If you are a new rider or a rider who wants to continue to grow (That should be all of us ;) ) and you are not a Member at MCrider you are missing out on the best part of MCrider. Go to www.MCrider.com/Member and get access to the Forums and Field Guide. - The Forum is an active, friendly place where riders share riding tips, ideas, travel photos, and show off their new motorcycles. Riders and instructors from all over the world are active on the forums and ready to share in the adventure with you. - The Field Guide is a section of the forums that have very specific training exercises that you can work on in any open parking lot to develop your riding skills. In addition to these resources, you can discuss every MCrider video, suggest future training videos, read and share gear reviews, and more. By becoming a member you help support MCrider and keep the weekly videos coming but you also get access to a world of riders who share tips and techniques to help us all enjoy the ride and increase our skills. www.MCrider.com/Member
Adding to the above video..my rule of thumb is, " don't ride fast on roads you don't know", there are many hazards on curves, metal drain covers, loose gravel, adverse cambers always seem to be in the line of travel, correct tyre pressures and counter steering helps with safe rideing twisting roads.................
I gotta say, I am amazed on how you explain topics in such an informative manner. It allows for better understanding and retention of knowledge. Many TH-cam moto channels either overwhelm you with terminology or volume (less alone ego). I've put to practice many a topic you've covered and seen vast improvement as opposed to other methods. NOW THE DIAGRAMS are just the icing on the cake!!! I RARELY ever comment, but this goes to show how well delivered these videos are. I'll be sure to support via the site, just keep those lessons rolling!!
Been riding for 30 yrs, took the corner too wide, was heading for 3 vehicles coming my way, laid the bike as low as I could, banged off the side of a escalade, me and my wife went down, I rolled and came up looking at my wife laid out on the road with blood coming out of her mouth. Is she damaged internally and bleeding to death inside,? I don't know. In the end she lived, only a split liver that healed and a scar on her lip, which was cut badly, and where all the blood came from. I can't read this with out getting emotional, seriously tears in my eyes as I write this. I think now that my life would have been ruined if she had died, I could not have lived with myself if I had killed her by being so stupid. Just food for thought before you ride.
Wow I genuinely appreciate your honesty, and can empathize with your emotions. Both myself and my wife go out on my bike, she enjoys it almost as much as I do. When my wife is on my bike that's the time I would Never mess about or riding to fast with her on. Riding a bikes risky enough without being stupid and taking unnecessary risk. It's one thing to endanger my life but not that of an innocent passenger. We enjoy the quality of life it gives us so she trust in that I'll do everything I can to keep her safe but together with accept it comes with a risk. For car drivers or riders alike the road is no place for foolishness, to those who disagree go do a track day or something but keep the roads safe!
This is while I tell my wife I’m really not comfortable taking her for a ride, she thinks I’m being selfish. I’m going to show her your comment. Glad you both healed.
I got back into riding about 6 years ago, after a 20 year + break. Your videos are very valuable to any one starting out riding, or getting back on two wheels, you certainly put the correct (safest way) to handle your bike across to anyone from novice to experienced rider. Thank you, I'm sure you will save lives!
i get what your saying about approaching the curve, but the #1 cause for accidents is speed into a turn. if the speed limit sign says slow to 25 m.p.h for the turn, get down close to that speed before entering the turn & you never have a problem.
I am an old man and have riding motorcycles for over 50 years. It seems the older I get the clumsier I am with maneuvering a motorcycle particularly in cornering. I have ridden just about every make of motorcycles you can think of. I even used to be a Western Union motorcycle messenger and also have ridden on motocross tracks but now it seems that cornering for me is becoming more difficult and I am just riding a Yamaha V-Star 650 V-Twin which to me is a very small bike compared to the Harleys I used to ride. I also ride a 2014 Yamaha XT-250 dual sport and I have installed street tires on it because I never take it off road but enjoy its riding personality as I use it to ride the back highways of Arkansas doing photography. I have said all to say this: this video has really helped me with riding that V-star and not being afraid of it while negotiating a curve. Thanks Kevin for you outstanding videos!
I'm an Aussie. Our instructors say for right hand bends (remember, we drive on the left) we should stay wide on the road and turn in much later and aim to hit the apex near the end of the corner. This is to avoid the "collision zone" near the middle of the corner for when a oncoming vehicle may run wide mid way through their left hand bend. When we are negotiating a left hand bend, we should still start wide, but cross smoothly to hit the apex again near the end of the corner. This is to avoid oncoming vehicles who my cut in early over the white line when negotiating their right hand bend. In both cases the exit point should be near the centre of the lane. This puts the bike in the optimal position to adjust for the next corner, no matter which direction said corner goes. Eg: say I'm in the USA this time, and I'm negotiating a right hand bend using your method. I enter from the left side of the lane, closest to the centerline. I hit the apex in the middle of the bend, then exit near the centerline, but there's a left hand bend immediately after the right hander. I am now in a poor position to smoothly negotiate the left hander. There is another channel on TH-cam similar to yours called Road Craft Nottingham. He is also a riding instructor. I am pretty sure he recommends the method I described too. I hope that all makes sense. I'm certainly not trying to say you're wrong, I'm just a learner rider, so I would never suggest I know more than you. You're clearly just as experienced as the instructors I've listened to, so I'd just like to know what are your thoughts on the method I've described.
Hold your line to the outside edges of the turn (factoring hazard adjustments) until you can see 100% of the oncoming section of road ...then power on !
No, he suggests hitting the apex in the centre of the corner. And in fact, my initial description of what we were told was slightly incorrect. Since posting this comment, I did my MOST (Ps test) and was reminded the golden rule of Start Wide, Buffer in the Corner, Finish Tight. So you aim to push the apex to the end of the turn. This is primarilly to avoid a head on with oncoming traffic. Of course exactly where you finish the corner depends on what the oncoming traffic is doing. EG, you're not going to finish a right hand corner tight if there's an oncoming car just starting the corner and close to the centreline.
Kevin, your vid reminded me of an event 15 years ago. Northbound 87 Highway between Fountain Hills AZ and Payson. I botched the simple right curve with no ongoing traffic and could barely make it. I was not speeding, but to this day, I thank the Lord I pushed hard on the right handlebar. This was my first longer trip in cold conditions and I was not prepared for what cold can do to me. Yes, it’s gets cold in Arizona too. I still get chills on that memory, Ill be a better rider because of it. I hope everyone rides safe, and pays attention and learn slowly and safely.
Hi Kevin. Thanks for your awesome work. This video hit a sore spot for me. I lost a good friend a couple of years ago when he collided head on with a Kawasaki Vulcan, while riding his Harley 1200 Sportster. The guy in the Vulcan invaded the incoming lane. You are doing a wonderful job in explaining motorcycle behaviour to both riders and non riders alike. Thank you very much. May God bless you.
Hey man just wanted to say...just got my license...and my first bike...I find your youtube video's are most informative, and I appreciate the common sense riding values you encourage. I ride my motorcycle in Vancouver Canada....big city..terrible drivers...steep streets......tons o rain.....cyclists...pedestrians..construction...buses...cab drivers.....idiots on cellphones....believe you me I'll take all the advice I can get...pretty sure your advice has gotten me out of a few jams already. Appreciate it....
in the USA you have yellow speed signs dictating safe curve speed for trucks and commercial vehicles. most cars ignore these signs because the posted speed limit is 65mph. but on a MC these yellow speed signs indicate just how sharp or Hazardous the curve is. I use these signs to tell me what kind of curve I'm coming up on so I can set my cornering speed and angle.
@bishplis What Kyle Stewart wrote is correct, and a very good way to anticipate how to possibly set up for a turn. The signs are there to help, but they aren't a substitute for evaluating the road conditions, traffic, etc.
I appreciate your videos i just got my msf endorsement a month ago, and after the course your left to figure it out on your own. Mc rider has given me lots of confidence as i learn how to navigate the roads. Keep up the good work
I a NEW rider and still kind of scared to ride with traffic. I have watched all your videos plus my practice and I've got a bit more confident ridding thank keep up the the very helpful videos
Your own self-confidence matters. Fear will make you do the wrong thing and cause what you fear to happen. Try facing (confront and defy) some of your fears in other areas ( less deadly) and you will find that what you feared does not exist. This will give you confidence to deny fear its power, and return it to you. Good luck and ride safe.
