How Do I Get Over The Fear Of Leaning/Cornering?

[RipTrip1]

I've been riding for like 10 years now and I'm still not happy with my cornering.

I ride a big cruiser motorbike with floorboards, so you'd think I'd be scraping the boards on every corner, but no. I've probably scraped them 5 times in 6 years of ownership and over 20k miles. Guys I see on Youtube can really lean cruiser bikes right over effortlessly with sparks from ground footpegs all through the corner. I want to get closer to that.

Is trail braking the answer? Should I lean my body over more? I typically don't lean my body much at all, my body position is the same as on a motorway, I just look where I want to go and go there, all at a much slower speed and much less lean than anywhere close to the bikes limits...

[RipTrip1]

Rubin215 said:

Are you happy with the rest of your motorcycling?

Cruisers aren't really designed to corner hard so, if it's hard cornering you are after, you are maybe on the wrong bike.

Test a few other bikes and see if you like them more.

Absolutely. I know it can be done, I just don't have the skills. Not that I would do knees out but this vid shows how effortless it can be:

https://youtu.be/vDGoBSSw3oQ

I'm actually learning a lot from his videos especially his one on U turns. I didn't even know you're supposed to shift your weight far on the opposite side of the turn before doing a U turn.

[RipTrip1]

KTMsm said:

I think you're looking at the wrong videos ^^^ that's not how you ride a cruiser

This is how a good cruiser rides

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9MVY8swO5M

I don't want to ride like the vid I posted I'm just showing what is physically capable of such a machine, but no no cruiser rider goes around riding it like they're in MotoGP

[RipTrip1]

As for tyres I have Bridgestone Exedra Max on front and rear, I dont know the sizes but they're chunky and the tyres are well rated:


When I stop for a riding break they always feel hot and supple like over chewed chewing gum, I've only felt them slip under very hard straight line braking the front skidded a tiny bit. It has no ABS and its a lot of weight for a 1 piston caliper and 1 disc to bring to halt. Plus side is the V twin has obscene engine braking, come off the throttle at 60 and it will be down to 40 in less than 8 seconds

Edited by RipTrip1 on Saturday 19th June 08:05

[RipTrip1]

Slowboathome said:

O/T but I've not seen these videos before. I've learned more in 30 minutes watching some of these than I have in 5 years of riding.

Indeed. Hve you seen the vids on turning from a standstill and U turns? His techniques were never taught to me when I did my motorbike training. Cant wait to give them a go when it stops raining. Such techniques are especially useful when you're manhandling a bike like mine.

[RipTrip1]

Krikkit said:

Low speed countersteering, confidence and practice is all that is.

He isnt countersteering in those videos, the bike is on full lock and he goes in the direction its locked at

[RipTrip1]

Krikkit said:

As I understand it, it's counter steering. The turn is initiated the same way with the pressure on the bar, but whereas at higher speeds the bar stays fairly neutral, at low speed it moves around to the lock stop. It still needs counter steer pressure to control it.

Just repeating what i2i teach on their MC courses which cover exactly that. He does exactly the same routine as the video posted above but on a street triple.

We are talking about different videos. I'm talking about his U turn from a stop video which wasn't posted here but can be found easily if you set his videos to most popular