Cornering, left or right?

[Jezza 2 Fast]

I've heard a plausible theory that says turning left has been bred into us for thousands of years.

It come from times when we had to fight to the death with sharp weapons at a moments notice (no I don't mean beating off armed hoodies while travelling on London buses).

In ancient times, educated people being right handed would keep their sword on the left side of their body, and to prevent a surprise attacker grabbing your sword, you would always pass them on the left hand side. Its why we drive on the left in this country. So leaning left is safer, it also keeps your heart slightly further away from an attack.

Also if you visit a castle keep you will see that the steep steps always turn left while descending, making it easier for defenders at the top to fight off climbing attackers, giving you more room to wield a weapon. So left handers are safer.

Uncivilised foreign countries didn't have our rich history of Knights Templer and their fighting training so did not follow our practice.

[The Tramp]

Could it be a simple as that as you thottle with the right, it's more comfortable leaning away from your "throttle hand" rather than towards it??....


Maybe just me as I broke my right wrist as kid, which still gives me problems at certain angles.

[Carl-H]

I find I'm better on right handers but that's probably because I've just finished a year on a 50 and there's not many left handers where 45mph is fast enough to get some sort of lean angle. On islands though I used to really get the bike down and only seemed to run wide if I wasn't hanging off the bike. Now that I'm on a DT with knobbly tyres I'm not very good at either

[B15TT0]

Jezza 2 Fast said:

I've heard a plausible theory that says turning left has been bred into us for thousands of years.

It come from times when we had to fight to the death with sharp weapons at a moments notice (no I don't mean beating off armed hoodies while travelling on London buses).

In ancient times, educated people being right handed would keep their sword on the left side of their body, and to prevent a surprise attacker grabbing your sword, you would always pass them on the left hand side. Its why we drive on the left in this country. So leaning left is safer, it also keeps your heart slightly further away from an attack.

Also if you visit a castle keep you will see that the steep steps always turn left while descending, making it easier for defenders at the top to fight off climbing attackers, giving you more room to wield a weapon. So left handers are safer.

Uncivilised foreign countries didn't have our rich history of Knights Templer and their fighting training so did not follow our practice.

Unless you're left handed like me of course! Perfectly designed for fighting my way up castle staircases while hiding round the corner of the spiral!

Interestingly people are very likely to move towards the side of which your hand is dominant when confronted with an obstacle. An obvious one being someone walking straight towards you in the street. A right handed person's natural inclination is to move right and if facing another right handed person (very likely) they will move right also, thereby enabling merry progress for all concerned.

A left hander will naturally move left however, when facing a right handed person who moves right, in effect steps straight into their path. That's why I (and i imagine other left handers too) find themselves performing that embarrasing dance when each person goes the same way each time more often than would seem logical as a result of chance alone.

It is for this reason (stepping into the path of obstacles) that left handed people have a slightly shorter average life expectancy than right handers!

There must have been a few head to head car/bike accidents over the years where both drivers/riders swerved the same way. I wonder how many were left handers vs right handers?

I'm going to stop now as I can feel my insurance premium increasing as I type....

[Carl-H]

B15TT0 said:

A left hander will naturally move left however, when facing a right handed person who moves right, in effect steps straight into their path. That's why I (and i imagine other left handers too) find themselves performing that embarrasing dance when each person goes the same way each time more often than would seem logical as a result of chance alone.

I always step left though which is because at school we had to walk on the left hand side of the corridor.

[rich_vw]

Another Lefty here, again not sure exactly why that is but seem to be able to take a left hand bend better than a right!!

[hornetrider]

I much prefer right handers. I feel like I can see more of the road. Left handers with high hedges? No thanks!

[Rubin215]

B15TT0 said:

Jezza 2 Fast said:

I've heard a plausible theory that says turning left has been bred into us for thousands of years.

It come from times when we had to fight to the death with sharp weapons at a moments notice (no I don't mean beating off armed hoodies while travelling on London buses).

In ancient times, educated people being right handed would keep their sword on the left side of their body, and to prevent a surprise attacker grabbing your sword, you would always pass them on the left hand side. Its why we drive on the left in this country. So leaning left is safer, it also keeps your heart slightly further away from an attack.

Also if you visit a castle keep you will see that the steep steps always turn left while descending, making it easier for defenders at the top to fight off climbing attackers, giving you more room to wield a weapon. So left handers are safer.

Uncivilised foreign countries didn't have our rich history of Knights Templer and their fighting training so did not follow our practice.

Unless you're left handed like me of course! Perfectly designed for fighting my way up castle staircases while hiding round the corner of the spiral!

Interestingly people are very likely to move towards the side of which your hand is dominant when confronted with an obstacle. An obvious one being someone walking straight towards you in the street. A right handed person's natural inclination is to move right and if facing another right handed person (very likely) they will move right also, thereby enabling merry progress for all concerned.

A left hander will naturally move left however, when facing a right handed person who moves right, in effect steps straight into their path. That's why I (and i imagine other left handers too) find themselves performing that embarrasing dance when each person goes the same way each time more often than would seem logical as a result of chance alone.

It is for this reason (stepping into the path of obstacles) that left handed people have a slightly shorter average life expectancy than right handers!

There must have been a few head to head car/bike accidents over the years where both drivers/riders swerved the same way. I wonder how many were left handers vs right handers?

I'm going to stop now as I can feel my insurance premium increasing as I type....

There is a castle somwewhere in Scotland (Musgrave castle possibly?) where the family were predominantly left handed so built the spiral staircases with an anti-clockwise ascension (thereby making it easier for a defender to strike down onto an attacker).

