In the past 9 months (started riding last May at 44 yrs old) I have watched all your videos. I've never commented, but just just commenting now for a genuine THANK YOU for all the great knowledge I've gained from you.
Took up street riding at age 58 last summer. Ride a Triumph T120 and just love it! At my age crashing is not an option. Committed to full gear and try to stay away from heavy traffic as much as possible. No night riding for me. 😉 I ride strictly for recreation. That said, I do have past motocycle experience riding dirt bikes as a teenager. The clutch/shifting/braking coordination, I seem to have never lost. All that said...I have never once felt out of control in any curve so long as I stay within 10 miles or less the posted speed limit and pay attention to posted warning signs for curves. To me this is the single most important safety measure when navigating a corner on streets. Happy riding!
Thanks for the video! I constantly see younger riders, and even some older ones, talking proudly about street riding attitude that is more appropriate to a closed course. These folks count too much on their luck. On the streets we never know the conditions of the road and hazards can be a constant surprise. The few times I've had close calls I was falling into that behavior. I finally learned. We can have fun without going to extremes of risking our health and others. May the Universe always protect us.
All good comments and well delivered, thank you. I learned to ride back in the mid 60’s, Honda 250 scrambler on and off road, starring at that rock in my path was my way of avoiding it, I would just swerve at the last minute, worked better in the dirt. I was afraid if I took my eyes off the object I’d run right into it. I woke up when a colleague in my car pool informed me to look down the road where you want to go, not at the road right in front of me - in hopes of smoothing out my erratic driving. I then applied that to my motorcycle riding and could not believe the difference. Since then I often mention that technique to passengers in my car & fellow riders, I also made a pointed & repeated effort to inform my kids as such when teaching them to drive. Back then resources of proper influence in driving and or riding technique were something of happenstance. I am very thankful for the availability of really good educational material you and others provide these days, please keep up the good work, thank you for your efforts and educational information. You do a great job!
Great info Kevin. With practice we could all improve our cornering skills. Something worth mentioning is that impaired riders comprise a significant percentage of curve related motorcycle crashes. Then again, that speaks directly to rider skill level, which diminishes with the first drink.
👍 Something that ties in with obstacles and safe entry speed - In winding country areas, some corners can look for all money to be veering in a certain direction, but with a view through the whole corner (past any obstacle like a crest in the road, earthen bank, tree/s, long grass, whatever) the road ahead can veer in an unexpected direction. Keeping this in mind was helpful on more than one occasion. Keep the shiny side up. Cheers.
Avoiding the temptation to being distracted by the beautiful scenery while going through the curves. And, be prepared for any critter crossings. Thanks for your videos. 🙋♂️🏍💨
I just started riding 2 months ago (Oct. 2023). I love your channel and have learned a lot in a short amount of time. My biggest problem with curves right now is keeping my upper body loose and not leaning on the handle bars. These two things make it hard to counter steer.
I am here for this! Good info on what influences cornering success. I realize I rely on some of them and ignore others. Only when i control all the factors do I have my best results. Thanks Kevin
Great video I recently bought a Honda DCT due to my tendinitis and have found it’s game changer for city rides except for this one thing the surprise down shift in the middle of a curve. I have gotten some what used it occurring but it’s kinda harsh. One of those things.
Kevin, I enjoy your presentations, this one being a good general overview of proper cornering. That being said , and I’m sure you have discussed the principles of trail braking as part of cornering techniques before. Would you mind touching upon this method of corner entry again in part because I think there are a lot of new and mid level riders riding very powerful machines. Last weekend I witnessed such a rider going in hot on a fairly standard, fairly tight sweeper, and not tapping out those brakes before entry, Needless to say she lost it halfway through the turn due mostly to not setting up the turn properly and looking through the turn before entry. Thanks for all the great videos,i Keep the sticky side down, Patrick
Excellent Kevin you really touched on everything except delayed apex but almost certain you've spoken about this before. Road conditions and visibility so so important even for skilled riders. Recognizing changes in road surface...gravel, oil, leaves, deep water, I've seen some of the best lose control because they didn't anticipate these things...now to buy one of those caps!!!!
One of the things that caught me by surprise was fairly extreme banking in an corner, I'd guess about 15-20 deg. That's quite a bit for a race track and a whole lot for a road. I got through the corner OK it did require some quick changes on my part. Just something to think about when cornering. Keep the good stuff coming Kevin.
