Lean angle?

[Al]

I have been riding for most of my life, since the age of 4, which make it nearly 44 yrs now.
One thing I have realised or noticed is that through the twisties I feel more confident leaning to the left than leaning to the right.
Has anyone else experienced this or am I just being a pussy?

All comments welcome.... (uh-oh)

Al

[Ixion]

I studied this a few years ago in some depth. My conclusion was that it was due (in my case at any rate) to countersteering. or, more speciifcally, to the fact that if one pushes on the bars to countersteer (the usual way), then in a right hand turn the pushing action conflicts somewhat with the twisting action of the wrist controlling the twistgrip. The angle the wrist normaly adopts for twistgrip control is suboptimal for subtle countersteering variation.

This slight conflict, too subtle to be consciously realised, translates into an 'uneasiness' in right handers.

There was quite a long thread about it. The experiment was on a BMW BTW though I don't think that is significant.

EDIT BTW the same thing has been found in surveys of US riders. So it's not a road camber thing.

[doc]

Na, your not a pussy your a thrillseeker thats the side you slide under the 18 wheeler "when you cock it up"

[DMNTD]

What Mr I said plus IMO (for me at least) is that leaning into the path of an oncoming car can be slightly...well unnerving :eek:

[MVnut]

I studied this a few years ago in some depth. My conclusion was that it was due (in my case at any rate) to countersteering. or, more speciifcally, to the fact that if one pushes on the bars to countersteer (the usual way), then in a right hand turn the pushing action conflicts somewhat with the twisting action of the wrist controlling the twistgrip. The angle the wrist normaly adopts for twistgrip control is suboptimal for subtle countersteering variation.

This slight conflict, too subtle to be consciously realised, translates into an 'uneasiness' in right handers.

There was quite a long thread about it. The experiment was on a BMW BTW though I don't think that is significant.

EDIT BTW the same thing has been found in surveys of US riders. So it's not a road camber thing.

You'll find that people who ride on the other side of the road to us have more problem with leaning into the lefthanders. I suspect it's got nothing to do with throttle hand etc, more like a sense of 'relaxation' when not leaning into the traffic, so to speak, so they are happier leaning further on one side than the other......me I don't really care, I like rights and lefts, but I'm not normal (everyone tells me this anyway):banana:

[Jacko2]

I studied this a few years ago in some depth. My conclusion was that it was due (in my case at any rate) to countersteering. or, more speciifcally, to the fact that if one pushes on the bars to countersteer (the usual way), then in a right hand turn the pushing action conflicts somewhat with the twisting action of the wrist controlling the twistgrip. The angle the wrist normaly adopts for twistgrip control is suboptimal for subtle countersteering variation.

This slight conflict, too subtle to be consciously realised, translates into an 'uneasiness' in right handers.

There was quite a long thread about it. The experiment was on a BMW BTW though I don't think that is significant.

EDIT BTW the same thing has been found in surveys of US riders. So it's not a road camber thing.

My first thought was the camber thingy. But you say not so Les.
Would pulling opposite side rather than the push be better?
Did you try this in your study?

[Ixion]

Yes, that was part of the process that led me to my conclusion. (pull on left instead of pull on right)

(EDIT - don't mean that pulling instead of pushing is 'better' - )

[Jacko2]

Thanks,
I'll try that tomorrow, see how it feels.

[scracha]

I'm the opposite....I blame years of scooting about Britain's "new towns"....a.k.a. roundabout cities.

[windingroad]

I wonder what the effect of a shaft drive might be to this conundrum?

[skidMark]

I studied this a few years ago in some depth. My conclusion was that it was due (in my case at any rate) to countersteering. or, more speciifcally, to the fact that if one pushes on the bars to countersteer (the usual way), then in a right hand turn the pushing action conflicts somewhat with the twisting action of the wrist controlling the twistgrip. The angle the wrist normaly adopts for twistgrip control is suboptimal for subtle countersteering variation.

This slight conflict, too subtle to be consciously realised, translates into an 'uneasiness' in right handers.

There was quite a long thread about it. The experiment was on a BMW BTW though I don't think that is significant.

EDIT BTW the same thing has been found in surveys of US riders. So it's not a road camber thing.


