This thread is starting to scare me. Tha's because it sounds like a lot of folks are doing things backwards, and that could get you into trouble.
If you're going into a curve and you're worried that you're not going to make it, the WRONG thing to do is let off the throttle, 'cause that will tend make your motorcycle stand up and take the curve wider. The RIGHT thing to do is to hold the throttle or add more throttle and apply more pressure on the inside grip.
Do NOT get into the habit of letting off the throttle in a curve, please! In an emergency, you tend to do whatever habit is ingrained, and you DON'T want to drop your throttle in a curve . . . .
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Last edited by pooder7; 12-06-2012 at 10:52 AM.
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This thread is starting to scare me. Tha's because it sounds like a lot of folks are doing things backwards, and that could get you into trouble.
If you're going into a curve and you're worried that you're not going to make it, the WRONG thing to do is let off the throttle, 'cause that will tend make your motorcycle stand up and take the curve wider. The RIGHT thing to do is to hold the throttle or add more throttle and apply more pressure on the inside grip.
Do NOT get into the habit of letting off the throttle in a curve, please! In an emergency, you tend to do whatever habit is ingrained, and you DON'T want to drop your throttle in a curve . . . .
Absolutely correct! Except that expecting a newbie rider caught by surprise going too fast into a curve to roll on when every instinct in their brain is telling them to slow down may be a bit ambitious. If they can just hold what they've got and keep pressing, like you said, they stand a good chance of making it.
If I muddied the waters in earlier posts, I apologize!
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Absolutely correct! Except that expecting a newbie rider caught by surprise going too fast into a curve to roll on when every instinct in their brain is telling them to slow down may be a bit ambitious. If they can just hold what they've got and keep pressing, like you said, they stand a good chance of making it.
If I muddied the waters in earlier posts, I apologize!
NP, man.
I am maybe especially sensitive about this, having found myself deep into a series of fast sweepers, when I let panic take over, dropped the throttle (maybe braked; I don't really recall), and found myself riding STRAIGHT through the curves, going from shoulder to shoulder as I slowed down. The only reason I didn't die that day is that there was no on-coming traffic.
I've since learned to make every curve with pressure on the inside bar and, traffic permitting, a slight smooth roll on of throttle. (I think it's ingrained by now; it's been about 25 years since that incident ;^)
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"What do YOU care what other people think?" --Arline Feynman
How does less throttle casue the bike to "stand up" with all other factors being equal? No change in steering input and no shifting of body weight. Less throttle = less acceleration which should translate into less inertia into the corner and a tightening of the arc through the corner.
I would think that less throttle would have the opposite effect and cause the bike to lean more tighten the arc through the corner. At least that is the effect I have observed.
Less throttle should mean the bike will lean more on it's own vs 'standing up', since when you accelerate, the bike wants to go in as straight a line as possible. Still, best way to corner IS like others have said and add more throttle and lean the bike more (via counter-steering).
With that said, I agree with all the original posts (at least) regarding set up for corner, lean and hold throttle position until apex, then smoothly roll-on from apex to exit....however I do know sometimes in long corners (where I misgauged the apex), I'll roll off a touch of throttle (SMOOTHLY) to correct the bike's line, then start rolling on the throttle again.
Typically I only need to do this if I am about to run over the centre-line (very rare that happens) due to an extremely long corner, or two back-to-back corners (so 2 apexes to set up for), or I'm riding with a group and the rider in front of me takes a corner slow enough that I need to minorly adjust speed (since braking in a corner is a complete no-no). I should also add when I have, at most times it's taking a corner around 80-120km/h, and the amount of roll-off is maybe a few degrees (if that) of the wrist, and maybe 100-500 (max) on the tach.
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If they don't want to hear, there's nothing you can do.:banghead:
Let's put it to them like this :sly: :when you're in a corner and you are leaning, you don't give gas. Your throttle should just be engaged to carry you through,. Only when you hit the appex will you start to give gas. What happens? Does your bike stand up? ...NO, it leans even more than before. (just remember to look through the corner and that you don't hit an early appex. Hitting the appex early will cause you to go wide and possibly swerve into the opposite lane )
Do yourself a favour and go out to test this, you will learn something that might save your life in a sticky situation!
Pssst: i've been riding for about 3 months & I get it, it really isn't rocket science.
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...when you're in a corner and you are leaning, you don't give gas. Your throttle should just be engaged to carry you through,. Only when you hit the appex will you start to give gas.
No, it's better to give it gas all the way through. Not a lot, just enough to take the slack out of the chain and settle the suspension. If you go into the corner dead-stick then whack open the throttle, you're not going to be smooth.
I'm working on a Grand Unified Theory of Cornering. I'm off to Houston to do some laboratory work on the twistiest roads I can find between here and there.
)