So far I like your format, no surprises. I really like how the video scroll bar is not rigged for irritation but easy to back up unlimited times. Living In Michigan with barely a curve in sight I've always had trouble with clearly understanding correct lines through a curve.....your video is the best I have seen.
two things...if you are to close to the center line your head is in the opposing lane after leaning and the greasy strip in the middle of the lane can be just as slippery as paint so i plop down in the outside groove and dont apex on street corners at all...great video bud, really enjoy the content
Love your channel.53 year old newbie.so sorry that I missed out on years of riding.but I plan to make up for it in due time.I did take an intensive riding course.Can't imagine starting up a motorcycle without that course.This video is about to address my biggest weakness.
One of the best pieces of advice I was given which I've found helped a lot... Point your nose (yes, the actual nose on your face) where you want to go. This will naturally make you look through the corner, rather than just at the piece of road you're on right now. It's made a huge difference, and made it much easier to come to terms with moving up to a much larger, heavier bike. It's a technique you can use no matter what you ride. It always works.
I ride a Royal Enfield a lot on the twisties in Northern California, and you have to practically be able to see into the future to safely anticipate turns or traffic on one of these. More than once I've gone to downshift and slow my speed approaching a turn only to find myself suddenly in false neutral and frantically stomping the shift lever up and down in the middle of a turn to try to get back into gear. I've also ground the pegs and popped the rear wheel up more times than I can count. Just some of the many joys of riding one of these ridiculous machines!
G'day Kev, It's great to see you and others posting motorcycle training videos. Most cornering mistakes I've experienced and seen have been running wide. This was a huge issue I had to deal with and when I analysed my riding it came down to three issues; 1) basic skill, confidence and trust, 2) there are two simultaneous cornering lines to follow, 3) anticipating how tight the corner is. 1). For me, this was a challenge as I learnt to ride on loose gravel roads and I had a tank-slapper that put my in hospital when I was 12. So although later in life I had the skill, my confidence and trust in the bike and road would sometimes throw me off. 2). This was actually the biggest breakthrough in my cornering. I realised there are two cornering lines you simultaneously ride as you negotiate a corner. No matter what I did, I always ran wide, even when I knew I the best line through the corner. What I realised is that I was only planning one line through the corner (my tyre/bitumen) 'contact line', but when I actually rode the corner it was my (head and eye sight) 'helmet line' that was following the planned line. My 'helmet line' followed my anticipated tyre/bitumen 'contact line', which in turn meant my 'actual' tyre 'contact line' was further out, closer to the outside edge and a greater risk of losing it on the bend. Once I start riding both lines simultaneously, my cornering improved enormously. 3). A friend tried to teach me a method of angles to anticipate how tight a corner was but I never quite worked that one out. My only reliable solution was the standard recommendations of 'looking through' the corner and 'staying wide' until you have a clear line of sight out of the corner. Keep up the good work.
Your videos are literally a life saver. I just upgraded from an Indian Scout Bobber to an Indian Chief DH with the stage 3 power stroke. It's a big change in weight and dynamics. I have had to go back to the basics again with this thing and your videos have been amazing for me to master the basics again with this bike. Thank you.
A lot of new riders have high side fear. But like you pointed out, it's necessary if just for vision sake. Confidence, practice, all good. And thanks. I'm glad I found you.
Great instructions. I've been riding for decades, know and use these techniques. What drives me crazy is garbage on the roads. Always expect it. Gravel, stones, appliance parts, tree limbs / twigs are the worst up here in the northeast. Beautiful mountain winding two lane roads, come around a corner and there are tree twigs splattered all over the lane from fallen rotten branches. Something else that drives me up a wall, the liquid tar they use to fill cracks on the road. On a motorcycle these things are like running over snails, especially leaned over in a corner the bike skids off of them till the tires hit solid pavement again. Nerve racking!!
When cornering I pick my apex point a couple of feet shy of the centre line. I lean my bike quite far over and can occasionally scrape pegs. If my tyres are nearly clipping the centre line then my head is in the path of oncoming traffic. However if visibility is free and the road is clear then it's OK to use all of the road. Though I don't tend to use the oncoming lane too much. I live in Scotland and the roads can be twisty and narrow with lots of trees, apart from the big main roads, so I'm careful about clipping apexes. Thanks for the video, I like your channel.
Exactly what I learned from Motorcycle Safety Courses in NJ. Point your nose in the direction of the turn, choose your path around the curve (apex) and "push steer.". Bergen Co, NJ (just North of the GW bridge) have very congested roads and highways. Much harder to stay in one piece on a bike than in, say, rural Fl.. You learn to be much more cautious.
Years ago, I learned to take most corners outside, inside, inside. I began practicing your suggested technique today. The reduced lean in the corner is apparent.
Always look at where you want to end up and you'll end up there. If you enter the curve too late and/or too fast and you watch the side of the road getting closer, you'll end up in a ditch. If you enter too late, too fast, or anything else "too", don't panic and _look at where you want to be_ and you'll end up there. And to the inexperienced riders; trust your bike, it can do much more than you think. Assuming it is in reasonable shape, it'll have no trouble sticking to the road in a corner that you entered too fast or too late, as long as you keep the above advise in mind.
wow thank you for the videos its spring time now almost ready to get the bike back out on the road ive ridden for years but i think its always good to refresh every year thanks again for the vids
Taking the inside on left hand curves leaves no way out for the oncoming vehicle that crosses the line. And don't forget the greasy middle. Slow down, focus up the road and stay on the outside. The ditch is always better than head on.
such a tragic sad story...but with a fantastic ending, i could relate to this story so much.....your an amazing guy...love your channel and videos...thankyou
Hello! New to your channel. I have been riding for "about" 40 years now! (Yeah, Im old!) I have taught myself and taught others, to "PLACE" your bike where you are looking when it comes to curves. In other words, your bike will go in the direction your are looking! If you focus on the yellow line through a curve, you will tend to steer the bike towards the yellow line. If you focus an a guard-rail, you will tend to steer towards the guard-rail! ""I"" focus on where I want to "PLACE" my bike into and out of curves! My bike goes where I am looking. NOTE: Speed and confidence has a lot to do with this method, BUT... Once you learn how to "PLACE" your bike in and out of curves, you can steer in the center of a lane no matter how sharp the corner might be! AND, this is also true when making a sharp turn from a stop sign! Takes a little practice, but a MUST KNOW PROCEDURE! Happy riding!
I'm still practicing this everytime I ride. Hopefully it will build more confidence. I stress with those never ending long turns. Especially going down hill. Uggg.
Hi Great video . I have been riding since high school and I am 64 now. And I am always with the mind set that I am learning to refine my riding skills every time I am out . I also recommend that everyone riding should always have a dash cam on their bike . A two Chanel is best . Front and rear. For two good reasons . You can review your days riding to see your mistakes and improve your skills , it’s amazing what you can pickup on video . and it also records all the idiots out there so you can defend yourself in court or prove you are a responsible rider and the other guy is not. Also keep in mind that speed kills on a bike or in a 4 wheel vehicle . I love grinding the corners at a lower speed . I have much more control and more time to
Reserve lean angle, reserve braking - if you can't wiggle a little going thru the turn (line adjustment using lean, steering, and braking), you're going too fast.
Excellent video. Can't stress enough how important it is to plan ahead for upcoming road conditions. I always like to have the best possible view of what's up ahead before I let her rip.
Yes here in New Zealand we are told: "enter wide exit tight". That works most of the time but the problem is most road surface hazards such as stray gravel are also on the outside of the corner (near the edge of the pavrment) which you are entering and often quite fast which means you can't turn in tighter to avoid the gravel patch. I'm now trying entering corners semi wide as that gives me more room to avoid surface hazards not seen at a distance.
really enjoying these videos. One comment on turning in tight corners is that when leaning the bike through the turn, if it's a sharp one you can actually have part of you/your bike at or even over the center line. If a car coming from the opposite direction is tight to the line it can make things uncomfortably close - need to be careful with that.
