Cornering - apex - explain?

[Winston001]

I've been riding for years. We used to have TV motoring shows where a rally driver would show a line drawn through a corner to illustrate the correct path. Then he'd take the nervous cameraman through a corner.

It all looked like common sense to me so this talk of apexing never made sense. Surely any driver/rider's brain automatically works out the apex because you have to know how sharp any corner is.

I haven't read Twisted Throttle but its on the list.

Anyway - what am I missing? Apart from corners . And yes, I've missed a couple over the years.

[Mental Trousers]

Apexing in the correct part of a corner is a safety issue as much as anything else. Apex too early and your exit can be dangerous. Also, the later you apex, the better vision you have through a corner and the more time and space you have to deal with anything on the road surface.

[YellowDog]

Your chosen Apex quite often won't be what a track racer would choose.

These TV shows were they illustrate the best line with where to 'kiss' the Apex to get maximum benefit for a swift manoeuvre can be a good guide, but unless you're going to start racing, it's not terribly useful.

I have a mate who takes racing lines through all corners at slow speed.

He's a right dick

[bogan]

Apexing in the correct part of a corner is a safety issue as much as anything else. Apex too early and your exit can be dangerous. Also, the later you apex, the better vision you have through a corner and the more time and space you have to deal with anything on the road surface.

pretty much, picking the apex governs your cornering line, late apex may not be the fastest line, but it is the safest.

Not quite on topic, but I always notice people making the traffic island their apex at right hand turning lights, then flying across to the outside

[YellowDog]

Apexing in the correct part of a corner is a safety issue as much as anything else. Apex too early and your exit can be dangerous. Also, the later you apex, the better vision you have through a corner and the more time and space you have to deal with anything on the road surface.

That is an excellent image. Thank you.

Many riders would simply follow the bend at a slower speed equidistant all the way around.

[BMWST?]

the "classic" apex is the point where the largest radius curve meets the edge of the road.
In the simplest way an s bend in the road and take the straight line through.The point where the straightest line clips the edge of the road is the apex.

[Motu]

It all looked like common sense to me

That's all you need,leave the over analysing to those who like to hang their tea towels straight and talk for hours about centrifugal force.

[Winston001]

Apexing in the correct part of a corner is a safety issue as much as anything else. Apex too early and your exit can be dangerous. Also, the later you apex, the better vision you have through a corner and the more time and space you have to deal with anything on the road surface.

By golly that was quick.

That is an excellent diagram. Thankyou MT.

Points to Yellow Dog too - yes I realise racing lines are not necessarily open-road lines. Which is what used to bother me about the rally driver advice because it seemed to be wrong for the average driver with a family on board.

[The Stranger:Me]

By golly that was quick. :niceone

That is an excellent diagram. Thankyou MT.

Points to Yellow Dog too - yes I realise racing lines are not necessarily open-road lines. Which is what used to bother me about the rally driver advice because it seemed to be wrong for the average driver with a family on board.

If you stay wide until you can see the exit is clear you will tend to naturally select the apex as per MT's diagram. If you do this it also often allows you to exit one bend already set up for a following bend (as in tight twisties) then your shit really starts to flow.

[Winston001]

Soo....thanks to years of reading KB I eventually changed to what I guess is a mix of Delayed and Early. It doesn't fit the lines exactly but works for me on the bike and in my vehicle.

My decades of habit was Delayed apex but that put me on/over the centre line at speed on the far side of the corner. Plus on the bike I wasn't then set up for the next bend of an S.

So now I drive wide entering the corner which gives much better vision ahead and a lot more road to play with. This isn't high-speed stuff just normal conservative driving but its easy on our roads to find tight corners so seeing ahead is very helpful.

It feels much better. Cheers.

[Berries]

Probably best to try it on your own side of the road first though.

[Urano]

Surely any driver/rider's brain automatically works out the apex because you have to know how sharp any corner is.

this is the real point, after all.

the method that works best for me is looking at the speed of the lines' matching: you look at the road's edges and where they meet round the corner.
if the "meeting" moves fast, it's a large turn, if it stays almost fixed, that's a sharp one.
once you've figured out the radius, the you can figure out the position of the apex...

[Urano]

Probably best to try it on your own side of the road first though.

this is merely your fault...

[MSTRS:Me]

If you stay wide until you can see the exit is clear you will tend to naturally select the apex as per MT's diagram. If you do this it also often allows you to exit one bend already set up for a following bend (as in tight twisties) then your shit really starts to flow.

Get the initial line/s wrong, and something similar happens...

Just where the apex is on the line you pick can be real important too. On righthanders, never place your wheels on/close to the line...where do you think your head is?

[oneofsix]

Get the initial line/s wrong, and something similar happens...

Just where the apex is on the line you pick can be real important too. On righthanders, never place your wheels on/close to the line...where do you think your head is?

would the correct answer be 'in line with the caravan/truck body coming the other way' ?