Excellent! Consider moving your butt a little to the left or right when you start your countersteer. Throttle, clutch and brake controls are usually easy to adjust for smoother operation. Always interesting and informative, thanks!
Actually is the "Road & weather conditions" for me! It can change any sec. Was once on my scooter, and suddenly there were few rain droplets on the road which affected me on a round about. I lost a few traction but fortunately I saved the flow,countering the slide coming from the front wheel. So I realised. Thanks MC Rider for keeping us woke. Good job!👍
Again a great video Kevin. Always important content discussed. The hat video on the side is distracting though. Just thought you would like to know. I was fixated on it! Thanks anyway!
The only thing you might have missed is road camber. The only place I goofed up on was an off camber turn. Fortunately, the only thing that was damaged was my ego.
7:00 paraphrasing... "ride like a chicken"... excellent advice! My only bin in 20 years of riding was on my first day. Not leaving slack in my throttle arm was the cause of my first (and only) off in 20 years of riding. Bend those elbows.. if the bike gets away from you even the slightest bit with a straight throttle arm you can roll the throttle up it's "hello pavement".
I see far too many riders that do not work on handling skills. They are only concerned with looking cool and making as much noise as possible and never get better at cornering or slow speed handling....where most single vehicle crashes take place.
Thanks for all your wisdoms and experience. Can you please tell us what motorcycle you own and perhaps do a review on them ?? I all ready two good bikes, 2014 Motto Guzzi California 1400 touring and 2006 H D SOFTAIL. I like them both, but I am still searching for the close to perfect cruiser/ bagger will satisfy my taste and fit me well. I am 60 years of age and 6’2 with 34 inseam. I love the bmw K1600 GT, but lacks the forward controls I prefer. It is hard to choose between the street glide and the road master. I feel the quality built on both are way below the BMW. I believe the way both companies HD and Indian are brain washing people by pushing the aftermarket sale to make 25 to 35K USD a good bike after you spend additional 10 K USD to make the bike a good quality bike. What are your thoughts ??? Thanks.
If you are minding speed limits and warning signs, you should be able to get through any corner you come too no problem...except, unexpected hazards in the road. Expect them, BOLO for them.
I appreciate the focus on a little bit higher level. There are sooooo many good videos on countersteering out there it's hard to present something new. (That said, my favorites are the ones that show the bike from the front, showing how the wheel falls to the inside as you initiate a turn with it.)
You know Kevin, considering these are video tips, it would be nice to include some extra video- Instead of using hand gestures I mean. Thanks for all you do all the same though. Stay safe and healthy 😉
@@MCrider then a deliberate reference to those vids would be helpful. I don't understand why trail braking wouldn't be taught to beginners, who absolutely need it most. Everyone trail brakes in their car, so I don't think the concept is that hard to grasp. In fact if you don't get it, and use it, you probably shouldn't be riding a motorcycle (like counter steering). Not being able to deliberately slow your vehicle while in a curve is a good way to guarantee a crash. How can you determine proper entry speed for a curve if it's exit isn't visible when you enter it? Or if an obstacle suddenly appears that didn't influence your entry speed decision? Your vids really helped me to understand safe motorcycle operation and enjoyment. I mean no disrespect with this observation. You do the community a great service, and I thank you for that. Many times in my first years of riding, I could hear your calm and clear voice as I was riding, and I found great advantage, comprehension and reassurance in that.
@@tommeyer6033 Fully agreed on teaching it. Should at give riders info on it in the normal beginner courses--whereas now if it gets brought up, it's still billed as "advanced." And although the classes already have to work hard to teach the bare minimums in 1-2 days, they can prepare them to utilize it in their future riding by focusing particularly on feathering/progressive braking and teaching them how to safely practice. Seems WAY more important to teach than U-turns! Classes aside, I'm really glad that we're starting to see it talked about more by UA-cam creators (like Kevin! Look up those videos) in the last couple of years, including in beginner training videos like these. I think the huge popularity of ChampU--which teaches it right away--has probably had a positive influence there. Actually, one huge moto UA-camr surprised me recently by making a video admitting that he was wrong to discourage it before. (In contrast, despite his apparent strong safety focus, I'll be shocked if we ever see DDFM admit it's anything other than an advanced skill, and he's perhaps the biggest source of beginner-focused content.)
The hat video is very distracting when trying to watch your videos. This has happened for the last several and I was hoping it would go away or just be one in every few. I find myself loosing track of what you're saying and I get distracted by it every time. I think its great you make hats and they are a great buy but it makes it hard to concentrate on your content in the current forum.
