Left Right?

[750Y]

Well I was doing some in-depth analysis of my riding technique recently and noticed that when turning left I can countersteer easily and when slid off to one side of the seat I am totally relaxed and my right forearm resting against the tank it feels really relaxed & natural. Now switch to a right hand corner I noticed that my left forearm is not leaning against the tank, it is harder to countersteer and not as comfortable or relaxed in my semi ‘hanging off’ position when trying to emulate the left turn technique. I don’t have too many problems navigating corners as such but was alarmed at the difference in approach. I’m obviously doing something wrong here so I will have a job ahead to deprogram myself then reprogram myself to get to a neutral point. There’s no mental block with regard to turning left or right but my technique is wacked. This is obviously one of those bad habits which has developed through time and while i can get where i need to go I am now a bit concerened. Am I reading too much into this & being anal or should I be seriously looking at understanding/correcting this bizarre behaviour? Anyone else notice anything like this?

[Motoracer]

Just practice on getting it right, you'll get there.

Most of us are good at doing things in a certain way. I mean, the different areas in our brain has control over different things. You just have to try to train your brain to function to it's best equally, specially when it comes to cornering a motorcycle.

If you are left handed, it is possible for you to practice writing with the right hand and eventually write properly with both hands once you get the hang of it. That goes vv. I think this is similar to cornering too.

Btw, I have had similar problems in the past too and still I come across mental challenges like these but as they say, "practice makes perfect".

[Deano]

I always preferred leaning into lefts, but seem to be able to slide the rear more easily coming out of rights - perhaps practice at manfeild has assisted in this, Im not sure.

With road riding there is more 'apparent run off' if you stuff up a left hander, and with right handers you have catseyes to put you off a bit, in addition to road camber.

Maybe all these factors contribute to the phenomenon you mention.

Also, I heard that the top GP etc riders have VERY good eyesight in both eyes, which is a prerequisite for fast cornering, left or right. Not sure if this is true though.

[750Y]

cheers MR, & Deano practise it is then. eyesight = 20/20 btw

[merv]

The other thing you may notice is that the bikes themselves aren't always symmetrical either and that may make a difference as to where your body parts end up resting.

[750Y]

are you taking the piss merv? 8-) this one has never been down...

[scroter]

my guess is your left eye dominant.

also try checking to make sure your forks are set up exactly the same on both sides.

if this dosent work then it must be all in the head like the rest of us

[merv]

are you taking the piss merv? 8-) this one has never been down...

No, I don't know what you are riding, but engine shapes, positioning of footpegs because of that, frame tube positions etc can be quite different on some bikes and sometimes only a few mm makes a difference as to how they feel, that's all - I wasn't taking the piss or even joking.

[750Y]

No, ... I wasn't taking the piss or even joking.

lol, i thought i better ask, but it brings into question whether i even should be expecting things to be the same arm-position wise etc. I always assumed that the bike was symmetrical. i better go find a good rider/racer on the same bike to ask. I don't want to be preoccupied with this unnecssarily.
might be time for the twist of the wrist book to come out AGAIN, sigh...

oh & scroter I think I may be left eye dominant as well as it being in the head.

i hope one arm is not shorter than the other or i'm in big trouble, i don't think my brain could handle the calculation....

thanks for the helpful replies guys...

[F5 Dave]

As far as the eye thing goes, one may have perfect vision in both eyes independently (ie 20/20) but they may not work well as a pair & as someone said one eye can become dominant, the other one shuts down a little when quick focussing is required.

Either way this is what I think.

Left handers are tighter.

Think about it, we drive on the left hand side of the road so all left handers are tighter than the other side of the road as it is the inner circumference. This means you are used to cranking it in to LHrs & they are tighter so you lean more. Bit of time on the track & this disappears.

[What?]

My guess is that you are right-handed.
Here's the rub - get a heap of people to lie on the floor on their backs, blindfolded. You tell them to roll onto their side. Right-handed people tend to roll onto their left side, and the lefties roll onto their right. It is primitive instinct to keep one's better hand at the ready for defense.
Translate that to leaning a bike through corners - right handed people will naturally feel better leaning hard to the left than to the right. Maybe.

[Skyryder]

I think there was a simular thread a few months ago about the preference of left to right handed turns. Seem to recall that most of us prefer a left turn, or should I say are more comfortable with a left, than a right. This subject came up on an American forum 'that I occasionaly post on and even though the yanks ride on the 'other' side of the road they too prefer the left.
There is as far as I know no irrefutable evidence of why the left is preferred over the right.
Someone on the American formum suggested that instability of the right hand grip, (throttle roll) where there is additional pressure in the turn, may produce an element of caution during the turn. I tend to think that this theory is as good as any.

Skyryder

[pete376403]

Do you dress to the left or the right?

[MadDuck]

Well I am glad the thread was revisited. I thought it was just me as being left handed I am way happier going into a left hand turn than a right. Why I always prefer SH 16 going North as opposed to coming south.

The 35km tight corners coming south are right handers and are so uncomfortable for me. Now whether one can retrain the brain at such a young age time will tell

[NordieBoy]

I'm right handed and feel more comfortable with left hand corners.
The right side of my tires wear out much quicker than the left though (although not as fast as the middle dammit) as driving on the left means that right handers are always longer.

I feel safer in lefties as well as in a right you can be on your side of the road but with the leaning thing your head may not be...