My local driving school started recommending keeping to the outside lane throughout the turn, this to avoid having to make emergency turns or hitting someone when a car coming the other way goes too wide, or even sideways on purpose. When I went there, however, they were still recommending the line from this video.
MCrider: great video but I learned the biggest difference to my cornering came when I started to look through the turn instead of looking ten feet in front of me, something which I naturally do on a mountain bike but for some reason not on a motorbike. Somehow the rest seems to happen naturally although not dismissing at all your points on your line in and when you start to corner. Great videos.
This , my friend was excellent. I've been doing just that, just common sense, at least after several times trying and figuring it out , and trying to improve. Awesome!
I love watching your videos especially the ones on the curves because I'm always scared of the curves even when I was a passenger but now that I got control of where I go on the road videos had taught me so much in the big thank you to you
I understand the importance of pointing your head and eyes as you look through the curve to help negotiate a curve safely and smoothly . For a right hand curve, I focus my eyes on the vanishing point which helps to achieve smooth cornering. I will do the same for left hand curves but there is a difference. As I am focusing ahead on a point in the curve, sometimes an oncoming vehicle appears from out of the vanishing point which blocks your focus point completely. The tighter the curve or if it’s a blind curve, the more startling it can be. How do you handle this scenario? Where do you refocus with your eyes?
Hi Kevin, Thanks for your efforts in helping us becoming better riders. I have tried to use your cornering advices and helped me on the way. Lately I have rode with some friends on some tricky roads with lots of hairpins. In some of them I did well, however inconsistent. Once I went out wide almost in front of the incoming traffic ☹️🤔. Thai make me ask you about how to approach those tricky hairpins - turning points, recommended gear, speed... Whatever you consider useful. I would really appreciate that and I quite sure that all of us will do. And when this craziness pass we wait for you in European on Transfăgărășan road to enjoy it. Be well🤗👏🚀🎯🏆
Just turned 69 and recently bought a 06 Dyna Wide. Last time I owned a big bike I was in my 20's so there was a major lapse. So far it hasn't been a real big learning curve, with most of the start up and clutching still easily coming back. But the cornering end of the deal escapes me. And not just cornering on the go, which I haven't done yet. From a standing start, turning right or left has really fought me. Like the fear of falling to the inside for lack of lean or speed, or swinging to wide due to over acceleration has me by the throat. It's winter now so it'll sit in the garage till spring. But sooner or later I'm gonna have to drive this thing to a big parking lot and overcome my "cornering bluez" !!
Good information and right to the point! I ride track days in the intermediate group and hit twisties on the street as much as possible. Learning to take an apex will help any rider and even car drivers too. One piece of advice I once heard was "stay to the outside as long as you can" which I think helps to visualize cornering lines. And that background song sounds kind of like Simon and Garfunkel for some reason...
Yes, Robbie, and the sharper you can turn in and 'set your line' the sooner you can roll on the throttle. so you are already accelerating at the apex! "Take the slack out" of your throttle as you are releasing the brake and engaging the clutch... it only amounts to a fraction of a second thru the curve, but makes a difference in your speed coming out! And that gets you to the next curve seconds quicker! On the Track, those seconds 'count' as they add up with each curve and each lap... But using the same process on the street, but not nearly so abrupt and at lesser speeds, still makes for smoother and more precise cornering... I even use it on my V-Twin cruiser... It becomes "Muscle Memory" so that whatever kind of riding you are doing, it just becomes a quicker process as your speeds increase... AND...when you are focused on the 'turn-in' point, and looking thru the curve, and hitting the right placement at the apex [ position your bike so that YOU are not OVER the apex, with your head in line with oncoming traffic!], and making a smooth transition to the throttle...then you won't over-run the curve!
Love your videos! One other big thing that makes late turn in important is when the turn is a decreasing radius. With late turn in you have more time to adjust your apex. If you turn in early you are already coming back out and it might force you to weave a double apex, or run wide.
Thanks mcrider. Well illustrated im over here in Ireland. And tragically I lost a good friend doing what you have just described. He went a little bit to wide and a lorry was coming towards us sadly Rory clipped the bumper and the rest is sadly a bad memory for me. So thanks again for sharing .
Hey Fireblade Owner, I am sorry to hear about your friend Rory. Too many good people are hurt or worse because of accidents like that. That is why I started MCrider, hopefully it will help some future rider from making the same mistake. Take care brother, Kevin
My Sympathies, as well, FireBlade. My Brother was riding with a friend, on open country 'farm roads', and the friend was on a new, and faster, bike that he was not yet 'adjusted to'. My Brother was following 'Wolfe' and Wolfe decided to 'wind out' 2nd gear... but came into a turn too fast, and couldn't turn in fully...and you can imagine what happened when he crossed the line right into the grill of a pickup truck... All of it right in front of my Brother -- who barely missed the truck as it swerved trying to avoid Wolfe... and now a memory forever imprinted in my Brother's memory... as well as the truck driver and his wife.
Hi, I'm new riding mc. Thank you for this video. I haven't got confidence of cornering because of doubt on where to follow the line. Now it's clear to me. thanks
slowing down before entering the curve will help you alot. dont think that you are on a track, cause you arent ! repetition will increase the comfort and confidence levels. excessive speed and excessive braking are 2 most common errors in solo vehicle accidents on bikes
Having tyres in good condition also greatly helps! If tyres are worn, have uneven wear or have developed ‘shoulders’ on the tyres from a lot of straight line riding, this also greatly affects handing through corners.
Well yes,everything does-weight and weight distribution on and of the bike itself,tyres ,road surface type and quality,speed ,type of motorcycle etc -hence get to know your machine and stay in tune with it when wear and tear becomes an affecting factor, the main message of this video seems to be plan your line of entry as best as can be for the surrounding condition ,there are umpteen factors to learn ie: a strong wind will also be a factor, experience is the best teacher,ride safe😉
I did this today, almost bit a curb from turning to early and not looking through the curve, bust intersection and oncoming traffic coming up a hill, that added onto of the fact I was in that I was in the grey area of speed where you need to turn the bars or press the bars to turn. Thankfully I got it through the turn ok. Once I was through the turn I though to myself the next chance I get I need to spend some time in a parking lot with some cones.
All ur vids have great tips.Riders should be aware of the road "CAMBER " at all time,positive or negative and know where the decreasing radius turns are.Please remember if you get in trouble in a turn,most the time you can still lean in a little bit farther than u think and ride it out...Stay focused and don't fixate on shit on the side of the road...God bless you all
I've been constantly watching your videos and in my few months of motorcycling.. I've avoided at least 5 impending accidents due to idiot drivers who seem to only check their mirrors once or probably not at all, they would swerve and good thing is i follow speed limits so when i hit the brakes i would stop just in time. my next worry now is someone might rear end me.. Keep these kinds of videos coming! Great job!
Thanks for all of the great videos! I've been riding for only 2 years and my first bike is 2015 Street Glide . I took an ABATE class and learned a lot ! I have a habit of entering the corner early and will definitely practice what I've seen here today . God Bless
Thanks so much for your videos. I'm returning to motorcycles at age 62 after a 15 year hiatus due to non-motorcycle related injuries and 16 orthopedic surgeries. I'm going to go to your website and start supporting you. I'm also telling all my biker friends about you. I have one comment about this video. I learned a long time ago to focus on the centerline in a left curve and the fog line in a right curve. This keeps me on the right track. This is true no matter how many wheels I have under me. You tend to go where you look. For example, in a left curve, if I focus on a car coming towards me in the other lane, I will start drifting closer to the centerline and the oncoming car. If I look toward the fog line or ditch to my right, I will start drifting to the right. Would you agree with this or do you have better advice?
I like your videos and i share them with my wife who is a fairly new rider. I completely understand you out-in-out method and it prefect for a clean surface. I have always done mu best to avoid the " contaminated " or center portion of the lane to avoid slicl spots. What, in uour opinion makes the out- in-out safer than avoiding a potential slicl spot? Thanks for everything. Keep up the great videos.
