Yes, i am a new rider. call me a squid if youd like, i just purchased a used k8 gsxr 600 and feel pretty comfortable on it. put about 200 miles already. anyhow im comfortable with the dmv motorcycle test as ive taken the msf course and have been practicing the test everyday (still cant get the figure 8 down....) but to get back on topic i was looking for tips any of you experienced riders can give me on leaning the bike and cornering. i find myself looking through the turns, pushing handle bars, and "attempting" to lean my body. for some reason i just cant get comfortable with it and get nervous when i feel my bike start to lean more as if im going to lowside it. anyone have any tips on how to get over this or proper technique? thanks in advance.
Tips on leaning and cornering
e92justin
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Yes, i am a new rider. call me a squid if youd like, i just purchased a used k8 gsxr 600 and feel pretty comfortable on it. put about 200 miles already. anyhow im comfortable with the dmv motorcycle test as ive taken the msf course and have been practicing the test everyday (still cant get the figure 8 down....) but to get back on topic i was looking for tips any of you experienced riders can give me on leaning the bike and cornering. i find myself looking through the turns, pushing handle bars, and "attempting" to lean my body. for some reason i just cant get comfortable with it and get nervous when i feel my bike start to lean more as if im going to lowside it. anyone have any tips on how to get over this or proper technique? thanks in advance.
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dont fuck up
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You say you don't have the figure 8s down? Get those down first before you take on cornering on a public road.
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Hope you don't mind me barrowing this . Seems fitting. :biggrinI'm already posting this :lol
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You don't like it when it leans because it feels like its falling because you don't have the bike planted going into the corner if this it your 1st bike it's not going to get any better until you learn throttle control and how to set the bike up for a corner that's why everyone suggests new riders start on a bike that is low powered and less aggressive to turn. The hardest part of riding is getting over your Survival reactions if your riding a bike that everything happens slower on those SRs are not as much of a problem so you can build up your skill level and confidence but if your riding with SRs going off all the time you can't learn and improve.
Read the book or watch the Movie Twist of the wrist 2 as stated in the post above that will help you to under stand what your SRs are and how to get over them but its going to be much harder and take longer on an R bike.
Good Luck
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Read the book or watch the Movie Twist of the wrist 2 as stated in the post above that will help you to under stand what your SRs are and how to get over them but its going to be much harder and take longer on an R bike.
Good Luck
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AnthhK7:
Dude.
Consider writing in actual, you know, like, sentences. With, like, punctuation and stuff. Try it. We're beggin' ya.
To the OP: Leaning your body is not what makes the bike turn. Countersteering is.
You feel like you're going to fall probably because you're not on the throttle through the turn. Remember in MSF how they told you to accelerate through the turn?
Rule 1: Once the throttle is cracked open, it is rolled on smoothly and continuously through the turn.
That does NOT mean you're going from full throttle to wide open. It means that you do not cut the throttle. On a supersport it means just gentle, SLIGHT pressure to keep the bike accelerating JUST A BIT. As in if you whack the throttle open you're going to wind up in the trees. Get it?
How to corner: Note that "lean your body" is not part of this:
Get your speed down before you tip in. Look where you want to go.
LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
Did I mention that you should look where you want to go? You go where you look. Look down, go down. Look at the spot on the pavement where you want the bike to wind up, and you'll go there. Really, no kidding.
Countersteer to tip the bike in.
Crack the throttle open and roll it on through the turn.
Really, that's it.
Don't focus so much on leaning. Focus on cornering. That's not the same thing.
Lean is a byproduct of cornering, not the goal. The goal is to make it through the corner. The lean will happen by itself.
Ask yourself what your actual objective is. Is it to look cool, cranked way over with a knee dragging? Or is it to improve your riding and be smooth and quick?
If the former: What are you, stupid? Is this a fashion show or something? And why the hell would you want to do something like that on the street? Take it to the track.
If the latter: Good man! That's the right attitude. Now… why do you care about leaning? Shouldn't you care about cornering?
Dude.
Consider writing in actual, you know, like, sentences. With, like, punctuation and stuff. Try it. We're beggin' ya.
To the OP: Leaning your body is not what makes the bike turn. Countersteering is.
You feel like you're going to fall probably because you're not on the throttle through the turn. Remember in MSF how they told you to accelerate through the turn?
Rule 1: Once the throttle is cracked open, it is rolled on smoothly and continuously through the turn.
That does NOT mean you're going from full throttle to wide open. It means that you do not cut the throttle. On a supersport it means just gentle, SLIGHT pressure to keep the bike accelerating JUST A BIT. As in if you whack the throttle open you're going to wind up in the trees. Get it?
How to corner: Note that "lean your body" is not part of this:
Get your speed down before you tip in. Look where you want to go.
LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
Did I mention that you should look where you want to go? You go where you look. Look down, go down. Look at the spot on the pavement where you want the bike to wind up, and you'll go there. Really, no kidding.
Countersteer to tip the bike in.
Crack the throttle open and roll it on through the turn.
Really, that's it.
Don't focus so much on leaning. Focus on cornering. That's not the same thing.
Lean is a byproduct of cornering, not the goal. The goal is to make it through the corner. The lean will happen by itself.
