Wanted: Cornering tips [Warning: Heavy Page]

[darkside_of_d_sun]

Hi all,
Need some cornering tips from guys who have adequate riding experience in the twisties, ghats, tracks and big bikes. The following series of pictures demonstrate my current cornering method, I am very much comfortable with it, I feel safe and can carry decent speeds(relative term) through the corners...but I am looking for feedback and improvement tips.

Thanks,
Shamik

[powerslave]

Nice sequence man. A complementing video would help matters too.

[PatcyBoy]

Darkie,

I find that you are shifting you weight and leaning into the slant. You need to do exactly the reverse. Also, this curve is too wide to really comment. You are talking of ghat roads. The curves there tend to be more sharp than this one.

Start you lean from as far right as possible and lean, ending your slant in the far left of the road. That way, you will be doing a much larger turn than the actual turn radius on the road.

Cheers,

Rajan

[hitanshu]

Umm,

just something i've taken from a couple of rally riders i'd met at my mech - they say that when you bend, body should be on opp side. As i see, you corner well, buttt if you were to fall, the bike would be ON you!

I've not mastered it either, but am gonna try things this ride!

EDIT: Well posted Rajan. That's THE point. After all, you gotto ride in a way that misbalances should be self-correcting. If darkie destabilises, he goes for a six!

[Sheel]

i have heard & read that both the method is correct,

leaning with & against,

its ur call, 'coz even if one falls, an impact will be there, be it less or more.

[nav75]

I may be wrong but it seems you are moving off the bike as you are going into the turn. Is that right? Don't do that.

You should grab the tank with your outer knee.

You want to learn/improve cornering skills? Get hold of Keith Code.

[praveenkm]

@Shamik: looking good in the GP like ishtyle Looks like your seat is slippery enough but this way u r well committed to the curve and its good when the coast is clear. but sudden small adjustments may give u wobbles. like a small bad patch, or u see some guy coming onto the road or ne thing that distracts you.

like just this morning on way to office, was doin the same, torso to the inside of the curve, knee out, lil more bent forward, but butt not as much out, and in the left curve at 100 +, the toe of my shoe scraped the ground(forgot to pull back my foot till the toe rests on the foot peg this time before left curve) and i pulled back the foot quickly and was blessed with a scary wobble :P

me thinks like dat, correct me if wrong

This is called 'CounterWeighting to the outside', n i got quite a few brick bats for that. but comfortable doing it some times

comes handy in short or sharp curves.

[Killer]

Darkie: your body position is correct, its good you are comfortable with it too because you dont want to over commit on the street and then not be able to make corrections in time. Having said that your lean angle looks comfortable and with your body in the right position as it is you will be able to carry more speed through the corner as compared to another rider with the same lean angle who is sitting square on the bike.

Remember to use a late apex when riding on the street, it improves your visibility several fold so you can look through the turn and catch oncoming traffic. Also as you get quicker at tipping the bike into the corner you will find that the late apex will give you more drive out of the corner.

There is a lot more to this but i think i have gven you enough for riding on the street. If you want to get better than you are right now come and practice on track. Remember to stay within 70% of your ability on the street and follow the late apex rule, you should be safe

just to give you an idea, on track a typical corner is taken like this

1) Approaching turn in point shift just the butt into position (half butt cheek out most of the time). For me its up and out to the side i dont slide it out.
2) Adjust speed by getting the downshifting / braking done while in that position. Bike is still upright and you arent turning yet.
3) At the turn in point initiate the turn buy providing a single decisive countersteering input to put you at the desired lean angle. Leading with the inner shoulder get your head down where the inside mirrors would be. This will bring the upper body inline and parallel to the bike, outer knee bracing the recess of the tank.
4) Crack on the gas as soon as possible and roll on smoothly and constantly through the arc you set through the turn (first rule of throttle control)

here is recent similar discussion we had on Keith codes forum, you can look there for more info

http://forums.superbikeschool.com/in...?showtopic=667

good going and keep the rubber side down!

[darkside_of_d_sun]

Thanks everybody..and a special thanks to Killer for taking the pain to register and posting here in response to my request.
I will work on some of the take-aways from the messages posted.

Cheers,
Shamik

[hacket]

found something in my bike manual
no comments on those shitty pencil diagrams

Lean with


The body of the rider is leant at same angle as the vehicle.This is a natural and stable posture for cornering.

Lean out


This posture holds upper part of the body upright as if pushing the vehicle down.The vehicle lean angl is the largtest of all the three postures.The upper part of the rider's body held upright gives better visiblity.

However,this posture may not be safe,unless you are experienced and recognise the limits of balancing.

Lean in


This is the posture where upper part of the body is bent inside and at a larger leaning angle then the vehicle.Since the leaning angle of the vehicle of the vehicle is smaller,the tyres hug the road better.This good for rainy condition or slippery surface.Its drawbac is limited visiblity.This posture also requires experience to master it.