Cornering is one of the joys of motorcycling, and one of the main attractions of recreational riding. Yet unless you learn to corner predictably and safely, the rush will be short-lived. Around 50% of bike crashes occur whilst cornering.
There are three critical areas to cornering well. Identifying them is a skill which requires considerable practise and concentration to master:
The turn-in-point is the position on the road where you begin banking, initiating a change of direction. Typically, it will be the widest, safest path - one that allows the best view ahead and produces the largest arcing line through the corner.
The apex-point is the innermost place on the road you'll pass through during the manoeuvre, and usually occurs moments before the mid-point of the corner. It's vital the apex-point chosen maintains a safety margin from hazards such as roadside objects and oncoming vehicles.
Exit-point. Pretty self-explanatory. This is where you are almost upright once more and can accelerate away strongly and safely. Get it right and all is well. Get it wrong and it may be game over.
Identify your turn-in-point first. Then the exit-point, and finally the apex-point. Establishing the exit-point before the apex-point might sound strange, but you should consider the exit-point your main target, as determining it first allows the apex-point to follow on automatically.
Reverse the process (apex before exit) and there's a danger the exit - and thus safe completion of the corner - will be left to chance.
Approach set-upPosition on the road, approach speed and gear selection are all crucial. Move towards the position which gives you the best line of sight through the corner and the longest view ahead. (Automatically the largest safe cornering arc as well.)
Slow to the speed at which you intend to enter the corner. Ideally, you should have completed braking before turn-in banking commences. Select the gear you intend to use through and out of the corner. Changing down often forms part of the braking process and should be completed before turning in.
Banking anglesApply yourself. Learn to judge the available bank angle of your bike by increasing it until either the footrest or the outer edge of your boot toe touch the road. Only try this when the road surface is grippy and tyres warm and in good condition.
If the road surface is wet or slippery bank angles should be reduced accordingly, usually by a considerable margin.
The lean machineKeep your head as upright as possible throughout any cornering manoeuvre. Your eyes need to remain level with the horizon. That race riders' knee-out style you've seen on TV is also a big no-no for road-riding. A controlled environment like a racetrack is a little smoother than your average route home. Any knee contact with the road is hazardous, especially if you're not wearing the protective plastic knee-sliders racers do.
Instead, lean your upper body into the turn and even slide your backside across to the inner side of the seat, as long as both feet remain on the footrests, where they can operate the controls.
Consider where your head will be as a result of banking. Simply aiming your front wheel at the fastest line through a corner may expose that noggin of yours over the centre-line in right-hand corners, or put you at risk of hitting roadside objects in lefties.
Don't forget your linesRight. The fastest line through a corner is the shortest or 'racing-line'. It is characterised by a wide entry point, a clipped, close-in apex-point and a wide exit-point.
There are three critical areas to cornering well. Identifying them is a skill which requires considerable practise and concentration to master:
The turn-in-point is the position on the road where you begin banking, initiating a change of direction. Typically, it will be the widest, safest path - one that allows the best view ahead and produces the largest arcing line through the corner.
The apex-point is the innermost place on the road you'll pass through during the manoeuvre, and usually occurs moments before the mid-point of the corner. It's vital the apex-point chosen maintains a safety margin from hazards such as roadside objects and oncoming vehicles.
Exit-point. Pretty self-explanatory. This is where you are almost upright once more and can accelerate away strongly and safely. Get it right and all is well. Get it wrong and it may be game over.
Identify your turn-in-point first. Then the exit-point, and finally the apex-point. Establishing the exit-point before the apex-point might sound strange, but you should consider the exit-point your main target, as determining it first allows the apex-point to follow on automatically.
Reverse the process (apex before exit) and there's a danger the exit - and thus safe completion of the corner - will be left to chance.
Approach set-upPosition on the road, approach speed and gear selection are all crucial. Move towards the position which gives you the best line of sight through the corner and the longest view ahead. (Automatically the largest safe cornering arc as well.)
Slow to the speed at which you intend to enter the corner. Ideally, you should have completed braking before turn-in banking commences. Select the gear you intend to use through and out of the corner. Changing down often forms part of the braking process and should be completed before turning in.
Banking anglesApply yourself. Learn to judge the available bank angle of your bike by increasing it until either the footrest or the outer edge of your boot toe touch the road. Only try this when the road surface is grippy and tyres warm and in good condition.
If the road surface is wet or slippery bank angles should be reduced accordingly, usually by a considerable margin.
The lean machineKeep your head as upright as possible throughout any cornering manoeuvre. Your eyes need to remain level with the horizon. That race riders' knee-out style you've seen on TV is also a big no-no for road-riding. A controlled environment like a racetrack is a little smoother than your average route home. Any knee contact with the road is hazardous, especially if you're not wearing the protective plastic knee-sliders racers do.