I’ll give you my perspective from my own personal experience when I was a new rider. I went down when I tried to negotiate a turn at speed but I failed to get my eyes to lead my hands. As the old adage says, the bike will usually follow your eyes. I was looking where the the bike took me, not where I wanted to go. As a consequence, I ended up on the asphalt in order to avoid colliding with a bus that was also turning into the same street, but coming from the opposite direction from me. Lesson learned; always get your head and eyes turning in advance of where you’re going because that’s where the bike will follow.
Very good and I like the graphics. I would add one thing more. You will get a sense of speed for the curves as you approach them... at first you may slow down more than is necessary (I hope) but will be able to learn the proper speed as you gain confidence. Remember this... "Always use your rear brake and do your braking BEFORE entering the curve! Another thing is... if you notice that you are a little too close to the center line you can give it a little throttle and you will be brought over where you would like to be in your lane... you don't want to wind up in the other lane with head on traffic!
Hi Kevin, could I get your opinion: our basic training here in Australia focused on an outside > middle > inside turn as opposed to your outside > inside > outside turn, the reasoning being: - Starting outside for the same reason as yours above. - Staying in the middle instead of inside keeps you out of the "head-on collision" zone around the apex of the turn, where vehicles can sometimes drift across the lane or just be very close to the centre-line. - Finishing on the inside leaves you with room to move further outside if there's an unexpected obstruction (Or if you need to stand the bike up and stop) without the risk of running off the road. All your videos and advice have been invaluable in my becoming a better rider, but on this one I think there's a danger to the outside > inside > outside pattern compared to the alternative outside > middle > inside, but I would love to hear your thoughts as I am very much still learning.
The old in slow out fast on a well (pre) picked line with a smooth "wind on" off power not a "choppy" on/off works well for this rider on You Tube ISLE OF MAN 2016 YAMAHA YPVS 350 RD350 even @ 1-11 on a "nasty" uphill decreasing radius off camber bend , Taken as one on a "slower" less powerful but well ridden bike
Yup - excellent tips. Going in what at first may feel a little slow, and accelerating through the turn results in a far more comfortable and enjoyable turn. Downshifting a gear before a curve is the consequence of not shifting in the curve as you advise.
Determining corner entry speed has always been a topic of discussion. I'm curious about your take on this issue. Yes, going slow will prevent running off, but too slow will disrupt the flow of the lines. this is not an issue with roads you have tested. I'm curious how others do it. I don't like making ANY adjustment once I've entered. I will adjust with the throttle to compensate for running too far to the inside. More throttle will drive you to the outside and vice versa. Thanks and ride safely!
awesome what your doing, keep up the good work. there are a lot of young and novice riders that can truly benefit from this. I sincerely hope they realize how valuable some of the basics are especially on two wheels and not take it for granted. sincerely please keep up the good work and to everyone out there if you're on two or four wheels please let's all be respectful to one another. God Speed!
Excellent advice. I would add one thing: If you screw up and get in too hot, look up and turn the bike. 9 times out of 10 you'll make it and even if you don't, you and the bike lay down and slide, scrubbing speed off right away before you hit anything. If you're dressed properly road rash will be minimal and if you hit something it will be a lot less hard.
I take long sweeping curves near where I live. My problem is scanning for road debris and looking through the curve. It's in the country on a two lane road where farm equipment and trucks dump mud , gravel, and grain on the road.
In the UK we follow the course advised in the Police Roadcraft manual. That is on approach of any bend watch for the vanishing point That is the point where visually the offside kerb or verge meets the nearside one and then as you ride round if that point is getting nearer you as you take the bend slow down so that you maintain an equal distance with it around the bend. If and when that vanishing point starts to move away from you then it's likely that the bend is now opening out and follow it until you can sit the bike up and accelerate. This is a general guide and its when we are paralleling the actual bend keeping the same radius around the bend and not cutting in on it. It may be slightly slower but is considered safer than cutting in on the bend. Over in the UK because of our topography our country roads are full of bends that are narrow so much more care should be taken whilst riding them. Unfortunately once again bends are problematically one of the most dangerous of activities whilst motorcycling, together with inappropriate overtakes , speeding and urban junctions. The other safety note is to always be able to stop in the distance that one can see to be clear and many riders forget that means bends as well as straights. So if your vision is reduced then so should your speed reduce also.
What looking through the curve does also is keep you from worrying about what your bike is about to do or "could do" and puts your mind and concentration on where you are going to travel.
I have a bit of an issue with taking curves, in real life, as you laid out. I ride on a curvy road every time I get on my bike and my biggest concern is always the oncoming drivers taking the curves fast / wide and crossing the center line. The way your diagram is laid out the motorcycle rider is putting himself back toward the center line at the spot oncoming traffic is most likely to cross the center line. I go a little slower so I don't drift wide, stay wide then exit the corner closer to the center line once I have a clear view and am past the tightest part of the curve. Since I live in logging country, I can tell you most logging trucks will cross the center lines on curvy roads.
You've got it right. I'd be dead if didn't ride the canyons the way you describe. Many times oncoming cars rounding curves the same time I am are partially in my lane. How rude.
I just subscribed, I hate corners. I'm 43 ,been riding sense I was 11,but any info is good info. keep up the good work and keep the tires on the pavement
Great advice for left handlers. However, be careful on right handlers as you may be to close to the line and meet someone cutting the corner coming the other way
Well Kevin I messed my knee up, but thank God that's all that happened. I was riding with hubby Tues evening I was on his 2020 Kawasaki 650 and he was on my '05 R6. We were going around a curve as I have many times when riding with him in the past month or so and he was ahead of me thank God because at the same time this truck going the opposite direction hauling an RV went around the curve as I was. His RV went into my lane half way so I am thinking I tried to get closer to the outside of the curve too soon causing me to go towards the ditch.....I was using both front and back brakes gently applying pressure to try and stop....but the wheels bit the edge of the road throwing me off balance and throwing me down onto the road....thank God for helmets is all I can say. As for my knee it has a possible torn meniscus...I'm waiting on an MRI. I only scratched the mirror on the motorcycle and got tons of mud on the foot pegs and pieces sticking out. I thought that this would scare me away from riding, but it hasn't it just made me more aware that I need more practice stopping. I'm still just trying to figure out what happened...what I done wrong. It really makes me mad because if the guy in the truck hauling the RV had better control of it I'd still be alright and be able to ride my bike....to top it off the man never even stopped probably because he knew what he done.
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Man u ride alot with your eye i mite be wrong but do u hav only one eye? Im sry to ask but i gotta kno
Adding to the above video..my rule of thumb is, " don't ride fast on roads you don't know", there are many hazards on curves, metal drain covers, loose gravel, adverse cambers always seem to be in the line of travel, correct tyre pressures and counter steering helps with safe rideing twisting roads.................
Learned that the hard way
Grass in the road sucks too. It only takes a few seconds to go turn around and sling the grass in the yard.
Slow down, don't be a street Rossi, and look through the turn... you'll be fine... ✔
I gotta say, I am amazed on how you explain topics in such an informative manner.
It allows for better understanding and retention of knowledge.
Many TH-cam moto channels either overwhelm you with terminology or volume (less alone ego).
I've put to practice many a topic you've covered and seen vast improvement as opposed to other methods.
NOW THE DIAGRAMS are just the icing on the cake!!!
I RARELY ever comment, but this goes to show how well delivered these videos are.
I'll be sure to support via the site, just keep those lessons rolling!!
Been riding for 30 yrs, took the corner too wide, was heading for 3 vehicles coming my way, laid the bike as low as I could, banged off the side of a escalade, me and my wife went down, I rolled and came up looking at my wife laid out on the road with blood coming out of her mouth. Is she damaged internally and bleeding to death inside,? I don't know.
In the end she lived, only a split liver that healed and a scar on her lip, which was cut badly, and where all the blood came from.
I can't read this with out getting emotional, seriously tears in my eyes as I write this.
