Total Control: High-Performance Street Riding Techniques [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Well explained topics, full of graphics and photographs, this book is a perfect aid for those riders wanting to get the most of their bikes. It deals with technical subjects like suspension set-up and aerodynamics, as well as human topics like attitude, fear and fitness. Don't get misled by the title, since the techniques taught there apply to every bike type, not only to hi-performance superbikes. Written in a plain understandable language and including just the right and needed math formulae, Mr. Parks leads the reader through the entire book without much pain even for the complete novice rider. He even adds the right amount of subtle humour also. Great book, highly recommendable --Marcelo A Soto<br /><br />I did manage to buy a book, 'Total Control' by Lee Parks. This book, is (in my humble opinon), the greatest motorcycle instruction book since the start of motorcycle instruction books. Very clear, very precise anaologies to things that everyone deals with in real life, to help one better understand the art that is, motorcycling. One line that I read in the book struck me as something that I needed to do. 'If you have not practiced riding with a bit of fear, you will panic when presented with the unexpected.' For awhile, I was riding fast, but I wasnt really afraid of riding. I wasnt afraid of sharp corners or this and that, because I usually took them at speeds only slightly above average. I didnt have any fear. I need to work on riding with a bit of fear, so instead of letting the fear CONTROL me in a situation where I need my wits, not my reactions, I can let the fear flow through me, and use the wits. I also learned about steering my motorcycle more efficently. The author talked about how most people try to steer with both hands around corners, and while they believe that their helping the motorcycle, in reality, their hands are actually fighting eachother sub-conciously. I know, I didnt believe it either. What Lee Parks suggested doing, was relaxing the outside hand in a corner, so its barely gripping the handlebar, and to push with the inside hand ONLY to steer/lean the bike over. HOLY CRAP! He was completely right. I'm not talking just a little bit, makes a 1/10th of a difference. I mean he was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY on the money. I came into a 25mph turn on a road I like to test/learn my skills on, and I did as he said. I relaxed my outside hand, and at the latest point in the turn, I pushed with ONLY the inside hand, and started to turn. Only problem is, that my turning was so much more efficent, that I actually turned too much, and almost ended up as a pretty ornament on the inside guard-rail. Insane! I came up to the next tight left turn, and went a quicker than I normally would have (fear + testing out this new found turning ability), and I ZOOMED through it, without a problem. A 25mph rated turn that I normally took at 50mph, I was able to take at 65-70mph, just based on a new turning technique. This s*** works people. These guys know what their talking about. And while you need to practice, I can completely see how some of these books are manuals on how to get into the racing world. --Rebel dot net<br /><br />Overall impression: First, the book 'Total Control' was an exceptionally well paced and visually pleasing read! It is immediately obvious that you have spent a great deal of time and thought on the material placed within its pages. It's technical enough to clearly present the necessary data within the defined concept, without going so deep that it becomes difficult to navigate. Nor is it so simplistic that the reader would feel slighted by being overly 'hand-held'or 'kid-gloved'. If there were three bears and some porridge handy, I'm sure 'it's just right' would be the theme of the day. Details: While the majority of these concepts are not new to me, it is still nice to have --Two Wheel Tony

He spent five years as the editor and chief test rider of Motorcycle Consumer News where he road tested every new street motorcycle available in the U.S. and became one of the top performance-testing journalists in the world. Lee has translated his lifetime of experience for you to learn about the various skills and techniques needed to become a better and safer street rider. Better riding is a continuous lifetime learning experience, and involves theory, practice and evaluation. There are many books about motorcycle riding, and the good ones have "take-aways" that you can directly apply to your street or track riding. Many motorcycle self-improvement guides seem to be biased either towards street or track riding but don't do a good job of both. Total Control is unique in the way that it blends Lee's track experience with strategies for the street that can help make you a better rider. I would characterize Lee's book as one that can fill the knowledge gap that is the missing step between a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course and a track day experience. My feeling is that the measure of a good self-help book is in how much it makes me think and then by how much of the knowledge I can apply. Not every tip in every book can be applied, because if you're on a quest for knowledge, you'll probably have absorbed some of the lessons already. But if there's even one or two nuggets that come to the reader as new knowledge, the book is a success. Lee's book has more than that -- it gave me a fresh approach to riding, even after reading my share of the popular guides and by taking some of the available courses. For example, one tip that really stuck with me is Lee's "steering with only the inside arm" technique. I instantly recognized myself in Lee's description of riders whose hands end up fighting each other for control of the steering. I've been practicing Lee's tips and I'm amazed at the difference it makes in my riding. Total Control covers other subjects which may sound mundane but which come to life under Lee's pen. For example, the typical traction, steering, chassis dynamics and more are covered in Part 1. But Lee takes a fresh approach by adding photos, drawings and charts that whittle out all of the obscurity that permeates some other guides and offers an understanding of how these subjects can affect riding in a way that can make a difference. Part 2 is called "Mental Dynamics" and its discussion of fear has helped me with issues that are way outside the realm of motorcycling and which affect my daily life. Now if a motorcycle riding self-help guide can do that, it's surely worth a read! Part 3 gets to some of the knowledge that almost everyone can use: Vision, Line Selection, Throttle Control, Shifting, Braking, Body Positioning, Low Speed U-Turns and even Riding Two-Up. Lee also includes tips on fitness, riding gear and track days for when you want to take the next step. Total Control is right up there with the best of them. Now I can't wait to try one of Lee's Advanced Riding Clinics! --web bike world