Instead, lean your upper body into the turn and even slide your backside across to the inner side of the seat, as long as both feet remain on the footrests, where they can operate the controls.
Consider where your head will be as a result of banking. Simply aiming your front wheel at the fastest line through a corner may expose that noggin of yours over the centre-line in right-hand corners, or put you at risk of hitting roadside objects in lefties.
Don't forget your linesRight. The fastest line through a corner is the shortest or 'racing-line'. It is characterised by a wide entry point, a clipped, close-in apex-point and a wide exit-point.
The fastest line through a series of consecutive corners is the line which gives the best exit position from the last of the corners.
Provided you can see right through a corner, the fastest line is the one to take as it's the most efficient line for a given speed and involves less banking angle because the turning radius (we're getting to that) is greatest.
Unfortunately, the fastest line is often not the safest line for road-riding. The safest line is the 'vision-line': the line which allows you to see ahead furthest. It's characterised by a left-side approach to right-side corners and a right-side approach to left-side ones. This positioning is held around the corner, or at least until you can see the exit-point when it's safe to turn-in more.
Unfortunately, the fastest line is often not the safest line for road-riding. The safest line is the 'vision-line': the line which allows you to see ahead furthest. It's characterised by a left-side approach to right-side corners and a right-side approach to left-side ones. This positioning is held around the corner, or at least until you can see the exit-point when it's safe to turn-in more.
Failure to adopt the vision-line on right-hand corners can be disastrous if you meet an oncoming large vehicle which needs all its lane (and even some of yours) around a tight corner. If you're on a racing-line you may be forced to abandon it, stand the bike up to clear the vehicle and then attempt to bank again to negotiate the corner. This can easily lead to running across the outside of a bend and off the road.
Judging the radius of a cornerBefore deciding how fast a corner can be taken, you'll need to judge the radius. Although this is largely a matter of experience, there's a technique known as watching the 'vanishing-point' which gives a very good idea of the radius of even a blind corner.
The vanishing-point is the most distant point on the outside of an approaching corner where either the centre-line or the carriageway side of your lane, as appropriate, disappears from view.
If this point seems to be coming closer to you then the corner radius is tightening, and vice versa.
Judging the radius of a cornerBefore deciding how fast a corner can be taken, you'll need to judge the radius. Although this is largely a matter of experience, there's a technique known as watching the 'vanishing-point' which gives a very good idea of the radius of even a blind corner.
The vanishing-point is the most distant point on the outside of an approaching corner where either the centre-line or the carriageway side of your lane, as appropriate, disappears from view.
If this point seems to be coming closer to you then the corner radius is tightening, and vice versa.
Blind corners are where the vanishing-point technique proves invaluable. If the distance to the vanishing-point seems to be decreasing you need to reduce speed so that it appears to remain constant or increases. When the vanishing-point remains at a constant distance, then your speed is matched comfortably to the corner radius. Likewise, if distance starts to increase, this indicates that speed can be too because the corner radius is opening.
If a road surface is cresting or dipping through a corner this will affect the vanishing-point, but the principle of adjusting your speed so that the vanishing-point remains under your control still applies.
Because the turning radius is smaller on a vision-line, more banking angle will be required. Your entry speed will also be slower than for a racing-line. Where you can see all the way through a corner there's no vanishing-point as such. Proceed through the corner with caution.
Cornering speedGeoff Duke (not of the Hazard variety but a legendary 50's TT racer) once commented that it's better to enter a corner slowly and come out fast, than to enter fast and not come out at all. Wise words.
Put another way: if you consistently corner faster than your skills and commonsense suggest, sooner or later you'll have a serious problem. As mentioned, the joys of riding are a little stuffier from beneath a bodycast.
The maximum safe cornering speed is one from which you can stop in your own lane within the clear distance you see ahead. This is important because it will be considerably slower than the max you could get through a corner with if you knew for certain the road was clear and the surface sound. It is also a constant speed (some additional throttle will be required to overcome tyre drag), leaving all available grip to deal with bank-angle and sideslip forces.
Cornering at safe speeds is easier to live with if you're riding a powerful bike, because acceleration helps regain cruising speed quickly once you're through. Low-powered bikes create the temptation to carry more corner speed than is necessary. If you've been travelling at high speeds along a straight section of road, slow down more than you think.
Generally, turning in later is the way to go. This creates a greater approach braking distance, makes judging the exit-point easier, and allows a faster and safer exit line. You'll also see further around any corner much earlier.
If a road surface is cresting or dipping through a corner this will affect the vanishing-point, but the principle of adjusting your speed so that the vanishing-point remains under your control still applies.
Because the turning radius is smaller on a vision-line, more banking angle will be required. Your entry speed will also be slower than for a racing-line. Where you can see all the way through a corner there's no vanishing-point as such. Proceed through the corner with caution.
