Braking before cornering

[Benno]

Hi boys and girls this question is for the racers out there
I've been out for the last couple of nights just riding and trying to get my body positioning right, balls of feet on footpegs, opening up hips into corners but I find at the moment I'm approaching corners and from like say 20 metres before the turn I'm coasting in, not braking, not accelerating and then when I get into the corner I'm countersteering and putting on the gas to power through it.
However I've heard that you should never be coasting so I've tried accelerating hard on the straights and then braking hard and shifting my weight to set up for the turn but I always end up running just wide of my intended line and it feels scary almost like I'm going too fast.... is this just inexperience or how do you guys set up for turns and how can I go faster around corners?
Cheers

[Aphex]

Might i suggest an AHG ARD or a track day at wanaroo.

[thro]

Riding on teh road and riding on the track are two totally different environments.

In one, you have a controlled environment, a known good surface, no dickheads cutting you off and clear visibility.

In the other, you don't.


If you're on the road, i wouldn't be trying to use race riding techniques - you need a buffer margin.

If you don't have a buffer, and are braking all the way up to the apex at high speed, etc - if something goes wrong, you're fucked...


As to your problem of running wide under brakes... countersteering more while under brakes will help that (braking will stand the bike up, countersteering will get it back down). Be aware that you can easily exceed the limits of your front tyre if you're not careful though...

As said, AHG/track day for this type of stuff, imho...

[Barfridge]

Coasting is fine, it's only racers who want to save every tenth that don't coast. In fact they are still slightly on the brakes as they enter the turn. I've been riding for 7 years, and still can't do this, so don't stress, it's an advanced technique. It's all too easy to overload the front tyre with braing + cornering forces, and that never ends well.

For the time being, concentrate on your line through the corner, it sounds like you've got good body postioning. Once you can get around a corner quickly, then you start braking later and accelerating earlier.

Aphex is right about doing some rider training courses, they're great fun and you might just learn something

[lee]

Running wide and being worried about going in too fast is purely a confidence thing. Unfortunately the only real way to best that, is to take the same corner, and take note of the speed you 'coast' in at. This is why trackdays are so good, because you look a little funny doing u turns 100 metres up the road from your favorite corner over and over.

Anyways, corner at noted speed. Then go in 5 kph hotter, and use the brakes to wash that 5 kph off. Then try a little more, and a little more, until you're hitting the same apex's, but washing off the necessary speed to not run wide. Then you'll truly be icy hot, and can go buy a ducati and extend the swingarm. And get spinners.

I'd still recommend you do this at AHG or wannerooooo though, rather than attempt it on the road.

[g0zer]

braking and accelerating heavily will upset your suspension if you arent smooth with your inputs. if your suspension is bouncing around you will find it difficult to hit your chosen line.

trailing brakes into corners and smoothly transitioning to power at the limits of traction is race craft not street riding, if you want to learn to ride like that then good luck to you and as aphex said book track time.

[lee]

braking and accelerating heavily will upset your suspension if you arent smooth with your inputs. if your suspension is bouncing around you will find it difficult to hit your chosen line.

also.. what he said ^^

[dv8]

get out on some weekend rides and ask questions

[Taz]

get out on some weekend rides and ask questions

sorry ash but if there are 10 riders then you will get 10 different answers

go do the contolled enviroment rides so you can see what the bike and you can do...go the ahg days as they have a closer track where as i beleive( my opinion) that wanneroo is better after you have learnt closer corner riding...you can learn heaps from doing them both.....

time in the saddle on the same area of road will show you what can be acheived...but on the road every corner is different

[resist]

i agree with ash, talk to fellow riders, but also do track days, ahg days, and read books like twist of the wrist.

however, re: coasting, if you go through a corner with say 10% throttle, you dont get the lurch when you pick up the throttle on exit, by approaching the corner slower, (especially on the road) but having a small percentage of open throttle through the corner (and keeping it relatively consistant til your ready to open it) you will maintain better control of the bike and eradicate some of the jerkiness.

[Maxo]

however, re: coasting, if you go through a corner with say 10% throttle, you dont get the lurch when you pick up the throttle on exit, by approaching the corner slower, (especially on the road) but having a small percentage of open throttle through the corner (and keeping it relatively consistant til your ready to open it) you will maintain better control of the bike and eradicate some of the jerkiness.

i agree with that.... and the suspension thing.

[Desmo]

how can I go faster around corners?

How long do you have....
Try keith codes twist of the wrist 1 and 2.

[Bendito]

How long do you have....
Try keith codes twist of the wrist 1 and 2.

+1 for Keith Code

It sounds like you have the right idea, might just be a matter of practicing until you get comfortable.

If you can't get out on a track anytime soon, a quiet industrial type area might be a good spot to run through a few corners repeatedly. Take the same corner, similar speeds, and play around with when you brake and accelerate.

I find slipping the clutch a wee bit as you throttle on can reduce the lurch you sometimes get if you're not totally smooth with it.

So in short, practice practice practice.

[dv8]

Yes I agree that the best place to try things is the track, and if you can get out there great, go for it.I hope to get a few track days in myself early in the year.

I've learnt so much in the past year on the curry and pepper runs. Being able to learn from more experienced riders, asking question and chatting about different styles, etc

The best piece of advice i was given, " If you're hitting corners and breathing heavy and feeling stressed, you're going to hard ".

Some days you have more confidence than others, due to new roads or the conditions may have changed. If I start breathing harder than normal, then I know that I'm riding past my comfort zone and I slow down.

[dv8]

Yes I agree that the best place to try things is the track, and if you can get out there great, go for it.I hope to get a few track days in myself early in the year.

I've learnt so much in the past year on the curry and pepper runs. Being able to learn from more experienced riders, asking question and chatting about different styles, etc

If I start breathing harder, then I know that I'm riding past my comfort zone and should slow down.