Cornering help/advice

[Speedysidders]

This might sound weird but I'm sure it can't only be me, so I have come for some advice

Basically, when taking a corner on the left I'm absolutely fine and can hold decent corner speed with a decent line (or so I have been told), however when it comes to a right hand bend I'm like an old age pensioner and struggle in comparison and it's stressing me out.

I thought it could be to do with having an accident on a right corner however I have remember that I also do this when racing motocross and enduro.

Any help/replies is greatly appreciated!
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A Pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.

[Spangle2k4]

*grabs popcorn*

[Sable]

Odd question, have you checked your wheels balanced?

My kwak had a slightly off balance front wheel, and I happily dropped into left hand bends, but just couldnt seem to go right. Same feeling again on the Sinnis when i dropped it recently and twisted forks in the yoke slightly. Just with the kwak I didnt know what was wrong until someone pointed it out too me I thought I was being an old woman for first week of riding it.

[J.M.]

Having an accident on a right handed corner would explain it. What you're experiencing will be a mental block rather than lack of ability. You essentially see the situation and your brain is sort of scared of it, as a result you take it with extra caution.

I always tell people to get back on their bike ASAP after falling off/having an accident because it helps to stop these mental roadblocks forming. The longer you've had a roadblock in your mind the harder it'll be to remove!

Personally I would suggest the following:
- Find a route that you know well, in good(ish) conditions
- Come around the corner as a left hander and note down what speed you're doing
- Come around the corner again as a right hander and note down the speed that you're doing

The above step is simply so that you don't try and overcook the corner. If you're left speed is good then the corner can be safely taken at that speed!

- Say that your left speed was 50mph and your right speed was 30mph
- Approach the right hander corner again, this time set the throttle to 35mph. Don't break and don't let off the throttle. Just hold it steady. Go around the corner at 35mph.
- Keep doing this until you feel comfortable with that speed, then increase your speed by another 5mph.
- Do so until you reach 50mph

Now you kind of realise "I can do right handers, there's nothing wrong with them!" and it removes the possibility of approaching the corner at 50mph, panicking and crashing.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[Speedysidders]

It's definitely not the bike, as it's the same on any bike but thanks for the suggestion anyway

It must be due to my mind, and I will try the corner thing to try and get my mind over it, as soon as I had my accident I rode back to the corner and rerode the bend, might sound strange but I think it helped, however I'm going to try what you said with taking the corner both ways!
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A Pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.

[Teflon-Mike]

People often have a cornering bias, though more often an aversion to left handers. (at least in the UK where we drive on the left)

That's quite easy to explain; entering a left hander, look left, you have pavement, houses, hedges whatever limiting field of view into and through the bend. They are more confident on right handers, becouse when you look right, you usually have half a road of clear space to that side of you, and you can see further in and through the corner.

Right Corner aversion; the sight line theory doesn't work, but, reason is often the road camber.

Roads aren't flat, they are humped in the middle and slope to the gutters so water runs off either side. So going straight we are usually actually riding on a suirface tilting slightly to the left, which, like the banking on a race track, would favour left handers but disfavour right handers.

Curiousely, there is a bit of an anomolouse camber effect in left hand eversion, in the over centering of the tyre contact patch, as you go from bike upright the tyre tilted under it the wrong way, to bike tilted perpendicular to the road, before tyre tilting same way in relation to the corner, that can give some slight 'flop' effects as you turn in.

However.... it is almost always some sort of confidence issue. And... having an off wont have helped that.
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[Speedysidders]

Thanks for the reply, it seems it must be a confidence issue, however the camber of the road seems an interesting point! Never really thought about that
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A Pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.

[J.M.]

[Speedysidders]

With looking in the correct place, is there any advice on this you could give, as I often find myself looking 10-15 feet infront of me and I'm almost certain I shouldn't be riding like I'm in a little box

On left handers I pretty much disregard the road within 150 meters of me and ride 'through' the bend but I struggle with this the other way

When I ride with my dad I'm alot better, it's just the majority of the time I'm alone
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A Pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.

