Maximum Control - Mastering Your Heavyweight Bike

BOOK REVIEW – By Bob “Dog” Maddocks

Title: Maximum Control – Mastering Your Heavyweight Bike
Author: Pat Hahn
ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-3674-8
Retail: $24.95 USD
Binding: Paperback, 8.25 x 10.625 inch format
Page Count: 160
Publish Date: January 15, 2010
Publisher: Motorbooks Division of Quayside Publishing Group, Minneapolis, MN



Recognizing me clearly as an author of certain (ill?) repute, MSTA Honda guru, Texas fried pie fanatic and general troublemaker Tosh Konya recently sent me a press release copy of “Maximum Control – Mastering Your Heavyweight Bike” by Pat Hahn for review. Quite frankly, I suspect that Tosh receives some type of hidden compensation for farming out these minor writing projects to his friends and colleagues, but not wanting him showing up at our doorstep looking for free room and board here in Colorado Springs, I decided to get the job done as quickly as possible.

My initial take on the book was “Oh, no, not another guidebook on “How to (slowly) ride your Harley like a cop,” but Pat Hahn's effort turns out to be quite a bit more comprehensive than that limited objective. Pat is an experienced MSF-certified instructor/coach and manages public relations for the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center, an award-winning program known nationwide for its informational and educational efforts. Of note, Pat also conducts advanced cornering and safety seminars for Minnesota sportbike enthusiasts and contributed to Evans Brasfield's “101 Sportbike Performance Projects.” He currently rides a Honda VRF800FI.

Ostensibly, Maximum Control is directed a helping owners of “big” bikes – Harleys, dressers, tourers, and cruisers – master the skills necessary to ride them, including steering, positioning, braking and carrying a passenger or heavy load. The author unscientifically defines a “big bike” as a “dresser/tourer,” “bagger,” cruiser or sport-tourer of 900cc on up weighing 600 pounds or more. Interestingly, Hahn defines a “Sport-Tourer” as “...a cross between a bagger (?) and a sportbike,” but goes on to mention that ST's are built for spirited cornering and comfortable long distances. The Yamaha FJR1300 (of course) is recognized as revolutionizing the sport-touring niche with great power, reliable handling, cutting-edge aerodynamic bodywork, and outstanding features such as ABS and lots of electrical output for farkles. BMW's, Gold Wings and various cruisers are also well represented throughout the book.

Hahn sets reasonable, common sense training objectives for controlling a large motorcycle: 1) Being smooth, 2) Planning ahead, 3) Keeping something in reserve, and 4) Practicing. The first four chapters cover bike setup; “the friction zone” (i.e. clutch feathering, according to Hahn “...the Holy Grail of low-speed riding”); and two chapters of low-speed maneuvering techniques. The remaining five chapters include basic and emergency braking, basic cornering, advanced cornering and avoiding hazards. Three appendices include riding strategies, practice drill schedules, and how to lift a motorcycle.

I did have a problem with one section of Hahn's introduction entitled “Big-Bike Myths” in which he states that “Even though big bikes are heavier, they're equipped with big brakes designed to handle the job.” Later in the Basic Braking chapter he claims, “Big bikes can stop just as quickly – sometimes even more quickly – than the hottest street-legal sportbike.” Although this may indeed be true of some larger bikes, particularly those equipped with ABS or other state-of-the-art braking systems, a review of the technical data for many cruisers (such as the H-D Fat Boy photo on page 13 with a single disk front braking system) does not support this rather universal claim.

Maximum Control is clearly written and well-illustrated with color photographs and useful technical diagrams. Illustrations include depictions of appropriate maneuvers for practical road riding applications, various emergency scenarios, and even parking lot drills. Although written more specifically for bigger bikes, Maximum Control would make a handy basic reference guide for motorcyclists owning sport-touring bikes as well.

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