So, I'm a new rider and I completed the MSC basic over a month ago. On the classroom day we got off on a short tangent about leaning. Every single person said they were more afraid to lean to the right than the left. This was true for the experienced riders in the class as well.
Apparently there are many theories explaining the phenomenon.
Some say when you look right your right brain, the logic side, says "oh crap you're falling", while leaning to the left the left brain says "weee, leaning is fun".
Another one is because your gas and brake are on that side and you can correct falling by manipulating them, but then you won't have time to catch yourself if you do fall because you're gripping the handlebar, therefore causing an internal conflict which then results in panic. When leaning left you can put your left hand out and still control the bike with your right so you're still comfortable and in control of either outcome (fall or stay upright).
A third one is that most people are right handed and supposedly your subconscious wants to protect your dominant side so you are more susceptible to fear and panic if it is in danger.
So the floor is open. Anyone with more theories or thoughts on these are very welcome to share them.
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Very interesting. Thinking about it, I'm more comfortable leaning the bike right over to the left, than I am to the right. I wonder if it's the same for left handed people, or is the effect reversed for them? I think it has a lot to do with when you stop, you have your right foot on the brake, and your left on the floor. Older British bikes used to have the rear brake on the left, and the gear lever on the right. I wonder if people who ride these feel safer cornering to the right? I also wonder if some of our Indian friends who ride Royal Enfields can shed some light on this?
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You meet the nicest people on a Honda.
Interesting. I'm the other way; I have a MUCH easier time leaning over to the right than to the left, which made me wonder why that was, 'cause it seemed to me that right turns are more hazardous than left, for those of us who ride on the right side of the road.
My reasoning is this: the most common problems with turns involve going wide. If you go wide on a left turn, you go off onto the shoulder and maybe into a ditch, and if you're lucky, you can recover or at least slide onto some grass and be OK. If you go wide on a right turn, you go into the opposing lane where you're likely to go head on into oncoming traffic. I like the first scenario MUCH better!
Fortunately, the only turn I was unable to complete was a series of tight curves that I wound up going straight through (I was in PANIC mode and the bike straightened up when I tried to slow down) and there was NO on-coming traffic. <<WHEW>>
No other theories to offer . . . .
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"What do YOU care what other people think?" --Arline Feynman
I always noticed doing slow speed that one direction is easier than the other. I never knew there was something to it, I always try and figure out what it is I could be doing that is so different from side to side. I bet it is a brain thing, that's good, you can trick the brain, just think, wee- this is fun!
A third one is that most people are right handed and supposedly your subconscious wants to protect your dominant side so you are more susceptible to fear and panic if it is in danger.
So the floor is open. Anyone with more theories or thoughts on these are very welcome to share them.
Lefty here, and I am much more comfortable taking right hand turns then left ones, so there is some support for that theory This is a significant thing to notice though, because you can work on making your weak side better. When taking right turns, I dont even think about it, everything just feels natural. but with left turns I do get nervous at times. I find left turns especially difficult when I'm on a busy road, because cars come in my perif and can distract my focus from the road ahead. What helped me improve my left turns was to concentrate on looking where I was going and following the yellow striping. I became much more accurate at riding the line and hitting the apex.
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"Learn from Everyone, Follow No One" -if
Leaning right is scary.. for everyone?
Isla
This is a significant thing to notice though, because you can work on making your weak side better. When taking right turns, I dont even think about it, everything just feels natural. but with left turns I do get nervous at times. I find left turns especially difficult when I'm on a busy road, because cars come in my perif and can distract my focus from the road ahead. What helped me improve my left turns was to concentrate on looking where I was going and following the yellow striping. I became much more accurate at riding the line and hitting the apex.