Cornering speedGeoff Duke (not of the Hazard variety but a legendary 50's TT racer) once commented that it's better to enter a corner slowly and come out fast, than to enter fast and not come out at all. Wise words.
Put another way: if you consistently corner faster than your skills and commonsense suggest, sooner or later you'll have a serious problem. As mentioned, the joys of riding are a little stuffier from beneath a bodycast.
The maximum safe cornering speed is one from which you can stop in your own lane within the clear distance you see ahead. This is important because it will be considerably slower than the max you could get through a corner with if you knew for certain the road was clear and the surface sound. It is also a constant speed (some additional throttle will be required to overcome tyre drag), leaving all available grip to deal with bank-angle and sideslip forces.
Cornering at safe speeds is easier to live with if you're riding a powerful bike, because acceleration helps regain cruising speed quickly once you're through. Low-powered bikes create the temptation to carry more corner speed than is necessary. If you've been travelling at high speeds along a straight section of road, slow down more than you think.
Generally, turning in later is the way to go. This creates a greater approach braking distance, makes judging the exit-point easier, and allows a faster and safer exit line. You'll also see further around any corner much earlier.
Becoming proficient at push-steering will make late, abrupt direction changes easy to achieve so that, in time, a later turn-in-point need not be feared.
Push-steeringAka 'counter-steering', though pushing is what's really involved. In fact, understanding just how a motorcycle is made to start turning is essential because many novice riders (and some experienced ones) are still unaware of precisely how to do it.
Turn a bike at walking pace and both handlebars and front wheel pivot in the direction of the turn. However, as speed rises (the precise point is hard to identify) another technique altogether is required, as the bike must bank to the inside of any bend in order to start turning. Banking can be initiated by body-weight transfer and even eccentric air drag, but it is principally done so by push-steering.
In practise, push-steering involves pushing forward on the handlebars nearest the inside of the turn. To turn left, push the left bar forward to initiate a bank, then relax the pressure once the desired angle is reached. For a right turn, push the right bar forward. Once banking is initiated, simply allow the steering to settle into a natural arcing path matching the turn's radius and speed.
Give it a go. Coast downhill in a high gear and take the pressure somewhat off both handlebars. A properly set-up bike should run straight ahead under normal conditions, although shaft-drive bikes in particular may exhibit a slight tendency to turn towards the drive-line side.
Now. Without putting pressure on the handlebars, lean slightly to one side and observe the effect caused by this weight transfer. Then sit up straight and push gently forward on one handlebar without actively moving the other. Observe the dramatic result compared to that of weight transfer alone. Practise by choosing a mark on the road ahead and changing direction at the last moment to avoid it by moving to a pre-determined side.
Push-steering is also an excellent way to change bank angle within a corner, either to bank more if the corner is tighter than expected, or to pick the motorcycle up if the corner is less tight.
Once mastered, push-steering allows you to manoeuvre a heavy, fast moving bike through an S-bend without moving your body relative to the bike, and with less effort than you would previously have imagined possible.
Shifting your body weight to the inside of a turn is not really necessary if push-steering is used consciously unless all available cornering clearance has been used up, or unless a slippery road surface makes keeping the bike more upright desirable.
Bikes can behave differently while cornering. Some may have a tendency to over-steer if all 'bar-pressure is relaxed and others may tend to stand up and under-steer. Both tendencies require a degree of corrective 'bar-pressure to be applied throughout the cornering procedure. Ideally a bike should have neutral steering so that it goes precisely where it's steered, and many do this.
Slowing when cornering
Closing the throttle and engine braking effect will slow the rear wheel and promote a tendency for over-steer to tighten the turning radius. Closing it at higher speeds will also decrease stability as forward weight transfer increases front tyre loading.
At slow speeds, and on some bikes more than others, closing the throttle can cause the bike to seem like it is 'falling' into the corner.
Applying the rear brake lightly will have a similar effect to closing the throttle, however the bike is kept more stable.
Applying the front brake will promote a tendency for under-steer to widen the turning radius. This can be very marked if the front brake is applied strongly and in an extreme case can cause a bike to stand up enough to run wide, which is the last thing wanted.
If braking into a corner with the front brake still applied is required, the under-steer effect of this can be counteracted by the simultaneous application of compensating push-steering. For example, when braking into a left corner, apply a little extra forward pressure to the left 'bar to counteract the tendency for the bike to stand up to the right.
The last word on corners
If you do enter one too fast, slowing down can be achieved by rolling the throttle closed or limited application of the rear brake. Better to leave the front brake alone. In extreme cases (where you have no chance of completion), stand the bike upright, brake as hard as you dare and then bank it down again. Unless you are already at maximum banking, you should be able to increase the angle further, which will tighten the cornering arc. Use push-steering to achieve this. Gentle rear-brake application will also help tighten the cornering arc. Front-brake application will have the opposite effect.
