Once you have come to a complete...
Once you have come to a complete stop, keep pressure applied to the rear brake with your right foot and plant your left foot firmly to the ground to maintain balance.
The rpm range that you need to be in to proficiently climb the given grade will vary depending on what bike you have. For instance, if you have a V-twin motorcycle with a good deal of low-end torque, you will find it unnecessary to get too aggressive with the throttle. Instead, you will be able to use your bike’s sufficient torque to thrust you forward. If you are on a smaller displacement machine however, such as a 250, you will find it crucial to apply a larger amount of throttle and use a lot of clutch slip. If you are not already comfortable with your bike’s power delivery, be sure to pay attention to it as you practice your control actions.
Another thing to pay attention to as you practice on level ground is the location of your controls. See to it that your clutch lever and brake levers are in a comfortable position and are properly adjusted. Also, make sure all of your cables are lubed and in good condition. After all, sitting at a stop sign on a steep hill is not the best place to realize that you can’t adequately grasp the hand levers or get a good footing on the rear brake pedal.
Additional practice with working your motorcycle’s controls isn’t just beneficial when dealing with hills, but also when executing various additional slow-speed maneuvers. Practicing the techniques listed above will further aid you when it comes to executing U-turns and turns in restricted areas.
When parking your motorcycle...
When parking your motorcycle on a steep grade, keep it in gear and butt the rear tire up against the curb to make certain the bike cannot roll backwards.
Sometimes even more frustrating than having to get going on a hill, is parking on a hill; steep inclines can often leave you guessing if your bike will still be upright when you return to it. Fortunately, there are a handful of tricks that you can draw on to make sure you don’t come back to a tipped-over motorcycle.
Obviously, one of the main concerns when parking on a hill is that the motorcycle will roll backward or even forward and right off its sidestand. To guarantee this doesn’t happen when parking your motorcycle, be sure to leave it in gear. In doing so, you will effectively be using the engine’s compression to keep the bike from rolling away. Ideally, park your bike facing slightly uphill, with the rear tire up against the curb. Try to avoid parking your motorcycle facing downhill, as the chance of it rolling forward off the kickstand is still possible — even if it is in gear.
Seeing as how all kickstands are different in length, it is also important to make note of your bike’s stance when it is parked on level ground; that way, when it is parked on a hill you can tell if it is off axis and susceptible to gusts of wind or other movement around it that can put it on its side. And remember, the kickstand of your motorcycle should always be pointed downhill.
If for any reason, your gut instinct says the bike isn’t secure parked how it is on the hill, then it won’t hurt to park the bike in a different location. The bottom line is you are better safe than sorry.
The truth is, there is little skill required to parking your motorcycle effectively, but if you take the time to do it properly, you won’t have the frustration of coming back to a tipped-over motorcycle. sr