Learning to corner

[greatmaul]

I've been riding for only about a month or so, and I think that cornering finally clicked for me. I live in the foothills, so the first (and last) 30 minutes or so of my commute is done in the "twisties." I've read the books, lots of them, watched the videos, and taken the BRC, but I still never felt comfortable cornering.

Then, 2 nights ago, it finally clicked. I finally decided I was just going to go for it. It wasn't a fast curve, only about 20 or 30, but I'd always had trouble with it, fighting the bars and having to cut the throttle and 50 pence the line. This time, I just shifted my weight over, leaned completely with (not against) the bike, relaxed my outside arm and let my legs hold me up, and I carved right though it.

I was totally surprised. This was one of a few curves I'd never negotiated well, and the bike cut through it like it was nothing. Of course, I did just replace the original 12 year old hard, cracked tires with new Pirelli Sport Demon front and Route 66 rear, so that might have had something to do with it, as well.

All the rest of the curves that night were like butter, with the only scary part being the tightest curve, I'd guess about 145 degrees or so, I was cutting through it and the heel of my boot scraped on the pavement. That was kind of a worry, and when I got home, I looked up the "10 steps to proper cornering," in Total Control (Lee Parks) and sure enough, rule #1 is reposition your foot, so it doesn't stick out and get caught on the ground, maybe causing a crash.

Anyways, probably everyone knows that, but it was a new thing for me. I tend to keep my feet a bit wide of the engine because my pants leg rode up once and my ankle was hugging the engine casing for a second before I realized it was hot.

[JWR]

Yes, the heels will touch down first on the GZ.

[attachment=0:1onft3c5]dragon.jpg[/attachment:1onft3c5]

[greatmaul]

cool pic! I didn't realize that our feet were that close to the ground :\

[alanmcorcoran]

Cornering (or, turning) tends to improve on its own over time. Although there is leaning involved, and, at slower speeds, you might benefit from weight shifting, about 99% of it is simple counter steering. Because counter steering is, well, counter-intuitive, for some of us (like me) it takes a bit of time before it comes naturally. It took me about a year (5-6K mi.) until I really improved. I generally found that time was more of a factor than thinking or studying it.

There is some value in practicing your entrance and exit lines (See Hough, etc.) and maintaining throttle all the way through the curve (Keith Code) (http://www.amazon.com/Twist-Wrist-Basic ... 0965045021) to keep the suspension under tension. I practiced this a lot when I was on a long tour and it elevated my ability and reduced my "stress" when hitting extended gnarly sections.

I think the important thing is to be patient and not force the issue. Running off the road is the number two cause of MC fatality after getting hit by left turners. I think this happens because beginners try to keep up with experienced riders and panic when the bike goes wide.

If you like reading, Proficient Motorcycling is a nice quality book with lots of tips and illustrations and the Keith Code "twist" link I put above has some more advanced tips - aimed at racers but very applicable to touring the twisties as well.

[Water Warrior 2]

Nice to hear about your new riding experience in the twisties. Kinda light a light coming on isn't it. :rawk: :rawk: You will find the GZ is a fine mount for having a fun time on a curvy road. A lot of folks have trouble with counter steering and leaning their bodies because of an inborn fear of falling. But once they have experienced the right way to corner without fear of falling the ride takes on a whole new meaning. Oh yeah, makes you grin from ear to ear. Just be careful not to get overconfident. Don't push the envelope or you will soon do something regretable. Take baby steps rather than trying to learn it all at once.

[Rookie Rider]

This is something i need to practice for sure. I'll be honest, its scary

[JWR]

If there is something in the road, do not look at it, look where you want to go.

Practice going straight, then push the bars left then right, this will give you a good feel of the bike moving under you.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by JWR

If there is something in the road, do not look at it, look where you want to go.

Practice going straight, then push the bars left then right, this will give you a good feel of the bike moving under you.

Yup, push left go left. Push right go right. Find a vacant industrial area or school parking lot after hours to practice.

[greatmaul]

Originally Posted by Rookie Rider

This is something i need to practice for sure. I'll be honest, its scary

There is an element of trust, that's for sure, when it comes to cornering. I've read quite a few books, but 2 which focus on cornering are "A Twist of the Wrist II" by Keith Code, and "Total Control" by Lee Parks, both of whom are top quality road race teachers and riders. One of the things they stress is that a good rider doesn't make the bike better, they simply help their bikes to work correctly.

Twist II, I especially recommend, because Code focuses on seven specific "Survival Reactions," which are instinctive moves most people perform on a bike when they panic, and shows how they actually cause more problems than they solve.

Both books really point out how proper cornering isn't just faster, but is actually safer, conserving the most traction, and maintaining the most stable suspension geometry possible.

[mole2]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Yup, push left go left. Push right go right. Find a vacant industrial area or school parking lot after hours to practice.

I think the pic below shows how countersteering works. The rider is leaning right and pushing right so the front wheel is slightly to the left. To me it's a natural thing as it would be awkward to either push left or pull right while leaning to the right.