Total Motorcycle Community Forums

You gotta start small... that's obvious, and then just build on that.

You need to consider tire temperature and road conditions, too...
9obvoiusly). A warm tire will stick more and keep you anchored to the ground and not laying on it, so take a few warm up laps. Depending on conditions, that could be a mile of riding without any steep lean angles.

You should be extremely proficcient at putting your bike where it needs to go, so go to a famliar curve and practice precise handling. Try following different lines through and through on those curve so you really know how to control the bike.

You really do not want to try the "Look and pray" method.

Mr. Obvious says:

jmillheiser wrote:BTW when your footpeg starts dragging thats your cue to not lean it over any further.

Just kidding.

I read Total Control by Lee Parks and this is a good book also. But he says just about the same thing as everyone here. Start small and work your way up. I bought some cones from Sports Authority and I use them to set up curves in the parking lot where I practice and I just keep taking the turns over and over. You just get more confident and the speed comes with practice and experience. I still have'nt touched a peg and I think it will be a while longer before I do. But it will come

Well I was out yesterday working on corners. I thought I did really well. By the end of the day there was a clean spot of each of my shoes from them dragging around the corners. I think I still have about a half of an inch before the pegs touch down.

m1a1dvr wrote:Well I was out yesterday working on corners. I thought I did really well. By the end of the day there was a clean spot of each of my shoes from them dragging around the corners. I think I still have about a half of an inch before the pegs touch down.

congrats!

I am thinking I might put that to the road next.

macktruckturner wrote:Pick up Twist of the Wrist (1 or 2, both have essentially the same content), it does a pretty excellent job of explaining cornering. I don't know if you learn things well by reading the phsycial aspects accompanied by diagrams - but I do. When I ride I find myself drawing the lines in my head, and going through the steps Keith Code mentions. A few scary situations have arised (big chunk of wood in my lane, etc) - but I just think back to the solutions for changing your line at speed, and it works out well.

I second these books. I have both of them, and I like them a lot. There is different material focused on between the two of them, I would get both.

I am hitting up a book store tomorrow so I will look for them.

this is a rather apropos thread for me to find after my ride tonight. i dragged a peg for the first time this evening. it wasn't an ideal situation, though: took an unfamiliar offramp too hot at night and ohhmeeegosh that turn just kept on turning...

held on the throttle, leaned harder, my peg and boot scraped, and i came out of it okay. it was a blow to my confidence knowing that i fell in over my head but encouraging that i pulled through it.

thank you, oh mighty bike gods, for returning me to humility in such a painless fashion.

i am interested to return to this offramp in daylight to see what it really looks like.