Practice-area exercises

Setting out the course

Place two cones 12 meters apart on a level practice area. Ride a standard figure eight around them. To use the competition format, complete five consecutive figure eights and record the total time.

Ride an oval in both directions

Two cones are useful for more than figure eights. Ride around the outside of them in an oval, making several laps in one direction and then the other. An oval is useful for warming up and separately practicing steady lean, body position, and where you look. It is easier to repeat the same turn several times than in GP8, where direction changes constantly.

Why GP8 is harder than it looks

This short pattern requires rapid repetition of braking, turning, shifting your gaze, holding lean, and accelerating. A mistake entering one curve almost immediately affects your entry into the next.

Three parts of each curve

• entry: shed excess speed and begin the turn
• middle: hold the chosen radius without unnecessary steering movements
• exit: begin accelerating and immediately prepare to change direction

A timing benchmark

In competition, the aim is simple: complete five figure eights as quickly as possible. A time of around 30 seconds or less is already a strong GP8 result. First achieve clean, repeatable runs, then work on reducing the time.

Posture

Try to keep your torso aligned with the motorcycle. Beginners often find counterbalancing more comfortable, so compare both positions at low speed and gradually learn to change your body position deliberately.

Your gaze and head position

Turn your head before the motorcycle turns. Look not at the cone you are already passing, but toward where you want to take the bike after the turn. The earlier your eyes move to the next part of the line, the fewer late steering corrections you need.

Line, lean, and entry speed

Note where you start braking and turning and how wide the curve becomes. Once you can repeat the line, increase entry speed a little at a time and learn to hold the lean without touching your foot or knee to the asphalt.

Brakes and throttle

GP8 is well suited to practicing precise use of the front and rear brakes in a turn. You can learn to feel how the suspension and tires are loaded and gradually approach the grip limit without crossing it. Open the throttle promptly but smoothly on the exit.

There is no single correct line

Your line depends on how the particular motorcycle pulls at low engine speeds and how easily you can meter its drive. Compare approaches on your own bike rather than trying to copy someone else's line at any cost.

When there is enough low-speed drive

You can hold a tighter curve and turn the motorcycle around the cone earlier.

When low-speed drive is limited

A wider curve helps preserve speed and keep engine revs from dropping too far on the exit. The path is longer, but acceleration remains smoother.

When the clutch helps

If the engine runs smoothly at low revs, you can leave the clutch almost untouched. If the motorcycle jerks, work the clutch in its friction zone to smooth the drive and hold your speed through a tight curve.

Using full steering lock

At low speed within a tight curve, you can turn the handlebars to the steering stop, hold them there, and then begin accelerating on the exit.

Adding the final steering input later

Another approach is to enter the turn without reaching full steering lock. Near the exit, turn the bars to the stop and then open the throttle further. This requires precise timing of that final steering input.

As your pace increases

• remove unnecessary braking once your line is consistent
• release the brake earlier when the motorcycle is already on the intended line
• turn your head toward the next curve early
• open the throttle smoothly and confidently on the exit
• keep your arms relaxed and avoid unnecessary body movements

Choose the technique based on your own runs

Compare both approaches and choose the one that needs fewer line corrections and gives you laps at roughly the same pace.

Work on one thing per set

Choose one element: where you look, your braking point, line, body position, or throttle use. Make several similar runs and check whether you can repeat the intended movement without unplanned corrections. Then move to the next task.

Record yourself from the side

Practicing with a partner is better: while one rider rides, the other watches their head, torso, line, and braking point. Record short sets from the same spot. If nobody is with you, place a phone on a tripod outside your path and review the recording only after stopping.

Practice emergency braking separately

Choose a straight section in the same practice area and repeat braking from the same speed. On a motorcycle with a manual clutch, pull it fully in as you start braking on every run and keep it in until you stop completely. With ABS, increase the pressure gradually after a few calm repetitions. Without ABS, do not try to find the grip limit alone: it is better to have an experienced companion or instructor observe you.

A simple session plan

• warm up with slow riding and a few calm figure eights
• choose one element and focus on it
• start timing once you can repeat the chosen line
• practice braking and emergency swerving in separate sets
• finish by comparing video of your first and last attempts

Alternatives to cones

If you have no cones, use soft, clearly visible objects that will not damage a wheel if you accidentally ride over them. Use stones only as outer markers away from your path.

If you enjoy the practice, look for moto gymkhana

Regular moto gymkhana sessions usually provide a practice area, cones, and prepared exercises. More experienced participants can watch your run and suggest improvements. A schedule helps you practice regularly, and timed runs add a competitive element. If you enjoy this kind of practice, look for sessions in your city.