Quicker Cornering Techniques?

[etaoin]

I've been riding a 2014 RTL for about 1 1/2 years. I'm 68 years old and am rather conservative and danger-averse rider. I don't usually exceed the speed limit (much), etc. That said, I'm going on a several-day trip this fall with a friend to ride curvy roads in Arkansas. He's a more experienced rider on 2 wheels and I'd like to be able to keep up with him, especially when it comes to sharp curves/corners.

Can this fine family provide any hints/tips/tricks for (safely) handling the Spyder a little more aggressively in corners? Are there braking/acceleration timing considerations? Leaning properly/differently? I also don't want to suffer from T.T.C. Syndrome (turd touching cotton) if you know what I mean!

Thanks for your advice.

[Pampurrs]

If you're gonna be doing twisties, the more you practice you do, the better you get and the more comfortable and confident you feel. If you haven't installed the BajaRon sway bar, I highly recommend it...... Makes cornering and twisties much more stable.

Best advice is to shift your weight slightly into the turn to mitigate the inertial force.

It would have helped if you had previous motorcycle experience on twisties, but it sounds like you haven't. No worries, you can get a handle on it

Practice, practice, practice.

Pam

[dginoregon]

When ever I find myself in a situation where I need to take a corner quicker (2013 ST L), I shift my weight towards the corner and get my head looking as far as I can over the front rim/tire. Practice a little, you will find that you'll go around a corner like on rails.

[AeroPilot]

If you're gonna be doing twisties, the more you practice you do, the better you get and the more comfortable and confident you feel. If you haven't installed the BajaRon sway bar, I highly recommend it...... Makes cornering and twisties much more stable.

Best advice is to shift your weight slightly into the turn to mitigate the inertial force.

It would have helped if you had previous motorcycle experience on twisties, but it sounds like you haven't. No worries, you can get a handle on it

Practice, practice, practice.

Pam

Shifting weight (shift your bottom so one cheek is off the inside of the seat), Move your chin closer to the inside handgrip, and get used to looking further ahead to pick a smooth line through the curves. Move your knee against the side of the seat to give you confidence. Practice and bit by bit get comfortable with YOUR ride...don't always need to match what others feel comfortable with. It's your ride and your hide!!

[BLUEZL600EFI]

Looking where you want to end up is a good starting point, slight lean (butt to inside of side of seat, like snowmobiling), try to "cut" the corner into a straighter line if you have a right/left or left right in a row.

Finally considering adding a heavier sway bar!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I'm 69 and consider myself to be quite competent riding my RT.......I've had 7 years of experience on 3 different Spyders........IMHO if you are operating above your comfort zone A. you will not enjoy yourself......B. you could get seriously hurt......With your level of experience you don't have sufficient time to get much better than where you are now.............You need practice, practice and then some more practice, it's that simple..................Please be careful.....pushing the envelope is not worth it...................Mike

[ARtraveler]

All good points above. My advice--ride your own ride and stay in your comfort zone. I would not wish you to get in an accident that could have been avoided had you not exceeded your comfort zone. Trying to keep up with someone for the sake of keeping up is not a good idea--IMO.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I found this past weekend an interesting aspect in cornering. On Friday I was with the local GWRRA chapter on a ride to Joseph, OR passing through Hell's Canyon on the way. Lots of curves. I was not at my best comfort level keeping pace with them on a lot of curves signed from 20 to 50 mph going at 10 mph over the posted speed. Then on Sunday I rode by myself north from Enterprise, OR to Lewiston, ID on OR 3 and WA 129, a stretch of road known as Rattlesnake Pass. Believe me, it curves back and forth like a rattlesnake! I found I was pushing 15 to 20 over the signed speed with absolutely no discomfort at all. Later in the day going south on ID 55 along the Payette River from McCall to Boise I was in a line of several cars. Again I found my discomfort threshold was at about 10 mph over the signed speed.

I don't know why, but in the presence of other traffic even with a good space between me and them, I am not as comfortable going around curves as I am when I am by myself at similar speeds. If by chance you share this feeling at all I would suggest you arrange with your buddy to keep yourselves separated a lot more than the usual 3 second spacing rule for group riding.

[PrairieSpyder]

All good advice so far.

Stay in your comfort zone.
Look through the curve.
Accelerate into the turn.
Do NOT go into the turn so fast that you must brake while in the curve.

If you've had the MSF course review what they instructed for curves.

[Chupaca]

I'm 69 and consider myself to be quite competent riding my RT.......I've had 7 years of experience on 3 different Spyders........IMHO if you are operating above your comfort zone A. you will not enjoy yourself......B. you could get seriously hurt......With your level of experience you don't have sufficient time to get much better than where you are now.............You need practice, practice and then some more practice, it's that simple..................Please be careful.....pushing the envelope is not worth it...................Mike

With a couple of trips under your belt you will see.

[Trbayth]

I found this past weekend an interesting aspect in cornering. On Friday I was with the local GWRRA chapter on a ride to Joseph, OR passing through Hell's Canyon on the way. Lots of curves. I was not at my best comfort level keeping pace with them on a lot of curves signed from 20 to 50 mph going at 10 mph over the posted speed. Then on Sunday I rode by myself north from Enterprise, OR to Lewiston, ID on OR 3 and WA 129, a stretch of road known as Rattlesnake Pass. Believe me, it curves back and forth like a rattlesnake! I found I was pushing 15 to 20 over the signed speed with absolutely no discomfort at all. Later in the day going south on ID 55 along the Payette River from McCall to Boise I was in a line of several cars. Again I found my discomfort threshold was at about 10 mph over the signed speed.

I don't know why, but in the presence of other traffic even with a good space between me and them, I am not as comfortable going around curves as I am when I am by myself at similar speeds. If by chance you share this feeling at all I would suggest you arrange with your buddy to keep yourselves separated a lot more than the usual 3 second spacing rule for group riding.

I've come to the conclusion over the years that a significant percentage of drivers (in cages primarily) really are not very good drivers. It's as if they were only taught "you push the right pedal to go and the left pedal to slow." No subtlety to their acceleration and deceleration. How else can you explain someone braking while going up a hill with no other traffic, lights, or signs?

[PistonBlown]

I've come to the conclusion over the years that a significant percentage of drivers (in cages primarily) really are not very good drivers. It's as if they were only taught "you push the right pedal to go and the left pedal to slow." No subtlety to their acceleration and deceleration. How else can you explain someone braking while going up a hill with no other traffic, lights, or signs?

I call them binary drivers - they treat the pedals as switches, either 'on' or 'off'.

[Highwayman2013]

Like was stated, stay in your comfort zone. Get out on your own before then and ride some twisties for practice. Brake before the corner and smoothly accelerate out. Leaning to the inside of the corner is the easiest way to get the hang of it.

[Bob Denman]

Don't worry about your friend: he'll wait for you!
Ride your own ride!

[AeroPilot]

+1

[Mr. White]

Don't worry about your friend: he'll wait for you!
Ride your own ride!

Good reply Bob. Proper tire pressure is important.

[Buggy]

Trying to keep up for the sake of keeping up can be a dangerous situation if you don't have the skill set yet. Having said that, as a technique to develop smooth cornering do not forget to select the proper gear. Engine braking will keep the bike settled on its suspension while reducing speed and providing for good excelleration out of the turn.

Have fun and ride safe!

[fatboy]

corner at your comfort level then push it out and on the straights abit youll have much more fun

[5legsshort]

Haven't read about keeping your outside foot planted heavily on the foot peg/floorboard, seems to have helped me when I was advised of this technique. I was trying to hold on with my legs squeezing the "tank" area before.

[4 MARIE]

I recommend you "do your own thing".
There is no quicker way to the hospital, for ANY of us seniors out there,
than to try and stay up with some kid on a crotch rocket, or helmetless hero on a Harley.
Do what is fun and comfortable for YOU. The grinding nerves, close calls, and cold sweats, aren't worth it.
Also, any friend worth his salt, won't insist on a race up the mountain. Stay safe.

[Fjrwillie]

I found this past weekend an interesting aspect in cornering. On Friday I was with the local GWRRA chapter on a ride to Joseph, OR passing through Hell's Canyon on the way. Lots of curves. I was not at my best comfort level keeping pace with them on a lot of curves signed from 20 to 50 mph going at 10 mph over the posted speed. Then on Sunday I rode by myself north from Enterprise, OR to Lewiston, ID on OR 3 and WA 129, a stretch of road known as Rattlesnake Pass. Believe me, it curves back and forth like a rattlesnake! I found I was pushing 15 to 20 over the signed speed with absolutely no discomfort at all. Later in the day going south on ID 55 along the Payette River from McCall to Boise I was in a line of several cars. Again I found my discomfort threshold was at about 10 mph over the signed speed.

I don't know why, but in the presence of other traffic even with a good space between me and them, I am not as comfortable going around curves as I am when I am by myself at similar speeds. If by chance you share this feeling at all I would suggest you arrange with your buddy to keep yourselves separated a lot more than the usual 3 second spacing rule for group riding.

What you describe when riding yourself is that you only have to worry about you, the Spyder and the road. Throw in other elements such as cars, other riders, you timing is then dependent on what they do, not what you want to do. I understand this completely. Why I stopped riding in large groups that like to run faster than normal.

Willie

[BilltheDiver]

When my wife took the 3 wheel course I signed up also, even though I have had an endorsement for years. The instructors knew well that I was there to support her and to test myself and the spyder through the exercises. I took almost every exercise as though it was a race, pushing myself and the bike to see what I could learn. Doing this on a closed course let me really experience things. I left there with a lot more confidence in myself and the spyder. If you can't sign up for a course, I suggest finding a closed parking lot and setting up some cones and doing the exercises in your manual. It will add to your comfort level on the road.

[Lew L]

Press the outside board or peg harder, bend the inside elbow and look far through the turn. Of course the anti-sway bar is a must ( shock stiffeners help also ) I'm 69 very soon and I ride my RT faster than my two wheelers in the twistys when I'm feelin' it ( which is too often).
BUT all that said---- ride your own ride.

Kaos

Haven't read about keeping your outside foot planted heavily on the foot peg/floorboard, seems to have helped me when I was advised of this technique. I was trying to hold on with my legs squeezing the "tank" area before.

[TIMMB]

From experience in driving on a road race course in a car, as it has been said many times before looking ahead Beyond The Curve you're in is one of the biggest factors to being smooth. You can't change what's directly happening in front of you. That goes
for anytime not just in the corners, always look ahead. The other thing I learned from this forum that meant the most for better smoother cornering is to not steer the handlebars, push up into the corner you're steering, the other hand is merely there to stabilize, do not to pull down! Much less effort into the turns it made a huge difference for me.

[HayRog]

Trying to keep up for the sake of keeping up can be a dangerous situation if you don't have the skill set yet. Having said that, as a technique to develop smooth cornering do not forget to select the proper gear. Engine braking will keep the bike settled on its suspension while reducing speed and providing for good excelleration out of the turn.

Have fun and ride safe!

YES !!
Also, just in my experience, it took me a couple of hundred miles to realize that the inside wheel does not come off the ground in tight, fast turns. It may feel "light", but stays planted.