Tight right hand bends a bitch to get right!

[Esceptico]

Should have been revising for exams next week...but the sun was out and I hadn't had a proper ride in days..and trying to finish off my DRCs before swapping to M7 RRs...

So instead of revising economics I was practicing bends instead! After such a long time not biking it has taken a while to build up confidence. Trying to get back into the advanced riding approach of (where possible) keep to the middle of the road on left hand bends, to the left on right hand bends and use the vanishing point to judge the speed in the bend and when to accelerate. Not going too badly except for tight right hand bends. Finding it very difficult to trust myself to ride round the outside of the bend (near the kerb) and also very hard to look to the right rather than stare straight ahead. Finding that at best I am in the middle of my lane. Too close to the White line, especially went lent over.

Apart from keep practicing any tips?

PS some very nice roads around Finchingfield in Essex. And pretty much had them to myself!

[Esceptico]

Some interesting views.

My base position would be three quarters of the way between the curb and the centre line but move around all the time.

When I do manage to get a right hand bend right it does feel better and also feels quicker because being further over to the left I can get it back upright and on the power again more quickly. Could be deluding myself of course as only a feeling. Perhaps more importantly, when I get it right it feels safer and that I am more in control.

[Esceptico]

darkyoung1000 said:

Are you left handed? A genuine question as it can affect your comfort with 'wrong-handed' bends.

Other than that, keep with the bike safe good practice and keep thinking ahead as to your position on the RH bend before you get there. I keep telling myself this every time I ride the Buttercrambe to Malton road!

Cheers,
Tom

I'm right handed. Thinking about it I do feel more comfortable with left hand bends, although I am used to leaning over more on the right, because of roundabouts plus you run clockwise on most (all?) tracks and there are usually more right hand bends.

Safety is the key. Got to resist the temptation to go in too quick. Much better to come out the corner every time thinking you could have gone in faster than have the opposite experience even once (at least on the road where you don't have nice run off areas, kitty litter and no trees, on-coming traffic etc).

[Esceptico]

Gusto said:

I think I said it before on another thread; do you have the same issue in your car? I have a sweeping flat 80deg bend near my house which is lovely coming at it to turn left, but I really have to think about it turning right, car or bike as I often cut the first part of it in the car. I'm not sure if mine is an eyesight issue or more fundamental (Very very right eye dominant).

I do find the same problem in the car as well. Left hand bends I am happy to drive fully on the other side of the road but find it much more difficult to keep to the left on right hand bends. But in a car I suppose you have the added issue of the seat being on the right (in RHD) and it is easier to be more confident of placing the car in left hand bends as you are sitting closer to the wheels on the right. But maybe it is also because I am right handed. Interesting. Although I lived for many years on the continent and there the left hand bends were the problem. I think perhaps it is subconscious in that you know that if you are on a left hand bend (in the UK) and do drift wide you have the other carriageway (as long as there is no on-coming traffic) but with a right hand bend if you go wide you are off the road.