I think now that my life would have been ruined if she had died, I could not have lived with myself if I had killed her by being so stupid.
Just food for thought before you ride.
For that reason I never had a passenger in all of 13 years that I've been riding. First thing I do with all of my bikes is to remove the rear pegs.
Ans L
I have so much respect for you. I am a new rider and I’m planning on doing the exact same thing. I will never ride with a passenger.
Wow I genuinely appreciate your honesty, and can empathize with your emotions. Both myself and my wife go out on my bike, she enjoys it almost as much as I do.
When my wife is on my bike that's the time I would Never mess about or riding to fast with her on. Riding a bikes risky enough without being stupid and taking unnecessary risk. It's one thing to endanger my life but not that of an innocent passenger.
We enjoy the quality of life it gives us so she trust in that I'll do everything I can to keep her safe but together with accept it comes with a risk.
For car drivers or riders alike the road is no place for foolishness, to those who disagree go do a track day or something but keep the roads safe!
This is while I tell my wife I’m really not comfortable taking her for a ride, she thinks I’m being selfish. I’m going to show her your comment.
Glad you both healed.
widndn do you still ride after that?
I got back into riding about 6 years ago, after a 20 year + break. Your videos are very valuable to any one starting out riding, or getting back on two wheels, you certainly put the correct (safest way) to handle your bike across to anyone from novice to experienced rider. Thank you, I'm sure you will save lives!
And three years later you are rocking; still putting out great content!
i get what your saying about approaching the curve, but the #1 cause for accidents is speed into a turn. if the speed limit sign says slow to 25 m.p.h for the turn, get down close to that speed before entering the turn & you never have a problem.
Knowledge is power. Thank you for your service, MC Rider.
I am an old man and have riding motorcycles for over 50 years. It seems the older I get the clumsier I am with maneuvering a motorcycle particularly in cornering. I have ridden just about every make of motorcycles you can think of. I even used to be a Western Union motorcycle messenger and also have ridden on motocross tracks but now it seems that cornering for me is becoming more difficult and I am just riding a Yamaha V-Star 650 V-Twin which to me is a very small bike compared to the Harleys I used to ride. I also ride a 2014 Yamaha XT-250 dual sport and I have installed street tires on it because I never take it off road but enjoy its riding personality as I use it to ride the back highways of Arkansas doing photography. I have said all to say this: this video has really helped me with riding that V-star and not being afraid of it while negotiating a curve. Thanks Kevin for you outstanding videos!
I'm an Aussie. Our instructors say for right hand bends (remember, we drive on the left) we should stay wide on the road and turn in much later and aim to hit the apex near the end of the corner. This is to avoid the "collision zone" near the middle of the corner for when a oncoming vehicle may run wide mid way through their left hand bend. When we are negotiating a left hand bend, we should still start wide, but cross smoothly to hit the apex again near the end of the corner. This is to avoid oncoming vehicles who my cut in early over the white line when negotiating their right hand bend. In both cases the exit point should be near the centre of the lane. This puts the bike in the optimal position to adjust for the next corner, no matter which direction said corner goes. Eg: say I'm in the USA this time, and I'm negotiating a right hand bend using your method. I enter from the left side of the lane, closest to the centerline. I hit the apex in the middle of the bend, then exit near the centerline, but there's a left hand bend immediately after the right hander. I am now in a poor position to smoothly negotiate the left hander.
There is another channel on TH-cam similar to yours called Road Craft Nottingham. He is also a riding instructor. I am pretty sure he recommends the method I described too.
I hope that all makes sense. I'm certainly not trying to say you're wrong, I'm just a learner rider, so I would never suggest I know more than you. You're clearly just as experienced as the instructors I've listened to, so I'd just like to know what are your thoughts on the method I've described.
I've been taught the same way during my advanced rider training here in the UK. It just makes much more sense anyway.
Hold your line to the outside edges of the turn (factoring hazard adjustments) until you can see 100% of the oncoming section of road ...then power on !
No, he suggests hitting the apex in the centre of the corner. And in fact, my initial description of what we were told was slightly incorrect. Since posting this comment, I did my MOST (Ps test) and was reminded the golden rule of Start Wide, Buffer in the Corner, Finish Tight. So you aim to push the apex to the end of the turn. This is primarilly to avoid a head on with oncoming traffic. Of course exactly where you finish the corner depends on what the oncoming traffic is doing. EG, you're not going to finish a right hand corner tight if there's an oncoming car just starting the corner and close to the centreline.
Its really simple - hold the outside edge (factoring in any hazards you have to adjust for) and when you can see both sides of the road, then turn in.
Be an Aussie, not a street Rossi :D I love it
Kevin, your vid reminded me of an event 15 years ago. Northbound 87 Highway between Fountain Hills AZ and Payson. I botched the simple right curve with no ongoing traffic and could barely make it. I was not speeding, but to this day, I thank the Lord I pushed hard on the right handlebar. This was my first longer trip in cold conditions and I was not prepared for what cold can do to me. Yes, it’s gets cold in Arizona too. I still get chills on that memory, Ill be a better rider because of it. I hope everyone rides safe, and pays attention and learn slowly and safely.
Hi Kevin. Thanks for your awesome work. This video hit a sore spot for me. I lost a good friend a couple of years ago when he collided head on with a Kawasaki Vulcan, while riding his Harley 1200 Sportster. The guy in the Vulcan invaded the incoming lane.
You are doing a wonderful job in explaining motorcycle behaviour to both riders and non riders alike.
Thank you very much. May God bless you.
Hey man just wanted to say...just got my license...and my first bike...I find your youtube video's are most informative, and I appreciate the common sense riding values you encourage. I ride my motorcycle in Vancouver Canada....big city..terrible drivers...steep streets......tons o rain.....cyclists...pedestrians..construction...buses...cab drivers.....idiots on cellphones....believe you me I'll take all the advice I can get...pretty sure your advice has gotten me out of a few jams already. Appreciate it....
in the USA you have yellow speed signs dictating safe curve speed for trucks and commercial vehicles. most cars ignore these signs because the posted speed limit is 65mph. but on a MC these yellow speed signs indicate just how sharp or Hazardous the curve is. I use these signs to tell me what kind of curve I'm coming up on so I can set my cornering speed and angle.
if the sign said ride into a pool, would you?
@bishplis What Kyle Stewart wrote is correct, and a very good way to anticipate how to possibly set up for a turn. The signs are there to help, but they aren't a substitute for evaluating the road conditions, traffic, etc.
We appreciate you brother always remember that . You save lives .
I appreciate your videos i just got my msf endorsement a month ago, and after the course your left to figure it out on your own. Mc rider has given me lots of confidence as i learn how to navigate the roads. Keep up the good work
New rider (riding about 3 weeks now, since MSF class), loving your videos! Keep up the great work! Peace, bro...
I have been riding for 52 plus years,and have never stopped learning. Very good video, thanks.
I a NEW rider and still kind of scared to ride with traffic. I have watched all your videos plus my practice and I've got a bit more confident ridding thank keep up the the very helpful videos
Your own self-confidence matters. Fear will make you do the wrong thing and cause what you fear to happen.
Try facing (confront and defy) some of your fears in other areas ( less deadly) and you will find that what you feared does not exist. This will give you confidence to deny fear its power, and return it to you.
Good luck and ride safe.
So far I like your format, no surprises. I really like how the video scroll bar is not rigged for irritation but easy to back up unlimited times. Living In Michigan with barely a curve in sight I've always had trouble with clearly understanding correct lines through a curve.....your video is the best I have seen.
two things...if you are to close to the center line your head is in the opposing lane after leaning and the greasy strip in the middle of the lane can be just as slippery as paint so i plop down in the outside groove and dont apex on street corners at all...great video bud, really enjoy the content
stickloaf
Good advice on dirty country roads. The outside track of the cars is most often the cleanest part.
Love your channel.53 year old newbie.so sorry that I missed out on years of riding.but I plan to make up for it in due time.I did take an intensive riding course.Can't imagine starting up a motorcycle without that course.This video is about to address my biggest weakness.
