Your in the Curve Way too FAST! Now What ??

[milmat1]

I think this could be the most likely scenerio for a new rider or even an experienced rider to get into trouble. We all love the twisty's ! But entering a corner too fast gets a lot of people in trouble Quik ! Especially if your riding rodes that are not familiar to you.
So how about some thoughts or experiences from others here. I have been riding for a long time, And still I have times where I have missjudged a corner, Get into the turn and realize I'm running out of road. No matter how long you ride or how many times it happens there is still a Split Second of "OH SHIT" !
And if your not careful you will fixate your eyes on the edge of the road, And Then Thats Where Your Going . Off the edge !!
When this happens to me, I will imediately look up to where I want to go!
I think this is the key, Developing that instinct that When trouble finds you Look Where You Want To Go and drive the bike there. Granted there are many variables that can come into play in any situation. And this is only one of a thousand ways to get into trouble, But often it's the first one a new rider will encounter.
But how about some experiences from you guy's. What do You Do When You Realize Your Too Fast For This Corner, Your already in the turn. So you have set your speed too High to start with! How will You Handle It ??

This may be somewhat reduntant, However, Can you really ever hear it too many times ???

[Phelan]

Pull my wings out and fly away .

Depends on where the roads are and what the surrounding area is like for me. If I run out of room, I'll usually chicken out and straiten up and try and slow down and run the bike straight off the road without taking it down if there's plenty of room. If I'm still straight anmd about to go into it too fast then I slam on the brakes and try to slow down to an appropriate speed to take it. As a final option I'll throw a little more lean in the bike but this usually scares me the most 'cuz there's always the thought that it'll slide out from under me.

[Spor-T-1]

Look where you want to go and push the hand that is the turn side forward hard. This is called counter steering. Anotherwords if you are travleing into a left turn push your left hand forward and vice verse. I know it sounds hoakie but it really works and once you learn it you will ride like this from then on even in the simple turns. I personally always counter steer The motor Cops learn it and use it so I do too.

[DC in PHX]

as said before: look where you want to go and that is where you will go. Do not look where you do not want to go, because if you do, that is where you are going too...
Don't forget to breathe too, get the oxygen up to your mellon, you need it.
DC

[milmat1]

Well around here running off the road isn't an option. You'll end up over a hill or in a lake or something.
As for it sliding out from under you, You will be shocked at just how far she will lean ! Something will drag before she slides out. Provided of course you have good tires and good road. Throw some gravel or water in the mix and OOPS !!!

[Phelan]

Around here there's always gravel and dirt. Especially on the open road. At one time Amarillo had the record for highest average Wind speeds in the US.

[DustyJacket]

I look through the curve, lean the bike over more (using counter-steering) and may apply a little rear brake to scrub off some speed. I know you aren't supposed to brake in a curve, but I have developed a technique that works well for me.

If I am starting to grind the kickstand or mufflers, I learned to lean my body way into the turn and push the bike more upright and turn the front wheel into the turn. I learned how to do that when doing "The Dragon" this labor day weekend, where you grind bike parts doing only 30mph in some of the turns.

In one extreme case I've stood the bike up, braked hard, then went back into the turn at a lesser speed.

Of course, a week ago I entered a 90-degree turn a little too hot, leaned it over and was doing great until I hit some new crushed gravel in the road. I am now waiting until some cracked ribs heal before getting back on the bike. So you may not want to take my advice....

[DJJSR]

Lean hard and hope for the best.

If you plan on using the countersteering method, you better practice it over and over. Because it seems backwards, it does not come natural unless you've done it many times. And if you have to take the time to think about which side to push, you're off the road.

[Parkster]

Road position is what most new riders should practice straight away, if this is right then you have more road to sort yourself out when things go wrong. Simple really ...... left hand bend coming up, get as far over to the right as you can so that you can see around the corner as much as possible, and vice verse for a right hand bend.

We all counter steer to an extent, its natural for steering a motorcycle, the difference is noticable when it is done intentionally though, and as said above, the best thing to do would be to go and practice this so that it can be used in an emergency.

More lean on the bike and shifting of bodyweight is also some thing to practice more, look at the speeds and corner types that a sport bike rider may thrash on to and get out of using this action, and yes, a Sporty will lean and lean until it decks out.

look where you want to be is probably the best bit of riding advice to give anybody. If you are fixed on the vanishing point of the corner and it is opening up in front of you then your speed is good, if the vanashing point is closing in then you are too hot and will have time to correct by using any of the methods given.

The best method for too fast is to reduce the speed, brakes are what you need but not the front, and it takes a lot of precence of mind to dab that back brake in a bend, so again its something to practice. 2 Things happen when you use your back brake in a bend, 1, the bike leans more into the corner and 2, the bike slows up a bit.

Dave

[xllent01]

I think this could be the most likely scenerio for a new rider or even an experienced rider to get into trouble. We all love the twisty's ! But entering a corner too fast gets a lot of people in trouble Quik ! Especially if your riding rodes that are not familiar to you.
So how about some thoughts or experiences from others here. I have been riding for a long time, And still I have times where I have missjudged a corner, Get into the turn and realize I'm running out of road. No matter how long you ride or how many times it happens there is still a Split Second of "OH SHIT" !
And if your not careful you will fixate your eyes on the edge of the road, And Then Thats Where Your Going . Off the edge !!
When this happens to me, I will imediately look up to where I want to go!
I think this is the key, Developing that instinct that When trouble finds you Look Where You Want To Go and drive the bike there. Granted there are many variables that can come into play in any situation. And this is only one of a thousand ways to get into trouble, But often it's the first one a new rider will encounter.
But how about some experiences from you guy's. What do You Do When You Realize Your Too Fast For This Corner, Your already in the turn. So you have set your speed too High to start with! How will You Handle It ??

This may be somewhat reduntant, However, Can you really ever hear it too many times ???

Everything you described sounds like a noob rider setting himself up to take a fall.

An experienced rider will downshift and engine brake well before the apex of the turn using RPM's to accelerate out while turning head and looking all the way thru the corner as they exit it, while maintaining line and using the countersteering method to help steer the bike.

Please refer Countersteering Refresher to help understand.

BTW- Best to slow down so you don't get the OH Shit factor on unfamiliar roads?