Left turn inertia?

[nathan k]

Firstly...Don't laugh.

I can turn right, really well. But I can't turn left as fast? At slow speed I seem a bit more unsteady turning left and at higher speed It just feels really unnatural, I can't seem to really lean off at all or corner fast.

I have been planning to do a Ron Haslam track day in the hope I could cure myself but I've just missed the season. In america some people seem to have a issue turning right too...

Anyone had this problem or have any advice?

[gixerladsw]

Just practice your left turns. You might find you are now subconsiously (however you spell that) stiffening up when turning left as you think it is a problem, you are now making it a problem.

Would advise keep practicing , make an effort to relax, if you have a mate you trust get him / her to ride a bit faster than you might normally go round a left hander and follow them. You might find that helps as you are concentrating more on following them. Just a thought.

If it is getting really bad, maybe, you have a balance issue etc. see your doc to make sure you don't have a balance, eye sight issue or owt. Always a possibility.

Or of course, option 3, the standard biker / bikechat forum answer.

Man the FUCK UP and get on with it. stop being a pussy!

[MarJay]

It's probably just psychological thing. Remember all roundabouts are right handers, so you've had more practice at smooth right handers than left handers. Also, because we ride on the left hand side of the road, left handers tend to be tighter than right handers.

However, I have had a similar but more subtle issue in the past, and I found that my rear wheel alignment was off by a long way. Despite using the alignment marks on the swinging arm to align the wheel, I was off by a few degrees. I used the string method to align the wheel and sorted the problem.

Check the bike first, make sure the wheel bearings are OK, the head bearings are good and the wheel alignment is OK, then if it is not a technological thing I'd start to address the psychological issues. If you're going to do a race school I can recommend the California Superbike School, it's more of a school than Ron Haslam which to me sounds a bit like an 'experience day' type affair.

Alternatively do a trackday and ask for some tuition. Track day organisers usually have instructors available, although they aren't often as good as full time instructors they might be able to give you some pointers.
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[P.addy]

I hate right hand bends.

I love left hand bends. I have the same feeling in a car.

[Hetzer]

I believe it's to do with hand-dominance, related to left-brain/right-brain dominance. I've always favoured left-hand bends for maximum hoonage.
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[esullivan]

It's not unusual. I consistently have wider "chicken strips" on the left of my rear tyre than on the right. Partly it is because in Britain we take many more right-handers than lefts (think roundabouts) and have more practice. Another issue is that the consequences of getting a left-hander wrong (a head-on collision) are worse than for right-handers (a run through the verge), so we naturally and quite sensibly take it easier going left.

I don't think it's a big issue, but agree with the above. Just practice.

I've found easier to do "counter leaning" sometimes. Stiffen the left arm a bit while applying pressure on the left bar. Your upper body will stay more upright while the bike leans, sort of like pivoting at the hips. This is normally for "flicking" the bike, such as in the mod 1 avoidance exercise, but I find I'm more comfortable at higher lean angles/pace this way than the more traditional hang-off-the-bike lean (left elbow pointing to the ground, head near left mirror).
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[nathan k]

Had a look at California Super bike School, seems like a much better option although I have to ride my own bike. Only courses seem to be in Cyprus/Greece? I guess I'll need to wait till April.

[MarJay]

[esullivan]

[jjdugen]

Right hand side chicken strips are always 'less' than L/H side because of the cambers in the road surface. The surface comes to you on rights, falls away on left hand bends. I tend to treat left hand bends with a bit more caution than rights, you can see through a right hander, lefts tend to be blind (er).
Funny about the counter-steer comment, I tend to counter on lefts (to keep my head from smashing the roadside furniture) and hang off on rights. This on tight fast backroads, normal riding on A roads I just let the bike do its own thing, you are rarely anywhere near its true capabilities.
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[Cadbury]

Strangely, I'm slightly the opposite.

In my day to day riding (to and from work) I do way more lefts than right, specifically the slip roads on and off the various motorways i use are all fast left handers, and I only encounter one (mini) roundabout that requires a right turn, as a result I'm much more comfortable on a fast left hander than rights

[Bubblin77]

[Daytona Paul]

Left bends should feel better as the camber normally helps us, at least as long as we keep left of the centre line
Should you accidently cross the centre line on a left hander the camber will normally push you wide very quickly this is where a little counter steer could literally save your life!
Keeping the bike in a low, responsive gear (about halfway through your bikes rev range) will also help.
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[The other Paul Rudd]

I think my motorcycle may be broken as my tyres are pretty much equally worn, to the edge, on both sides.

I've no preference for right or left turns. The only time I've ever had trouble with right hand turns was while riding a borrowed bike and, after I complained about the handling, with some further investigation it was found that the frame was bent, so the wheels were some way out of line.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

If I favour one, I think it's left. Dunno what to suggest RE the OP though apart from glib shit like practice. Slow, medium, fast - tight, gradual and sweeping.
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[C1REX]

There can be lots of reasons why you have problem with left hand bends.

1. Lack of practice.
2. Wrong riding position.
3. Wrong speed and gear.
4. Bad observation.


Big number of serious motorcycle accidents happen on non built-up left hand bends.
Overconfidence can be much worse than lack of it.
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[bikertomm]

[iooi]

[esullivan]

[Doovy]

When navigating left handed bends, if you low-side you will slide into oncoming traffic.

When navigating right handed bends, chances are you will go into the curb/bushes/trees/ditch.

Some might find this more comforting and therefore be more comfortable with rights.


I personally like lefts as it feels like I have better control of the throttle, whereas with rights you're countersteering and accelerating at the same time, which feels a bit jerky to me sometimes unless as high speeds.
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[iooi]

[gixerladsw]

Im left handed so I perfer to do it with my right hand cos it takes longer but kind of feels like someone else is doing it.... is that what we are talking about....oh no? Sorry.

[Rigga]

I don't like right hand bends but love left hand bends. Wierd
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[Dave70]

I'm right handed but, find turning left far more natural. When I go round a right bend it feels almost as though some invisible force is pushing me up and stopping me from leaning as much.

I know it's all in my head but, I don't seem to be able to overcome it

[bladerunner]

I used to find different people including myself will have a natural preference for either left or right hand bends...it's quite normal and I could spot it a mile away when instructing new bikers...ie maybe on a right hander they keep relaxed and are happy to move the upper body with the bike whilst negotiating the corner...same speed same road but left hander...the knee is coming out ....the upper body is stiff maybe pushing the bike down and sitting up a little with the arms stiff.....tells you straight away they have a lot less confidence in the bike. Once you know your doing this then you can make an effort to keep relaxed on your less prefered side....if that knee is wanting to stick out....your doing it wrong! As for tire wear....that should be down to the camber in the road here in the uk riding on the left and roads having the highest point in the middle for drainage...means left handers are banked with the corner so you don't have to lean the bike as far and right handlers the camber is against you so will work the tires harder at the same speed.....anyone who rides fast a roads will have loads of tread on the LHS of the front tire when the RHS is getting near the legal limit. As for race tracks....well them bits of Tarmac will normally have the whole width of the track banked towards the apex
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