Cover the Controls
One of the things we teach at the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School is to have students get in the habit of covering the motorcycle’s hand controls while riding. This means leaving one or two fingers on both the clutch and the front brake lever.
Why is this important? It takes approximately two-tenths of a second to move your fingers from the grip to the lever in a panic situation. At 60 mph per hour that is nearly 20 feet – and that can be the difference between slamming into the side of a car or stopping well short of it. Leaving your fingers on the controls eliminates unneeded motion and prepares the rider for any surprises.