Explains why i am fast because i'm left handed :wari:

(yes i know you meant right handed corner) lol

[FJRider]

It varies from person to person. Sometimes an inner ear blocked, even partially, can cause balance "issues". Get the ears checked next Dr's visit.
I prefer leaning to the RIGHT... maybe its a POLITICAL "issue" ?????

[Katman]

I experienced that very thing years ago on Baypark track. The one right hander was the only corner I had trouble getting comfortable with.

[Ixion]

I wonder what the effect of a shaft drive might be to this conundrum?

None whatsoever, so far as I could tell. Ditto for fore and aft crankshafts.

[McJim]

I'm the opposite....I blame years of scooting about Britain's "new towns"....a.k.a. roundabout cities.

What's it called?:rofl:(In Scottish Joke about a Scottish New Town that's not called East Kilbride)

[Ixion]

Sigh. You can tell he's from Glasgow.

[slopster]

you can use the whole road on left handers - it doesn't matter if your body is leaning over the left hand gutter. On the right handers if you use the whole road your body will be over the centre line.

[Ixion]

Y' reckon! Tell me that after you've taken out one of those damn posts they have leaning out into the road! With y' shoulder.

[CookMySock]

yeah I feel much more comfortable in left-handers. I can get past it fairly quickly and then I'm fine. I might measure my chicken strips to see if they are actually any different or if this is just in my head. The left side strip should be narrower.

DB

[cold comfort]

yeah I feel much more comfortable in left-handers. I can get past it fairly quickly and then I'm fine. I might measure my chicken strips to see if they are actually any different or if this is just in my head. The left side strip should be narrower.

DB
Checked mine -no significant chicken strips either side :msn-wink:but def more wear on the left. bloody irritating but can't get as comfortable on rt turns. Would track days help?

[Ocean1]

I might measure my chicken strips to see if they are actually any different or if this is just in my head. The left side strip should be narrower.

DB

I always felt more comfortable on LH turns. I practiced more RH circuits in the dirt, to work on it. I still feel more comfortable going left, but the Buell's tyres clearly show more wear to the right.

To be honest, in the dirt I always put it down to what the feet are doing, and my RH foot is often on the brake going into a turn, so not available so much for balance.

'Course, I could be wrong...

[skidMark]

I always felt more comfortable on LH turns. I practiced more RH circuits in the dirt, to work on it. I still feel more comfortable going left, but the Buell's tyres clearly show more wear to the right.

To be honest, in the dirt I always put it down to what the feet are doing, and my RH foot is often on the brake going into a turn, so not available so much for balance.

'Course, I could be wrong...


more wear to right of a bike tyre than to left.....road camber.... :cool:

[oldrider]

I m ambidextrous, I can kick with both feet, play golf (badly) both sides, box orthodox or southpaw.

I am also psychologically centre brained IE: neither side is dominant.

I still found a slight differential in left or right handers on my bike, I think it is the timing of the push pull counter steering and application of engine power combined with the situation you are in at the time.

In other words it is a skill development in the coordination of everything with the distinct difference between the two sides being the throttle.(IMHO)

You just have to learn to master it, you know when you get it right, it feels so good and when you get it wrong! :doh::argh::Oops:

There are so many things to scan, program and action when riding a bike, that's what is so appealing and keeps us coming back for more and more.

We just never get tired of it and we are always seeking the perfect execution of every move we make on our bikes.

I think it must be similar to an orgasm or a drug junkies high, once experienced, you can only remember how good it felt rather than what it actually felt like, until you feel it again!

Some times you get it right, sometimes you just can't find the rhythm, no matter how hard you try!

Good days and crap days, I think we all have them! :ride: That's the constant challenge!

Just my humble opinion, FWW. :shifty: Cheers John.

[FJRider]

I m ambidextrous, I can kick with both feet, play golf (badly) both sides, box orthodox or southpaw.

I am also psychologically centre brained IE: neither side is dominant.

I still found a slight differential in left or right handers on my bike, I think it is the timing of the push pull counter steering and application of engine power combined with the situation you are in at the time.

In other words it is a skill development in the coordination of everything with the distinct difference between the two sides being the throttle.(IMHO)

You just have to learn to master it, you know when you get it right, it feels so good and when you get it wrong! :doh::argh::Oops:

There are so many things to scan, program and action when riding a bike, that's what is so appealing and keeps us coming back for more and more.

