AARRGH .. I will try this post in multiple parts.&nbsp\\; I'm in&nbsp\\;my 4th riding season here in Mass.&nbsp\\; I average about 7,000 miles per season.&nbsp\\;I've ridden in all kinds of conditions&nbsp\\;and yet what I still have a hard time with is twisting roads and leaning the bike.&nbsp\\;Part of my problem is that I think I am afraid of&nbsp\\;not knowing what is around the corner, and mostly,&nbsp\\;... continued on next post

 

mostly, I just can't seem to bring myself to lean the bike too much - so what happens is I slow down. Not to a crawl, but I do slow down.&nbsp\\;Besides just putting in more miles what else can I do? Yes, I took the MSF course when I first started riding. But that does not prepare you for higher speed turning. Maybe I'm overthinking it all. Any suggestions.

 

pure physics won't let you fall. Just relax and push on the handlebar you want to turn towards and lean. The bike should do the rest. Remember, the faster the bike is going, the easier it is to turn and the more you can lean. The pressure applied to the tires at a higher speed on a turn is enough to hold you up. Just don't stiffen up or get nervous. Riding takes practice. You're learning everyday!

 

&nbsp\\;As a Ducati and Harley owner, I find myself pushing it too hard in the corners on my Harley, which is not good. Why? Cruiser tires as a general rule are not as sticky as sportbike tires, and are a harder compound for longer miles and more weight bearing capacity. So your cautious cornering techniques may be the safest. Also, no matter what tires you have, if you hit antifreeze, oil or sand in a full turn, theres a good&nbsp\\;chance your going down. I recommend a track day course with sportbike rental to learn about cornering.&nbsp\\;BTW, I set up for corners by countersteering and slightly hanging my&nbsp\\;rear end and leg on the inside of the turn on both bikes!&nbsp\\;
&nbsp\\;
06 FXDBI
02 Duc 900SS&nbsp\\;

 

It's true, one thing that has helped this year is to say, O.K, so you're in your 4th year -so what.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\;\\\\\\\\\\\\\\;Go back to basics and remember what you learned in the MSF course. And that is the concept of pushing on the bar in the direction you want to go, not try to "steer" the bike. That HAS been a huge help. I think you are right too, that I am tensing up.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\;\\\\\\\\\\\\\\;I didn't get my license until I was 50 years old, so I am not a fearless young pup, unfortunately.&nbsp\\;\\\\\\;\\\\\\\\\\\\\\;But I LOVE to ride so much and want to become and excellent rider! And the suggestion to go to a track is interesting.

 

Remember that motorcycles naturally want to tip outward in a corner and the purpose of leaning the bike&nbsp\\;is to counteract that tendancy. You can accomplish the same thing by leaning the bike less and shifting your upper torso into the turn more, using your upper body as a counterweight against centrifugal force instead of the bike. If you sit in a chair, moving your hips as little as possible, then shift your upper body from side to side, keeping your shoulders as level as possible and your head upright it will give you a feel for the technique. If you try introducing that technique a little at a time, no more than you're comfortable with at any given time you'll learn that cornering is all about countering centrifigal force and there's more than one way to do that.

 

take a later apex so you can see whats around the bend better, the MSF ERC will teach you all about multiple cornering lines and lines to take for blind corners

 

One of the most important things to remember in setting up for a curve is to set up on the outside and work your way to the inside at the apex of the curve.&nbsp\\; This ensures you stay on the roadway.&nbsp\\; If you set up on the inside in a sharp curve and are going too fast then you end up going to the outside and if you are lucky you stay on the road most likely you are going to the shoulder and that usually doesnt end well on a bike.

 

One thing is you have a larger tire contact patch due to the design of the tire when the bike is leaned over.

 

A really good book on high performance street riding is "Total Control" by Lee Parks. He also offers courses that are excellent in building the understanding and confidence needed to push your bike a bit harder.