If the far side of the road is clear, use that space to complete the braking manoeuvre before banking and turning in again. (If you crash, you'll do so at the slowest possible speed.)
Should you encounter an unavoidable surface hazard, use push-steering to bring the bike upright and brake to slow down as much as possible.
Right-hand corners justify special mention because they are more challenging than left-hand ones. Reduce your entry speed, especially if they're blind, have a heavy camber, a gritty verge or are downhill.
You corner faster and brake more effectively climbing hills than descending them. Blind corners at the top of hills can be tighter than expected and often lack speed limit signage. Position yourself to the left of your lane and slow down more.
Push-steeringAka 'counter-steering', though pushing is what's really involved. In fact, understanding just how a motorcycle is made to start turning is essential because many novice riders (and some experienced ones) are still unaware of precisely how to do it.
Turn a bike at walking pace and both handlebars and front wheel pivot in the direction of the turn. However, as speed rises (the precise point is hard to identify) another technique altogether is required, as the bike must bank to the inside of any bend in order to start turning. Banking can be initiated by body-weight transfer and even eccentric air drag, but it is principally done so by push-steering.
In practise, push-steering involves pushing forward on the handlebars nearest the inside of the turn. To turn left, push the left bar forward to initiate a bank, then relax the pressure once the desired angle is reached. For a right turn, push the right bar forward. Once banking is initiated, simply allow the steering to settle into a natural arcing path matching the turn's radius and speed.
Give it a go. Coast downhill in a high gear and take the pressure somewhat off both handlebars. A properly set-up bike should run straight ahead under normal conditions, although shaft-drive bikes in particular may exhibit a slight tendency to turn towards the drive-line side.
Now. Without putting pressure on the handlebars, lean slightly to one side and observe the effect caused by this weight transfer. Then sit up straight and push gently forward on one handlebar without actively moving the other. Observe the dramatic result compared to that of weight transfer alone. Practise by choosing a mark on the road ahead and changing direction at the last moment to avoid it by moving to a pre-determined side.
Push-steering is also an excellent way to change bank angle within a corner, either to bank more if the corner is tighter than expected, or to pick the motorcycle up if the corner is less tight.
Once mastered, push-steering allows you to manoeuvre a heavy, fast moving bike through an S-bend without moving your body relative to the bike, and with less effort than you would previously have imagined possible.
Shifting your body weight to the inside of a turn is not really necessary if push-steering is used consciously unless all available cornering clearance has been used up, or unless a slippery road surface makes keeping the bike more upright desirable.
Bikes can behave differently while cornering. Some may have a tendency to over-steer if all 'bar-pressure is relaxed and others may tend to stand up and under-steer. Both tendencies require a degree of corrective 'bar-pressure to be applied throughout the cornering procedure. Ideally a bike should have neutral steering so that it goes precisely where it's steered, and many do this.
Slowing when cornering
Closing the throttle and engine braking effect will slow the rear wheel and promote a tendency for over-steer to tighten the turning radius. Closing it at higher speeds will also decrease stability as forward weight transfer increases front tyre loading.
At slow speeds, and on some bikes more than others, closing the throttle can cause the bike to seem like it is 'falling' into the corner.
Applying the rear brake lightly will have a similar effect to closing the throttle, however the bike is kept more stable.
Applying the front brake will promote a tendency for under-steer to widen the turning radius. This can be very marked if the front brake is applied strongly and in an extreme case can cause a bike to stand up enough to run wide, which is the last thing wanted.
If braking into a corner with the front brake still applied is required, the under-steer effect of this can be counteracted by the simultaneous application of compensating push-steering. For example, when braking into a left corner, apply a little extra forward pressure to the left 'bar to counteract the tendency for the bike to stand up to the right.
The last word on corners
If you do enter one too fast, slowing down can be achieved by rolling the throttle closed or limited application of the rear brake. Better to leave the front brake alone. In extreme cases (where you have no chance of completion), stand the bike upright, brake as hard as you dare and then bank it down again. Unless you are already at maximum banking, you should be able to increase the angle further, which will tighten the cornering arc. Use push-steering to achieve this. Gentle rear-brake application will also help tighten the cornering arc. Front-brake application will have the opposite effect.
If the far side of the road is clear, use that space to complete the braking manoeuvre before banking and turning in again. (If you crash, you'll do so at the slowest possible speed.)
Should you encounter an unavoidable surface hazard, use push-steering to bring the bike upright and brake to slow down as much as possible.
Right-hand corners justify special mention because they are more challenging than left-hand ones. Reduce your entry speed, especially if they're blind, have a heavy camber, a gritty verge or are downhill.
You corner faster and brake more effectively climbing hills than descending them. Blind corners at the top of hills can be tighter than expected and often lack speed limit signage. Position yourself to the left of your lane and slow down more.
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