The machine. Certainly makes a difference. I was gifted a 2017 indian springfield. I hate it. Its like cornering a tank. I had previously had a 2010 triumph rocket 111 and i had also had a 2006. The rockets were a dream to handle and corner, much like crotch rockets. I have also had 3 Yamaha roadstars which were much better by far to the indian. Albeit nothing like the rockets. Following all your suggestions, which i have for many years, im 75, the springfield , for me, is a whole different ball game. So yes, the bike is a huge difference when following all conditions as stated. The indian sucks.
In the past 9 months (started riding last May at 44 yrs old) I have watched all your videos. I've never commented, but just just commenting now for a genuine THANK YOU for all the great knowledge I've gained from you.
Took up street riding at age 58 last summer. Ride a Triumph T120 and just love it! At my age crashing is not an option. Committed to full gear and try to stay away from heavy traffic as much as possible. No night riding for me. 😉 I ride strictly for recreation.
That said, I do have past motocycle experience riding dirt bikes as a teenager. The clutch/shifting/braking coordination, I seem to have never lost.
All that said...I have never once felt out of control in any curve so long as I stay within 10 miles or less the posted speed limit and pay attention to posted warning signs for curves. To me this is the single most important safety measure when navigating a corner on streets.
Happy riding!
Blast out of the curves for the thrill but enter the curves as though you are riding on ice. The satisfaction will be just the same IMHO...
Thanks for the video! I constantly see younger riders, and even some older ones, talking proudly about street riding attitude that is more appropriate to a closed course. These folks count too much on their luck. On the streets we never know the conditions of the road and hazards can be a constant surprise. The few times I've had close calls I was falling into that behavior. I finally learned. We can have fun without going to extremes of risking our health and others. May the Universe always protect us.
An older guy was typing the same thing about you at one time.
@@ranbymonkeys2384 He was certainly mistaken. My misbehavior moments were very few and brief. I learned quickly before any bad could happen.
All good comments and well delivered, thank you. I learned to ride back in the mid 60’s, Honda 250 scrambler on and off road, starring at that rock in my path was my way of avoiding it, I would just swerve at the last minute, worked better in the dirt. I was afraid if I took my eyes off the object I’d run right into it.
I woke up when a colleague in my car pool informed me to look down the road where you want to go, not at the road right in front of me - in hopes of smoothing out my erratic driving. I then applied that to my motorcycle riding and could not believe the difference. Since then I often mention that technique to passengers in my car & fellow riders, I also made a pointed & repeated effort to inform my kids as such when teaching them to drive. Back then resources of proper influence in driving and or riding technique were something of happenstance. I am very thankful for the availability of really good educational material you and others provide these days, please keep up the good work, thank you for your efforts and educational information. You do a great job!
Great info Kevin. With practice we could all improve our cornering skills. Something worth mentioning is that impaired riders comprise a significant percentage of curve related motorcycle crashes. Then again, that speaks directly to rider skill level, which diminishes with the first drink.
Thanks Jude, happy to see your comment on here. Hope you are doing well, Kevin
👍 Something that ties in with obstacles and safe entry speed - In winding country areas, some corners can look for all money to be veering in a certain direction, but with a view through the whole corner (past any obstacle like a crest in the road, earthen bank, tree/s, long grass, whatever) the road ahead can veer in an unexpected direction. Keeping this in mind was helpful on more than one occasion. Keep the shiny side up. Cheers.
I have used things you have said to improve my riding abilities. Good video thanks Kevin!
Those hats look good
As always! Your information you share is GOLDEN! Much appreciated! Rubber side down!
Avoiding the temptation to being distracted by the beautiful scenery while going through the curves. And, be prepared for any critter crossings. Thanks for your videos. 🙋♂️🏍💨
Thanks Kevin. In just just a few short months I'll get to practice these skills again.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge saved my life a few times made me a better rider
I just started riding 2 months ago (Oct. 2023). I love your channel and have learned a lot in a short amount of time. My biggest problem with curves right now is keeping my upper body loose and not leaning on the handle bars. These two things make it hard to counter steer.
I am here for this! Good info on what influences cornering success. I realize I rely on some of them and ignore others. Only when i control all the factors do I have my best results.
Thanks Kevin
How do you do that, control all factors?
Excellent training!
Excellent information. Thanks Kevin.
Great video I recently bought a Honda DCT due to my tendinitis and have found it’s game changer for city rides except for this one thing the surprise down shift in the middle of a curve. I have gotten some what used it occurring but it’s kinda harsh. One of those things.
Kevin, I enjoy your presentations, this one being a good general overview of proper cornering. That being said , and I’m sure you have discussed the principles of trail braking as part of cornering techniques before. Would you mind touching upon this method of corner entry again in part because I think there are a lot of new and mid level riders riding very powerful machines. Last weekend I witnessed such a rider going in hot on a fairly standard, fairly tight sweeper, and not tapping out those brakes before entry, Needless to say she lost it halfway through the turn due mostly to not setting up the turn properly and looking through the turn before entry.
Thanks for all the great videos,i
Keep the sticky side down,
Patrick
There are several videos on the subject. Just search UA-cam for “MCrider trail braking” and they will pop up. 👍🏻
excellent video! ZEN and the art of motorcycle (maintenance)
Excellent Kevin you really touched on everything except delayed apex but almost certain you've spoken about this before. Road conditions and visibility so so important even for skilled riders. Recognizing changes in road surface...gravel, oil, leaves, deep water, I've seen some of the best lose control because they didn't anticipate these things...now to buy one of those caps!!!!
Thanks bro for keeping me on two ✌
Awesome as always
Great video on the topic
Thanks!
One of the things that caught me by surprise was fairly extreme banking in an corner, I'd guess about 15-20 deg. That's quite a bit for a race track and a whole lot for a road. I got through the corner OK it did require some quick changes on my part. Just something to think about when cornering. Keep the good stuff coming Kevin.
Good information
Love the hat
Great Info Kevin. Thank you.
Excellent! Consider moving your butt a little to the left or right when you start your countersteer. Throttle, clutch and brake controls are usually easy to adjust for smoother operation. Always interesting and informative, thanks!
Always good. Thank you.
Good stuff!
Knowing the road is always your best start.
Actually is the "Road & weather conditions" for me! It can change any sec. Was once on my scooter, and suddenly there were few rain droplets on the road which affected me on a round about. I lost a few traction but fortunately I saved the flow,countering the slide coming from the front wheel. So I realised. Thanks MC Rider for keeping us woke. Good job!👍
Good video.
I have a problem of looking down and fixation at the end of the road.
I am 72 years old and my spine is stiff which causes balance issues.
Hi Kevin. I wonder if you’re still gonna sell the handmade tan cap with red patch on it? I just saw it’s already sold out.
Nice video
Again a great video Kevin. Always important content discussed. The hat video on the side is distracting though. Just thought you would like to know. I was fixated on it! Thanks anyway!
You have to avoid target fixation. 😉
Go back and watch the video again. This time focusing on Kevin.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ it thanks great information
Hey, does anyone know what bike is in thumbnail (i know its a sketch, but I like that kind of front fairing)
The only thing you might have missed is road camber. The only place I goofed up on was an off camber turn. Fortunately, the only thing that was damaged was my ego.
7:00 paraphrasing... "ride like a chicken"... excellent advice! My only bin in 20 years of riding was on my first day. Not leaving slack in my throttle arm was the cause of my first (and only) off in 20 years of riding. Bend those elbows.. if the bike gets away from you even the slightest bit with a straight throttle arm you can roll the throttle up it's "hello pavement".
Great advice on fixation. It is very dangerous to focus on one thing
BOOM! first comment. Thx, Kevin
ps. Hope you're weathering the nasty TX ice storm OK.
Thx, still a lot of ice on the ground here...mostly in my backyard. ;)
I see far too many riders that do not work on handling skills. They are only concerned with looking cool and making as much noise as possible and never get better at cornering or slow speed handling....where most single vehicle crashes take place.
Thanks for all your wisdoms and experience. Can you please tell us what motorcycle you own and perhaps do a review on them ?? I all ready two good bikes, 2014 Motto Guzzi California 1400 touring and 2006 H D SOFTAIL. I like them both, but I am still searching for the close to perfect cruiser/ bagger will satisfy my taste and fit me well. I am 60 years of age and 6’2 with 34 inseam. I love the bmw K1600 GT, but lacks the forward controls I prefer. It is hard to choose between the street glide and the road master. I feel the quality built on both are way below the BMW. I believe the way both companies HD and Indian are brain washing people by pushing the aftermarket sale to make 25 to 35K USD a good bike after you spend additional 10 K USD to make the bike a good quality bike. What are your thoughts ??? Thanks.