We just never get tired of it and we are always seeking the perfect execution of every move we make on our bikes.

I think it must be similar to an orgasm or a drug junkies high, once experienced, you can only remember how good it felt rather than what it actually felt like, until you feel it again!

Some times you get it right, sometimes you just can't find the rhythm, no matter how hard you try!

Good days and crap days, I think we all have them! :ride: That's the constant challenge!

Just my humble opinion, FWW. :shifty: Cheers John.

wise words...

[slopster]

Y' reckon! Tell me that after you've taken out one of those damn posts they have leaning out into the road! With y' shoulder.

Yeah not always obviously - but most of the time you can at least put your tyres next to the left hand road edge. Better then leaning into the other lane

[CHOPPA]

i suppose road camber could come into it? generally when cornering to the right the road is off camber..... I reckon get to a track and get used to both sides!

[James Deuce]

You'll find that people who ride on the other side of the road to us have more problem with leaning into the lefthanders. I suspect it's got nothing to do with throttle hand etc, more like a sense of 'relaxation' when not leaning into the traffic, so to speak, so they are happier leaning further on one side than the other......me I don't really care, I like rights and lefts, but I'm not normal (everyone tells me this anyway):banana:

If that's true then why do 9/10ths of riders I see having a weekend fang have most of their body and bike well on the wrong side of the road at the apex of a right hand corner?

If I'm in the car with the family heading to the Wairarapa of a weekend I know I will have to make at least one violent swerve to avoid a helmet shaped dent at about headlight level.

I'm with Ixion and oldrider on this one. Too much stuff going on at once, in particular a combination of gross and fine motor control that many people don't ever have to master or think about.

If you want to work on teaching your brain to master combinations of fine and gross motor skills take up a bowed instrument, the piano, or drums ($25 an hour).

[Mikkel]

I couldn't tell you what the reasons are - but most likely there are many.

However - on the track mind you - I have found that I have a much easier time wearing our my left knee sliders than my right ones.

Plenty of posts in this thread have already covered a wide variety of possible reasons - personally I think it is a combination of all of them.

When you start scraping your pegs on either side - hang off some more.
If you can't scrape your pegs on either side - get some proper tyres.
When you're getting your elbow down and stay on your bike all the way around the corner you're getting close to the limit :D

[Shadows]

You'll find that people who ride on the other side of the road to us have more problem with leaning into the lefthanders. I suspect it's got nothing to do with throttle hand etc, more like a sense of 'relaxation' when not leaning into the traffic, so to speak, so they are happier leaning further on one side than the other......me I don't really care, I like rights and lefts, but I'm not normal (everyone tells me this anyway):banana:

I find that I feel less comfortable on left handers too.
Must be the Yankee bike.

[Zuki Bandit]

I am more at ease leaning to the left for some strange reason, weird init!

[NOMIS]

yeh me to feel more comfortable hanging off the left than the right. mind you I havnt been on a bike since I crashed except crusty mudbug suzuki farm bike.

[scorry]

Everyone usually prefers to lean one way rather than the other.
I dont know why, i prefer right handers which sucks cos all the south island tracks are anti clockwise eg mostly lefts.
I am left handed if that means anything?

[Mikkel]

I am left handed if that means anything?

It means your parents failed :p

Nah, it's not at all unlikely that it would have some impact.

[scorry]

It means your parents failed :p

Nah, it's not at all unlikely that it would have some impact.

LOL nice, yeah i think it might have something to do with it cos most of my mates prefer lefts and they are right handed?
There must be a reason out there somewhere??

[CookMySock]

I might measure my chicken strips to see if they are actually any different or if this is just in my head. The left side strip should be narrower.Nope, strips are IDENTICAL both sides. I scored a line with the calipers on both sides of the tire, and I can't detect any difference with my eye. I still FEEL better cornering to the left, but it seems I am cornering both ways in an identical fashion - what gives ?


DB

[AllanB]

Good post - I'm the same - bugger all rear tyre strip on the left, and a good cm plus on the right.

I just thought it was because I dress to the left.........

