Tips on cornering?

KrunkyTB

KrunkyTB

Registered
After seeing pics and watching vids of alot of you guys corning,  
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i know i suck!  I cant corner worth a hell.  I'm afraid im going to drop the bike.  I havent been riding sportsbikes long, downfall? maybe, but busa so much fun.  5'10' 150 lbs. I somewhat tap brakes in corners, but almost have too here, people cant drive cars worth a crap.  And havent had busa long enough before getting spanked in rear by a hit and run.  Anyway, i'm thinkin of asking some riders where some good twistys are to practice, but droppin it is out of question.  Any tips you busa gods can offer to a newb?  Willing to take a class but I dont think there is any good ones in my region, and AMA class is out cause 4k is out of my afordability. Thanks all
 
Find a parking lot with no cars in it! Practice turning the bike from steering stop to steering stop going as slow as possible. Come to a complete stop and pull away immediately turning the bike to one side or the other and when straight again after turning a 180, stop. Do this the other way now! The goal is to be smooth! Having the ability to control the bike at low speeds will increase your ability to corner at higher speeds even though the effects of countersteering aren't as great going slow! Try this one. Keep the bike going straight and lean the bike to one side. You will have to lean off the opposite direction to keep the bike going straight. Try this while turning and doing the first drill. You will find that countersteer, even at 5 miles an hour is entirely in play here! Try these a couple times a week and see if your comfort level while leaning doesn't improve!

Good luck and have fun!
 
Take your time, don't rush it.

Go to a trackday, you won't regret it. Learning on the street is much more dangerous and will take 10 times as long to improve your skill comparaed to a trackday.

Tips on cornering;
Look through the corner.
Light hands, no deathgrips.
Be very smooth with brakes and throttle.
When leaned over, don't use your brakes or a lot of throttle.  Your tires are using all their grip for cornering.
If you think you're too hot once you're in a corner, "LOOK and LEAN"  Don't touch the brakes.
Never lean far on cold tires.


Don't worry about the bike falling.  The only way that is going to happen is;
dirty surface
cold tires
You use too much brake and lock-up your tires/tires
You use too much throttle and spin the rear out
You drag hard parts and the hard parts lift you off your bike(not an issue until you are fast)
 
(Charlesbusa @ Jul. 29 2007,01:48) Take your time, don't rush it.

Go to a trackday, you won't regret it.  Learning on the street is much more dangerous and will take 10 times as long to improve your skill comparaed to a trackday.

Tips on cornering;
Look through the corner.
Light hands, no deathgrips.
Be very smooth with brakes and throttle.
When leaned over, don't use your brakes or a lot of throttle.  Your tires are using all their grip for cornering.
If you think you're too hot once you're in a corner, "LOOK and LEAN"  Don't touch the brakes.
Never lean far on cold tires.


Don't worry about the bike falling.  The only way that is going to happen is;
dirty surface
cold tires
You use too much brake and lock-up your tires/tires
You use too much throttle and spin the rear out
You drag hard parts and the hard parts lift you off your bike(not an issue until you are fast)
Click to expand...
good tips

push right to go right
push left to go left
ride on the balls of your feet
relax and breath
relax your elbows
squeeze the tank with knees
look for the exit
if you have to break use the back. using the front will stand the bike up

and most of all practice, practice, practice
 
+1 on all of the above.

Some other ways to say similar things:

Learn to do it slowly first. If you can't do it slowly, you can't do it fast. Trust me on this one. In other words, don't be in a hurry.

Keep your head and eyes up and look all the way through the turn. If you're looking at the road just in front of your front tire, cornering is going to be a difficult proposition. Your peripheral vision can handle the close-in part. BTW, the same is true when you're driving a car.

Keep your weight off your hands. Your hands and arms should be completely relaxed at all times. A slight bend in your wrists and elbows and a light grip on your throttle.

Keep the throttle smooth. You need to practice to get it to the point where you are accelerating and decelerating without any herky-jerky movements.

