How to hang off the bike

[DLIT]

Thanks, Kurt. Good stuff there. I remember you telling somebody about pivoting around the tank slightly and I started doing that, and it feels great. I also started setting up for my turns earlier, mostly while braking, so when I let off the brakes all I need to do is lean the bike and extend my knee out a bit, while moving my upper body with the lean.

The biggest thing I did though was turn my head evn more through the turn and just using my eyes to look around if need be. I ended up seeing the WHOLE corner and through "bike-eye" coordination, I was able to realize "Hey, I can get on the throttle a lot sooner than I originally thought".

I like this thread.

[No Worries]

And another thing, here's what Lee Parks states about body positioning: "A relaxed upper body makes it possible to change direction or speed with repeatable accuracy." Have you ever ridden behind a cruiser rider that looks like his back is stiff against a flat plank as he goes around a curve? Usually not a smooth cornering maneuver. He's either very slow or jerky. And they hardly ever turn their head to look through the turn.

[Phenix_Rider]

Originally Posted by No Worries

And another thing, here's what Lee Parks states about body positioning: "A relaxed upper body makes it possible to change direction or speed with repeatable accuracy." Have you ever ridden behind a cruiser rider that looks like his back is stiff against a flat plank as he goes around a curve? Usually not a smooth cornering maneuver. He's either very slow or jerky. And they hardly ever turn their head to look through the turn.

I see that a lot around here. All the old farts that pull their bike out once or twice a month are terrified of leaning with the bike. As I'm leaning into it and rolling on, they're slowing down. (of course no one on this forum falls into that category)

[ceo012384]

Another thing an instructor and very fast rider told me is that even the slightest bit of bar pressure mid turn not only decreases the bike's ability to stay settled and correct itself, but also increases the radius of your turn.

For example, if you are leaned over and still have pressure on the inside bar, the bike will continue to track more straight than if you let go of it. That's literally how important it is to reduce bar pressure; reducing bar pressure is what really allows the bike to hook into the turn and bite towards the apex.

It's also the reason why people are still completing their turn post-apex, when in reality all your turning should be done and you should be getting on the gas and standing the bike up, allowing the throttle to cause you to track out as you get to WOT and the bike is stood up.

I try to keep a feather's touch on my bars, holding the throttle where it is with a thumb and two fingers, and the other hand with barely a grip on the bars. I know I'm doing it right when I can feel the handlebars jiggling around inside my loosely gripping hands.

That being said, I'm not always good with this, and it's the hardest thing for me and many riders.


I've thought a lot about this stuff since getting this advice and can't wait to keep working on it.

Originally Posted by No Worries

Wait a second. When you are riding mountains or canyons, there is no time between curves to rotate hips, weigh your feet, or hug the tank.

There is just no time to think about the other things, let alone do them, in the short amount of time that curves change direction in a canyon.

There's plenty of time... ever ride NHMS?

And as far as think them... that's the point of practice, so it becomes automatic technique. Keith Code's $10 of attention, anyone?

Originally Posted by DLIT

Thanks, Kurt.

I like this thread.

with both. Thanks Zort. And I like when we actual talk motorcycle technique on here

[DLIT]

Originally Posted by ceo012384

Another thing an instructor and very fast rider told me is that even the slightest bit of bar pressure mid turn not only decreases the bike's ability to stay settled and correct itself, but also increases the radius of your turn.

For example, if you are leaned over and still have pressure on the inside bar, the bike will continue to track more straight than if you let go of it. That's literally how important it is to reduce bar pressure; reducing bar pressure is what really allows the bike to hook into the turn and bite towards the apex.

It's also the reason why people are still completing their turn post-apex, when in reality all your turning should be done and you should be getting on the gas and standing the bike up, allowing the throttle to cause you to track out as you get to WOT and the bike is stood up.

I try to keep a feather's touch on my bars, holding the throttle where it is with a thumb and two fingers, and the other hand with barely a grip on the bars. I know I'm doing it right when I can feel the handlebars jiggling around inside my loosely gripping hands.

That being said, I'm not always good with this, and it's the hardest thing for me and many riders.


I've thought a lot about this stuff since getting this advice and can't wait to keep working on it.

There's plenty of time... ever ride NHMS?

And as far as think them... that's the point of practice, so it becomes automatic technique. Keith Code's $10 of attention, anyone?

with both. Thanks Zort. And I like when we actual talk motorcycle technique on here

iF YOU WEIGHT THE INSIDE CLIP-ON, YOU'RE working against the suspension and ultimately pushing your bike outwards. It's all physics.

[ceo012384]

Originally Posted by DLIT

iF YOU WEIGHT THE INSIDE CLIP-ON, YOU'RE working against the suspension and ultimately pushing your bike outwards. It's all physics.

Exactly... and it's something that you don't think about because the more you push it the FURTHER you are leaned over... so you can be at max lean but still have the bike tracking straighter than it could be.

You might think lean angle directly determines your cornering radius but there are other factors... apparently bar pressure is a biggun.

[DLIT]

What are you talking about when you say "tracking"?

[ceo012384]

Originally Posted by DLIT

What are you talking about when you say "tracking"?

It's a term that's more used with cars than bikes, sorry about that.

It just means that's the direction in which it heads.

[DLIT]

Now I understand your previous statement...I think. You can be at max lean, but you won't be turning as much as you can be because your weighting the inside, which you would think just lean more and before you know it, you lowside. My avatar is at a point where I lean it just a bit more to finish off a decreasing radius turn. If I was weighting the bar too much, I could easily lowside or over-shoot the turn.

[ceo012384]

Originally Posted by DLIT

Now I understand your previous statement...I think. You can be at max lean, but you won't be turning as much as you can be because your weighting the inside, which you would think just lean more and before you know it, you lowside. My avatar is at a point where I lean it just a bit more to finish off a decreasing radius turn. If I was weighting the bar too much, I could easily lowside or over-shoot the turn.

I think we're on the same page here. Basically for a given lean angle, the bike will turn tighter with no bar pressure than if you are pressuring the handlebar... this is counterintuitive to the common notion that lean angle and speed determine the cornering radius.

On top of that, the obvious problem is that handlebar pressure allows the front to wash easily if there are bumps/cracks.