[Al]

Thanks for the responses!
The camber here is "different" due to the high volume of rain in the wet season, so maybe that could play a bit of a role but the fact that that I am "leaning-into" traffic (not much out here in the rural area) does play a significant role.
My Beemer is also shaft drive...
Maybe enrol for one of the track days in Darwin and have a slow pootle around the track to see if there is any difference in a "controlled" environment.
Problem here is the wallabies have a tendancy to emerge from the bush at the most inopportune times too. Not the same size as SPMan and MSTriumph's roos, but still quite unnerving..... thank you BMW for ABS/Linked brakes!
The bike has a new set of PilotIIs, the dual compound - seems to be ok - had BT020s on before and didn't like wet roads.

[BASS-TREBLE]

I'm left handed and prefer the left handers....

I find this whole concept interesting too as I've realised that my right handers are are the ones that I have to reconfigure my lines on the most refering that I'm more comfortable with the leff, but I still get both sides over the smae amount...

B-T

[mouldy]

One thing I have realised or noticed is that through the twisties I feel more confident leaning to the left than leaning to the ri

All comments welcome.... (uh-oh)

Al[/QUOTE]Hmm I,m happier on right handers then lefts , at least thats what my tyres and footpegs indicate , now whether thats roundabouts , Pukekohe or fear of sliding into oncoming traffic I don't know

[slofox]

I have been riding for most of my life, since the age of 4, which make it nearly 44 yrs now.
One thing I have realised or noticed is that through the twisties I feel more confident leaning to the left than leaning to the right.
Has anyone else experienced this or am I just being a pussy?

All comments welcome.... (uh-oh)

Al

Yeah - same here. I wondered about lateral dominance. I am right dominant and thought that just maybe the instinct to preserve the dominant side is stronger than opposite. In fact if you fall off in a leftie you will slide into the oncoming traffic. If you fall off in a right hander you slide off the road to the left, so should be safer (from traffic at least). So we ought to feel safer in RH'ers....buggered if I know but I have been wondering about it for over forty years myself.......:blink:

[Chrislost]

Yeah - same here. I wondered about lateral dominance. I am right dominant and thought that just maybe the instinct to preserve the dominant side is stronger than opposite. In fact if you fall off in a leftie you will slide into the oncoming traffic. If you fall off in a right hander you slide off the road to the left, so should be safer (from traffic at least). So we ought to feel safer in RH'ers....buggered if I know but I have been wondering about it for over forty years myself.......:blink:

have you looked at teh way the tyres wear out?

the middle/right gets chewed more then the middle/left...

the shape of the tyre does make it easier/harder to lean the bike???

eg the flat spot on the right may make it harder to lean right, and then you either put more back into it and lean harder that way, or put the same effort and lean less?

[oldrider]

Thanks for the responses!
The camber here is "different" due to the high volume of rain in the wet season, so maybe that could play a bit of a role but the fact that that I am "leaning-into" traffic (not much out here in the rural area) does play a significant role.
My Beemer is also shaft drive...
Maybe enrol for one of the track days in Darwin and have a slow pootle around the track to see if there is any difference in a "controlled" environment.
Problem here is the wallabies have a tendancy to emerge from the bush at the most inopportune times too. Not the same size as SPMan and MSTriumph's roos, but still quite unnerving..... thank you BMW for ABS/Linked brakes!
The bike has a new set of PilotIIs, the dual compound - seems to be ok - had BT020s on before and didn't like wet roads.

You don't have to be in Aussie to hit wallabies on the road, there are plenty of them down here! :yes:

Some of them are as big as a weaner calf. :ride: Can be quite messy! :eek5: John.

[1 Free Man]

I have been riding for most of my life, since the age of 4, which make it nearly 44 yrs now.
One thing I have realised or noticed is that through the twisties I feel more confident leaning to the left than leaning to the right.
Has anyone else experienced this or am I just being a pussy?

All comments welcome.... (uh-oh)

Al
Hey AL
When I stared riding 3-4 months ago I to had the right hand lean fobia. Sweet as with the left handers but got all wobbly with the right handers especially round roundabouts. LOL Just seemed to grow out of it as I clocked up the K's. I talked with 3 other newbies about this at the time and seems we all suffered to one degee or another from the same thing. Weird shit aint it!?:confused:

[Al]

You don't have to be in Aussie to hit wallabies on the road, there are plenty of them down here!

