How do you go fast?

He's having problems getting round corners because he doesn't understand how too. Learning about counter steering would help.

Have you rode with a skilled rider before?

One of the things that helped me a lot when i first got my SV was going for a country burn (ooh err) with jonboy. I didn't try and keep up as i was still getting used to everything but seeing the speeds he could take around some corners when he was shooting off really highlighted just how grippy they can be.

I've always been a SUPER confident driver, having karted, raced, done track days, drove single seaters. I can put a car to the limit at the first corner on cold tyres no problem but i'm having to build up my riding REALLY slowly. As i'm sure you're aware, the costs of getting it wrong on a bike are far more than in a car and i'm sure your constantly reminding yourself of it.

As the others said, just relax relax relax. How many miles have you rode? Straightline speed is easy, anyone can twist and go, cornering well is a different ballpark.

I would even go as far to suggest that advanced training is not what he's looking for yet as he still needs to grasp some of the basics. Find a good local training school and they should be able to offer you a "Enhanced Skills" day and take you to the next stage.

Other than that, riding within a group is always useful, it allows you to follow the lines of a more experienced rider. If you're in the London/South East area it shouldn't be difficult to meet with a few of the folk on here who would be more than willing to help you out, and we have a few IAM trained riders amongst us.

A lot of this is due to how you ride, where you ride and what you ride. A decent bike with good rubber is very confidence inspiring (SV on good rubber, out of town on some nice sweeping bends for instance).

Whatever you do, do not push yourself unless you honestly feel you are ready.

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Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

He's having problems getting round corners because he doesn't understand how too.

I agree.

Learning about counter steering would help.

I stongly diasagree. If counter-steering was part of basic bike skills it would be taught on your DAS (which it generally isn't). Until he's mastered very basic cornering skills, counter-steering is likely to add to his problems rather than cure them.


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Originally Posted by jonboy

I stongly diasagree. If counter-steering was part of basic bike skills it would be taught on your DAS (which it generally isn't). Until he's mastered very basic cornering skills, counter-steering is likely to add to his problems rather than cure them..

but countersteering is a basic skill of motorcycling. It's how we all start a bike going round a corner at anything over a jogging pace.
When you say it isn't taught, it's conscious countersteering that isn't taught, and to some degree, I agree with it not, in the current DAS system.

Originally Posted by jonboy

I stongly diasagree. If counter-steering was part of basic bike skills it would be taught on your DAS (which it generally isn't). Until he's mastered very basic cornering skills, counter-steering is likely to add to his problems rather than cure them.


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But he's already counter-steering, or he wouldn't be getting around corners at all. And I think it is something that should be taught on DAS, even if it can't really be tested.

You can easily get round most corners just by leaning, try taking your hands off the bars and see what I mean. What I'm talking about (and I though it obvious) was conscious counter-steering where the inside bar is pushed to achieve a quicker and greater degree of lean.

I think there's a rodent that frequents Soho that needs it's tail pulled .


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Forget all this countersteering stuff, although valid, it’s not for you just yet.

Grip the tank with your knees, move your feet so that the balls of your feet are on the pegs. This will relax your upper body and arms.

Don’t worry about speed, that comes with practice, concentrate on being on the correct line so that you can see best (and be seen) around corners.

Take the advice, get on a Bikesafe course – if you can find one that’s over a weekend all the better. Money well spent.

Most important when you are riding, be defensive, think everyone wants to kill you, even your mates on bikes.

Originally Posted by Mogs

even your mates on bikes.

Yup, we're nutters, us.