[bikertomm]

Went out on the bike last week for the first time in about a month.. I generally do struggle with corners, or at least in my head I do.

Would love to learn more on a trackday or even (bikesafe?) perhaps take a rideout with someone you know or even an instructor so ask for advice.

But definitely try and improve things for yourself first, it most definitely can be done!

Good luck


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[J.M.]

[Speedysidders]

Ok mate, thanks a million for your help, it's much appreciated.
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A Pint of sweat saves a gallon of blood.

[Slacker24seve...]

Try some roundabout surfing on a bypass. They go right, it's difficult to get lost and you can progressively build your speed up.
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[Nick_Giles]

[P.]

I have an issue with right hand corners also

No idea why, I've tried roundabout surfing. Left turn knees on the floor are probably far easier than rights for me. So much easier I've only got holes in the left side of my textiles and chicken strips are usually totally gone.

Fuck knows why..

[J.M.]

[P.]

Oh yeah.. the tyre had actually worn down so much on the left and not the right, the right edge + 1-2cm in was raised and pretty much untouched tyre.

[stinkwheel]

Look at the vanishing point of the corner where the two kerbs seem to meet because that is where you want to be going. The sharper the corner, the closer that will be. On a totally straight road, it will be on the horizon.

Approach right handers in the gutter and approach left handers in the crown of the road
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[weasley]

Another reason you may not be as good on right handers is if you hang off or shift over to that side. When you do so you close up that arm a bit and reduce the finesse you have on the throttle; I have exactly the same situation.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[yaigi]

It's definitely not just you. I had an off round a roundabout on my 125 and for ages after that, especially in the wet, I went round roundabouts like an old lady. I eventually built myself up and up, but never did get to the confidence level I was at before my off before I sold my 125. Then I got my first big bike, and I thought, well, this is just going to take me backwards.... but it actually has had the opposite effect - I actually feel MUCH more confident going around corners (both left and right, but still less so on right) on my Fazer.

I'm just trying to gradually build on that confidence. It's good that you have your Dad to go out with, that will help - going out with Mr Yaigi who also has a Fazer helps me, cos I can see that the bike is perfectly capable of doing those speeds around those corners. The only road we're both (yep, even Mr Yaigi with 9 years riding experience) a bit iffy on is the one we live on - it's full of grit and rocks from the quarry, wet all year round in one place, muddy, uneven, and twisty. It's the most awful road to ride on and I've had SO many cars up my arse but I'm damned if I'm getting that close to home and coming off, so they can just bloody wait

What bike are you riding? Are you on a 125? I find them to feel far less stable.
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[TheSmiler]

Agree with what has already been said in the thread by Jm an Mike, personally I don't like doing left handed bends on country roads. Perfectly fine in the city or on duals as they are easier and I can judge them better.

Think mine was mainly something to do with an accident I had on the corporal and breaking the head stock lock, so the handlebars turned all the way to touch the tank. That as well as not being able to judge them easily, right handers you can see around the corner or going into the corner at least.
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CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
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[illuminateTHE...]

[Killer Rat]

Makes me wonder if it is something in your brain telling your body that it is not the strongest side?

I'm lefthanded and leftfooted, my brain does not like me doing anything on my right...It could be as simple a solution as this.
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cbf125 09', cbt passed 4/6/2010 - 28k miles - 1 major breakdown (stator)

[nightshaddow]

I used to suffer a similar problem to yourself and again thought it was something in my subconscious never had it with my first bike (customized cb 125) but when i bought my cagiva i suffered this problem too,

i found (in my case) it was the simplest mechanical problem, as i adjusted my rear wheel for the chain i was getting the rear wheel slightly out of alignment, i could corner like a boss one direction even almost getting a knee on the w8 but the other direction was terrible,

in short took it to the garage they pointed out my obvious mistake and now i dont find this problem
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Current rides CB 125 TDE(the next project) NS125RK ( now on the road ) CB125TDC (soon to be project 17) melody ( the nephews )

[evoboy]

Wait till it warms up and the roads dry out.
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Suzuki GT250 x7------- Fazer 600------CB250RS------Aprilia Rally 70----- Bandit 600

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