how can I get better?

[multiplicity]

I'm really only interested in getting better at corners as I can't lean the bike hardly at all - everytime I try, the chicken in me really takes over!! Does anyone know of a course that could teach me better cornering techniques? I'm not interested in a trackday because I have no interest in learning how to go fast or bomb round a track!

Cheers

 

[sportrider]

concentrate on being smooth, don't charge into corners. set a pace your comfortable with and just stay with it. if you wring the bike out on a straight your going to feel like your corner entrance speed is to fast, which will cause you to over brake into the corner actually making you go slower then if you just carry a moderate pace through your whole ride. as you get used to carrying more speed your lean angles will increase naturally. if you find yourself finding it necessary to brake in or going into corners your pace is to fast for your comfort level so slow down and find a speed that allows you to ride with out needing to brake going through the corners.:thumbup:

 

[Nelly]

concentrate on being smooth, don't charge into corners. set a pace your comfortable with and just stay with it. if you wring the bike out on a straight your going to feel like your corner entrance speed is to fast, which will cause you to over brake into the corner actually making you go slower then if you just carry a moderate pace through your whole ride. as you get used to carrying more speed your lean angles will increase naturally. if you find yourself finding it necessary to brake in or going into corners your pace is to fast for your comfort level so slow down and find a speed that allows you to ride with out needing to brake going through the corners.:thumbup:

Danny has covered it all in a nut shell,
The one thing I would advise is don't try to get more than one bum cheek off your seat. If you do try to get more off, it will give you the illusion that you are really hanging off where's in reality; you have just twisted your upper body and put unnecessary pressure on the bars.
Relax and concentrate on being smooth.
Oh yes, ensure that your bike is in good working order, check tyre wear and pressures.

Nelly

 

[wrightme43]

Books man. Parking lot practice.

Gotta do stuff that agrees with machine design, and not do things that dont agree.
Untill you know what the bike wants, the tendency is to do what you want. 9 times out of 10 its the exact opposite of what the bike wants.

The part about chickening out is normal.
K. Code in Twist of the Wrist II discribes it as a 10$ attention credit card. When you use up all your attention on panic you dont have any left for riding. He helps to raise your comfort level, increase your skills, and makes you a better rider. Barnes and Noble usually stock several motobike skills training books.

Dont get the one for dummies. Your not a dummy. LOL

Twist is great.
Sport Riding Tech. awesome
Total Control is great.

Practice the drills in a parking lot. It removes the other vehicle from the equation. It lowers the fear level and gives you attention to play with. As you get better you will have more and more attention to lean further and play a little faster.

Hope it helps man.

 

[Jman]

Spread some peanut butter on your nose to distract you from the fear - :justkidding: Seriously, go riding with some experienced members. I don't know how close you are to Doorag or Nelly, but that might help get you more confidence seeing how others lean right in front of you. - my two cents

 

[bluenova]

Relax is the key I found, don't not grip the handlebars tight. The bars will want to naturally move to the right position for your speed and lean angle. Obviously you have to be holding the bars or you wouldn't be able to accelerate but don't grip them so tight that they will not be able to move correctly making the corner will feel horrible. Hold on with your legs.

 

[staticghost]

What I would recommend doing is taking a MSF course. You will learn a lot there. Not sure if they have any classes right now.

 

[Fred]

I'm not interested in a trackday because I have no interest in learning how to go fast or bomb round a track!

You misunderstand track days. A track day is exactly what you need to help you out.

Most track days have various skill levels. There are racers who are out there to be fast. But the beginner and intermediate riders are out there to learn to ride better and smoother. Ride in one of those groups and rather than trying for a fast lap time, spend your time practicing your cornering.

You'll learn how to lean your bike and be comfortable, in a controlled environment. You're repeating the same corners over and over. Each time you can lean a little more and be a little smoother. This repetition of corners is the best way to learn what you and your bike can do.

The skills you pick up at a track day will carry over to your street riding. You'll know what the bike can do and you'll know what you can do, and that'll let you get past the fear you're feeling.

Fred

 

[wrightme43]

Also chickening out usually results in a roll off, or brake application, or a change of lean angle in the turn. All of these require more traction than a slow roll on of power. Its sounds backwards but adding gas and keeping lean angle set with one quick steering adjustment means you have more traction and the bike is happier.

The bike will stick, (barring any debris in roadway and usually even then) all the way untill you lever the rear off the ground. Close the throttle, jam on the brake or dont transfer wieght back with the throttle and it will slip away much easier.

 

[gpd211]

Being an emergency vehicle driving instructor I would suggest thinking about the following. It applies to bikes and cars. First off is to set yourself up for the corner. You want to be in the outside of your lane. This gives this the most distance around the curve and therefore you don't have to slow as much as if you are on the inside. Roll off the throttle as you come up to the curve and do your braking BEFORE you get into the curve. Then you can slowly pick up some throttle until you get to the apex of the curve. Smooth is the key to fast.

