Ok i have been riding for 3 or 4 months now. This is my first streetbike and i have developed my own techinques or whatever feels comfortable to me. However, seeing that our bikes make the rider sit more upright. What is the best way to take a curve? I always stay sitting up and just lean but seeing my other buddies bikes(r6,gsxr 600) they are position more downward(and i know it has to do with the bike) but should i start leaning towards the handle bars into a curve? I have tired it a couple of times going slowy and it just didnt seem right on this bike. Thanks
leaning into a curve
- Thread starter sldwys87
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If you're riding the twisties fast, yes you need to get your weight low. That means bending your elbows and getting your weight low and to the inside of the turn. We have to do this a bit more with our bike than others to keep the same corner speed because, like you said, our riding position is inherently higher. The "kissing the mirror" position is what I've been taught in the clinics I've attended. Shift your butt one cheek to the inside, stick the inside knee out, bend the elbows, and get your head down near the mirror. Or if you have stock mirrors, below the level of the mirror. Use your outside knee against the tank to pull and lean over. Keep the balls of your feet on the pegs so you have the best leverage. Keep your arms loose and make sure you look through the turn.
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+1
IF your trying to go it at speed, go low, pull/push hard.
I find this bike very forgiving, my first bike too, and that I'm very lax in my turns. I'm not a thrill seeker, so take most turns way slower that this bike can do, but have found myself coming in way too fast (those damn decreasing turns) at some times, it's then that getting low, leaning hard, and trusting the bike's grip has kept me rubber side down.
IF your trying to go it at speed, go low, pull/push hard.
I find this bike very forgiving, my first bike too, and that I'm very lax in my turns. I'm not a thrill seeker, so take most turns way slower that this bike can do, but have found myself coming in way too fast (those damn decreasing turns) at some times, it's then that getting low, leaning hard, and trusting the bike's grip has kept me rubber side down.
I've had it leaned to the point the pegs are scraping. That's actually leaned too far at that point. That's when I realized I needed to start getting my body into better position so I could keep the corner speed without having to lean quite so far. If you're too upright and leaned over a ton, you're riding "crossed up." Having your weight that high and the bike that low can lead to an easy high side if you loose just a little bit of rear grip. Low, loose, and smooth are the best ways to keep up some corner speed without getting yourself into trouble.
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I know some have talked about making rear sets. But to me that defeats the whole purpose of this bike. It's supposed to be an upright, comfortable riding position. If I wanted my feet up high like that, I would have bought an R6. Like I said, I've gotten lean angles far enough to scrape the pegs pretty significantly. And I still wasn't exactly the fastest guy on the mountain because I was too upright in my riding position and like you said, our max lean angle isn't what most super sports are. But it's enough to have a lot of fun on the mountains with. So now that I'm riding with a more proper riding position, I can work on getting enough lean angle to get my corner speeds up and get rid of the squid marks on my new tires and still be more comfortable than I would be on an R6. 
It's been in my recent reading, but just watch some motogp, those guys "hang" to the extreme, but yeah, it's seems unnatural.
Dirt bikers hang "over" the bike (hang on outside of turn) to maintain control on unsure surfaces, road riders should hang with the bike, the more you hang off the side, the less you have to lean. Obviously we aren't racing, so it's only necessary to slide a couple inches to the inside of the turn.
I do what JonKerr does. His post is a really good description of what would be ideal riding position for this bike. The mirror kissing technique works on any bike and I have used it many times.
If you are feeling uncomfortable about leaning the bike and working on body position, I suggest some practice. The best place I found to practice is on interstate on ramps. Not the straight ones, but the circle and sweeping type. Not only is it going to allow you to get your speed up to need to hang off the bike, but it will be legal as well. Plus, they all usually have a suggested speed limit, which is a good place to start. Try taking the ramp at that speed and notice how much you lean the bike. Then up the speed 5 mph and repeat. Continue to do so, taking note of how much you are leaning and what your body position is. Eventually, you will get to a point where simply leaning is not enough to comfortably take the curve. That's when you back off the speed and start working on body position. This is how I got myself comfortable with hanging off the bike and kissing the mirror (or my sexy reflection in the mirror).
