What do you do when you are mid-corner and are face to face with a hazard in the road? This week we discuss 3 techniques to help you get through the corner and keep you and your motorcycle upright.
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Let's look at the 3 techniques for making mid-corner corrections.
- Slow while leaning
The first is to slow while leaning. By either decelerating by rolling slightly off the throttle or gently using the brakes as we reduce our lean angle.
Maybe the corner is tighter than you thought or there was something in the road like gravel and you did not want to hit it at your current lean angle but it would be OK to go over it with the motorcycle more upright.
This works to make minor adjustments and does not work if you are at maximum lean angle.
2. Straighten then stop
Another method is to straighten the bike completely and then apply maximum braking to a stop or to a point where they can complete the corner. This is the safest method as you are not having to manage lean angle and braking force at the same time. Also, by slowing down it buys you time to evaluate the hazard and the best course of action.
The downside to this is it requires time and space to do so and you need to be aware of what is happening behind you so you don’t get rear-ended.
This is a great technique to practice and I have a training exercise in the field guide that helps you develop this skill.
3. Turn straight turn
The 3rd method is something we will call turn – straight – turn. It looks ugly on the street and it is not for the faint of heart depending on the hazard or speed at the time you need to use it. This is good for making some minor adjustments to the corner.
So let’s say I am making a right hand turn and some hazard sneaks up on me. I can initially turn sharper than I need to turn by pushing more on the right grip. I then straighten the motorcycle up and ride to the inside of the hazard or possibly straight over depending on what the hazard is, but then I have to make another fairly sharp turn to keep from running wide in the curve.
You can use the same technique to go to the inside or the outside of the hazard depending on where it is in the road, how fast you are going and how much room in the corner you have to work with.
Now for some words of caution concerning mid-corner adjustments.
Concerning traction, even under the best circumstances, one has to be cautious about how they put load on the tire. A motorcycle tire can handle a lot of load, either braking or leaned over in a corner. Much more than most riders are comfortable with. But, what it does not do a good job of is handling an abrupt load. So if you grab the brakes or you are jerky on the controls expect the tires to have a difficult time responding. You can be fast with the controls and still be smooth, what you can’t do is treat the controls like an on-off switch.
I would also not be doing my job if I don’t mention this. If you are frequently having to make mid-corner adjustments it is more likely that the problem is with your head and eye placement.
Not looking far enough ahead and not looking through the corner. In fact, if you ever have to make mid-corner adjustments ask yourself that question. Was it possible for me to see that or did I get lazy with my head and eye placement?
It should be the exception rather than the rule that something catches you off guard in a corner. I also have exercises in the field guide that will help you work on your head and eye placement through a corner and develop this technique until it becomes a habit.
Without a doubt, this is one of the most frequent bad habits that riders have on the road. New riders and experienced riders alike. Look through the corner, see what is ahead and it makes it much easier to plan well in advance for the exceptions than to avoid the hazards at the last second.