 

[Kilbane83]

Getting better comes with miles plain and simple. The more you ride your bike, the more you'll learn about it and it's capabilities. Eventually you'll find that as long as you take care of maintence, and aren't a jackass the bike will go further than you are willing to push it. The more you trust your bike, the more relaxed and enjoyable the rides will get.

Now if you want instruction I agree get to a track and learn what it's all about.

 

[mstewar1]

As Fred said, get thee to a track day. You'll get good advice from the folks running the session about basics. Take one or two pointers and go ride around the track. Lather, rinse, repeat. The closed environment will do wonders for your concentration and the gradual building of skill. One friendly word of caution, however, and that is to be selective about from whom you take information while there. Most folks, riders both new and experienced, will have good intentions about wanting to help, and that's a wonderful thing. But that's an easy way to get a bit of bad advice, too. Keep your brain and information quality filter switched on and you'll do fine.

All the pointers I've read here are on target. As for the books mentioned, check your local library. I was browsing at mine recently and found that they had the Code books.

If you're new to riding, I'd suggest doing a little reading and getting to a track day sooner rather than later. That'll help you to build a good foundation of sound habits upon which you can then build. And remember, the street is not a track.

 

[necrotimus]

practice the technique going slow... speed in the corners will come but if you start with bad technique and apply speed you will end up hurt... go slow develop good technique go a little faster... it wont come over night but eventually you will become more comfortable

 

[grommit]

If you need professional help then try...

Advanced Motorcycle Training

There are others around, they can give you one on one training to help you develop.

 

[xj750_Pete]

To get used to the lean angles, look for an empty parking lot and go in circles. Start by going slow and then slowly increase speed while maintaining the same circle, pushing more and more.

 

[ozzieboy]

Being chicken is probably keeping you alive, so don't knock it:thumbup:...lol. I agree with the above comments also:cheer:. I have been riding for a while and used to have no trouble scraping pegs and exhausts on my cruisers:rockon:. This beast can lean a long way over and you don't want to try to get there all at once. Just take the corners at a comfortable speed for a while and then take note of sweet corners with good camber and no debris to push your limits just a little bit next time. Just a couple Mph or Kph difference if that's what you need to do:Flash:. Don't try to push too hard too soon as you will most likely come unstuck. And remember some corners tighten up part way round so don't ride ten tenths. Leave yourself some traction and lean for emergencies.:thumbup:
Better to learn all this from the experts though so if a course is available that teaches this sort of thing then that would be ideal.:thumbup:
Cheers
Mike

 

[Nelly]

There is another option to a track day:

Ride In Control in association with MotorSportVision

I am seriously debating having a go at one of these.
The link Grommit gave you is excellent to.

Nelly

PS are you near the Beckingham raceway?

 

[pooty]

learn your bike. when you are "one with the bike" it will come naturally

 

[fz6nick]

One way to get rid of some of that fear, but not to much is to look far as you can to the end of the turn. When you can, even look through the corner, far as you can again to where you are heading. Looking far ahead will make you feel as if you are going slower in the turn. It will help with your line also. Dont worry about going over the lines if your going to fast/slow, your periferials (spelling?) will take care of that and not let you do it.

A good way to get your bike leaned over is to countersteer. If you are going in a straight line, and you push your right bar forward/pull left bar back, you will lean your bike to the right. If you push your left bar forward/pull on right bar, you will lean left. It seems backwards, but it really works, try it going down the road with no cars. Just start off by doing it easy, then soon you will be swerving back and forth like they do to warm up the tires in the races. After you have this mastered, you can use it to lean over in the turns.

 

[PlasticPig]

One way to get rid of some of that fear, but not to much is to look far as you can to the end of the turn. When you can, even look through the corner, far as you can again to where you are heading. Looking far ahead will make you feel as if you are going slower in the turn. It will help with your line also. Dont worry about going over the lines if your going to fast/slow, your periferials (spelling?) will take care of that and not let you do it.

A good way to get your bike leaned over is to countersteer. If you are going in a straight line, and you push your right bar forward/pull left bar back, you will lean your bike to the right. If you push your left bar forward/pull on right bar, you will lean left. It seems backwards, but it really works, try it going down the road with no cars. Just start off by doing it easy, then soon you will be swerving back and forth like they do to warm up the tires in the races. After you have this mastered, you can use it to lean over in the turns.

Personally I would have said that counter steering is the way to go, if you are going into a left hand bend then gently apply pressure to the left bar almost pushing it away from you, that gives you far more control when cornering.

Also, +1 on the advice to look ahead in the bend, look where you are going and you will go there.