Looking through the corner

[mach1mike]

I think this is an important skill to learn no matter how experienced you are or how you ride. I have to remind myself to do it everytime I ride to overcome many years of not doing it. The benefits are not only smoother corner transitions but also for a new or inexperienced rider, it will eliminate the all too common tendency to get object fixation and drive into what you are looking at. It will also overcome the fear of continuing to lean the bike over more and more when you get in over your head and think that the bike won't lean and maintain traction any more.  The bike will surprise you at how far it will go before loosing traction. Too many people will let that fear rule their judgement and stand  the bike up on the binders and run off the road with skidding tires when they could have made it around the corner if they were looking at the exit instead of right in front of them. The rider who looks ahead at the exit or as far into it as he can see will be surprised at how suddenly he and the bike are there, right at that spot he was looking at. I am sure Kirk or some other riders experienced at road racing can shed more light on this subject. By the way, thank you Kirk for the good information you are imparting in this new section.......it is appreciated and important, may be saving some lives down the road.

[X E Ryder]

I think this is as important as spotting your exit, which on mountain roads is alot trickier with an embankment blocking you.

Can one of you better explain this than I?

I will roll on slow but never harder until I can really see where the heck I am propelling myself at a high rate of speed!

[Kirk]

I think Mike did a great job of explaining the importance of looking up the inside. I actually look at my turn-in point first, then once I've reached it I look up the inside for my apex and corner exit.

Think of all the motorcycle crashes that we've all seen where someone has run off the outside of a turn with traction to spare- they didn't even try. They just allowed themselves to panic, froze up and focused on the outside of the turn. Where you look is where you'll land.

[Quijinn]

Ok so what you are saying is you look for the entrance point of the turn first? Then once you have started the turn you look through or do you look through before you start the turn? I have always been a little confused at where to point my eyes per say and try to look through the turn as soon as the enviroment will allow me even if I have not yet started to lean. Maybe some points or a drawing would rock

[X E Ryder]

OK, unless I'm outa line here, I do the following...

This is assuming carving a corner on a windy road you cannot see around!

I get an idea of how tight it is looking at it approaching. Road sign with a 90o arrow and a 25 mph sign?

Let off, Brake with fronts if needed, enter it choosing a line I can hold - how is my speed? , move ass-shoulders-head upright in.

Push and carve (ready to brake if radius decreases suddenly), roll on once I find the apex and/or can see the exit.

If this corner has a hazard or is off camber, has a looky-lou parked in it, bad traction or whatever, I am already poised to DO something, if not, we can roll on and have some fun! This has served me well.

Does this sound right to you guys?

[nmbusa]

on most blind corners try to follow the vanishing point.the outer and inner part of the road  until the curve leads to the next straight.you'll be amazed how the busa leans if it has to.

[X E Ryder]

Ah! Thank you for giving me the right words!

Vanishing Point, as a good a term as any! That is what I follow until I can see the exit!

Thanks. (nice pic too btw!)