Taking Curves Safely

[bok]

how much you lean and hang off depends on how aggresive the turn is. Verm's example is pretty much an extreme, and not really indicative of what needs to be done on the street. I use the word "needs" because there are folks that will try to drag their knees while running twisties, but most road riding won't require that kind of aggressive lean/hang off.

[M109R]

Had my bike serviced today and asked them to 'roll up' the handle bars about an inch from when I got the bike. They just seemed to be too low.

Took the bike out on my favorite twisties and could not believe the exponential difference having the handle bars up a little higher made in my ability to handle the bike in curves. That minor change in my center of gravity made a night and day difference in controlling the bike. Curves that used to make me cautious were no problem and I was hitting them at least 10 mph faster. WOW huge improvement

Only downside is that Suzuki has the pin set holes in the bars on the Throttle/kill switch and horn/signal so that they don't line up with the horizon. Still usable and functional..with the improved riding, I'm not changing them back. Would it be ok to drill new pin holes?

Hope this adjustment tip may help someonelse.

[Mintbread]

I have a question about the body lean in a corner. How much do I use and what is the proper way to do it?

here's a good example...

No, that is a terrible example. Leaning into a corner and hanging off the bike are two different things.

m1a1dvr, you would be well served to ignore any and all riding tips from verm as he has been riding for about five minutes and he is based in a boy-racer fantasy land.

[Flting Duck]

I have a question about the body lean in a corner. How much do I use and what is the proper way to do it?

None is fine. Just stay with the lean of your bike. Leaning a bit forward will help you out a little but there's really no need to hang your butt off of your bike or lean more than the bike is. If you're riding so fast that you need to do that stuff then you shouldn't be riding on the street - you should be on a track.

It's also a good idea to "leave 20% on the table" for your turns. In other words, ride well within your ability and leave yourself a little extra ability to react to the unexpected - rocks, potholes, deer, cars in your lane coming the other way, whatever...

[Sev]

I have a question about the body lean in a corner. How much do I use and what is the proper way to do it?

here's a good example...

No, that is a terrible example. Leaning into a corner and hanging off the bike are two different things.

m1a1dvr, you would be well served to ignore any and all riding tips from verm as he has been riding for about five minutes and he is based in a boy-racer fantasy land.

Quoted for truth, any tips Verm will pass out are about "looking" like a racer. Which is to say, looking like a mentally challenged. You don't need to hang off the side, you don't need to tuck in, you don't need to do 3/4 of the stuff that Verm is suggesting, so just ignore what he was to say, and listen to the people who actually know what they're talking about.

As for leaning in a curve. If you drop your shoulder or your hips into the lean it can make a bit of a difference. If you stay even on the bike that's fine to. It only becomes and issue if you lean against the turn (which coincidentally is what Verm used to do until we yelled at him about it. The bike would go one and and he'd lean the other.)

You DO NOT need to hang off the side in street riding.

[VermilionX]

As for leaning in a curve. If you drop your shoulder or your hips into the lean it can make a bit of a difference. If you stay even on the bike that's fine to. It only becomes and issue if you lean against the turn (which coincidentally is what Verm used to do until we yelled at him about it. The bike would go one and and he'd lean the other.)

You DO NOT need to hang off the side in street riding.

i wasn't leaning to the other side... i just wasn't leaning my upper body at all before.

im glad i made that vid since i improved a lot after the tips i got. i hope i get make another one. just need somebody to tail me again.

you can choose not to hang off the bike or not but it's still a fact that hanging off conserves lean angle and it's a great steering aid.