If you are minding speed limits and warning signs, you should be able to get through any corner you come too no problem...except, unexpected hazards in the road. Expect them, BOLO for them.
What's the safe speed at the apex on good road surface on a 90 degree turn?
If the radius of the turn is 1/2 mile, you can go thru it really fast. If the radius of the turn is 10 feet, you'll have to go much slower.
That's kind of like asking "How long is a piece of string?" More information is required.
I am surprised you didn’t mention “Counter Steering”
I have to leave room for part 2. :)
Keith code
I appreciate the focus on a little bit higher level. There are sooooo many good videos on countersteering out there it's hard to present something new. (That said, my favorites are the ones that show the bike from the front, showing how the wheel falls to the inside as you initiate a turn with it.)
Break the scan into segments which compare with imperial data; learn to acknowledge that the scan, imperical data, and the reality must agree.
You know Kevin, considering these are video tips, it would be nice to include some extra video- Instead of using hand gestures I mean. Thanks for all you do all the same though. Stay safe and healthy 😉
An entire vid about mastering cornering and no mention of trail braking, the absolute best technique for controlling your speed through a corner?
I have a lot of videos on that subject and consider it an Intermediate to Advanced level skill.
@@MCrider then a deliberate reference to those vids would be helpful.
I don't understand why trail braking wouldn't be taught to beginners, who absolutely need it most. Everyone trail brakes in their car, so I don't think the concept is that hard to grasp. In fact if you don't get it, and use it, you probably shouldn't be riding a motorcycle (like counter steering). Not being able to deliberately slow your vehicle while in a curve is a good way to guarantee a crash. How can you determine proper entry speed for a curve if it's exit isn't visible when you enter it? Or if an obstacle suddenly appears that didn't influence your entry speed decision?
Your vids really helped me to understand safe motorcycle operation and enjoyment. I mean no disrespect with this observation. You do the community a great service, and I thank you for that. Many times in my first years of riding, I could hear your calm and clear voice as I was riding, and I found great advantage, comprehension and reassurance in that.
Trail Brake is not a requirement to successfully make a curve
Never was and never will be
It is an enhanced method to go around a curve
Sorry Man
@@wollywolly2734 certainly. And you can make a curve without applying brakes at all... sometimes, in a perfect moment. That's not my point.
@@tommeyer6033 Fully agreed on teaching it. Should at give riders info on it in the normal beginner courses--whereas now if it gets brought up, it's still billed as "advanced." And although the classes already have to work hard to teach the bare minimums in 1-2 days, they can prepare them to utilize it in their future riding by focusing particularly on feathering/progressive braking and teaching them how to safely practice. Seems WAY more important to teach than U-turns!
Classes aside, I'm really glad that we're starting to see it talked about more by UA-cam creators (like Kevin! Look up those videos) in the last couple of years, including in beginner training videos like these. I think the huge popularity of ChampU--which teaches it right away--has probably had a positive influence there.
Actually, one huge moto UA-camr surprised me recently by making a video admitting that he was wrong to discourage it before. (In contrast, despite his apparent strong safety focus, I'll be shocked if we ever see DDFM admit it's anything other than an advanced skill, and he's perhaps the biggest source of beginner-focused content.)
Great video, thanks Kevin! Where did the beautiful illustration for the thumbnail come from?
It is A.I. generated.
@@MCrider Amazing, thanks!
👍
If only listing and saying it all would make it so.
So true...gotta put the work in. :)
You mean to tell me that most of the solo accidents in a motorcycle aren't going straight on a straight road? Who would have thunk it.
Of course, you are talking about curves on a highway.
You can't learn any motorcycle skill in minutes. Surprised Kevin's solution isn't simply to pray for more skill.
The hat video is very distracting when trying to watch your videos. This has happened for the last several and I was hoping it would go away or just be one in every few. I find myself loosing track of what you're saying and I get distracted by it every time. I think its great you make hats and they are a great buy but it makes it hard to concentrate on your content in the current forum.
The machine. Certainly makes a difference. I was gifted a 2017 indian springfield. I hate it. Its like cornering a tank. I had previously had a 2010 triumph rocket 111 and i had also had a 2006. The rockets were a dream to handle and corner, much like crotch rockets. I have also had 3 Yamaha roadstars which were much better by far to the indian. Albeit nothing like the rockets. Following all your suggestions, which i have for many years, im 75, the springfield , for me, is a whole different ball game. So yes, the bike is a huge difference when following all conditions as stated. The indian sucks.