[steveplue]

does anyone have any advice on practicing cornering? as of right now i feel like i slow down way too much before hitting a corner its quite aggrivating but im not trying to ride out of my limits, is it just fear? my only method of practicing now is my ride to work in the mornings i try to hit the highway ramps harder each time.

 

[Jaxper]

It's just a matter of learning your comfort zone. It also depends on the corners you are hitting too. Some are too tight to go through hard, where others you just have to get used to leaning harder to get through them while going faster.

 

[ZX636R]

I'm no pro, but look to the exit of the corner, turn your hips to the direction you plan to go and just lean. Keep pressure off the bars. Don't use your hands/arms to hang on. Use your outside leg. If you feel like you're going too fast, lean more. Your tires will hold more than you can imagine. Smooth and steady wrist.

 

[yoshi]

practice makes perfect. find a nice bit of road and use an hour to master it, going just that little faster every time.
as said, if you find yourself going a bit too fast your bike will handle it more than you can imagine.... never brake and sit it up :coocoo just lean it over and above all BE CONFIDENT and relax :2fingerlol:

 

[nate1235]

Same boat here. Hitting those corners at speed scares the crap out of me. It's hard to find the limits when if your tires start to slide, you're going to get some nice road rash!

 

[PowerGroove]

Best thing to do seriously... is go hit the track for a day. Ride with an instructor.

Work on a few things...

Body position - Stay forward on the tank. When entering the turn... buttcheak off to the side, weight on the inside peg, countersteer and drop the bike in at the last second pretty much. You want your face to pretty much be right over your handlebar.

The point of making a fast turn isn't the turn... it's getting the bike back up and on the gas. Look well into the turn... once you see the apex.. drop it down and trust the tires.. Get all your braking done before you enter the turn. You want to be on the gas before the apex. When I started finding the apex on my entries I found I was almost literally slamming my knee into the ground. Almost to the point to where I was almost pushing the bike back up with my leg. (At least it felt like that a few times!)

Last but not least... I wouldn't do too much practicing on offramps if you can help it. You never know what might be on the surface... practice is one thing... but crashin' on the way to work because you hit a gravel patch or something is gonna ruin your day man.

Go out and rent or buy "A twist of the wrist 2" on DVD. <--- a little corny but TONS of great information and you can see it put to practice.

But again.... the best way to learn... track day. 40' wide lane where everyone is going the same direction. Ambulance is 30 seconds away. And it's more than half the cost of the reckless driving ticket and possible impound of your bike!

Keep practicing and don't try over-riding the bike. Lean will come with time.

 

[PowerGroove]

haha... reading up on a couple of your posts talking about tires....

If you're leaned over and start to feel the tires slipping a little... don't stiffen up!!! You'll go down! If the rear starts to let go... DO NOT let off of the gas... that's how highsides happen... tire starts to slip... let of gas... tire hooks back up... throws you off.

If the front end is letting go... well... just keep going... you'll either grab back up or low side.. lol.

A lot has to do with trusting the rubber underneath you. That's the hardest part!

 

[dest101auk]

Keith Code.

 

[nate1235]

That's some great info, Powergroove!

 

[yoshi]

i would have recommended a trackday myself, you will learn bags of stuff in just a day but i dont know how far you are from them. i have 4 here in the UK less than an hour away

 

[Mikey599]

There was a really gd vid on body positioning somewhere on this site and I cant for the life of me find it. Not even on youtube! If I come across it I will link you to it. Other than that, I have no advice to give you as I am learning too

 

[mtp]

only advice i could give is ride to the way you feel safe
if you feel un-easy into a corner you going far to fast
slower down and take your time
they'll be times you'll have to brake or do some gear changes around corners
so be aware of all the dangers
go on a advanced riding course or out with mates but let them know how you feel
i cant keep up with a few of my mates but one thing i wont try is to
watch there body positions and the lines they take

ride well ride safe
..to your limits or safer just below
mtp

 

[steveplue]

i wish i could hit a track, always wanted to but i dont think there is any around albany new york. i cant thank you guys enough for the advice(i learn more here than any site ive ever been on) i plan on pacing myself accordingly. thanks

 

[PowerGroove]

Steveplue - There's a few guys on ZXForums that are in the NY area. I'll find out what tracks their hitting. There are about 6 awesome tracks around me... but all of them are at least a 3 hour haul to get there.... but worth EVERY minute!!

 

[NEIL-G2]

Get some heat into your tyres first....then just find a nice flowing,quiet corner and keep practising.Before you know it,you`ll be getting faster and smoother!!

 

[PowerGroove]

i wish i could hit a track, always wanted to but i dont think there is any around albany new york. i cant thank you guys enough for the advice(i learn more here than any site ive ever been on) i plan on pacing myself accordingly. thanks

NEBSA - They hold track days 2 hours from you at Monticello Raceway

Here's a map

 

[CamZx]

i have the same issues.. i think i just have not learned to trust my tires yet...

 

[LenaLilLower]

Great write-up Power Groove....one little extra thing that helped me alot (and I'm faaaaaaaaar from an expert) was going on the same roads over and over....when you know the road and can anticipate the turns it helps you to feel more confident.

 

[J biker]

When you reach the edge of your tyres, then thats roughly also how much grip you have lol.
Practice on a good set of bends that you can see the exit ( no trees or obstacles blocking view through) and just keep going through until chicken strips are nearly gone. Best somewhere with no traffic and if you feel the need to run slightly wide you can do so safely.
Trackdays with an instructor will fast track the whole process.
Then its just practice and confidence.
as said above, keep off the brakes, set the bikes speed early so you are not arriving at the corner with the front suspension fully loaded (from braking) and trust the tyres. BTW, have good tyres! No point trying to make an ill handling bike do something it doesnt want because the rubber is 10 years old

 

[gregszx23]

Keith Code.

+1.....purchase his Twist of the Wrist II, DVD or book:bigthumb:

Got me confident and bending them curves so spend less and practice more.