Some of them are as big as a weaner calf. Can be quite messy! John.

Hehehehe
I agree John!
There are some feral buffalo on the roads too, same greyish colour as the tarmac, not heard of a bike hitting one as yet but seen the damage they inflict to cages. Also a feral pig issue in thse parts, so dawn and dusk riding is done very carefully indeed.

[martybabe]

much much happier on right handers, it maybe as someone said, the abundance of fast sweeping roundabouts in the uk, it maybe that I am predominantly left handed, who knows.

It can be a problem with on coming traffic if you can't/don't get well left before the turn though. :niceone:

[svr]

On the road, you can see a lot further on right hand bends than left (typically), although on left hand bends you have superelevation (positive camber) for longer.
On the track I like left handers (although bay park sucked) - no idea why.

[slofox]

On the road, you can see a lot further on right hand bends than left (typically), although on left hand bends you have superelevation (positive camber) for longer.
On the track I like left handers (although bay park sucked) - no idea why.

When I raced at Ruapuna, they were farting around with clockwise circuit sometimes - which I HATED. Much preferred it anticlockwise - lefties better than righties again....

[alanzs]

I have been riding for most of my life, since the age of 4, which make it nearly 44 yrs now.
One thing I have realised or noticed is that through the twisties I feel more confident leaning to the left than leaning to the right.
Has anyone else experienced this or am I just being a pussy?

All comments welcome.... (uh-oh)

Al


For whatever it's worth, maybe it's even relevant, I always rode on the opposite side of the road (Raised/rode for ~45 years in the USA) and I feel more comfortable leaning to the right. Leaning and driving on the left still feels different to me... Maybe it's that old dog, new trick thing?

Or, maybe you are just a pussy? :msn-wink:

[kiwi cowboy]

Everyone usually prefers to lean one way rather than the other.
I dont know why, i prefer right handers which sucks cos all the south island tracks are anti clockwise eg mostly lefts.
I am left handed if that means anything?

i like right handers to but im right handed:Punk:

[Grub]

I might measure my chicken strips to see if they are actually any different or if this is just in my head. The left side strip should be narrower.DB

Ahhh now chicken strips are different because they ARE influenced by the road camber. Your right hand strip will almost certainly be narrower.

[Shadows]

On the road, you can see a lot further on right hand bends than left (typically)

Ahhh that'll be it. I knew some bright spark would have the answer for me.

[moT]

less lean angle the better

[moT]

leaning is all to do with the size of your ear drums if one is larger you tend to lean better in the opposite direction. seeing that it would be hard to find out which one is bigger this method works. you can find out which ear drum is bigger by finding out what side you put your clothes on i put my clothes on on my right so i am better cornering on my right hand side. I wanted to find out how to become better to corner on my right and overcome this natural barrier and i found te answer!!! It takes a bit of training but it helps if you do it all for about a week you have to do everything on the opposite side write, eat, dress even sleep and you body will slowly adjust, if you want a quick fix (but you have to be more determined) is hang yourself horisontaly on a pole for about 4 hours your bad cornering side closeist to the ground. this will make you good at cornering on both sides for the rest of the day unfortunatly you will have to repeat the process the next day

I have proved this through lots of testing and scientific experimintation i am currently writeing my thesis on it (with my left hand)

[rwh]

I generally prefer left handers - though this is much more pronounced at low speeds, and particularly at intersections.

I've always associated it with the fact that I get on and off on the left side, and generally put that foot down when I stop - and that's the side the stand is on, which reinforces that. I always get on and off my pushbike on the left too, though, and always have - long before I started motorcycling - and I don't think I've ever had one with a sidestand.

Richard

[moT]

I generally prefer left handers - though this is much more pronounced at low speeds, and particularly at intersections.

I've always associated it with the fact that I get on and off on the left side, and generally put that foot down when I stop - and that's the side the stand is on, which reinforces that. I always get on and off my pushbike on the left too, though, and always have - long before I started motorcycling - and I don't think I've ever had one with a sidestand.

Richard

hense proves my reaserch

[crash harry]

more wear to right of a bike tyre than to left.....road camber.... :cool:

Not because of road camber - it's because we drive on the left hand side of the road so right-hand corners are longer on average than left-handers, you wear out the right hand side of the tyre first because you do more miles on it. The road camber is way too shallow to account for the angle at which bike tyres wear out.