Same with the brakes. IF you use your brakes in a corner, smoothness will work, not smooth will likely kill ya.

If you're in a corner and it feels like you're going to fall to the inside, it means you're leaning too far for the speed you're going.

Don't worry about draggin' knee at first. It isn't critical to the process; it's just a refinement which is not necessary to accomplish when you're first learning. When you're learning, though, you can put a little weight on the outside knee, pressing in on the gas tank. You'll find that helps quite a bit.

Have fun out there and be safe.

--Wag--
 
Read "Twist of the Wrist" and "Twist of the Wrist 2". There are a few other books out there, but these are the ones that helped me the most.
 
(Charlesbusa @ Jul. 29 2007,00:48) Take your time, don't rush it.

Go to a trackday, you won't regret it. Learning on the street is much more dangerous and will take 10 times as long to improve your skill comparaed to a trackday.

Tips on cornering;
Look through the corner.
Light hands, no deathgrips.
Be very smooth with brakes and throttle.
When leaned over, don't use your brakes or a lot of throttle. Your tires are using all their grip for cornering.
If you think you're too hot once you're in a corner, "LOOK and LEAN" Don't touch the brakes.
Never lean far on cold tires.


Don't worry about the bike falling. The only way that is going to happen is;
dirty surface
cold tires
You use too much brake and lock-up your tires/tires
You use too much throttle and spin the rear out
You drag hard parts and the hard parts lift you off your bike(not an issue until you are fast)
Click to expand...
All good advice, based on the 13 months I have been riding!

Also based on mistakes I've made, the "look and lean" comment- if you get scared in the middle of a corner, have it in your mind that you will steer and lean more, not brake and run it wide. The bike will do more than you can at this point, braking in a corner stands the bike up and will run you off the road on the outside. If you understand countersteer, and let the bike lean more it will more than probably take you around the corner safely. Braking will almost certainly cause you harm.
 
Nope, but got all parts ordered, cept for plastic rear, gonna try to repair, ebay'ed everything, subframe and rear foot pegs.  Dennis hooked me up on exhaust, so here in next week and half or so, bike will be like new again, cept for small crack in plastic and small broken piece off rear taillight, but be happy to have it up and running again!

thanks for the tips, not really sure if there any tracks close, but gonna check it out!, plenty of empty parking lots though
 
all good tips!!

Remember to NOT WORRY about dragging a knee. Draggin a knee is a result of speed and good form/technique. It will come and become second nature.

I 2nd the idea of going to the track and learning to corner. I've never been very good with the canyons. But...most of my skill learned came from trackdays.
 
Most everything has been covered already...best thing to do is to RIDE, RIDE, RIDE...more seat time and riding on twisty roads will get you the experience and CONFIDENCE
that you need  
beerchug.gif
 
(BusaWhipped @ Jul. 29 2007,08:19) Read "Twist of the Wrist" and "Twist of the Wrist 2".  There are a few other books out there, but these are the ones that helped me the most.
Click to expand...
+100, I just read part of twist of the wrist 2 and learned alot more than I though possible. I found out I was doing all kinds of things wrong and had some bad habits that slowed me down. It is an easy read and makes alot of sense.
 
(BA BUSA @ Jul. 29 2007,14:04) Most everything has been covered already...best thing to do is to RIDE, RIDE, RIDE...more seat time and riding on twisty roads will get you the experience and CONFIDENCE
that you need  
beerchug.gif
Click to expand...
You definately need to put on the miles to build up the confidence, but make sure you get some instruction or at least read up on what you should be doing while you are on the bike, or you will have to unlearn the bad habbits later.
 
I have Twist II. I have read it 3 times, adn I pick up something new everytime I have read it. Things that you just seem to miss when you go through it the first time or two.
 
Twist the right wrist and lean until you drag something. No man, take your time and ride at your pace not someone else's. Good riders will wait at turns and stops for their buds
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I've been waited on many a time.
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