Help with not cornering like a pussy

[Harrysf707]

So, I rode with a couple of more experienced buddies on Saturday (7/20), and we headed down a nice 17 mile stretch of twisties down the coast, speed limit being 55 MPH. Right off the bat my buddies pulled away from me and I had a hell of a time trying to catch up. I began to realize that I couldn't take fast corners, at all. The posted speed limit for some of the turns were 25-35 MPH, I had to slow down to about 15-20 MPH to make the turns or risk running wide, and onto incoming traffic.

I've read Kieth Code's, A Twist of The Wrist but, every time I slow down, look through the corner, and pick out a line, I quickly realize "Shit I'm going too fast" and it all goes to hell. I begin to tense up, panic and begin to reach for the front brake .

Before the FZR I Took the MSF course then I rode a 1965 Honda S90 (for about a month, never rode it on any back roads or twisties because speed limit was 55 MPH). Saturday was the first time I took the FZR out on a very twisty road. [Back roads around here are either very straight going from city to city, or very twisty going to the coast or up to the mountains.]

Now, I'm not asking to learn how to corner like Rossi, but I also don't want to corner like a pussy either.... I just don't know why I get super tensed about cornering.
So you guys know the saying, "Slow in, Fast out"? well, I'm more at the point of "Pathetically slow in, Not much faster out" . HELP!!!!

[Genesis]

Biggest advice I can give, is ride your own ride, not your buddies. Your abilities will grow with experience, if you push yourself it will not end well.

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[Rooster]

Yup you are your own rider and trying to keep up puts you in the hospital, just take your time and figure out the bike in a empty parking lot or take a new rider course. There's no shame in taking a course and a few guys that I know (veteran riders) took the local one in my area as a dare and both of them said it was the best way to gets skills and get rid of bad habits. I've had the kind of road rash that almost needed grafts because I thought I was the SH-T turns out I was just shitty, Take Your Time or your going to hate riding cause of the scare or injury or both.

[Harrysf707]

Yeah, I've already taken the MSF course..forgot to mention that...

I'm, also thinking about doing the California Super Bike School. Only problem is the next one at my nearest track is in November....

[GreyImport]

Ride with these guys ......

[Genesis]

I took msf class and the advanced class with a 23 year veteran to riding. He said the same thing after the first course, that is why he took the advanced course with me. BTW the guy on the back left has my helmet.

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[Harrysf707]

I took msf class and the advanced class with a 23 year veteran to riding. He said the same thing after the first course, that is why he took the advanced course with me. BTW the guy on the back left has my helmet.

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I might actually do the advanced class, I'll look into it. Thanks!

[Harrysf707]

Boooo... just looked up the advanced course and the only one in my area (northern California) isn't offering the advanced course anymore....aaggh

http://www.motorcycleskills.com/ERC.html

What now? I can't take it to a further city...since I'm trying to avoid highways (for now)....

[~JM~]

I look at sharp corners like a triangle, or how a cue ball would bounce off the bumper rails if I was playing pool. I like to enter a turn high & tight in a straight line. I will be mostly to the right of the center of my lane as I enter the turn. I will start with the rear brake to settle the bike & begin to scrub off some speed. I also slide all the way forward on the seat & open up my body/upper torso to be a wind block to help slow the bike. As I approach the apex of the turn or where the pool cue ball would hit the rail & bounce off, I start to load my front brake to scrub off more speed & to load the front tire. You want as much weight on your front tire as possible to make it stick. Then release the brakes, throw the bike to the side & dive through the apex towards the center line while looking forward to where you want to exit the turn as close to the center line as possible. As soon as you can feel the bike complete the turn, slide back in the seat somewhat to weight the rear tire & gently roll on the throttle. That will lift the bike into the normal upright position & shoot you out of the turn.

Long turns I just lean into & carve like I was skateboarding or surfing. Remember that you can change your arc with the throttle or brakes. Increasing the throttle will make you swing wide & increase your arc. Slowing down will tighten the arc.

Practice at your own comfortable rate of speed & get used to weighting the front of the bike & throwing it to the side then righting it upright with the throttle. Find some backroad twisties with little traffic & run through the turns. You will probably find that you are more comfortable with turning to one side more than the other. Myself... I prefer the left hand turns to the righties. I can do both, but I can go faster through a lefty.

Good luck & let us know how you do on your next ride. Once you can run a set of twisties at speed, you'll never go back to straight roads again.

~JM~

[~JM~]

I just re-read your post & the following quote troubles me...

