Rating: 
Summary: Amazing Book
Review: From my website (http://www.rebelpacket.net)
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.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Book
Review: From my website (http://www.rebelpacket.net)
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.
Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: From the view point of a returning motorcyclist (35-year break), "Total Control" has been an excellent book for my needs. In the 1960s, neither riding schools nor technique books existed. The salesperson showed you which control did what and you learned the hard way on the street. The result was that I never really developed a true riding expertise and was blessed to have survived the experience - being young helped. Thus, Lee Parks' book has been an excellent resource for explaining and justifying each riding skill or equipment requirement. The book is clear, practical, and straight to the point. Riding methods, right and wrong, are clearly illustrated and each attribute is well annotated making the skill requirement clear. Loved the insights about how each skill set have been applied by racing greats as this made them even more understandable. Many neat tricks are included, for example, steering with the inside arm to avoid conflicting control inputs - works beautifully. The author even includes sets of slow speed, parking lot drills to develop the skills being advocated. My confidence in my ability to control the motorcycle has greatly improved! Recommend this book highly.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: From the view point of a returning motorcyclist (35-year break), "Total Control" has been an excellent book for my needs. In the 1960s, neither riding schools nor technique books existed. The salesperson showed you which control did what and you learned the hard way on the street. The result was that I never really developed a true riding expertise and was blessed to have survived the experience - being young helped. Thus, Lee Parks' book has been an excellent resource for explaining and justifying each riding skill or equipment requirement. The book is clear, practical, and straight to the point. Riding methods, right and wrong, are clearly illustrated and each attribute is well annotated making the skill requirement clear. Loved the insights about how each skill set have been applied by racing greats as this made them even more understandable. Many neat tricks are included, for example, steering with the inside arm to avoid conflicting control inputs - works beautifully. The author even includes sets of slow speed, parking lot drills to develop the skills being advocated. My confidence in my ability to control the motorcycle has greatly improved! Recommend this book highly.
Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: Got a Ducati for Christmas. It's just the 620, but still a world away from the crappy little 175 I owned for a couple of months, seven years ago. I hadn't ridden since then, so I figured a little prep might be in order. I snagged this book to read while I waited for riding season to arrive. Took the bike out to the parking lot on Saturday, and after I got over the initial awkwardness, I was able to apply techniques from the book with GREAT success. "Relax the outside hand" is incredibly effective. So simple, I couldn't believe what a difference it made. My husband's a serious sport rider, and I aim to be able to hang with him in the twisties eventually. The lessons in this book are getting me off to a good start. I'm still a long way from getting my tires all the way over--but I'll get there.
Rating:
Summary: Worth its weight in gold!
Review: I bought this book blindly (no retailers stock any bike books anywhere near me) based on the reviews here. I'm more than happy that I made the choice that I did.
As a background, I've been riding for 18 of my 25 years, but I needed some help with certain techniques. I feel that I'm a good rider, but I know that this book will improve my riding tremendously. It's incredibly easy to read and doesn't get boring or condescending. In some parts, it's downright funny. I managed to read this book in a matter of two days, and that was at work!
The strength of this book is that it's a good "mid-point" book between the beginner's books and the racing technique books. Certainly, beginners AND racers could learn a lot from Lee Parks, but this is exactly what I was looking for - explanations of WHY to do certain things in certain situations, as well as HOW to perform them. If you've got a basic understanding of how to ride a bike, along with some experience riding, this book is for you. I'm reading it for the second time this week, and I'm already picking out points that I missed or glossed over during the first read-through. It really is that good.
Rating:
Summary: great book for the novice
Review: I had looked at numerous books for a new driver, me, at 48 years old and just starting to ride, I didn't want to learn how to race, just drive safely and confidently. Most of the books I looked at were targeted to the racer, not this one.
The writing style, content and information is top notch, the first time riding after reading half the book I could relate to the information and felt more confidence, (not 100% but it'll come:-)). Would definetly recommend this book for a new or even an experienced driver....Mike
Rating:
Summary: Most practical riding book ever
Review: I've been riding motorcycle since 1975 and am a licensed road racer, so I knew a couple of things about riding when I bought this book. I expected to learn something, but no more than I learned from other riding technique books. My expectations were way too low. Simply put, this book changed my riding life. No other book contains practical exercises like the ones in "Total Control." Practicing these safe and simple exercises took my riding to a new level. No longer am I fighting my bike in the tight, technical stuff. Now it just does what I want it to. Forget spending $1000s on your suspension and engine--if you want to perform better, buy this book instead.
Rating:
Summary: Happy Customer!
Review: If you do well by reading and learning, This is a must read!!!
If you are considering a sports bike, buy this before you spend the thousands of dollars. I have read Park's, Total Control and Hough's More proficient motorcycle riding. Park's book is more geared to the proper mechanics of riding. Hough's book addresses the crap to look out for on the road.
The BIG difference is the examples he uses to further explain the process. They are with out a doubt some of the best examples I have seen for teaching a sports related process.
He goes into proper bike set up. He adresses saftey gear, Suspension set up, traction,steering, and probably the biggest gorilla Fear. Let's face it Motorcycling is about the thrill of carving a turn. Managing that so it remains a thrill and not down right scary is the goal for me. Mr Park's really hit a homerun with his Mental Dynamics section.
Enjoy your copy cause I'm not loaning mine out!
Rating:
Summary: Total Control is spot on!
Review: 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 someone else positively reinforce said concepts, and at times, distill them down to more accurate truths. This happened several times throughout the book when I would find myself nodding along with a passage, a bubble of remembrance surfacing in my mind as I recalled the event(s) that first led to the discovery of these factoids, usually in a much less desirable way. Often I had to set the book aside, while I mentally re-examined an idea I thought I knew backwards and forwards, yet was being presented from a different perspective. This of course, leads to additional insight and greatly increased understanding of not only the outlined principle, but also how these principles are all connected to one another. It's one thing to know a bunch of individual concepts, it is quite another to see them as a contiguous whole.
Without doubt, the most enjoyable chapters in the book for me are Ch. 4, 5, and 6 titled "Fear", "Concentration", and "Right Attitude" respectively. The truths contained within these three chapters are so profound, so absolutely and undeniably essential in every aspect of life, that I am amazed that so few people actually address it! I have been saying the very same things, although not nearly as well, for years. Yet the response is almost always the same: Disinterest, Scorn or flat out Denial. No, it's much better to focus on "hard" data like horsepower, torque, weight and so forth. Until someone goes to a track, and has the ex-racer / instructor absolutely walk away from them at any point on the track, while on a machine that makes 50% less horsepower and weighs 150 lbs more than theirs, then clueless that someone shall remain. I should know, I was that someone. Believe me when I say that it is a humbling, and if you have the right mindset, incredibly enlightening experience. Thank you for brilliantly explaining how the brain is the most important item to bring on a motorcycle ride!
Second favorite is the chapter on low speed U-Turns. A beautiful and clearly photographed example of how it should be done! I've lost count of the number of riders I've seen employ the exact opposite form, as if they were somehow going to yank a several hundred pound bike around 180 degrees, and consequently end up falling quite flat on the pavement.
Truthfully, I cannot fault anything within this book, except maybe the fact that I didn't write it myself!!
I am recommending this as a mandatory read for anyone who wishes to improve their motorcycling skills.
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