Well explained topics, full of graphics and photographs, this book is a perfect aid for those riders wanting to get the most of their bikes. It deals with technical subjects like suspension set-up and aerodynamics, as well as human topics like attitude, fear and fitness. Don't get misled by the title, since the techniques taught there apply to every bike type, not only to hi-performance superbikes. Written in a plain understandable language and including just the right and needed math formulae, Mr. Parks leads the reader through the entire book without much pain even for the complete novice rider. He even adds the right amount of subtle humour also.Great book, highly recommendable-Marcelo soto-I did manage to buy a book, "Total Control" by Lee Parks. This book, is (in my humble opinon), the greatest motorcycle instruction book since the start of motorcycle instruction books. Very clear, very precise anaologies to things that everyone deals with in real life, to help one better understand the art that is, motorcycling. One line that I read in the book struck me as something that I needed to do. "If you have not practiced riding with a bit of fear, you will panic when presented with the unexpected." For awhile, I was riding fast, but I wasnt really afraid of riding. I wasnt afraid of sharp corners or this and that, because I usually took them at speeds only slightly above average. I didnt have any fear. I need to work on riding with a bit of fear, so instead of letting the fear CONTROL me in a situation where I need my wits, not my reactions, I can let the fear flow through me, and use the wits. I also learned about steering my motorcycle more efficently. The author talked about how most people try to steer with both hands around corners, and while they believe that their helping the motorcycle, in reality, their hands are actually fighting eachother sub-conciously. I know, I didnt believe it either. What Lee Parks suggested doing, was relaxing the outside hand in a corner, so its barely gripping the handlebar, and to push with the inside hand ONLY to steer/lean the bike over. HOLY CRAP! He was completely right. I'm not talking just a little bit, makes a 1/10th of a difference. I mean he was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY on the money. I came into a 25mph turn on a road I like to test/learn my skills on, and I did as he said. I relaxed my outside hand, and at the latest point in the turn, I pushed with ONLY the inside hand, and started to turn. Only problem is, that my turning was so much more efficent, that I actually turned too much, and almost ended up as a pretty ornament on the inside guard-rail. Insane! I came up to the next tight left turn, and went a quicker than I normally would have (fear + testing out this new found turning ability), and I ZOOMED through it, without a problem. A 25mph rated turn that I normally took at 50mph, I was able to take at 65-70mph, just based on a new turning technique. This sh*t works people. These guys know what their talking about. And while you need to practice, I can completely see how some of these books are manuals on how to get into the racing world. -Alex Pearsall -This is simply an excellent book. The techiques it presents for turning, braking, U-turns, driving with pigeons and so on are really excellent and works perfectly. The initial chapters explaining the physics involved in driving are explained in order to be understood for everyone but at the same time are very technical and deep. You actually understand how your bike works. It has a lot of illustrations and photos that help a lot the examples. A lot of them show the Correct and Incorrect way to do some particular exercise, so you can check both easily The book shows a lot of Sport bikes on their pictures, but it's not written only for sport bikes. The techniques and explanations works with any kind of bike. --motorcycle dot com

Today's super high-performance bikes are the most potent vehicles ever sold to the public and they demand advanced riding skills. This is the perfect book for riders who want to take their street riding skills to a higher level. Total Control explains the ins and outs of high-performance street riding. Lee Parks, one of the most accomplished riders, racers, authors and instructors in the world, helps riders master the awe-inspiring performance potential of modern motorcycles.This book gives riders everything they need to develop the techniques and survival skills necessary to become a proficient, accomplished, and safer street rider. High quality photos, detailed instructions, and professional diagrams highlight the intricacies and proper techniques of street riding. Readers will come away with a better understanding of everything from braking and cornering to proper throttle control, resulting in a more exciting yet safer ride.