Judging entry speed and gear

[Whosthedaddy]

How'd you do it?

Even after riding for several years I've never really felt happy, smooth or confident in being consistently good at entry speed or gear selection for a corner / bend.

I always seem to think like I'm in my car, not the best thing to do in most situations.
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[Timmeh]

Some proper trackday sessions will teach you, but most of it is just knowing how your bike will handle.

Knowledge of the road you're riding on is a big plus, too.
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GSXR400 x2 | '94 RVF400 | '93 TZR125 4DL (again)
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[kawakid]

Hmm, No more than 60mph and probably down to 3rd or 4th.

But what do I know.

If its a right hand bend, then i'm way over to the left 3' or 4' from the side of the road, if its a left, then i'm probably about 2' from the central divide.


Getting your road position correct, reduces the amount of lean angle required and gives you better vision around the corner.

Saying leanings fun.


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I've a twin and a 4.

[NSR Mick]

Easy enough. change down whilst approaching corner hard on the brakes keeping revs above 9k, tip it in still brushing speed off, hit the apex and give it a handfull on the way out.

Not to be attampted by inexperienced riders.
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[bazza]

Find a (quiet) stretch of road you know - a couple of miles or so - and ride along at a comfortable speed. Turn round and ride back, doing the same.

Then ride it again and try to do the corners smoothly, it doesn't matter if it's slow. Car or bike, corners are taken the same - slow in, fast out, so once you've reached the apex of the corner, you should be rolling on the speed and/or thinking about setting yourself up for the next corner.

When you reach the end, turn round and repeat.

Remember, you're looking at being smooth with everything - controls, braking, position on the road, position on the bike, turning, acceleration - once you can get all those hooked up at low speed you'll find that confidence is a natural progression.

No-one ever goes into a corner and thinks "Oh crap - I've under-cooked it.", so try to have your position, speed and braking sorted 100m before the corner (then if you're still too fast or too slow, you have at least 100m to sort it). By the time you reach it, all you have left to think about about is steering and throttle - you'll know whether it's going to open out or tighten up, where the gravel, overbanding and manhole covers are so you just need to point your chin at the vanishing point, put your bike on your line through and out the other side.

If your corner entry speed is too slow, all you have to do with the throttle is keep it neutral until you're accelerating out of the corner smoothly. If it's too fast, you're going to be off the throttle, braking and out of position before you even start turning.

By the time you've done your route 5 or 6 times there and back - even if you were "50-pence-piece"ing your way through the corners the first time, you'll be riding far smoother and faster and with more confidence.

Then take everything you've learned and apply it to the rest of your riding. Find a different stretch of road for the next week. Or do a trackday, which is essentially doing the same thing without oncoming traffic.

Just don't be impatient and watch out for over-confidence.
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"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter

[LeeR]

Just to add a little to bazza's advice, there was an article in RiDE/BIKE a few issues ago with regard to getting caught-out whilst cornering. One of the tips was to push down on the peg and bar on the side you're turning (this is in conjunction with any counter-steering). So left-hander too hot, then push down on the left peg and bar, not a lot and don't keep pushing, just hold it steady once you're there, the bike will turn in more and hold the line. But once again it's something you'd need to practice before relying on it in an emergency.

And it goes without saying that it's better to go in slow and come out accelerating, than it is to go in too fast and get it all horribly wrong.
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[G]

Have a search for 'the vanshing point rule' - I find these generally sets me up well for a reasonable but not excessive pace for entering and leaving corners.

[Whosthedaddy]

I do find that I tend to stamp and push a little harder on the pegs and bars when cornering, this added with a little monkey action has made me feel confident when leaning. Judging the speed up to a bend is another matter. They mentioned and taught the vanishing point on the DAS, never really got much practice on them as the roads that are ridden every day are more than predictable or urban.

What gets my chuff is that I am more than aware of cocking it up and tend to blip and go down through the gears as not to be in a highish gear and at the last moment...sphincter pouting...touch of brakes and all of a sudden I'm off the revs and enter the corner too slowly. Even when I may have beeen RRRRREEEEEEEEVVVVVVV for the past 50 yards or so in a low gear ready to turn or shift the bike, at the last few feet, dab of brake.

As I said I think its a decade of bad driving habits of hard on the brakes up to the turn before turning on the gas again.
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy