Did you not get faster when you knew what was going on?

Yes I did. But its not something I learned how to use effectively overnight. I personally can't see it benefiting somebody who has just passed their test. A newbie rider IMHO is better of concentrating on the basics and then once they have got stuff like. Speed, gear, braking and corner position sorted etc then to start on coutersteering.

Liz has been using countersteering actively for a while now. Her riding has got smoother and faster, her chicken strips have gone completely and her MPG has gone up.

Jordan,

If I am totally honest being conscious of countersteering and on occasion applying some mid corner did bring a different aspect to my riding. Having this knowledge I would have to suggest makes me a safer rider than I ever was.

Despite me having a bike with far superior chassis and suspension components to anything I have previously owned, I am not sure that I am faster...but certainly far more confidant due to being more in control...mentally if not physically. If that makes any sense? :?

I don't want to derail this thread but it is cornering related, so there!

How do people brake/change gear/blipping the throttle when hard on the brakes after a long straight. Say from 6th to 3rd or 2nd for a roundabout/tight corner? I'm curious as I have been doing a lot of riding over the weekend, and this is something I'd like to work on.

Luke

Dunno I dont really think about it. I just tend to brake hard and then change down through the gearbox till I've got to the right speed for the corner / roundabout and then hold it on the throttle till I have got to the apex and then back onto the throttle again. You dont need to give it big handful when you blip. Just enough to pick the revs up thats all. If I'm braking really hard I'll grip the tank more with my knees to stop myself sliding forward, that way I dont need to support so much of my upper body on weight with my arms so I can keep them a bit looser which means I can move my arms and wrists about to work the controls a little easier.

What specific element are you struggling with ?

How could you say that! Take it back! :D

I guess if you're not comfortable cornering normally then I would have to agree. Experience helps. Confidence grows with more experience. Good tyres can help as well, the standard SV tyres (dunlop d220) are not the most confidence inducing tyres accoring to some, although I've not had any problems in the dry.

Not really struggling - just want to get smoother. I pretty much do what you say, especially with gripping the tank to stop myself from sliding forward. More to do with changing whilst still on the brakes or finishing braking then block change. With blipping do you do it before or after changing down?

I'm guessing a lot of this is down to the rider/corner/whether a car is coming round the roundabout etc. but I'm just interested in what people do.

Exactly! I was thinking about this over the weekend and I can't think of anywhere were I would have been quicker if my knee was down. Most places I would in fact have to go slower so that I didn't bin it!

Anyway, one friend at work says that knee down is for wusses - elbow down is where the real men hang out! :lol:

(more commonly know as A&E!)

When changing down I have two fingers on the brake lever so that I can still blip the throttle. I've never had any problems stopping this way. I use the rule that slow in fast out, although this does not mean I come out of the corner wheeling like Rossi. I always look as far down the road as I can and judge speed accordingly, this in turn helps with smoothness as you are not (well most times) caught out and then forced to brake hard while leant over. I think reading the road is one of the biggest keys to being a smoother rider. Have you tried maybe some advanced lessons with an instructor? Whereabouts are you based, I know a friend who taught me and (not to blow my own trumpet) I can corner very well and consider myself to be a very smooth rider.

heheh. Yep ended up there a couple of times. You're not a REAL man until you get both knees and your head down all at the same time. Although I don't recommend it!

Hanging off the bike actually allows you to take a corner a heck of a lot quicker. All to do with lean angle and tyre contact patch. But this is for later.