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Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet
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So i went for my first really wet; torrential rain, standing and running water and roads like a ice rink having had no run off for at least 2 months

Some aspects of riding i am increasingly more comfortable with; position for visibility, avoiding hazards / changes in surfaces, increased braking distance etc

Questions about going in to corners in really wet weather as i think i am over cautious

How do you know how secure your tires are with grip. I constantly worry they are going to go out from under me

Do you ride brakes in to corner to load front fork before entering?

I am off to car park to practice cornering in the rain

All my gear leaks which is super annoying
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Don't load the front in a turn, dry or wet. Slow before the turn, and then gently accelerate through.

http://www.visordown.com/...torcycle-riding-tips

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Agree with all braking should ideally be completed before you enter a corner - unless you are racing and trail braking or you came in too hot and you either have to brake through the corner or run wide. Your front tire is more likely to break free if you are asking it to both brake and turn (you are applying forces in multiple directions at that point). Modern bikes and tires are able to handle more aggressive riding than most riders are comfortable with but nothing can stop you sliding down the road if you grab a handful of brake halfway round a corner in the wet. When riding in the wet your mantra should be "smooth, smooth, smooth" in everything you do. It may not rain most of the time in Houston but 15 years of riding in London (it rains there - a lot) taught me smoothness is key.
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Or in dirt or sand. Be cautious when riding in the rain. If you make it to your destination, you were not overly cautious.
Ride safe!
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks

In fairness yesterday i was doing all braking in advance and none through the corner - with the exception of trailing on some hairpins

The cornering forces part was interesting as i suspect i was more upright than necessary

I wonderrd about loading the front from watching motogp but have not tried it (am pretty sure i never go fast enough or brake late enough to warrant it even in the dry)
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Might hurt too!
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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You don't know where the edge is until you go over it.

Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Duffy] [ In reply to ]
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Next to a cliff is not the place to find that out
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Duffy] [ In reply to ]
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Duffy wrote:
You don't know where the edge is until you go over it.

^^Exactly this.

Just hope that when you do find the edge you don't have to pay for it. I had a couple of bad rear wheel slideouts a few years back, wasn't even in the wet, cold was the issue. Tire didn't get warmed up and I goosed it into a corner. Saved it before she went down, I don't do that in the cold anymore. As the other poster said, smooth, smooth smooth in the wet.
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Did someone say motorboating?



If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Andrewmc wrote:
So i went for my first really wet; torrential rain, standing and running water and roads like a ice rink having had no run off for at least 2 months

Some aspects of riding i am increasingly more comfortable with; position for visibility, avoiding hazards / changes in surfaces, increased braking distance etc

Questions about going in to corners in really wet weather as i think i am over cautious

How do you know how secure your tires are with grip. I constantly worry they are going to go out from under me

Do you ride brakes in to corner to load front fork before entering?

I am off to car park to practice cornering in the rain

All my gear leaks which is super annoying

There's no reason to be trying to figure out how much grip your bike has in the rain in a car park...

Smooth is an absolute requirement, absolutely no extra inputs mid corner (even slight throttle deviations are no-no's). I'm far from an expert, but have ridden on tracks in the rain as well as a TORRENTIAL down pour at Laguna Seca.

Long story short, if your really really smooth, you'll feel the rear and front alternating slipping SLIGHTLY all the way through the corner. The amazing thing is how much grip the bike will have when completely upright, braking and accelerating will be way better than you can imagine (provided you have decent tires).

Key is to learn in an area that you can not possibly hit anything and allow you to corner at speeds of 40-60mph in the rain. A bike that is not your pride and joy is a benefit too.

Rain riding is all about smoothness and confidence. Just practice practice practice.
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [ErnieK] [ In reply to ]
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So update

Have been watching a lot of gymkhana, a little bit of twist of the wrist

1) i am sure this is true of many police motorcyclists, but the japanese ones are amazing

2) i am going to invest in the ToTW videos. Countersteering i was familiar with. I was not at all familiar with the physics and unbalancing effect that and throttle control had.

My cornering has improved so i am using more of the tire radius but atill have chicken strips
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [dvfmfidc] [ In reply to ]
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dvfmfidc wrote:
Or in dirt or sand. Be cautious when riding in the rain. If you make it to your destination, you were not overly cautious.
Ride safe!

Actually, on dirt and if there is a rut, you can drag your front brake a little and the bike will tend to settle in the rut better. Whether dirt or pavement, smooth throttle control and proper speed entering the turn is key.
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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I took my weekend motorcycling safety course in pouring rain on both days. I'm glad it was such dismal conditions to learn in. The instructor said you do everything in the dry the same way you'd do it in the rain, only slower.
Last edited by: cerveloguy: Sep 20, 17 21:25
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Andrewmc wrote:
Thanks


I wonderrd about loading the front from watching motogp but have not tried it (am pretty sure i never go fast enough or brake late enough to warrant it even in the dry)

and what part of your road riding in the torrential rain, relates in any way shape of form to what Matrinez and the lads are doing in MotoGP?
Oh yeah, their bike and your bike both have two wheels......

anyway, take it easy in the rain, and as suggested to you many months ago, try to get to a road riding school... not a racing line track racing school, but a real world road hazards everywhere type of riding school.

good luck, stay safe and enjoy yourself.
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Re: Motorbike cornering........again, in the wet [Avago] [ In reply to ]
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I think marquez and i have a lot in common, we both like soup.......

That said. I have done a course following my test and i want to do more

Whats interesting in that all the training for my initial test and then a further 18 hours of post test instruction is that not one person explained the physics of cornering like twist of the wrist did. I am not talking about a racing line but the need to accelerate through to shift weight to increase contact patch - amongst other things.

I knew, for example not to break mid corner on a man hole cover ;) but i did not really have a grasp of motorbike dynamica v's car / pushbike. Instruction is didactic, nothing much beyond teaching to the test and then you are let loose on the road.

Its increasingly obvious that as i get more miles under my belt, greater experience and reading watching more that confidence and competence are improving but i do need to seek out further confidence building guidance and instruction.
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