By Keith Code - Twist of the Wrist Vol. II: The Basics of High Performance Motorcycle Riding

by Keith Code

A Twist of the Wrist, the acknowledged number one book on rider improvement for ten years straight, brought riders worldwide to a new understanding of vital skills. Twist, Volume II, uncovers and traces, action by action, the direct links between man and machine.Keith Code has trained more riders than anyone in the world. His training and teaching methods are responsible for scores of victories by top riders around the globe. Keith's unique ability to unravel complexities and establish simple, essential principles, provides both street and race riders with real tools to think about, and understand for themselves, the problems of riding.

Genres: Motorcycle, Nonfiction, Motorcycling, Racing, Bicycles, Reference, Technical

Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Keith Code is an American former motorcycle racer, writer, and founder of the California Superbike School. He has been called "arguably the best known and most successful on-track motorcycle instructor in the world".

Reviews

[Mart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a magnific job at explaining how a motorcycle works, in terms of the intersection of physics, engineering and rider interaction. It also explains how rider psychology works, how it can kill you, and how to turn it into your advantage. The book is highly practical and the instructions can be put into immediate use on your motorcycle. It is not meant only for high performance motorcycle riders. Most of the stuff works on any motorbike.

[Jessica]

This is such a weird book, and I kind of love it. It's written for an audience with a skill set that's opposite of mine: that is, for people who don't understand what most words mean, but who are knowledgable about racing motorcycles. Throughout this book, many words are starred with definitions given at the end of each chapter. There's no obvious logic to which words Keith Code choses to define, and often the definition seems more complicated than the word itself. Some examples, chosen at random, are "range" (definition: "the scope of the operation of something"), "stunned" ("stupefied, astonished; astounded; amazed"), "anchor" ("to secure firmly as if by an anchor"), "essentially" ("basically"), "impression" ("a strong effect produced on the intellect, feelings, etc."), and "push" ("when the front end slides"). I would love to know the process behind how the words were selected for these asterisk definitions, because I really can't guess!

Anyway, a motorcycle friend of mine lent this to me because I recently bought a bike and am trying to learn how to ride it. The book's focused on racing, which isn't something I have any interest in, and I didn't understand a lot of what it said even though I knew all the words. Still, I enjoyed A Twist of the Wrist II -- loved the illustrations, love that the author has the coolest name in the world -- and I think a few pieces here and there might've sunk in a bit. The book helped me think more about the physics of riding a bike and I liked what he said about pivot points. I might reread this later on, when I know more about motorcycles. I'm curious about A Twist of the Wrist I.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must-read for motorcyclists of any level.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A genuinely useful explanation of the dynamics of riding. It will improve your ability to operate a motorcycle. If you're a visual type there are a lot of diagrams and graphics that help explain some of the more byzantine physics that go on when you ride on two wheels.

Keith's writing style is friendly, California chill and approachable. His humour also comes through frequently, making what could turn into a text book much more enjoyable to read. The video made from the book is '80s chic and also worth a watch.

[Kevin Bjorke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, its precursor and the film are riding essentials. I know some attempts have been made but really TWIST OF THE WRIST and TOTAL CONTROL are the only books on riding that have really changed the wayI think about being on the bike, even though I’m no racer. Read this book, learn your limits and ride safe and enjoyably for many years. Re-read it, too.

[Dmitrii · Rating 5 out of 5]

A definitive must-read for anyone riding a motorcycle. Contains some theory, and useful advices based on theory and practical experience. It is useful for any type of rider, not only track-racers, but regular city riders as well. But this books won't be enough. Good for a start, but need to find something elase to read on the topic.

[Mihai Cozma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Track only, but useful on the street as well.

Goes through basic instincts that must be surpressed in order to stay out of trouble while riding. It is track/racing focused but a lot can be transfered on the streets as well, especially about cornering.

[Aditya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best work there is on the art and science of handling a motorcycle. This is the masterclass. Period.

Ps - only meant for you, if you are very keen about motorcycle handling, riding posture and mechanics.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for racing but good info for all riders!

[christopher lewton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Motorcycle Majesty

Fantastic book. Always reading it; studying it. The only better book is it’s first- Number 1. Code does an amazing job at helping riders improve.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book

[Jose Camps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Útil.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute nonsense, doesn’t explain any of what it’s talking about, just throws technical words at you

[Blethesda Hork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid sequel to the original. Read them both if you want to understand more than just brakes, throttle, clutch and shift.

[Alfredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tan sólo me tardé 8 años en leerlo.

[Raymond Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read though specifically for racers and I'm not one

[Theo Kokonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keith Code is possibly the first racer to put his thoughts down on paper and release Twist of the wrist and Twist of the wrist II. I started reading Twist of the wrist but found it a little fatiguing and I couldn't figure out what it was. I stopped reading it and picked up Twist of the Wrist II and found it a lot more interesting. The second volume had a lot more instruction i.e. "Don't cram your crotch right up to the tank, try leaning further back to give more weight balance to the back tyre" and direction "If you put too much throttle on the corner entry you'll go wide". The first volume had more questions and I think was aimed at the racer who had experience but wanted to go that next level in terms of shaving lap times. This was particularly prevalent with the number of questions the author asks the reader.
I'm personally a road rider of around a decade's experience and only now getting introduced to track riding so I'm looking for something a little less philosophical and a bit more instructional. Despite the fact that this second volume is good, I do find my current read a lot more of what I'm after (Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch). Still, this book is worth 4 stars because you will find a lot of gems that'll really improve your riding technique. It's also made me sign up for Keith Code's Cali Superbike School.

[Alex Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keith Code's book has some really really valuable content and provided me with an understanding of how and why a motorcycle is performs in high speed cornering maneuvers. The messages are very valuable to the motorcyclist. The book provides detailed descriptions of why the motorcycle reacts as it does to rider, road and speed inputs. He clearly explains what to do and not to do to maintain proper driver and motorcycle conditions. He emphasizes how survival responses (SRs) can cause problems when riding at high speeds and cornering at high speeds. The book itself needs an editor. You will spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is being said. This is due to the large number of grammatical and spelling errors present in the book. The book also needs some help in flow. Some of the paragraphs are not really in a logical order. The book is still worth while, mostly because there is solid content and reliable advice. But, expect something that is written below a high school grade level and will be hard to follow at times because of poor editing.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another read to get me in the mood for riding. It won't happen anytime soon sadly because there's about four inches of snow on the road right now and there'll probably be another four by tomorrow morning. Still, I've been meaning to read these since my uncle suggested them and I'm a new rider (been riding for about a year now). I can't wait to get back on my dual sport.

As such, this book is more for crotch rockets, but if you really know all types of motorcycles, like my uncle, then you can make the proper adjustments. I would suggest this book to new riders no matter which bike you chose because it talks a lot about making the right decisions and the proper way to move. Braking, counter steering, and more is all included in this book.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Provides easy down to earth explanations as to what a high performance machine needs/doesn't need to properly perform. It's geared towards track racing, but all the knowledge can be adapted to street riding as well. I have learned more about technique after reading and applying the knowledge of this book. I highly recommend this book to EVERY rider, sport bike or not. I don't care if you have 20+ years of riding experience, I guarantee you'll learn something new in this book.

My husband and I are excited to do our 1st track day this fall, and I am making plans for us to attend the Superbike school next year for our anniversary.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keith Code's book is a manual for sportbike riders. Code covers the unique challenges to riding a sportbike as well as how to make best use of the dynamics of a high performance machine. Many of the techniques described in this book are most useful on the track - cornering, for example. You can't use all of the pavement on the street without getting close and personal with oncoming traffic. Still, the techniques in this book are easily modified to street riding. It's definitely worth a thorough read.

[Linas Jakaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading twice. Definitely one will get better understanding about the survival reactions, physics on various riding positions and biker philosophy! Personally learned two new tactics that I would not have thought of before.

[Dav Paulsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focused on racing, but a lot of good in it

I picked this one because reviews indicated it had everything in it from the first book plus. This focused on racing but a lot of the techniques and discussions can be taken directly to the street for more skilled and safer riding.

[Carlos]

hey i like motorcycles...

[Pat Wendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

He calls this book the cornering bible, and he seems to be absolutely correct. I probably learned more from this book than I have in 3 years of riding.

[Uldis Sturms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to apply for California Superbike School.

[Gert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must-read for every motorcyclist. Even if you're a recreational rider, not doing track days, the amount of usable information in this book is phenomenal.

[Frane Milicevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for any self-concious Rider , reasonably explained , would prefer if it were more scientific.