I adjusted mine until there was no play what so ever as long as when you turn the bars lock to lock the engine doesnt rev.

 

Oh ok that makes sense sounds like iv got one more thing to do when I install my frame sliders

 

You could tell yourself to relax all day but unless you are really connected and stable on the bike, you won't be able too. If you are not feeling stable with your lower body then you rely on your arms to hold on to the handlebars.

What could you do with your lower body to help ensure that you could relax your arms?

 

1) Stoppies, I just lock up the front...
2) Low speed tight turns. I just can't, I feel like I'm going to fall over

 

 

That vid is actually my favorite one despite the questionable english I think he demos the concept pretty well
I think a lot of it has to do with mental stuff for me. As a fearless beginner I layed down twice because I leaned too much for how slow I was going, so after that I've been afraid to lean while going slow n just can't get over feeling like I'm going to fall and I always end up going wide. Thanks though for the reminder I just need to practice more. I even got cones and stuff too for parking lot exercises (of course that was before my bike died .....)

 

I still have the bad habit of really grabbing the bars while hanging off. ill finally realize why my lines and corner speed sucks and relax. I dont do it as much as i used to, installing tank grip pads have helped that a ton though, used to have to squeeze the hell out of the tank to stay on the damn thing.

Used to have an issue with braking and rev matching, but my last trackday at BFR i kinda forced myself to not be a wimp on the brakes, turn 1 comes outta nowhere fast
I noticed the harder i was on the brakes, the easier rev matching became.

I still havent tried shifting while hanging off. maybe next year

 

Hardest thing is keeping my eyes where they need to be next. I tend to look too close to my front wheel, which messes up my sense of speed and my timing. It's a really bad habit from poor driving skills because of learning to drive in a city with major potholes and other crap. When I'm on the bike sometimes I make a game of dodging patches. It hurts my riding and I know it. Damn hard habit to break because I'm always thinking about that next spot of grease or rocks or whatever is in the road.

If it weren't for the fact that I enjoy the occasional commute to work or the store, I'd quit street riding (provided I got enough track time). Maybe I could break those bad vision habits.

 

If you experiment with your body position you should be able to find a way to minimize how much you have to grab the bars. Try a few different positions while the bike is on a stand and see what one affords you the ability to be as relaxed as possible. At the California Superbike School we get our students to jam their outside knee into the tank (stomp grip helps as you mentioned). If you do a calf raise with that outside foot it helps to get your let together into the tank with better grip. From there, if you hang half a butt cheek off and work on brining your upper body over to the inside you should be able to let go of the bars completely and just have your outside knee/leg anchoring you. The more stable your lower body is the more you will be able to relax your upper body.

Improving your visual skills is something that you can certainly do. The first step to making the improvements is knowing what you are doing wrong and you have certainly pinpointed what you are doing incorrectly. What should you be looking at instead? Should you be looking as far ahead as possible or are there specific things you should be looking at while riding?

 

MIsti- Inhavent convinced myself that the habit is altogether bad for the street. I saw a guy today on a Spyder run over a cooler lid that was in the middle of the road. He was at slow enough speed that going around shouldn't have been a problem, but being on 3-wheels he couldn't care less. I don't think that is the desirable either.

Happiness must be somewhere in the middle of the extremes. I have to consciously push my eyes down the road. If I can make this trackday this weekend, we shall see if I can make the mental shift successfully.