Cornering tips

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Maintaining TractionBefore going into the techniques you can use to improve your cornering ability, it is worth going over the basics of traction (grip). It is essential that you maintain grip throughout your cornering manoeuvre as it highly likely that that a skid or slide will result in a spill.
Any moving object carries momentum, when you change the direction of an object, it's momentum will want to carry it in the direction it was travelling. On your motorcycle the force of the engine and the grip of your tyres is the only thing making you turn. Too much momentum against too little grip will result in a slide. The following lists some factors which will affect your grip:

Surface conditions - Rain, grease, ice, paint, mud, oil etc., will all reduce tyre grip, as will a poor road surface or worn out tyres.

Balance - Changing the balance of your bike during the corner will cause the force to shift on your tyres. Braking will cause the force to move towards the front, accelerating will move it to the rear. Too much of either will result in a slide.

Angle - The camber of the road and the amount you lean the bike over will determine the area of the tyre you use and ultimately how much grip you will get.
Your tyres are only capable of providing a limited amount of grip, you have to decide how you want to use it. If you need too much for braking, you'll have less available for Accelerating and Cornering. If you are running out of corning grip, braking will increase your chances of loosing traction. Also too much braking will compress the forks and make it harder to steer.

Basic Approach

Throughout the cornering manoeuvre you should constantly seek information about the changing situation which may require you to react. At each stage think about the potential hazards that can occur and how you might manage them. Constantly ask yourself ‘can I stop safely if I need to?’ - Always expect an oncoming car with two wheels in your lane, just around the bend.
-Position-As you approach the corner adopt the most appropriate position for the bend. When choosing your position, consider in order your safety, stability and information (view) needs, when determining the best position. Resist the temptation to smooth the bend too early as this will impact your view and limit your options.

-Speed - Aim to settle your entry speed in good time, remember slow in = fast out. This will allow you to gather information as you prepare to round the bend and keep the power on around the bend, which will improve your stability. Use the vanishing point to check that your speed remains appropriate, if it moves within your safe stopping distance, you'll need to slow down, if it moves away you may speed up.

-Gear - Selecting the appropriate gear will have a huge impact on your control as you take the bend. Choose an appropriate gear that will allow you to adapt. If the bend tightens, you'll need to slow down. If you have selected a low gear you'll be able to engine brake to wash off speed. This will affect the stability of your bike much less than applying the brakes

-Accelerate - As you reach the end of the corner (vanishing point moves away) and providing it is safe, smoothly roll the power back on as you bring your bike upright continue to accelerate until you reach the desired speed or other conditions apply. As soon as the bend hazards have past, start searching for the next hazard, resist the temptation to power out of the bend, as there may be a speed limit change or another bend ahead.

Key Tips:

1. Keep the power on slightly as you round the bend, to counter the effect of the turn and maintain your bike's stability. This also encourages the rear wheel to track outwards, which will increase the tightness of the turn, requiring you to lean the bike over less. Closing the throttle will reduce this and encourage the bike to stand up and run wide.


2. Keep your head up and physically look where you want to go, this will help you put the bike where you want it to be and the position will feel more natural. If you stare at the edge of the road, it's where you'll end up.


3. Avoid using the brakes when cornering If you need to slow down use engine braking, if that is not enough use only the rear brake with extreme caution. In 9 out of 10 situations applying the brakes will not improve things and is likely to make the steering heavier and encourage the bike to sit up and run wide. The only time braking will help, is if the bend goes down hill. Physically leaning your body toward the turn will tighten your line and reduce your lean angle.


4. Keep your arms loose and your weight off the bars, as this will increase your control. If you press down slightly on the pegs you'll find the steering becomes a lot lighter and the bike will be more responsive.


5. Use Counter Steering to initiate the turn - Counter Steering is steering the bike in the opposit direction