Brick walls, apexing, lane position, gear selection etc

**Mom** · 30th June 2013, 13:30

A discussion on cornering.

Some recent, non anal musings from "me old china" Mr Formby got me thinking about cornering. I was out and about on Millie yesterday and spent most of the 300+ kms playing with various situations on corners in an attempt to see what works, and how it works. I managed to avoid crossing the centre line which is where the brick wall perspective comes in.

I have a really bad habit of straightening out corners and have had to really work on not hanging my head over the centre line (banging it on the brick wall) on right handers.

So what makes for a smooth and successful cornering technique? Is it your starting point for taking the turn? Is it the gear you select to take the corner? Is it when you apply the power on exit? Is it entry speed? Is it trailing the rear brake? Is it counter steering? Is it weighting the pegs? Is it something else?

Or is it some combination of the above?

What techniques do you use when cornering?

The one that I really needed at times yesterday was simply the lean angle, compensating for the wrong gear/speed in the corner. Learned heaps about my cornering ability.

**bluninja** · 30th June 2013, 13:46

Your entry position to the corner sets everything else in place. Placing yourself on the best grippy bit of road and then adjusting your speed to match your forward visibility through the bend.

The old adage "slow in, fast out" always seems to work for me. On roads your positioning, speed setting and gear selection should all be complete before you enter the corner. All that leaves then is to turn into the corner and roll the throttle on. Reduce the number of things to think about and you have more brain power to deal with anything that happens as you go round the bend.

On a right hander I stay as far as I can to the left for better visibility and so that it's impossible on normal roads for my head to cross the centre line. As I pass the apex and the line straightens I exit upright about 1m inside the centre line. On Left handers I am at the centre line for visibility knowing that I will lean into my own side of the road.

**Maha** · 30th June 2013, 14:03

I am the same Simon, re road position.
Gear selection/road position = maintainable corner speed, for me anyway.
My cornering set up starts upon exiting the previous corner. Exiting a corner in the right position, puts you in/on a good line for the next.

**DEATH_INC.** · 30th June 2013, 15:24

Originally Posted by Mom

What techniques do you use when cornering?

I find leaning the bike works best

**Subike** · 30th June 2013, 17:00

Hard on the brakes going into the bend, toss the fucker on its side, hang the tail out if it wants to drift, pin the throttle when halfway round, drag ya knee on the chip seal, call the ambulance.... oh dang, did it wrong again...

**Mom** · 30th June 2013, 17:20

Originally Posted by DEATH_INC.

I find leaning the bike works best

What about those really slow ones where you have to steer? Contrary eh?

Originally Posted by Subike

drag ya knee on the chip seal, call the ambulance.... oh dang, did it wrong again...

You are definitely doing it wrong if getting your knee down results in an ambo call

**granstar** · 30th June 2013, 17:47

Steer in a corner?

Position to right of lane nearing centre line for lefts leaning bike to inside of arc, to left of road for rights leaning into centre allows clearer visual of vanishing point and any unsuspecting cows on the road, counter steer, both cases looking to where i'm heading ahead and road condition coming up allowing reaction time to brake. Judge entry speed before entering corner, engine brake ...(slow down) a little to judged entry speed before entering corner manouver, open throttle out, smooth!
Braking in a corner will tip you off, if you mis-judge lean more, you do know how far your bike will lean don't you?.

**Drew** · 30th June 2013, 17:51

Originally Posted by DEATH_INC.

I find leaning the bike works best

Originally Posted by Mom

What about those really slow ones where you have to steer? Contrary eh?

Huh? If my feet are on the pegs, or at least not touching the ground, I'm leaning the bike to corner.

I find not thinking about all this shit makes it much much easier to ride. Too much going on at any one time on a bike, for my feeble mind to keep up with.

**bluninja** · 30th June 2013, 18:07

Originally Posted by granstar

Steer in a corner?

Position to right of centre line for lefts leaning bike to inside of arc, to left of road for rights leaning into centre allows clearer visual of vanishing point , counter steer, both cases looking to where i'm heading ahead and road condition coming up. Judge entry speed before entering corner, engine brake in, open throttle out, smooth!
Braking in a corner will tip you off, if you mis-judge lean more, you do know how far your bike will lean don't you?.

Engine brake in, open throttle out?

So you have the bike wheel driving the engine causing the rear wheel to extend out, lowering ground clearance and increasing the wheelbase?

Then you open the throttle so you get transmission lash on the chain which may cause the back wheel to break traction on roads with poor grip?

If you brake with the brakes before the corner, match gears to your speed before you enter and then use the throttle on the way in you end up with better stability, traction, ground clearance and less load on the front tyre.

**Mom** · 30th June 2013, 18:07

Originally Posted by Drew

Huh? If my feet are on the pegs, or at least not touching the ground, I'm leaning the bike to corner.

I find not thinking about all this shit makes it much much easier to ride. Too much going on at any one time on a bike, for my feeble mind to keep up with.

Funny you should say that. I ride instinctively, I got my bike license in 1976, and learned to ride off road. I have managed to get myself out of some interesting situations on pure adrenaline before today, and have had to sit back and think about what happened after I came through in one piece. I don't normally play about like this while riding but I really wanted to see what happens when you do "this or that". The weighting of the pegs was interesting. I think we all do it without realising.

I joke about clenching my individual butt cheeks in traffic to end the boredom of the motorway commute in light traffic. You can actually almost change lanes if you have buns of steel

Counter steering "really" helps if you are in too high a gear though a corner and are about to go over the centre line. See, that is what I mean by how do you corner. Some of these instinctive things are worthy of a mention.

I also agree that not breaking down everything you do while out riding is the way to fly. However, I am also of the opinion that you should have a clue about what actions you can take, and how that gets you around corners.

**Badgermat** · 30th June 2013, 18:07

Try this ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVWNinsmkAw

**Maha** · 30th June 2013, 18:23

Originally Posted by granstar

Steer in a corner?

Oh it can happen

I almost had to indicate going around a 25km corner some years ago...didn't see the marker, Fuck! there it was, hard on the brakes, front wheel just over the white line but got around..

A brick wall moment.

**granstar** · 30th June 2013, 18:31

So you have the bike wheel driving the engine causing the rear wheel to extend out, lowering ground clearance and increasing the wheelbase?

Then you open the throttle so you get transmission lash on the chain which may cause the back wheel to break traction on roads with poor grip?

If you brake with the brakes before the corner, match gears to your speed before you enter and then use the throttle on the way in you end up with better stability, traction, ground clearance and less load on the front tyre.

altered to clarify

Yup break before entering corner ( that's before you get there). I use engine brake as it works best with my bike ( British twin and don't get chain lash on a straight line, nor on my shaft drive XJ either

) Agree use throttle- brakes-gears to reduce otherwise. Do not brake in corner with engine or otherwise, did mention that.

**russd7** · 30th June 2013, 18:43

Originally Posted by granstar

altered to clarify

Yup break before entering corner ( that's before you get there). I use engine brake as it works best with my bike ( British twin and don't get chain lash on a straight line, nor on my shaft drive XJ either

) Agree use throttle- brakes-gears to reduce otherwise. Do not brake in corner with engine or otherwise, did mention that.

yup and when confronted with a real journey one must brake really hard