One of the best pieces of advice I was given which I've found helped a lot... Point your nose (yes, the actual nose on your face) where you want to go. This will naturally make you look through the corner, rather than just at the piece of road you're on right now. It's made a huge difference, and made it much easier to come to terms with moving up to a much larger, heavier bike. It's a technique you can use no matter what you ride. It always works.
I hit oil slick on a curve many years ago. Changed my approach to handling curves.
I ride a Royal Enfield a lot on the twisties in Northern California, and you have to practically be able to see into the future to safely anticipate turns or traffic on one of these. More than once I've gone to downshift and slow my speed approaching a turn only to find myself suddenly in false neutral and frantically stomping the shift lever up and down in the middle of a turn to try to get back into gear. I've also ground the pegs and popped the rear wheel up more times than I can count. Just some of the many joys of riding one of these ridiculous machines!
G'day Kev,
It's great to see you and others posting motorcycle training videos.
Most cornering mistakes I've experienced and seen have been running wide. This was a huge issue I had to deal with and when I analysed my riding it came down to three issues; 1) basic skill, confidence and trust, 2) there are two simultaneous cornering lines to follow, 3) anticipating how tight the corner is.
1). For me, this was a challenge as I learnt to ride on loose gravel roads and I had a tank-slapper that put my in hospital when I was 12. So although later in life I had the skill, my confidence and trust in the bike and road would sometimes throw me off.
2). This was actually the biggest breakthrough in my cornering. I realised there are two cornering lines you simultaneously ride as you negotiate a corner. No matter what I did, I always ran wide, even when I knew I the best line through the corner. What I realised is that I was only planning one line through the corner (my tyre/bitumen) 'contact line', but when I actually rode the corner it was my (head and eye sight) 'helmet line' that was following the planned line. My 'helmet line' followed my anticipated tyre/bitumen 'contact line', which in turn meant my 'actual' tyre 'contact line' was further out, closer to the outside edge and a greater risk of losing it on the bend. Once I start riding both lines simultaneously, my cornering improved enormously.
3). A friend tried to teach me a method of angles to anticipate how tight a corner was but I never quite worked that one out. My only reliable solution was the standard recommendations of 'looking through' the corner and 'staying wide' until you have a clear line of sight out of the corner.
Keep up the good work.
Your videos are literally a life saver. I just upgraded from an Indian Scout Bobber to an Indian Chief DH with the stage 3 power stroke. It's a big change in weight and dynamics. I have had to go back to the basics again with this thing and your videos have been amazing for me to master the basics again with this bike. Thank you.
A lot of new riders have high side fear. But like you pointed out, it's necessary if just for vision sake. Confidence, practice, all good. And thanks. I'm glad I found you.
Great instructions. I've been riding for decades, know and use these techniques. What drives me crazy is garbage on the roads. Always expect it. Gravel, stones, appliance parts, tree limbs / twigs are the worst up here in the northeast. Beautiful mountain winding two lane roads, come around a corner and there are tree twigs splattered all over the lane from fallen rotten branches. Something else that drives me up a wall, the liquid tar they use to fill cracks on the road. On a motorcycle these things are like running over snails, especially leaned over in a corner the bike skids off of them till the tires hit solid pavement again. Nerve racking!!
When cornering I pick my apex point a couple of feet shy of the centre line. I lean my bike quite far over and can occasionally scrape pegs. If my tyres are nearly clipping the centre line then my head is in the path of oncoming traffic. However if visibility is free and the road is clear then it's OK to use all of the road. Though I don't tend to use the oncoming lane too much. I live in Scotland and the roads can be twisty and narrow with lots of trees, apart from the big main roads, so I'm careful about clipping apexes. Thanks for the video, I like your channel.
Exactly what I learned from Motorcycle Safety Courses in NJ. Point your nose in the direction of the turn, choose your path around the curve (apex) and "push steer.". Bergen Co, NJ (just North of the GW bridge) have very congested roads and highways.
Much harder to stay in one piece on a bike than in, say, rural Fl.. You learn to be much more cautious.
Years ago, I learned to take most corners outside, inside, inside. I began practicing your suggested technique today. The reduced lean in the corner is apparent.
Always look at where you want to end up and you'll end up there.
If you enter the curve too late and/or too fast and you watch the side of the road getting closer, you'll end up in a ditch.
If you enter too late, too fast, or anything else "too", don't panic and _look at where you want to be_ and you'll end up there.
And to the inexperienced riders; trust your bike, it can do much more than you think. Assuming it is in reasonable shape, it'll have no trouble sticking to the road in a corner that you entered too fast or too late, as long as you keep the above advise in mind.
wow thank you for the videos its spring time now almost ready to get the bike back out on the road ive ridden for years but i think its always good to refresh every year thanks again for the vids
Taking the inside on left hand curves leaves no way out for the oncoming vehicle that crosses the line. And don't forget the greasy middle. Slow down, focus up the road and stay on the outside. The ditch is always better than head on.
such a tragic sad story...but with a fantastic ending, i could relate to this story so much.....your an amazing guy...love your channel and videos...thankyou
All very sensible stuff. People forget that you have to keep updating your skills. I also found that doing some track days makes you a better rider.
Traffic is one on the track...just saying.
Hello! New to your channel. I have been riding for "about" 40 years now! (Yeah, Im old!) I have taught myself and taught others, to "PLACE" your bike where you are looking when it comes to curves. In other words, your bike will go in the direction your are looking! If you focus on the yellow line through a curve, you will tend to steer the bike towards the yellow line. If you focus an a guard-rail, you will tend to steer towards the guard-rail! ""I"" focus on where I want to "PLACE" my bike into and out of curves! My bike goes where I am looking. NOTE: Speed and confidence has a lot to do with this method, BUT... Once you learn how to "PLACE" your bike in and out of curves, you can steer in the center of a lane no matter how sharp the corner might be! AND, this is also true when making a sharp turn from a stop sign! Takes a little practice, but a MUST KNOW PROCEDURE! Happy riding!
Kevin, you do a great job; I bet you have saved countless lives from misery or death. Thank you, you gladly have my support.
I'm still practicing this everytime I ride. Hopefully it will build more confidence. I stress with those never ending long turns. Especially going down hill. Uggg.
Hi
Great video .
I have been riding since high school and I am 64 now. And I am always with the mind set that I am learning to refine my riding skills every time I am out .
I also recommend that everyone riding should always have a dash cam on their bike . A two Chanel is best . Front and rear. For two good reasons . You can review your days riding to see your mistakes and improve your skills , it’s amazing what you can pickup on video .
and it also records all the idiots out there so you can defend yourself in court or prove you are a responsible rider and the other guy is not.
Also keep in mind that speed kills on a bike or in a 4 wheel vehicle . I love grinding the corners at a lower speed . I have much more control and more time to
Reserve lean angle, reserve braking - if you can't wiggle a little going thru the turn (line adjustment using lean, steering, and braking), you're going too fast.
Excellent video. Can't stress enough how important it is to plan ahead for upcoming road conditions. I always like to have the best possible view of what's up ahead before I let her rip.
Yes here in New Zealand we are told: "enter wide exit tight". That works most of the time but the problem is most road surface hazards such as stray gravel are also on the outside of the corner (near the edge of the pavrment) which you are entering and often quite fast which means you can't turn in tighter to avoid the gravel patch. I'm now trying entering corners semi wide as that gives me more room to avoid surface hazards not seen at a distance.
I like the simple animation explaining of the concepts. It's easy to see what is being taught.
Great info. Cornering is always key.
Just became a Patron Kevin. Thanks for keeping it. Real.
really enjoying these videos. One comment on turning in tight corners is that when leaning the bike through the turn, if it's a sharp one you can actually have part of you/your bike at or even over the center line. If a car coming from the opposite direction is tight to the line it can make things uncomfortably close - need to be careful with that.
My local driving school started recommending keeping to the outside lane throughout the turn, this to avoid having to make emergency turns or hitting someone when a car coming the other way goes too wide, or even sideways on purpose.
When I went there, however, they were still recommending the line from this video.
doctherider I couldn't agree more to many riders fail to do this,excellent advice.