Some dude on the intarweb (http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/tirewear/index.html) did a study so it must be true...

EDIT: And for the record, to get this back on topic, I seem to prefer right handers - I think it's because the countersteering and throttle can all be done with the right hand and the left can just relax and rest my elbow against the tank - in left handers you can't fully relax the right hand because of the throttle.

[El Stevo]

I love right handers, I'm right handed and I put my right arm into the sleeve first when I put my jacket on... coincidence? Maybe or maybe not.

I always remember Ben Bostroms famous quote "I oughta do well on this track, it goes left" so I guess even the best favour 1 way to another...

[Motu]

I always remember Ben Bostroms famous quote "I oughta do well on this track, it goes left" so I guess even the best favour 1 way to another...

That's because he learned his trade on the dirt track - going around left hand corners at over 160kph sideways is tame stuff to him.At track with lots of left hand corners puts him in his element.I've done a bit of that myself,so am pretty happy tossing it in deep on a left hander....I wonder what the speedway riders think about that?

But this thread has made me wonder what I did before that experience,it has obviously coloured my thinking ever since.I remember when we rode British bikes I really liked right hand corners - it was easy to ground them out,and easier to do that on right handers because of the camber.There was nothing like sending up sparks as the non folding footpegs scraped the road - we used to go around and around roundabouts at night making sparks all the way.

[moT]

That's because he learned his trade on the dirt track - going around left hand corners at over 160kph sideways is tame stuff to him.At track with lots of left hand corners puts him in his element.I've done a bit of that myself,so am pretty happy tossing it in deep on a left hander....I wonder what the speedway riders think about that?

But this thread has made me wonder what I did before that experience,it has obviously coloured my thinking ever since.I remember when we rode British bikes I really liked right hand corners - it was easy to ground them out,and easier to do that on right handers because of the camber.There was nothing like sending up sparks as the non folding footpegs scraped the road - we used to go around and around roundabouts at night making sparks all the way.

WOOHAA you are hardcore drifter but dirt bikes dont drift as hard as my vtec! Respect

[slofox]

1. leaning is all to do with the size of your ear drums if one is larger you tend to lean better in the opposite direction.

2. i put my clothes on on my right so i am better cornering on my right hand side.
'
3. It takes a bit of training but it helps if you do it all for about a week you have to do everything on the opposite side write, eat, dress even sleep and you body will slowly adjust,


1. Ear drums? You sure its ear drums? I always though it was me balls.....

2. I always put clothes on both sides of my body so I oughta be able to corner either way....

3. On a more serious note, I recently had surgery on my right hand and had that hand in a splint for 10 days, so had to do everything with the "wrong" (for me) hand. What a bugger.....I eventually managed wiping me bum that way round but writing proved to be more challenging, (if less messy)...:puke:..the dudes at the bank thought I was pissed every time I wrote out a deposit slip......so no, I didn't really get used to it at all......

[raftn]

I would like to say i swing both ways, but i dont, i prefere the left!.........i am talking about cornering by the way.

[svr]

Do you all agree that the best thing about bikes is that they feel cool when they lean over?
To go around a corner and feel like: 'wow, thats pretty far over' - is still a kick for me after 30yrs of riding and racing.
The last time I crashed on the road was in the rimutakas 20 yrs ago - 3rd left hander northern side after the top - cold front tyre after a coffee break - and waking up in the ditch with the car driving woman I'd just passed standing over me wagging her finger "you leant it over too far" Haha hehehe cold hearted bitch had a point.

[Al]

I agree with SVR, the feeling when you know you have leaned further than before is good!
I haven't been on the track yet, current bike is not really suited for it, but will be looking at the bucket scene here in Darwin!
Have just had a house built on 40 acres, so finances for this year are "slightly limited"...:cry:

[svr]

Your priorities are all screwed up! You should have bought 20 acres, a new 600, a bunch of tires, heaps of track days & 100 dozen beers.

[Toaster]

Interesting thread. I must admit I find left cornering easier than right....

.......especially the left hand corners without sheep standing out in the middle of them.

[Al]

Your priorities are all screwed up! You should have bought 20 acres, a new 600, a bunch of tires, heaps of track days & 100 dozen beers.