This is a snapshot of some of the ramps I have worked. Work great for me so far.
Even better would be if you could get to a trackday. They will teach you most everything you need to know about body position and entry/exit speed for curves.
If you are feeling uncomfortable about leaning the bike and working on body position, I suggest some practice. The best place I found to practice is on interstate on ramps. Not the straight ones, but the circle and sweeping type. Not only is it going to allow you to get your speed up to need to hang off the bike, but it will be legal as well. Plus, they all usually have a suggested speed limit, which is a good place to start. Try taking the ramp at that speed and notice how much you lean the bike. Then up the speed 5 mph and repeat. Continue to do so, taking note of how much you are leaning and what your body position is. Eventually, you will get to a point where simply leaning is not enough to comfortably take the curve. That's when you back off the speed and start working on body position. This is how I got myself comfortable with hanging off the bike and kissing the mirror (or my sexy reflection in the mirror).
This is a snapshot of some of the ramps I have worked. Work great for me so far.
Even better would be if you could get to a trackday. They will teach you most everything you need to know about body position and entry/exit speed for curves.
You said free track day?
) I'm very interested, would you be so kind and give me the info on that?https://www.nesba.com/You said free track day?
Go to that website. There is a link at the bottom right side of the page that says "Redeem Your Free Track Day Here." If you received a letter or email from Yamaha with a coupon code in it, you click the link and enter it there. If you haven't received a letter or email, you need to retrieve it using this page. https://www.nesba.com/NewYamahaCustomer/recover.htm
Once you have received the coupon code, just follow the link to redeem it. And voila, a free trackday sponsored by NESBA, one of the best trackday organizations around.
In fact, I believe there is a participating track in Joliet. That shouldn't be too far from you.
Kinda like this:
The most important thing to remember is to look though the corner at where you want to end up. Don't fixate and look the direction the bike is traveling. If you catch yourself fixating force yourself to look through the corner.
Just take your time as you get comfortable with higher speeds. If you feel unsafe you probably are.
There are several very good books out there. My favorite is Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch.
The most important thing to remember is to look though the corner at where you want to end up. Don't fixate and look the direction the bike is traveling. If you catch yourself fixating force yourself to look through the corner.
Just take your time as you get comfortable with higher speeds. If you feel unsafe you probably are.
There are several very good books out there. My favorite is Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch.
Awesome. Thanks a lot for the info I owe you one. :thumbup:
It's freezing nuts up in Chicago-land this week.:rant: I just want the season to begin so I can go on that track day.
Thanks again.
Yeah, they do classes throughout the day. Riders are broken down into groups based upon skill level. Generally, you have class then ride 20 minutes, then class, then ride 20 minutes...and so it continues the whole day. Each time the instructors emphasize something new. You can ask the CR to help you and they are more than willing to accommodate and help you in every way they can. The NESBA CR's are excellent and love teaching, so you may actually get more help than you bargained for. As far as gear, you can rent it all from the track. Not too expensive either, and it lets you get a feel for trackdays and whether you will become addicted, like most people do.
I just returned to Louisiana from IL on Sunday. It is still cold here, but I like seeing the temps in the positives rather than the negatives.Awesome. Thanks a lot for the info I owe you one. :thumbup:
It's freezing nuts up in Chicago-land this week.:rant: I just want the season to begin so I can go on that track day.
Thanks again.
There's also a track in South Beloit, if you wanted to try it out in addition to the one in Joliet.I just ordered both of the Twist of the Wrist books by Keith Code from Amazon. Can't wait to get a hold of them.
I talked to a friend of mine who will join me on track days this summer, he said that South Beloit's, Blackhawk track is better than Joliet, plus another option will be Elkhart Lake, WI; isn't far 140 miles from Chicago.I just returned to Louisiana from IL on Sunday. It is still cold here, but I like seeing the temps in the positives rather than the negatives.
I have them both, good read, lots and lots of riding tips.