30 Sep Tips On Cornering With A Motorcycle
One of the skills most motorcycle enthusiasts, whether dirt bike riding or street bike riding, dream of mastering is to turn corners at the fastest speed that they can. However, mastering the art of cornering is tricky and it takes time and practice.
To help you be a step closer to that, here are a few tips that you should do to help you become a master at cornering:
Always Look Ahead
This is a common and basic tip given to riders both beginners and more experienced alike. However, there are still some who forget to do it. Looking ahead should always be done whether you are cornering or not. Once you look ahead, your body also follows.
That makes it easier to turn a corner. Also, this helps you see if there are any obstructions ahead that you should avoid.
Practice Counter-steering
Counter-steering is a technique that can seem confusing at first. With this technique, when you need to steer to the right, it is the left handlebars that you push on and vice versa.
Exploiting the dynamics of centrifugal force, counter-steering is a very useful technique when cornering at fast or medium speeds. This helps you go around the bend faster even if it is a tight turn. It requires practice and once you’ve mastered it, you’ll know how effective and efficient it is.
Loosen Up And Stay Fluid
When riding a motorcycle, your body also moves but you have to make sure that your movements are fluid and avoid any jerky ones because it can cause you to be unstable.
Make sure to remain loose and don’t stiffen or tighten your shoulders and joints. This makes it much easier for you to transfer your weight from one side to another.
Smoothly Handle The Brakes, Gear And Throttle
Apart from loosening up your body and staying fluid, it is also best to practice handling different parts of the motorcycle smoothly. This is especially true when you’re taking corners.
Ideally, the smoothest way you can turn a corner is to go through braking and gear shifts before entering the corner. Afterwhich, the motorcycle dips in and a constant and smooth throttle should follow.
There are different factors that can affect how smoothly you turn the corner and it’s a combination of your bike, the speed, the tightness of the corner as well as how your body is used. Practicing is the best way to hone such skills.
Take Note Of Where The Balls Of Your Feet And Knees Fall
Proper foot positioning is an essential part of making your body fluid with its movements. You have to practice and be aware of where you place your foot so that you don’t have to move it from side to side and potentially cause some unbalance.
The balls of the foot are best placed on the footpegs and less stress on the hands. You can use your knees to better position you onto the bike by pressing your outer thigh on the direction of the fuel tank.
No Comments