Tips on riding the curves

Hey.
I'm a newbie. Well, I rode a 125 enduro back when I was in high school, so that really doesn't count.
So now I'm back to riding after a long break, too long. I'm really weak in riding the curves. I understand the "outside, inside, outside" concept. If any of you would offer your advice as how to "get it", I surely would appreciate it.



Thanks.

wezul said:

Hey.
I'm a newbie. Well, I rode a 125 enduro back when I was in high school, so that really doesn't count.
So now I'm back to riding after a long break, too long. I'm really weak in riding the curves. I understand the "outside, inside, outside" concept. If any of you would offer your advice as how to "get it", I surely would appreciate it.



Thanks.

Click to expand...

Practice, Pratice, Practice.

Welcome to the MOA!

Read this....let it digest, then read it again. It pretty much is my riding bible now. Another thing about learning curves is the vanishing point technique.

The combination of these two articles are , I believe, the linchpins of good smooth riding.

wezul said:

Hey.
I'm a newbie. Well, I rode a 125 enduro back when I was in high school, so that really doesn't count.
So now I'm back to riding after a long break, too long. I'm really weak in riding the curves. I understand the "outside, inside, outside" concept. If any of you would offer your advice as how to "get it", I surely would appreciate it.



Thanks.

Click to expand...

What exactly is your problem? How to lean (ie, countersteer?)? How to place yourself in the lane? Or something else?

Countersteering I think I have, what I don't have are the stones to lay it over and stay on the throttle enough to maintain the lean at speed. Call me chickenman.
Example, your typical 270 degree constant radius expressway entrance ramp. Should seem easy enough, right?
Maybe what I need to do is find a cloverleaf and just do all four 'round and 'round until I get it, sorta like some goofy car ad I've seen but not at those speeds.
Bottom line I need practice, patience is not my strongest point.

wezul said:

Countersteering I think I have, what I don't have are the stones to lay it over and stay on the throttle enough to maintain the lean at speed. Call me chickenman.
Example, your typical 270 degree constant radius expressway entrance ramp. Should seem easy enough, right?
Maybe what I need to do is find a cloverleaf and just do all four 'round and 'round until I get it, sorta like some goofy car ad I've seen but not at those speeds.
Bottom line I need practice, patience is not my strongest point.

Click to expand...

It is a bit unnerving getting the courage to trust your tires. Now for me it's not trusting my tires....it's trusting my eyes to see deep enough in the curves to catch that loose gravel and dust that seems to be at the apex point of every rural curve.

Cloverleafs.....I lick my chops in anticipation when I see one of them coming and regret when I stuck behind a slow car and can't give the beans to get up to speed.

Cloverleafs... ah..

Yeah, I have the same problem. It's getting less of a problem now as I am able to ride constantly.

Still, I'll lean into it real good, giving constant throttle, but eventually scare myself and straighten up and have to blip the throttle a few times and put around the end of the curve.

It's like I have a length limit of control. I do awesome up to a point then I get scared and straighten it up.

In ancient times

My mechanic, a flat track Norton racer advised; go 'round and 'round increasing your speed each time until you fall down. Then back off one RPM and do it again.

wezul said:

Countersteering I think I have, what I don't have are the stones to lay it over and stay on the throttle enough to maintain the lean at speed. Call me chickenman.
Example, your typical 270 degree constant radius expressway entrance ramp. Should seem easy enough, right?
Maybe what I need to do is find a cloverleaf and just do all four 'round and 'round until I get it, sorta like some goofy car ad I've seen but not at those speeds.
Bottom line I need practice, patience is not my strongest point.

Click to expand...

Ok, I hear you. I had the same problem for many years, and here's how I conquered it. (Well, um, I still don't have stones. But that's chromosomal, ok?)

As others mentioned, you need to TRUST your tires. Take a look at the sides of your tires. You have chicken strips, right? The tread on those tires is there to be used, and it can be used. Tell yourself, over and over an over (etc) that your tires have power that you have not even touched. Keep trusting your tires!

Next, as one of the other posters said, practice pushing the bar down into the turn bit by bit. In my experience, you need to do this on a turn where you can see the exit, not on a blind curve. If you can see the exit, it's a lot easier to assure yourself that the turn is safe, so you can lean it over more and more.

Finally, try to set yourself into the turn *immediately* at the beginning of the turn, instead of slowly pushing the bar down into the turn. Do a sharp turn, set the bike, and hold it. On hard, sharp turns in particular, doing a hard sharp push on the bars to set the bike will pay dividends. If you do NOT do this, you will find yourself heading toward the outer edge of the turn, and you'll have to crank the bar down even farther to recover. (Or worse yet, stand the bike up and hit the brakes so you can slow down enough to make the turn.)