MCrider: great video but I learned the biggest difference to my cornering came when I started to look through the turn instead of looking ten feet in front of me, something which I naturally do on a mountain bike but for some reason not on a motorbike. Somehow the rest seems to happen naturally although not dismissing at all your points on your line in and when you start to corner. Great videos.
This , my friend was excellent. I've been doing just that, just common sense, at least after several times trying and figuring it out , and trying to improve. Awesome!
I love watching your videos especially the ones on the curves because I'm always scared of the curves even when I was a passenger but now that I got control of where I go on the road videos had taught me so much in the big thank you to you
I have riden a bike for years with only one accident to my name and I gotta say this helped me
I understand the importance of pointing your head and eyes as you look through the curve to help negotiate a curve safely and smoothly . For a right hand curve, I focus my eyes on the vanishing point which helps to achieve smooth cornering. I will do the same for left hand curves but there is a difference. As I am focusing ahead on a point in the curve, sometimes an oncoming vehicle appears from out of the vanishing point which blocks your focus point completely. The tighter the curve or if it’s a blind curve, the more startling it can be. How do you handle this scenario? Where do you refocus with your eyes?
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for your efforts in helping us becoming better riders. I have tried to use your cornering advices and helped me on the way.
Lately I have rode with some friends on some tricky roads with lots of hairpins. In some of them I did well, however inconsistent. Once I went out wide almost in front of the incoming traffic ☹️🤔. Thai make me ask you about how to approach those tricky hairpins - turning points, recommended gear, speed... Whatever you consider useful. I would really appreciate that and I quite sure that all of us will do.
And when this craziness pass we wait for you in European on Transfăgărășan road to enjoy it. Be well🤗👏🚀🎯🏆
Just turned 69 and recently bought a 06 Dyna Wide. Last time I owned a big bike I was in my 20's so there was a major lapse. So far it hasn't been a real big learning curve, with most of the start up and clutching still easily coming back. But the cornering end of the deal escapes me. And not just cornering on the go, which I haven't done yet. From a standing start, turning right or left has really fought me. Like the fear of falling to the inside for lack of lean or speed, or swinging to wide due to over acceleration has me by the throat. It's winter now so it'll sit in the garage till spring. But sooner or later I'm gonna have to drive this thing to a big parking lot and overcome my "cornering bluez" !!
Good information and right to the point! I ride track days in the intermediate group and hit twisties on the street as much as possible. Learning to take an apex will help any rider and even car drivers too. One piece of advice I once heard was "stay to the outside as long as you can" which I think helps to visualize cornering lines. And that background song sounds kind of like Simon and Garfunkel for some reason...
Yes, Robbie, and the sharper you can turn in and 'set your line' the sooner you can roll on the throttle. so you are already accelerating at the apex!
"Take the slack out" of your throttle as you are releasing the brake and engaging the clutch... it only amounts to a fraction of a second thru the curve, but makes a difference in your speed coming out! And that gets you to the next curve seconds quicker!
On the Track, those seconds 'count' as they add up with each curve and each lap...
But using the same process on the street, but not nearly so abrupt and at lesser speeds, still makes for smoother and more precise cornering... I even use it on my V-Twin cruiser... It becomes "Muscle Memory" so that whatever kind of riding you are doing, it just becomes a quicker process as your speeds increase...
AND...when you are focused on the 'turn-in' point, and looking thru the curve, and hitting the right placement at the apex [ position your bike so that YOU are not OVER the apex, with your head in line with oncoming traffic!], and making a smooth transition to the throttle...then you won't over-run the curve!
i would say i have experienced some accidents in my life and they taught me exactly what you are talking about!!
very very useful informative videos especially for beginners ......Thanks a lot mr kevin
Thanks Kevin, I've watched all 25 videos and have learned a lot, all I need now is good weather to ride to use your tips.
Love your videos! One other big thing that makes late turn in important is when the turn is a decreasing radius. With late turn in you have more time to adjust your apex. If you turn in early you are already coming back out and it might force you to weave a double apex, or run wide.
Thanks mcrider. Well illustrated im over here in Ireland. And tragically I lost a good friend doing what you have just described. He went a little bit to wide and a lorry was coming towards us sadly Rory clipped the bumper and the rest is sadly a bad memory for me. So thanks again for sharing .
Hey Fireblade Owner, I am sorry to hear about your friend Rory. Too many good people are hurt or worse because of accidents like that. That is why I started MCrider, hopefully it will help some future rider from making the same mistake. Take care brother, Kevin
My Sympathies, as well, FireBlade. My Brother was riding with a friend, on open country 'farm roads', and the friend was on a new, and faster, bike that he was not yet 'adjusted to'. My Brother was following 'Wolfe' and Wolfe decided to 'wind out' 2nd gear... but came into a turn too fast, and couldn't turn in fully...and you can imagine what happened when he crossed the line right into the grill of a pickup truck...
All of it right in front of my Brother -- who barely missed the truck as it swerved trying to avoid Wolfe... and now a memory forever imprinted in my Brother's memory... as well as the truck driver and his wife.
Hi, I'm new riding mc. Thank you for this video. I haven't got confidence of cornering because of doubt on where to follow the line. Now it's clear to me. thanks
slowing down before entering the curve will help you alot. dont think that you are on a track, cause you arent ! repetition will increase the comfort and confidence levels. excessive speed and excessive braking are 2 most common errors in solo vehicle accidents on bikes
Having tyres in good condition also greatly helps! If tyres are worn, have uneven wear or have developed ‘shoulders’ on the tyres from a lot of straight line riding, this also greatly affects handing through corners.
Well yes,everything does-weight and weight distribution on and of the bike itself,tyres ,road surface type and quality,speed ,type of motorcycle etc -hence get to know your machine and stay in tune with it when wear and tear becomes an affecting factor, the main message of this video seems to be plan your line of entry as best as can be for the surrounding condition ,there are umpteen factors to learn ie: a strong wind will also be a factor, experience is the best teacher,ride safe😉
**tires
Tre Sky Walker your so smart. I wish I was as smart as you. Fuckwit.
I did this today, almost bit a curb from turning to early and not looking through the curve, bust intersection and oncoming traffic coming up a hill, that added onto of the fact I was in that I was in the grey area of speed where you need to turn the bars or press the bars to turn. Thankfully I got it through the turn ok. Once I was through the turn I though to myself the next chance I get I need to spend some time in a parking lot with some cones.
All ur vids have great tips.Riders should be aware of the road "CAMBER " at all time,positive or negative and know where the decreasing radius turns are.Please remember if you get in trouble in a turn,most the time you can still lean in a little bit farther than u think and ride it out...Stay focused and don't fixate on shit on the side of the road...God bless you all
I am just starting to learn to ride ,and I appreciate your videos .
I've been constantly watching your videos
and in my few months of motorcycling.. I've avoided at least 5 impending accidents due to idiot drivers who seem to only check their mirrors once
or probably not at all, they would swerve and good thing is i follow speed limits so when i hit the brakes i would stop just in time.
my next worry now is someone might rear end me..
Keep these kinds of videos coming! Great job!
Thanks for all of the great videos! I've been riding for only 2 years and my first bike is 2015 Street Glide . I took an ABATE class and learned a lot ! I have a habit of entering the corner early and will definitely practice what I've seen here today . God Bless
Thanks so much for your videos. I'm returning to motorcycles at age 62 after a 15 year hiatus due to non-motorcycle related injuries and 16 orthopedic surgeries. I'm going to go to your website and start supporting you. I'm also telling all my biker friends about you. I have one comment about this video. I learned a long time ago to focus on the centerline in a left curve and the fog line in a right curve. This keeps me on the right track. This is true no matter how many wheels I have under me. You tend to go where you look. For example, in a left curve, if I focus on a car coming towards me in the other lane, I will start drifting closer to the centerline and the oncoming car. If I look toward the fog line or ditch to my right, I will start drifting to the right. Would you agree with this or do you have better advice?
