references, photos,
etc. Wrong again. In fact, it took as much time to update this book as it did to write the original.
Fortunately, I am rich with amazing friends and family whose outstanding support helped make
this book a reality.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank “Big Al” Lapp. In addition to providing his world-class
illustrations and laying out this book, he is a true gearhead. In fact, Al spent just as much time as I
did understanding the physics involved in single-track vehicles to ensure exactitude.
Next, I’d like to thank my editor, Darwin Holmstrom. Not only did he convince me to do this
book in the first place, but he proceeded to kick me in the butt on a weekly and even daily basis for
close to a year (twice!) until I finally got it finished. Without his efforts, this book would still be a
wistful fantasy.
I’d also like to thank Race Tech founder Paul Thede, who showed his selfless nature by
allowing me to take a career’s worth of his knowledge and whittle it down into the two suspension
chapters here, which are better than I ever could have done on my own. In the interim Paul and I
co-wrote Race Tech’s Motorcycle Suspension Bible in 2010, which is still the definitive work on the
subject.
My longtime girlfriend Christie Ung gets the award for the most versatile contributions to the
book, which included writing, photography, editing, and photo modeling—not to mention taking up
the slack in both of my companies as I was engaged with the book’s completion.
Also high on the list are those friends who contributed their time, expertise, principles, and
often words to help make sure the book was both accurate and comprehensive. These stalwarts
include: Erik Buell, Greg McDonald, Dave Saam, Timothy Paravano, Earl Damron, Ray
Engelhardt, Tom Riles, Matt Wiley, Rick Mayer, Terry Watts, Scott Fond-Leoncini, Gus
Diamantopoulos, D. C. Wilson, Tony Foale, Kevin Cameron, Andy Goldfine, Randy Northrup,
Kent Soignier, Ken Merena, Keith Soulter, and Stacey Axmaker.
Special kudos to Joe Bonello, who took on much of the action photography. Jim Granger,
Tealdo Teal, Marcy Toschi, David Bianco, Steve Kirsch, Glen Goldman, Keith Soulter, and Art
Guilfoil also made contributions too numbers to detail. The rest of the photographers and photo
models who contributed are listed at the back of the book in the Photo Credits section.
Helpful tracks where we did photography include: Grangé Moto Circuit, Willow Springs
Raceway, Road America, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, and Summit Point. Motorcycle shops
who contributed include: Douglas Motorcycles, Victorville Harley-Davidson, Rev Moto
Industries, Las Vegas Dyno Tech, Motor Cycle Center, and B&B Cycles. Companies who helped
include: Level 5 Graphics, Race Tech, GMD Computrack, Erik Buell Racing, Bazzaz, Avon,
Dunlop, Spider Grips, Schuberth, BMW, LS2, Aerostich, Klim, G2 Ergonomics, Twisted Throttle,
HeliBars, Team AZ, and Zero Gravity.
Of course, I have to thank my parents for allowing me the privilege of riding motorcycles at a
young age. My dad taught me the basics of riding and supported my two-wheeled addiction until
I could afford to do it on my own. He also gave me my first professional writing, editing, and
graphic design jobs and taught me how to use a camera. My mom spent many weekends
transporting my friends and me to the local motocross track and tried to read her novels as we
made lots of noise and covered her in dust. She also taught me much of what I know about
teaching.
