...................--Improving Your Cornering Skills-

Take a Basic or Experienced RiderCourse (ERC). This provides both classroom and on-cycle instruction in cornering, braking and swerving. You progress at your own pace under the guidance of a trained instructor. You learn in a controlled environment.

Practice with a skilled rider. You can ride behind at a safe following distance to observe and track on the skilled rider’s path of travel (follow the leader). Or you can have the skilled rider observe your technique. Tips for observation:

• -There is a smooth transition between approach and entry speeds.
• -The brake light is not on in the turn.
• -There is a good head turn with the eyes focused on the exit.
• -The rider leans with the motorcycle. (A good visual cue for this is to watch the rider’s body to see if it remains the same distance -From the mirror throughout the turn.)
• -The arm applying pressure to the handlebar grip is bent, not stiff.
• -The hips should not shift position.
• -The motorcycle does not bob or wallow in the turn.
• -The motorcycle to follows a smooth line through the turn.
• -Listen for engine acceleration/deceleration.

Practice by yourself using reference points. Mark out the radius of the turn with cones, crushed-down cans, cut-up tennis balls, etc. Establish reference points to identify the entrance of the turn and the exit point. Establish mental gates to mark the line through the turn. Prior to the entrance of the curve:

• -Smoothly adjust to an appropriate entry speed
• -Set up to the outside of the curve
• -At the entrance point, turn your head and look to the exit reference point. Do not look down at any time.
• -Apply pressure to the inside handlebar grip to initiate the desired lean angle.
• -Smoothly accelerate through the entire curve while leaning with the motorcycle.
• -Be conscious of how your body is reacting while you are leaning. The center of your body should always lean to the inside of the turn!!
• -Start at slower speeds and increase your speed as you gain understanding and confidence in cornering technique.

..Special Thanks to the Motorcycle Safety Center of MN. for providing the above information. For more information, please visit www.motorcyclesafety.org

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