Should have, but then I would have to be doing this too :tugger: as wifey would have taken flight!

[moT]

no ones testicles are exactly the same size if you find out which is bigger thats the way you perfer to lean for woman its which boob is bigger

[Mystic13]

Okay my theory is....

1/ Most riders prefer the left handers because when we drive on the left (as we do down here in NZ) we effectively practise tight left hand turns all day long. We very rarely get to do tight right hand turns. So the lefties are far more comfortable. Where this shows up is of you can do a tight right hander onto a oneway street. Of course this could just be a load of rubbish but it sounds good.

Having said that I think it's also a matter of what you believe. If you believe you lean more one way or the other... you probably do.

Unfortunately I don't have any chicken strips so I can't tell you which way I like leaning more. Except that I do like to lean.

2/ Of course it could be tied to your underlying political persuasion, left, right or centre. Greens would be the bike that spends most of its time in the garage.

3/ Personally I prefer the opposite sex. I don't need to know which way you lean.

[Fudmucker]

:stupid: Yup I agree - in South Africa, we also ride on the left and I feel better turning to the left. I get the screaming heebie-jeebies when I am passed by a sports biker leaning over so far to the right that only his tyres are on left of the centre line...:shit:

[scorpious]

when i corner I like to use the whole road

as I can loose my head using the whole road while rounding a RH corner I prefure the lefties. much more relaxing.

[Henk]

I've always figured it was the oncoming traffic thing and the fact that most roundabuts are off camber. Camber will wear the right hand side of the tyre more than the left. Used to work with a guy that had a Rocket where that was really pronounced.

[gt_phanta]

Damn some of these posts were retarded (and I mean that in the nicest way possible!!).

Preference for left or right turns is the same thing that makes people left or right handed, or perhaps natural or goofy footed on skateboards, surfboards and snowboards. Even the way you naturally stand on a bicycle (which foot you have in front) is related to this. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footedness.

I really battle on slow right handed turns. On a halfpipe on a bmx, I could only go anti-clockwise... going clockwise gives me the same retarded awkwardness I get when I try throw a ball with my left hand (I write left handed, but I am right hand dominant - everything else I do right handed, including kicking). http://www.helium.com/items/149103-establishing-the-difference-between-being-left-and-right-handed

[dpex]

I was, for years, a racing glider pilot. This issue of left or right comfort provided significant advantage when thermaling (ergo, going up in a thermal lifying column of air) The rules are, all must follow the direction of the first plane into a thermal. And so, we knew our own preferred bias (left or right circling) and learned the reference of the aircraft on our tails.

We learned that some competitors simply lost it when forced to thermal in the opposite rotation to their endemic preference. Personally, I slightly favoured left-hand thermalling, but was comfortable with right-hand. One of my major competitors I knew to be hopeless thermaling right-handed. If he was on my arse, and i was first into a thermal, I'd always go right. Not only could he not keep up but inevitably he'd bug out and race off to find his own, leaving me to switch rotate, gain great height, then rush off to the next.

I never did analyze why each pilot had a preference. Nor have I read any data about it. Yet the preference is strong.

Since reading the first post of this thread I have gone out to test my preference and found I prefer left-handers, yet I'm right-handed.

Seems to me that someone could do his PhD on this issue.

[OutForADuck]

For far too many years I used to be much happier in left handers... I think I was a back brake trailer on the track and found this harder in right handers. Then in 95' I smashed up my right arm and its full of plates/bolts and abit useless.. now I enjoy right handers because I can be closer to the throttle.

Just the flexibiliy, strength and co-ordination of our bodies is all... everyone is the same, one side feel better than the other....

Well that's what I tell the girls anyway :crazy:

[varminter]

When I learned to ice skate (200 years ago) I found it far easier to go round the rink anticlockwise. You have to step the right foot over the left. When I took to rolerblades I learned to go round the other way but it wasn't easy. Ditto for the bike, I'm tempted to try a roundabout the other way:wacko:

[rocketman1]

Im sure its to do like said previously, you have more road going left plus the camber is going the right way so the bike tightens up and leans a bit easier, going right is with a negative camber plus only half the road which is reduced because you body is leaning into the oncoming traffic.
On race track you dont notice left or right hand corners as much as you do on the road..proves the point aye!