Point the eyes...

[ajb]

... was an expression my instructor used alot when training. I find that it really does help to look where you want to go (seems obvious, but it's a revelation as a newbie).

I had an assessment done by an advanced rider a month back, and in summary, I was a spirited rider, but lacked some forward planning (seems to be the typical weakness of drivers as a whole). I do feel my planning is good in some areas, I very rarely brake heavily, but on the day of this assessment I did find myself in two situations where I could have taken an action earlier and smoothed it all out (both were overtakes, where moving outfor an early view would have been the best course of action).

I was also taught to look long, look short, then mirrors, rinse and repeat. One thing I do find myself pre-occupied with is the road surface I am travelling on, which interupts this. I am not confident about cornering when the road surface is patchwork tarmac (which there is a lot of local to me). So I do find myself neglecting looking forwards to the distance and being a little nervous when at any significant lean angle.

Is my 'fear' of losing grip irrational? Where do you tend to look when riding? Do you have a method? (e.g. long, short, mirror)
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CBR125R '05 > CB500 '00 > CBR600F '99

[Steve-D]

As I come up to a corner I drift to the outside to see if I can see the exit of the corner and try to judge how fast I can take it. Usually watch for road surface at this point as well.
Get closer to the turn in point and if I have done the first part right, look through the corner at the exit, where you want to go.
Spirited rider as well.
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www.southwestbikers.com
Tristan The said 'Dunno what my pace will be like, fastish slow puncture on the rear and if I go too fast I risk my 'keys' falling out'

[daemonoid]

As far as I'm concerned, my newbie fear of losing grip is absolutely fine! I'm not as skilled as a motogp rider and I don't even try to be - I'll at least try making it through to the summer so that sitting by the roadside after lowsiding isn't quite as cold!
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current: ducati monster 750
past: hyosung gt250r, bajaj pulsar 180, hyosung gt 125 comet
@thomasgarrard | www.straitjkt.com | www.racingseven.com

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

I look as far up the road as is possible/practical.
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[mooserx]

look ahead at all times, look 'through' bends and you'll be fine, every new rider has the fear of losing grip, you have to learn to trust your tyres, i had it then just decided to try going through the bends a bit quicker, gritted my teeth and put the loss of grip fear to the back of my mind, and hey presto bike leant over beautifully, no sign of losing grip and flew round the twisties, great fun, but still occasionally get the fear, especially in adverse conditions but just alter my riding to suit.

[T0MMY]

In general you usually have more grip than you think you do, you just need the confidence to lean the bike more. I think there's something to be said for getting on a bike you don't mind dropping and leaning it lower and lower around a small roundabout until you think it'll lose grip and then lean it a bit more and then a bit more I used to do this on my Bros and never managed to crash the thing despite my best efforts I think quite a few people understeer their way into crashes by not believing they could lean the bike further to make it round a corner they've gone into too fast.
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ZX6R + CBR600RR

[ajb]

When the surface is contigious, I have no problems, it's patchwork surfaces and adverse cambers which put me off, I think 'finding the limit' as it were would help, because it's a bit like walking the plank blindfold at the moment, if I knew where the endge was, it would be easy.

Had the peg down on my 125 once when I overcooked a corner, stayed on my side of the road which I think demonstrates that in good conditions, there's more grip than is first apparant.
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CBR125R '05 > CB500 '00 > CBR600F '99