It is also thanks to ye knights of olde and the sword being carried on the left that we mount horses (and motorcycles) from the left (how could you swing your leg over with three feet of iron hanging from it?).
Riding (horses originally) on the left side of the road became the norm when longer swords became more common (as opposed to daggers or clubs) as it gives the chance for the sword to be drawn with the right hand and slashed across the oncoming attacker in one movement without them having the opportunity to get in close.

Cavalry riders (like my late Grandfather; Princess Alexandra's own Yorkshire Hussars) had a very "forward" seat in the saddle to allow them to slash downwards, alongside, the horses head without lopping off it's ears; the forerunners of supermoto riders perhaps?

The reason for our european neighbours driving on the "wrong" side of the road however, is good old Napolean, who marched his armies on the right hand side deliberately so that all he met would be forced to make way for him.
Arrogant little 5hit...

[robstvr]

Right handed people being more educated? WTF?

Arrogant st.

[sprinter885]

There was a recent article in Ride or MCN by Andy Ibbott -California Superbike School- addressing this same issue.
He came up with a theory (not quite as historic as Jezza 2's above) that says we are influenced by something that happened in our own life that put us off one side or the other.

Personally not convinced as in me yoof I came off on both R & L turns-not many but about even I'd say. I do happen to prefer L/handers -always feel a bit wary of getting me bonce clouted on R/handers by some numpty coming towards me running a bit wide on apex of their turn !

[happychick]

I have another question........how do you deal with idiot drivers on the road? On the way to Gullane I had some tw4t behind me in a white van who was literally a foot off my rear tire, flashing his lights and peeping his horn. I was going about 65 so not really that slow. He had 3 kids up front, pretty sure they were not wearing seat belts. Anyway I moved over to the left and he overtook me on a corner not leaving much room between us. He did the same to my friend who held her ground. Being a novice I thought it was safer for me to get him past me but she said I was wrong and should have made it as difficult as possible?????? Doesn't make such sense to do that.

[m3evo2]

As difficult as possible! No, why place yourself in danger because of some tt. Your going to come of much worse than him if something happens, obvious isnt it?

I'm also left handed and am much quicker/smoother round L/H bends than R/H.

[FeatherZ]

On topic - Left handers are easier for me i can hold my line alot easier, hang off more comfortably and carry more corner speed, dunno why ???

Off Topic : Too many crap drivers on road, i was just going up a large hill when a car pulls out of opposite traffic, he cant even see over the hill, has to brake like an idiot (luckily saw me coming) and pulled back in, i know who he is, so i will have some choice words when i see him!, WHAT DICK OVER TAKES ON A BLIND CRESS...

~calm~

[Dudd]

Went wide on a right corner earlier thought i was gonna keep going into the trees!

I feel more confident on lefties without a doubt. But i am a newb, only got my first bike on wed. Should prob take it easier...

[FeatherZ]

same here dudd been riding for a week, already banging the mito about through the powerband, love it, iv only been out about 4 times, everytime iv got alot quicker, alot more confident, should take it easy, but i cant.

(not saying im good, im probebly very rubbish, as them two r1s showed me earlier i was trying like a bd hanging off the bike and they both came up the side of me round a tight bend. Almost bolt upright haha - i got alot to learn.

[Hooli]

FeatherZ said:

(not saying im good, im probebly very rubbish, as them two r1s showed me earlier i was trying like a bd hanging off the bike and they both came up the side of me round a tight bend. Almost bolt upright haha - i got alot to learn.

that gets me too. you KNOW your miles over & your pegs are virtually on the floor yet you see another biker doing the same speed without leaning - odd isnt it? it feels so much further over than it is every time.

[happychick]

This weekend has been a great for getting more and more experience. Fingers crossed the weather holds up!! I am leaning that bike over more and more but like you guys, its probably nothing compaired to others.

[Jezza 2 Fast]

Many years ago as a club racer, I frequently found myself on the grass at great speed heading for the barriers.

You have about 3 milliseconds (it seems much longer) to drop the bike and get off, the method of choice is to lean slightly and simply grab a huge handful of front brake, shut your eyes and let the laws of physics take over.

The point is, I instinctively always wanted to drop the bike on its left side.

[Dave_M]

happychick said:

how do you deal with idiot drivers on the road?

Firstly, and most importantly, it's maybe best to remember who is most vulnerable. I understand your friend's comments, but if you get a looney in a van, he'll be OK and you're injured in a ditch. Your friend may be right in attempting to 'dominate' the road but if you are not yet that confident and try it, the nerves could start and you could be worse off. I think you're best to go with what you're comfortable with, without giving so much ground you actually encourage them to do something stupid. Good luck

[m3psm]

Hooli said:

FeatherZ said:

(not saying im good, im probebly very rubbish, as them two r1s showed me earlier i was trying like a bd hanging off the bike and they both came up the side of me round a tight bend. Almost bolt upright haha - i got alot to learn.

that gets me too. you KNOW your miles over & your pegs are virtually on the floor yet you see another biker doing the same speed without leaning - odd isnt it? it feels so much further over than it is every time.

You'll probably find that you are leaning the bike and they are shifting their body weight instead and keeping the bike more upright Watch the GP guys and you'll notice that they're hanging off the side of the bike.

You can sit bolt upright with the bike scraping its pegs or hang right off with the bike upright and take the same corner at the same speed. In reality though a compromise of the two is best on roads.

As for corner prefferenece, my right hand knee slider is much more worn than the left, but I prefer left handers. The slider is purely down to roundabouts though which seem the safest place to crank it right over due to clear visibilty.