Cornering confidence.
Discussion
So I'm new to biking. About a month or so of regular riding.
I'm absolutely shocking at roundabout and tight bends.
I always have cars up my arse going around the roundabouts but I just don't have the confidence to go any faster.
What's the best way to gain more confidence?
My fear is leaning too much and coming off or the wheel turning and going over the handle bars. No reason for it but I just can't lean into anything.
I can lean the bike a bit but I stay upright.
I'm absolutely shocking at roundabout and tight bends.
I always have cars up my arse going around the roundabouts but I just don't have the confidence to go any faster.
What's the best way to gain more confidence?
My fear is leaning too much and coming off or the wheel turning and going over the handle bars. No reason for it but I just can't lean into anything.
I can lean the bike a bit but I stay upright.
I think your honesty in your riding ability will go a long way mate, many people ive met ignore their shortfalls and blank the whole thing out until they give up on it as a bad idea..
My Mrs also hasnt progressed fantastically over the last 18 months or so, ive booked her onto the Ron Haslam School "on track expierence " on the CB500 as in my opinion, cornering skills are best learnt on track and Ron's school is the most novice friendly ive witnessed, that would be my advice anyway.
Good luck and keep at it anyway.
My Mrs also hasnt progressed fantastically over the last 18 months or so, ive booked her onto the Ron Haslam School "on track expierence " on the CB500 as in my opinion, cornering skills are best learnt on track and Ron's school is the most novice friendly ive witnessed, that would be my advice anyway.
Good luck and keep at it anyway.
Relax - The joy of motorcycles is about cornering, or at least part of it is . Once you are happy with your tyres, pressures and suspension set up, just go with the bike, you are never going to approach the lean angles that are achievable on a track, so just shift your body weight across the bike as you approach a corner and 'lean' into the corner. Take it slowly and only as far as you are comfortable with. Better still, join a local rider training group and follow an experienced rider around the twisties for a few miles and see how it's done
Find an industrial estate that is quiet at the weekend. One with some roundabouts and car parks where you can practice low speed manoeuvres with lots of space and no one around. When I first started riding I used to practice emergency braking in our local industrial estate. I also had a favourite roundabout elsewhere that was quiet on Sunday mornings.
Joining local IAM group might also help.
And practice, practice, practice.
I think you can too easily get into a vicious circle. If you are tense you will ride badly but riding badly will also make you tense.
Joining local IAM group might also help.
And practice, practice, practice.
I think you can too easily get into a vicious circle. If you are tense you will ride badly but riding badly will also make you tense.
Advice from fellow new rider (3 months):
- don’t stiffen up, especially your legs.
- look where you want to go and you’ll go there.
- be confident and maintain your road position
- your tyres are better than you think they are
- challenge yourself, take routes that involve corners you aren’t familiar with
- don’t stiffen up, especially your legs.
- look where you want to go and you’ll go there.
- be confident and maintain your road position
- your tyres are better than you think they are
- challenge yourself, take routes that involve corners you aren’t familiar with
Its only been a month, likely a few hundred miles. It can take 1000 miles for me just to get used to a new bike. Dont try to run before you can walk, take it easy and build up slowly. Practice and training and repeat ...forever really, you never stop learning/improving unless you want to.
Some advanced post test training will really help. Take a look at your local RoSPA group, maybe join that (its the cheapest post test training you can get) or see if www.i2imca.com train near you, their courses are excellent and on an airfield.
Some advanced post test training will really help. Take a look at your local RoSPA group, maybe join that (its the cheapest post test training you can get) or see if www.i2imca.com train near you, their courses are excellent and on an airfield.
Try a knee down course....... no, no, bear with me!
Take away the arguments talked about 'knee down' and think of this as a foundation course for cornering. all they will do is have you going around cones at slow speeds, you will appreciate how far over you can lean the bike without falling off, but perhaps more important you will learn throttle control and where to put power on and where not to. If you get it wrong you fall off in a controlled environment no damage to you and it's their bike. You can do some track days later if you feel like it Trust me 'I am a riding God' we all started where you are😜😀
Take away the arguments talked about 'knee down' and think of this as a foundation course for cornering. all they will do is have you going around cones at slow speeds, you will appreciate how far over you can lean the bike without falling off, but perhaps more important you will learn throttle control and where to put power on and where not to. If you get it wrong you fall off in a controlled environment no damage to you and it's their bike. You can do some track days later if you feel like it Trust me 'I am a riding God' we all started where you are😜😀
rich12 said:
So I'm new to biking. About a month or so of regular riding.
I'm absolutely shocking at roundabout and tight bends.
I always have cars up my arse going around the roundabouts but I just don't have the confidence to go any faster.
What's the best way to gain more confidence?
My fear is leaning too much and coming off or the wheel turning and going over the handle bars. No reason for it but I just can't lean into anything.
I can lean the bike a bit but I stay upright.
Get used to the bike and it's abilities too. On the S1000R I go through corners fine, on the Honda SP, because iv'e only ridden it a few times and it has a totally different feel, I go through corners at a snails pace.I'm absolutely shocking at roundabout and tight bends.
I always have cars up my arse going around the roundabouts but I just don't have the confidence to go any faster.
What's the best way to gain more confidence?
My fear is leaning too much and coming off or the wheel turning and going over the handle bars. No reason for it but I just can't lean into anything.
I can lean the bike a bit but I stay upright.
Did a riding course and chap there mentioned they filmed new riders teetering round corners and measured their lean angle at a fairly consistent 17 degrees.
They then did the same with pro athletes running around a track and same deal - most you lean running around a corner is 17 degrees.
They theorised you might firstly have to overcome this internal programming before being comfier at the greater lean angles bikes are capable of.
They also mentioned smiling helps! It helps loosen up your neck, shoulders and arms.
They then did the same with pro athletes running around a track and same deal - most you lean running around a corner is 17 degrees.
They theorised you might firstly have to overcome this internal programming before being comfier at the greater lean angles bikes are capable of.
They also mentioned smiling helps! It helps loosen up your neck, shoulders and arms.
Pothole said:
Stop thinking you need to go faster because there's a car behind you. Relax and enjoy yourself.
I also agree with this. In my experience, which is mostly moderately busy commuting, car drivers hate motorcyclists, they will try everything to piss you off, including getting right up your arse on a roundabout because they’re annoyed you overtook them half a mile back. Best thing to do is slow down on the straights and then give it the full beans when they try to overtake.... I mean, erm, maintain speed and road position. Caveat: I very much don’t live in London so my experience is different others others’.
Similar issue, had no confidence on the old CBR 600 but find it a lot easier to lean over far more on the CBF 600 (and the CBR125R I learned on).
Think it was mainly owing to how much of a banger the old bike was, that and no confidence after I low sided at 5mph within 2 months in the middle of the City!
Current issue is (CBF600 is the bike):
My feet scrape on the floor when cornering, how is this avoided?
Think it was mainly owing to how much of a banger the old bike was, that and no confidence after I low sided at 5mph within 2 months in the middle of the City!
Current issue is (CBF600 is the bike):
My feet scrape on the floor when cornering, how is this avoided?
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