Ask yourself what your actual objective is. Is it to look cool, cranked way over with a knee dragging? Or is it to improve your riding and be smooth and quick?
If the former: What are you, stupid? Is this a fashion show or something? And why the hell would you want to do something like that on the street? Take it to the track.
If the latter: Good man! That's the right attitude. Now… why do you care about leaning? Shouldn't you care about cornering?
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:thumbup
Practice practice practice. Sport bikes are designed to scrape peg, but you need lots of practice before knowing how to make your bike do this safely. The tips the guy above gave you are good. Keep the rubber side down.
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You say accelerate through the turn. I come from the world of fully built muscle cars. (Z06s, cobras, foxbodys and such...) on these cars taking a corner in first was always a no no due to the ridiculous amount of torque youd just immediately brake traction. Does the same apply to supersport bikes? No corners in less than second gear? Ive tried turning in first and the ridiculous amount of torque makes the bike almost feel unstable
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178 words. 3 periods.
I wish my wife had periods as in frequently as you do. I'd get along with her better.
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YOU need to go back to the parking lot and practice throttle control . What he was talking about in the turns is maintenance throttle. You never completely close the throttle down in a turn . And yes you can take turns in first gear with no problems. Learn throttle control . Till you get that down you're going to scare the shit outta your self if not worse .
This is exactly why smaller bikes are so useful (and so much fun).
You've got near-zero experience and a bike that can f*ck you up if you don't know how to control it.
On a supersport it's a lot easier to exceed limits through lack of knowledge. On a smaller bike you can push it a lot harder and not get to the limit, which means such a bike can in many cases be way more fun to ride.
The old saying is that "it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow." It's true. I loved my old Ninja 250. I wrung its little Japanese neck routinely and it was a hoot. Someday I'll return to a bike like that.
However, you've already got the gixxer, so....
On a muscle car taking a corner in first gear is a no-no? Pish. The car cannot break loose all by itself. You are the one who makes it happen, by giving it too much gas for the available traction. Learn how NOT to floor it and the vehicle will not break loose.
Same thing with a bike. You've got the finest, most sensitive traction control device in the universe available to you. You were born with it. It's located in your right wrist. The software that controls it is in your brain.
Use it.
The answer is to corner using proper technique in the first place, not use poor technique to avoid getting the vehicle out of shape.
When the bike is under mild acceleration it is more stable. The bike was designed to be under acceleration through the corner.
Ever wonder why the rear tire is wider than the front? According to Keith Code, that's why. You're supposed to load the rear by accelerating gently... like 0.1 G. The desired weight distribution is IIRC 60% rear 40% front or thereabouts... I don't have my copy of TOTW 2 handy so somebody might correct me on this. The wider rear tire gives a larger contact patch so traction is more or less equal when the weight is distributed that way.
You've got near-zero experience and a bike that can f*ck you up if you don't know how to control it.
On a supersport it's a lot easier to exceed limits through lack of knowledge. On a smaller bike you can push it a lot harder and not get to the limit, which means such a bike can in many cases be way more fun to ride.
The old saying is that "it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow." It's true. I loved my old Ninja 250. I wrung its little Japanese neck routinely and it was a hoot. Someday I'll return to a bike like that.
However, you've already got the gixxer, so....
On a muscle car taking a corner in first gear is a no-no? Pish. The car cannot break loose all by itself. You are the one who makes it happen, by giving it too much gas for the available traction. Learn how NOT to floor it and the vehicle will not break loose.
Same thing with a bike. You've got the finest, most sensitive traction control device in the universe available to you. You were born with it. It's located in your right wrist. The software that controls it is in your brain.
Use it.
The answer is to corner using proper technique in the first place, not use poor technique to avoid getting the vehicle out of shape.
When the bike is under mild acceleration it is more stable. The bike was designed to be under acceleration through the corner.
Ever wonder why the rear tire is wider than the front? According to Keith Code, that's why. You're supposed to load the rear by accelerating gently... like 0.1 G. The desired weight distribution is IIRC 60% rear 40% front or thereabouts... I don't have my copy of TOTW 2 handy so somebody might correct me on this. The wider rear tire gives a larger contact patch so traction is more or less equal when the weight is distributed that way.
My buddy who started riding 3 weeks ago watched it and crashed a day after following me.
Stay the hell away from the video until you are comfortable with your current mechanics and want to push it because the video will make you understand things (give you confidence) you cannot do just yet!
You also fucked yourself hard starting on a super sport. Throttle control is ever so important when turning (as is repeated in Total Control by Lee Parks and Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist II). On a starter bike, the throttle is much less aggressive. You have to really fuck up to somehow high side a Ninja 250, GS500F or any of those other starter bikes. If you pin the throttle down mid turn, manage to not low side but scare yourself, then pop off the throttle completely you're in for a world of hurt.
Your survival instinct is to get off the throttle when you are not comfortable, on a 600 that may translate into a lot of pain.
I would stay away from first gear in the corners until you get more experience under your belt. There's too much acceleration and engine braking in first. I'd also get some frame sliders (and gear obviously) if I were you because there's a good chance you're going to bust your ass learning how to corner. It's a very difficult thing to master. I've been riding for 10+ years and am still not all that confident in my cornering abilities.
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