Learning to corner.

[fizzwheel]

Originally Posted by Dave20046

Any tips though?

Practice, Practise some more, then when you think you've done lots of practice, Practice some more.

Oh and dont obsess about the size of your chicken strips. Just concentrate on being smooth. Riding in the rain is good for this as it teaches you to be gentle and progressive with the throttle and brakes and that joined with reading the road ahead well is the key to going fast.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

Practice, Practise some more, then when you think you've done lots of practice, Practice some more.

Oh and don't obsess about the size of your chicken strips. Just concentrate on being smooth. Riding in the rain is good for this as it teaches you to be gentle and progressive with the throttle and brakes and that joined with reading the road ahead well is the key to going fast.

Thanks fizz more quality advice!
Although I couldn't help snigger at "don't obsess about the size of your chicken strips" could easily be a quote lifted from a womens health magazine!

Patience grasshopper. It will all come together and then you'll be wondering what you were worreting about.

Originally Posted by Dave20046

Cheers so far everyone. I've been going out almost everynight on the bike but it's been wet and dark which isn't brilliant for learning or testing roads. Got half an hour of daylight tonight (testing out my new boots which are awesome) felt slight improvements but I still have my caution with right handers as you'll probably see from my chicken strips (I'll upload a pic tomorrow). I've found one of the main things 'holding me back' is my entry speed on the corners, I tend to enter too low (granted I haven't had chance to learn a curvy road properly yet) and end up only enjoying the corner on exit as I dare open up the throttle. I mainly only seem to do this on blind corners. I really need to learn the limits of the bike I think and get more experience to ovecome this. Any tips though?

When I first started my corner speed was awful, I met up with a few of you lot about 2 days after getting it, and hadn't a chance of keeping up! Then I went to Luxembourg on it, and ... well moral of rambling story is the experience (and lovely sweeping Luxembourgian roads) got me feeling the bike better, speeds, judgement, reading road etc.

However now I'm pants again, and need to find a shop that sells tinted sodding visors!

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Also I'd say observation is more important than knowing absolute limits, it is fair to say though with any half decent tyre you can lean it untill things scrape without any problem. I'd say read motorcycle roadcraft then get out and ride.

+1

Originally Posted by Dangerous Dave

Just go out and ride, experience will give you the answer....

+1.

Two top quality posts there. As pointed out, obviously everyone doesn't want to learn by falling off, and this thread has some very good advice in it (primarily by fizz).

The problem with leaning is that you have to go fast in order to do it. The problem with speed is that if you're going faster, you have to lean the bike over more.

I didn't set out to be quick, or to lean the bike over a lot. I still don't think I'm that quick to be honest, though I do see people commenting that they're slower than me (which I either dismiss or tell them they're being plonkers). Instead, I tried to make my riding as safe as possible, by reading things like Roadcraft, and doing BikeSafe (eventually).

It just so happens, that I live in an area with a lot of corners, so have had a lot of practice. I think that makes me come across as comfortable on the bike, which is exactly what you have to be IMO.

I actually went round some corners in Wales faster than another bike recently! I was amazed and probably giggling to myself, I wasn't going crazy either, in the head or on the bike!

Originally Posted by Griffo

I actually went round some corners in Wales faster than another bike recently! I was amazed and probably giggling to myself, I wasn't going crazy either, in the head or on the bike!

I casually overtook a fazer once when I was out for a ride, just making progress, and he angrily overtook me back and then tried to shoot off round some bends, thing was, I was looking at the way he rode (didn't hang off at all) and it was very weird seeing someone corner without sitting off the side of the bike. Either way I just kept at his pace and it was nice knowing that I had a lot of speed left, wasn't uncomfortable or anything.

Originally Posted by Dave20046

I've noticed a few threads recently on people getting pegs down and getting knee down, which yeah I think it's cool and I'd like to be able to do it but I think more importantly I want to learnt the limits of my bike and be able to corner faster (and safer) than most. I have the 33bhp restrictors in and I've promised myself that I'm not taking them out until I can throw around my bike faster than most people on a full power bike.
So have any of you got any tips? I'd be quite interested to hear from the more expert among the .org too.
I know a trackday would help no end and I'd be tempted when I have the money but is it worth it on a restricted bike?
I had a brand new tyre on yesterday (my first day on the sv) I'll upload a picture of my chicken line for you all to see in a bit ...

What tyre did you get put on (make, model and front or rear). What is the condition of the other tyre?

You might not think it now, but I'd say having a 33hp kit is the thing that will make you a better cornerer and faster rider in the end ... actually you wanna try restricting it to 12hp and then you will learn how to carry speed!!

I directly attribute people not 'coming up the ranks' these days as to why so many people can't ride for ****!!

In my day ... ... you didn't read books on how to go fast, as a spotty 16yr old, you got you a 50cc bike, put a genelli pipe on it (probably a 65cc big bore kit too as that made one hell of a difference ) and rode it as fast as you could - coz you were 16!! ... it was all about carrying what little speed you had ... you then stepped up to a 125 carrying these traditions, but capable of more speed ... it was then time for a 250/400 .. where you started having some pretty major power/speed but knew how to carry it/corner ... then by the time you got 600+ you were already a riding god and capable of quite mental things as yo had the welly as well as being able to corner, you certainly weren't running scared like most ****s you see going out and buying a 600/1000 straight off!!!!!

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Blue_SV650S

What tyre did you get put on (make, model and front or rear). What is the condition of the other tyre?

You might not think it now, but I'd say having a 33hp kit is the thing that will make you a better cornerer and faster rider in the end ... actually you wanna try restricting it to 12hp and then you will learn how to carry speed!!

I directly attribute people not 'coming up the ranks' these days as to why so many people can't ride for ****!!

In my day ... ... you didn't read books on how to go fast, as a spotty 16yr old, you got you a 50cc bike, put a genelli pipe on it (probably a 65cc big bore kit too as that made one hell of a difference ) and rode it as fast as you could - coz you were 16!! ... it was all about carrying what little speed you had ... you then stepped up to a 125 carrying these traditions, but capable of more speed ... it was then time for a 250/400 .. where you started having some pretty major power/speed but knew how to carry it/corner ... then by the time you got 600+ you were already a riding god and capable of quite mental things as yo had the welly as well as being able to corner, you certainly weren't running scared like most ****s you see going out and buying a 600/1000 straight off!!!!!

Fronts got atleast another 500 miles left in it but I'm changing it tomorrow (any tips on getting the front wheel off?) so I have a matching pair. They're dunlop sportmax's feel really sticky, loving them so far but they're my first tyre on the sv so what do I know.

Originally Posted by Dave20046

Fronts got atleast another 500 miles left in it but I'm changing it tomorrow (any tips on getting the front wheel off?) so I have a matching pair. They're dunlop sportmax's feel really sticky, loving them so far but they're my first tyre on the sv so what do I know.

As long as they are main brand and new, you can;t go too fr wrong these days


But if you are wanting to explore the bikes limits a bit more, there is nothing more important than having new/good tyres on there ... they will let you get away with more and boost confidence

As for the rest, I suggest you take a spark plug out!!