"...every time I slow down, look through the corner, and pick out a line, I quickly realize "Shit I'm going too fast" and it all goes to hell. I begin to tense up, panic and begin to reach for the front brake ."

Why are you tensing up & have a fear of using your front brake? You should be using your front brake & using it aggressively. That is why there are dual disk brakes on the front instead of the rear. The front brake is your friend as long as the bike is in the upright position. The front end won't wash out on you if you are still straight & upright. Just make sure you have completed your braking prior to leaning the bike. NEVER GRAB THE BRAKES MID-TURN! That will most likely cease your turn & you will slide in a straight line right off the road. Remember that once you hit the loose shit on the shoulder you are done.

Have you practiced fast stopping with all the brakes applied aggressively? It is hard to be fast through a turn, but it is easier to be fast into & out of a turn.

~JM~

[DonTZ125]

The other point to ponder is that using the front brake heats up the tire and INCREASES traction - this is a good thing! Engine braking is for trucks; rear braking is for settling the chassis and coming to a stop. During spirited riding, the vast majority of your braking is done by the front.

I'll disagree with JM on one point - sitting up is fine for pottering along. If you are riding HARD, stay tucked, and clamp the tank with your knees; this will help keep the braking forces off your arms and wrists, which is a major fatigue factor. When you get to the point where you are considering hanging off, do that BEFORE you even THINK about braking. Moving around under braking really upsets the chassis, quite possibly to the point where it insists that you get off and walk!

[Stig]

agree with above, ride at your own pace

Try a local road that you know well thats fairly empty of traffic. Ride it many times and at a pace where you can go through the corners without touching the brakes if possible. It'' learn you the lines firstly...slowly increase your speed, as you do this use your body weight to move the bike into the corner instead of moving the bars. Over time, your speed and confidence of how fast you can take each corner will increase...local knowledge is invaluable and can make all the difference. Its no good going bowling into an unknown corner at warp speed if you dont know the next bend is a hairpin or not. As speed increases you'll have to brake, get your braking out the way before the corner, give the suspension time to settle and THEN ride the corner always looking firstly for the apex and then for the curb opening out at the other side. Dont worry.....speed will come with time and experience

[Harrysf707]

I just re-read your post & the following quote troubles me...

"...every time I slow down, look through the corner, and pick out a line, I quickly realize "Shit I'm going too fast" and it all goes to hell. I begin to tense up, panic and begin to reach for the front brake ."

Why are you tensing up & have a fear of using your front brake? You should be using your front brake & using it aggressively. That is why there are dual disk brakes on the front instead of the rear. The front brake is your friend as long as the bike is in the upright position. The front end won't wash out on you if you are still straight & upright. Just make sure you have completed your braking prior to leaning the bike. NEVER GRAB THE BRAKES MID-TURN! That will most likely cease your turn & you will slide in a straight line right off the road. Remember that once you hit the loose shit on the shoulder you are done.

Have you practiced fast stopping with all the brakes applied aggressively? It is hard to be fast through a turn, but it is easier to be fast into & out of a turn.

~JM~

Sorry, what I meant was I'm beginning to turn, and then tense up because I'm going faster than I'm comfortable with...even thought the posted speed limit for the turn is 35...I'm only afraid to use the front brake mid turn ( which I caught myself doing in a couple of turns....)

And yes, I have practiced quick/emergency stopping. I have no problem stopping, it's just that in some turns, when I'm in mid corner I tense up because I risk running wide and am about to cross the double yellow line.

[reelrazor]

My two (related)thoughts:

You are on too much bike.

You don't trust what the bike will do.

I would start small-seriously, get a BMX bike and find a parking lot and start cranking that into turns...do big fast circles until you are comfortable with it as fast as you can go.

Maybe get a small dirtbike and corner that..

On the street look THROUGH the turn at/past the exit. Realize that anything besides adding throttle will MAKE YOU RUN WIDE. If that sign says "35mph", that means that corner will allow joe hillbilly to get through that turn in his beat ass truck at 35. So, enter the turn at 35 and just hold maintenence throttle and when you start going wide, look at the exit and LEAN IT OVER MORE.

Wear leathers. Half of your fear will leave once you do your first low side.

[Genesis]

Wear leathers. Half of your fear will leave once you do your first low side.

smartest recommendation. AGAT all the gear all the time.

After I started riding my motorcycle I ride my mountain bike so much harder now. I apply and practice on my mountain bike.

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