Valuable cornering tip

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Valuable cornering tip

Postby Qijote » Fri Nov 23, 2007 5:17 pm

I met Jay today at Bob's today. He was there getting an Autocom. I went for a new pair of heavy duty, winter boots, to replace my --by now flimsy-- four year old, All Around ones.
He was telling me about going on Jim Ford's Rider's Workshop and how he learned to ride a lot better as a result of riding on R-74 in PA over Wagoner's Gap wiht Jim. Remember, Jay is an MSF instructor and he is still learning!
We were talking about cornering and how in the MSF course they teach about counter-steering as the way to get the bike turning, but they don't really teach about the importance of also leaning the body into the curve. The tip he passed on to me is to put your chin roughly above the inside wrist as you counter-steer. This will instictively lean your body into the curve and make the turn very smooth.
On my way back from Bob's I slabbed it up I-95 to I-695 and then to the Lock Raven Reservoir. Going around the reservoir and the Loch Raven Dam I practiced what Jay taught me. Wow! What a difference! The counter-steering gets the bike to start leaning over, but when you bend your body forward and lean inwards a bit to get that "chin over the inside wrist" effect, it is remarkable how the bike really leans over. Amazing. It surprised me the first couple of times by making the bike lean over too much and making me scrape the steel-lined tips on my brand new Santiago boots.
So give it a try... this tip may save you when you really need to lean over to avoid going wide.
Roy
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Postby Yellowjacket » Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:13 pm

I learned this tip recently from an experienced racer who is a MSF instructor street riding and has experienced a big difference - even then the turn is not that challenging. It still takes considerable effort reminding myself but hope to make it a reflex this coming year.
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Postby Inthpkt » Sun Nov 25, 2007 8:51 am

Interesting to see this technique described. I find myself intuitively doing just that. I kept noticing that after I'd come out of a turn, I was leaning forward. Payed attention to what I was doing during the turns and found I was "leading with my chin". Cool.
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Postby lionlady » Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:05 am

This is part of the Advanced Riders Clinic stuff too. So Jim isn't reinventing the wheel, he's just come up with a great way to integrate it into daily riding.

"Kiss the mirror" is one analogy for the "ideal" body position in a turn.

P
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Postby Firebird » Sat Dec 29, 2007 12:53 am

Don't forget to look through the turn and for your exit. The minute you look down or away is when you might be kissing the pavement. Also try to keep your eyes and head as horizontal as possible with the horizon. I picked that up from the book Total Control, by Lee Parks. That as a really great book to read for cornering.
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Re:

Postby henwin » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:11 pm

Firebird wrote:keep your eyes and head as horizontal as possible with the horizon. I picked that up from the book Total Control, by Lee Parks. That as a really great book to read for cornering.


If your instructors did not teach the importance of keeping your EYES horizontal (or as nearly horizontal) as you cornered--no matter how far you are leaned over, then they were/are sorely lacking. [-X
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby RocketMan » Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:08 am

Qijote wrote:I met Jay today at Bob's today. He was there getting an Autocom. I went for a new pair of heavy duty, winter boots, to replace my --by now flimsy-- four year old, All Around ones.
He was telling me about going on Jim Ford's Rider's Workshop and how he learned to ride a lot better as a result of riding on R-74 in PA over Wagoner's Gap wiht Jim. Remember, Jay is an MSF instructor and he is still learning!
We were talking about cornering and how in the MSF course they teach about counter-steering as the way to get the bike turning, but they don't really teach about the importance of also leaning the body into the curve. The tip he passed on to me is to put your chin roughly above the inside wrist as you counter-steer. This will instictively lean your body into the curve and make the turn very smooth.On my way back from Bob's I slabbed it up I-95 to I-695 and then to the Lock Raven Reservoir. Going around the reservoir and the Loch Raven Dam I practiced what Jay taught me. Wow! What a difference! The counter-steering gets the bike to start leaning over, but when you bend your body forward and lean inwards a bit to get that "chin over the inside wrist" effect, it is remarkable how the bike really leans over. Amazing. It surprised me the first couple of times by making the bike lean over too much and making me scrape the steel-lined tips on my brand new Santiago boots.
So give it a try... this tip may save you when you really need to lean over to avoid going wide.
Roy


Yeah, I tried that once and damn if I didn't fall right over.........






of course I wasn't Moving at the time, but still........never tried it since I can assure you! :lol:

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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby DogHouse » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:00 am

I like old threads.
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby Yellowjacket » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:56 am

Old threads never die and don;t even go away. They can help us to be mindful of good riding techniques and save our butt on a regular basis. :D
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby sundaeman » Thu Dec 18, 2008 7:16 pm

DogHouse wrote:I like old threads.


Me too. I've still got some very comfortable pants from the '70s.
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby DogHouse » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:26 am

sundaeman wrote:
DogHouse wrote:I like old threads.


Me too. I've still got some very comfortable pants from the '70s.


You still fit in them?
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby kneeslider » Sat May 09, 2009 8:38 am

Was there any discussion on Reg Pridmore's method of pressing your knees into the tank on the side opposite the direction you are turning as well a "loading" the peg on the side you are turning into? :oops:

If you haven't go take the Primore CLASS, I have many times & have always learned something new & have polished what I had learned previously.

Safe travels & smooth riding!!
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby Chiba » Sat May 09, 2009 8:18 pm

kneeslider wrote:Was there any discussion on Reg Pridmore's method of pressing your knees into the tank on the side opposite the direction you are turning as well a "loading" the peg on the side you are turning into?

I didn't know Pridmore taught this... the guy that taught me to ride back in the 80s taught me to do this. Of course, he DIDN'T teach me about counter-steering. I learned that technique much later.

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Oh, Counter steering

Postby kneeslider » Sun May 10, 2009 6:33 am

I thought you said "Contra Steering!" Ollie North tought me that! :Blaster:
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Re: Valuable cornering tip

Postby Ron P » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:48 pm

kneeslider wrote:Was there any discussion on Reg Pridmore's method of pressing your knees into the tank on the side opposite the direction you are turning as well a "loading" the peg on the side you are turning into? :oops:

If you haven't go take the Primore CLASS, I have many times & have always learned something new & have polished what I had learned previously.

Safe travels & smooth riding!!


Reg still teaches that, along with "rotating" your pelvis around the gas tank.

He also found a flaw in my cornering in that I wasn't leaning my shoulder into the turn and so my inside arm would be straight. Therefore, I was pushing the front wheel out a bit.
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