I like your videos and i share them with my wife who is a fairly new rider. I completely understand you out-in-out method and it prefect for a clean surface. I have always done mu best to avoid the " contaminated " or center portion of the lane to avoid slicl spots. What, in uour opinion makes the out- in-out safer than avoiding a potential slicl spot? Thanks for everything. Keep up the great videos.
Your videos are fantastic learning. Very much appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and help us newbies. Sydney Australia
I’ll give you my perspective from my own personal experience when I was a new rider. I went down when I tried to negotiate a turn at speed but I failed to get my eyes to lead my hands. As the old adage says, the bike will usually follow your eyes. I was looking where the the bike took me, not where I wanted to go. As a consequence, I ended up on the asphalt in order to avoid colliding with a bus that was also turning into the same street, but coming from the opposite direction from me. Lesson learned; always get your head and eyes turning in advance of where you’re going because that’s where the bike will follow.
Very good and I like the graphics.
I would add one thing more. You will get a sense of speed for the curves as you approach them... at first you may slow down more than is necessary (I hope) but will be able to learn the proper speed as you gain confidence. Remember this... "Always use your rear brake and do your braking BEFORE entering the curve!
Another thing is... if you notice that you are a little too close to the center line you can give it a little throttle and you will be brought over where you would like to be in your lane... you don't want to wind up in the other lane with head on traffic!
counter steering a bigger bike is the way to go....good info as usual kevin. practice practice practice.
Great teaching. Visualisation of late turn in - brilliant. Thanks MC rider
Thanks for the knowledge... doesn't fall on deaf ears... and I hit LIKE
First time watching your videos. It wont be my last. Great job.
Thanks, Kevin. You are doing both a great service and a quality job. Mind you, that Texas drawl is every bit as distinctive as our Aussie ones!
+Paul Griffiths Thanks Paul! If you think I have a Texas drawl you should hear some of my friends. 🤣
Great vid about corner entry. Short, to the point, and free of the "ums, uhs, and useless jabber so many others include in their vids.
Hi Kevin, could I get your opinion: our basic training here in Australia focused on an outside > middle > inside turn as opposed to your outside > inside > outside turn, the reasoning being:
- Starting outside for the same reason as yours above.
- Staying in the middle instead of inside keeps you out of the "head-on collision" zone around the apex of the turn, where vehicles can sometimes drift across the lane or just be very close to the centre-line.
- Finishing on the inside leaves you with room to move further outside if there's an unexpected obstruction (Or if you need to stand the bike up and stop) without the risk of running off the road.
All your videos and advice have been invaluable in my becoming a better rider, but on this one I think there's a danger to the outside > inside > outside pattern compared to the alternative outside > middle > inside, but I would love to hear your thoughts as I am very much still learning.
Slow down before entering the turn and avoid braking/shifting during the turn. Good vlog btw.
The old in slow out fast on a well (pre) picked line with a smooth "wind on" off
power not a "choppy" on/off works well for this rider on You Tube ISLE OF MAN 2016 YAMAHA YPVS 350 RD350 even @ 1-11 on a "nasty" uphill decreasing radius off camber bend , Taken as one on a "slower" less powerful
but well ridden bike
slow down? get a car if you wanna be slow
@@bishplis7226 you do you, but i'm not willing to die just yet
Yup - excellent tips. Going in what at first may feel a little slow, and accelerating through the turn results in a far more comfortable and enjoyable turn. Downshifting a gear before a curve is the consequence of not shifting in the curve as you advise.
@@bishplis7226 there are cars that are faster than bikes
superb mate .You never stop learning.
All sound advice, well said, from a long time rider
Determining corner entry speed has always been a topic of discussion. I'm curious about your take on this issue. Yes, going slow will prevent running off, but too slow will disrupt the flow of the lines. this is not an issue with roads you have tested. I'm curious how others do it. I don't like making ANY adjustment once I've entered. I will adjust with the throttle to compensate for running too far to the inside. More throttle will drive you to the outside and vice versa. Thanks and ride safely!
I just found your cornering entry speed video. Great stuff.
This should be a part of every motorcycle test.
but knowing what order to do it in has helped alot...goes thru my head every curve slow look press and roll.
awesome what your doing, keep up the good work. there are a lot of young and novice riders that can truly benefit from this. I sincerely hope they realize how valuable some of the basics are especially on two wheels and not take it for granted. sincerely please keep up the good work and to everyone out there if you're on two or four wheels please let's all be respectful to one another. God Speed!
Excellent advice. I would add one thing: If you screw up and get in too hot, look up and turn the bike. 9 times out of 10 you'll make it and even if you don't, you and the bike lay down and slide, scrubbing speed off right away before you hit anything. If you're dressed properly road rash will be minimal and if you hit something it will be a lot less hard.
Simple, right into the point. Thanx for this
I take long sweeping curves near where I live. My problem is scanning for road debris and looking through the curve. It's in the country on a two lane road where farm equipment and trucks dump mud , gravel, and grain on the road.
In the UK we follow the course advised in the Police Roadcraft manual. That is on approach of any bend watch for the vanishing point That is the point where visually the offside kerb or verge meets the nearside one and then as you ride round if that point is getting nearer you as you take the bend slow down so that you maintain an equal distance with it around the bend. If and when that vanishing point starts to move away from you then it's likely that the bend is now opening out and follow it until you can sit the bike up and accelerate. This is a general guide and its when we are paralleling the actual bend keeping the same radius around the bend and not cutting in on it. It may be slightly slower but is considered safer than cutting in on the bend. Over in the UK because of our topography our country roads are full of bends that are narrow so much more care should be taken whilst riding them. Unfortunately once again bends are problematically one of the most dangerous of activities whilst motorcycling, together with inappropriate overtakes , speeding and urban junctions.
The other safety note is to always be able to stop in the distance that one can see to be clear and many riders forget that means bends as well as straights. So if your vision is reduced then so should your speed reduce also.
Another great vid MCRider! Every rider should see this vid. Handling the GL1800 makes curves easy when using proper Lines like these!
Thanks MemphisMike...I appreciate it!
What looking through the curve does also is keep you from worrying about what your bike is about to do or "could do" and puts your mind and concentration on where you are going to travel.
I have a bit of an issue with taking curves, in real life, as you laid out. I ride on a curvy road every time I get on my bike and my biggest concern is always the oncoming drivers taking the curves fast / wide and crossing the center line. The way your diagram is laid out the motorcycle rider is putting himself back toward the center line at the spot oncoming traffic is most likely to cross the center line. I go a little slower so I don't drift wide, stay wide then exit the corner closer to the center line once I have a clear view and am past the tightest part of the curve. Since I live in logging country, I can tell you most logging trucks will cross the center lines on curvy roads.
You've got it right. I'd be dead if didn't ride the canyons the way you describe. Many times oncoming cars rounding curves the same time I am are partially in my lane. How rude.
I just subscribed, I hate corners. I'm 43 ,been riding sense I was 11,but any info is good info. keep up the good work and keep the tires on the pavement
Great advice for left handlers. However, be careful on right handlers as you may be to close to the line and meet someone cutting the corner coming the other way
Well Kevin I messed my knee up, but thank God that's all that happened. I was riding with hubby Tues evening I was on his 2020 Kawasaki 650 and he was on my '05 R6. We were going around a curve as I have many times when riding with him in the past month or so and he was ahead of me thank God because at the same time this truck going the opposite direction hauling an RV went around the curve as I was. His RV went into my lane half way so I am thinking I tried to get closer to the outside of the curve too soon causing me to go towards the ditch.....I was using both front and back brakes gently applying pressure to try and stop....but the wheels bit the edge of the road throwing me off balance and throwing me down onto the road....thank God for helmets is all I can say. As for my knee it has a possible torn meniscus...I'm waiting on an MRI. I only scratched the mirror on the motorcycle and got tons of mud on the foot pegs and pieces sticking out. I thought that this would scare me away from riding, but it hasn't it just made me more aware that I need more practice stopping. I'm still just trying to figure out what happened...what I done wrong. It really makes me mad because if the guy in the truck hauling the RV had better control of it I'd still be alright and be able to ride my bike....to top it off the man never even stopped probably because he knew what he done.