I hope this gives you something to think about, at least! Good luck.

Look up. You go where you look, so keep looking up, where you want to go.

MSF is Waiting For You

The laws of physics don't really accomodate a dozen varying techniques for properly negotiating curves on a single-tracked vehicle.

Get signed up for either the Basic Rider Course or the Experienced Rider Course thru your closest MSF-sponsored training facility.

Both courses will emphasize proper cornering. "Outside-Inside-Outside" is only a path of travel. "Slow, Look, Press and Roll" is the technique you need to become proficient at.

It is the happy 'marriage' of these two concepts (path of travel + technique) that keeps you consistently safe and alert when traveling thru a curve.

Actually, I just completed (and passed!) the BRC about 3 weeks back.
Good tip, though, thanks!

wezul said:

Countersteering I think I have, what I don't have are the stones to lay it over and stay on the throttle enough to maintain the lean at speed. Call me chickenman.
Example, your typical 270 degree constant radius expressway entrance ramp. Should seem easy enough, right?
Maybe what I need to do is find a cloverleaf and just do all four 'round and 'round until I get it, sorta like some goofy car ad I've seen but not at those speeds.
Bottom line I need practice, patience is not my strongest point.

Click to expand...

We don't have much for curvy roads around here. My best curve is the very large exit ramp on my way to work. I scrubbed the side of my boot on that one the other day. I am always trying to experiment and see how far I can get the GS over and still be comfy. That was about my comfort limit there. Curvy roads await in a few weeks and I am looking forward to some more practice.

Brian

So simple, yet SO important...

KBasa said:

Look up. You go where you look, so keep looking up, where you want to go.

Click to expand...

This is so critical to all riding, but especially taking the curves. You need to keep your head and eyes "level" with the world, even though the motorcycle may be leaning.

Also, be wary of sand or gravel that may be in the road or on the edges of the road.

You may also want to learn how to properly shift your weight a bit. This doesn't necessarily mean "hanging off" like a racer, but shifting your weight can allow you to not lean the motorcycle as far, yet still be able to ride the curve.

Where's PMDave? He's written books on this stuff!

Curves

I don't know the proper terminology for this, but always come into a curve starving the bike for a higer gear, and on the second half of the curve, after your momentum shifts, give the higher gear to the bike. NEVER go into a curve in the higher gear.

Anybody have a better description of what I just described?

Red

As another of the almost-knee draggers on the board, I second the practice, practice, practice and trust your tires mantras. I'd like to add one more thought: The public road is not a race track and you've got to watch the road surface for oil, junk, debris, sand, dirt, dead critters and everything else. Carving the corners is a lot of fun, and I've zipped by at least a couple of sport bikes in the corners up in the mountains on my R1200GS, but remember the law of physics that counts most here is TRACTION...if you got it, you got it. If you don't, well....that's what ATGATT is for....Good Luck!

Curves

The most important thing is YOUR Entry Speed. This is your speed that allows you to roll on the throttle through the curve. Keep your head up > Outside , inside, outside path of travel so you can look through the turn. Practice at slower speeds to build up your confidence. And remember ride to your own ride.

redclfco said:

I don't know the proper terminology for this, but always come into a curve starving the bike for a higer gear, and on the second half of the curve, after your momentum shifts, give the higher gear to the bike. NEVER go into a curve in the higher gear.

Anybody have a better description of what I just described?

Red

Click to expand...

To paraphrase: Don't lug the engine on entry, be in a lower gear and keep the revs up.

hth

In the end, I think the best thing is going to be time and miles in the saddle. It also helps if you ride to places with a lot of curves. I think one of the best things for me was the '06 rally in Vermont. Riding up Appalachian Gap is good practice; I was nearly motion sick by the time I got to the top, though.

After a few years I'm just getting to the limits of my bike; I'm able to drag my sidestand in the turns, and this is on a 78 R80/7; not exactly a sportbike. Now I have a different problem; trying not to get into the turn so fast I drag the valve covers. I'm a bit nervous about doing that, and "levering" the bike off the tires.. sort of steering myself into a lowside. So now I've backed off a bit; "slow and steady wins the race". Same thing with learning to take the curves fast; it's best not to try to jump into things before you're ready. I don't think there is any magic to it, just practice.

Recently, I was out on some of the curviest AZ/NM roads (AZ 191 and others) with some R and K bikes. In 25-40 MPH posted curves, I followed along in 2nd and 3rd gear, but rode them a good 10 - 25 mph over posted. Gearing down, and letting the bike run in the 5.5-8 K range helps a lot in switchback mountain roads. The F800 leans well.