Riding: Coaching and Performance Reports
Most riders know when a ride feels smooth or when something does not feel quite right. What is often harder is understanding exactly why. Were you braking too late? Carrying the brakes into the corner? Turning too early?Tensing on the controls? Or were your speed, vision, road positioning and motorcycle inputs simply not working together?
At R Rated Motorcycle Rides, our coaching reports help riders turn those feelings into something they can understand and improve. They are practical development tools not tests, pass-or-fail assessments or comparisons with other riders.
Two Types of Coaching Feedback
Depending on the session, riders may receive either:
A Rider Performance and Coaching Report using recorded riding data and video.
A Coaching Worksheet for individual one-on-one riding sessions.
Both provide clear, personalised feedback, but they serve slightly different purposes.
The Rider Performance and Coaching Report
The Rider Performance and Coaching Report combines direct observation by an experienced Q-Ride motorcycle trainer with recorded riding data and front- and rear-view video footage from selected parts of the ride.
The report can examine areas such as:
Acceleration and throttle application
Braking timing and consistency
Corner entry and exit
Changes in speed through a sequence of bends
Transitions between braking, cornering and acceleration
Smoothness and stability
Road positioning and following distance
Hazard awareness and forward observation
Consistency across repeated sections
Opportunities to create a larger safety margin
The aim is not to see who is fastest. Higher speed does not automatically mean better riding. Instead, the report looks at how the rider controls the motorcycle, reads the road and makes safe riding decisions.
How Is the Performance Report Compiled?
The process begins with a recorded riding session. GPS-based equipment can capture information such as position, speed, acceleration, braking forces and cornering forces throughout the ride.
We can also video the rider from both the front and rear. This provides two valuable perspectives and helps us assess roadcraft and riding behaviour that may not be apparent from performance data alone.
The footage can assist the coach in reviewing:
Lane position and changes in road position
Following distance
Approach to intersections and corners
Observation and response to hazards
Positioning around parked vehicles and traffic
Speed selection for the conditions
Buffering away from potential hazards
Corner approach, entry and exit position
Communication with other road users
The rider’s ability to maintain safety margins
The video provides an objective record that allows the rider and coach to discuss what happened and which alternatives may have been available. The recorded performance information, video and coach’s observations are then considered together.
A data point on its own rarely tells the full story. For example, firm braking may be completely appropriate in one situation but may indicate late planning or rushed corner entry in another. Similarly, a change in road position may be good roadcraft if it increases visibility and creates a safety buffer or less effective if it places the rider closer to another hazard.
That is why the information must be interpreted in context by someone who understands motorcycle control, roadcraft and the rider’s current stage of development.
Selected parts of the ride may be displayed using graphs or diagrams. This shows how the motorcycle’s available grip is being used during braking, cornering and acceleration.
The report then translates the technical information and video observations into straightforward coaching advice:
What the rider is already doing well
What patterns were observed
Why those patterns matter
What the rider should work on next
Practical exercises that may help
Example Sheet:
What Can Riders Learn from Their Data and Video?
Many riding habits are difficult to recognise while riding because the rider is concentrating on the road, traffic, corners and the motorcycle.
A performance report may help reveal patterns such as:
Braking later than necessary
Releasing the brakes abruptly
Entering corners with inconsistent speed
Accelerating before the motorcycle is settled
Making several small control corrections
Turning too early and then running wide
Following too closely
Remaining in a vulnerable road position
Missing opportunities to improve visibility
Responding late to developing hazards
Being smooth in one direction but less confident in the other
Improving during the session as confidence develops
The report can also confirm positive habits. A rider may discover that their braking is more progressive, corner speed is more consistent, road positioning is more considered, or throttle use is smoother than they believed. That can be valuable for both confidence and skill development.
Understanding Motorcycle Control and Roadcraft
Good motorcycle control is not about operating the throttle, brakes and steering separately. It is about how those inputs work together. A rider may have strong individual skills but still feel unsettled when transitioning from one phase to another, for example:
From acceleration to braking
From braking to turning
From cornering to acceleration
From an upright motorcycle to increasing lean
From normal riding to an unexpected hazard response
However, motorcycle control is only part of safe riding. Our riding philosophy is"
Our Motorcycle control asks: “Can I do it?” Our Roadcraft asks: “Should I do it?"
Our Mind decides "I'm doing it"
Roadcraft involves observing the environment, identifying potential hazards, choosing an appropriate speed and road position, maintaining safety margins and making decisions early.
By combining performance data, front- and rear-view video, and coaching observations, the report helps riders understand both how they controlled the motorcycle and how effectively they managed the road environment. It connects what the rider felt, what the coach observed, what the video recorded and what the riding data shows.
This creates a much clearer answer to the question: “What should I practise next?”
The One-on-One Coaching Worksheet
Not every rider or session requires a detailed performance report.
For individual coaching sessions, R Rated Motorcycle Rides also provides a concise Coaching Worksheet. This records the key areas covered during the lesson and gives the rider a practical summary to take home.
The worksheet may include:
The rider’s goals for the session
Activities completed
Strengths demonstrated
Areas requiring further development
Specific coaching points
Suggested exercises
Roadcraft observations
Priorities for the next session
This is particularly useful for learner riders, returning riders, riders preparing for Q-Ride, or anyone who wants targeted help with a particular skill.
Possible session topics include:
Slow-speed motorcycle control
Starts, stops and balance
U-turns
Steering and vision
Braking
Cornering
Road positioning
Hazard awareness
Following distance
Building confidence in traffic
Rather than trying to remember every discussion after the session, the rider leaves with a clear written record of what was covered and what to work on.
Coaching That Is Personal to the Rider
Every rider brings a different combination of experience, confidence, habits and goals.
One rider may want to become smoother through corners. Another may be returning after many years away from motorcycling. A learner may need help preparing for independent road riding, while an experienced rider may want a deeper understanding of their control inputs and roadcraft decisions.
That is why our reports do not rank riders or apply a single standard to everyone. The feedback is based on the individual rider, the purpose of the session and their next realistic stage of development.
From “I Think” to “I Understand”
Without structured feedback, riders often rely on impressions:
“I think I brake smoothly.”
“I feel like I turn too early.”
“I’m not sure why I run wide.”
“I don’t know whether my road position is helping me.”
“I don’t know why some corners feel comfortable, and others don’t.”
A coaching worksheet or performance report helps replace uncertainty with clearer understanding. It gives the rider something specific to practise, a way to recognise improvement and a useful record of their development over time.
Book a Personalised Coaching Session
If you want to better understand your motorcycle control, improve your roadcraft or receive constructive feedback based on your own riding, R Rated Motorcycle Rides can tailor a session to your needs.
Choose a one-on-one coaching session with a personalised Coaching Worksheet, or ask about a more detailed Rider Performance and Coaching Report combining recorded riding data, front-and-rear video and professional coaching observations.
The goal is not simply to ride faster.
The goal is to become smoother, more confident, more consistent—and better able to understand what you and your motorcycle are doing.
Chat with R Rated Motorcycle Rides to discuss the coaching option that best suits your riding goals.
Contact: Ramyond at rratedmotorcyclerides@gmail.com
0424 352 414
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