Rider Training - Having a plan for your riding.
The unfortunate holiday road tolls and the recent rise in motorcycle road fatalities should be a reminder to all of us that we need to manage our road use with extreme care.
The Public Street - Is There A Right Line?
Is there really a 'Right Line' for the road? Which line to take when cornering on the Public Street will depend on many factors. The prime ones being which line is going to give me the best safety margin on my exit and can I see through the corner.
A high proportion of crashes involving motorcycles occur on bends and corners and many on roads free from traffic where the crash involves just the motorcycle.
This delicate balancing act that takes place when a two wheeled vehicle follows a curved course is is a combination of many factors. Getting your Speed, Position and Gear right before entry is a good start to safely negotiating a curve. Failing to have one of those correct could be enough to upset the exit from your corner.
Speed
The Speed at which a full dresser-type tourer can run through a given curve is different from a sports-type motorcycle. The largest percentage of road riders aren't necessarily looking for the fastest line through a corner and, in fact, because their speed is much slower when cornering, the need to be looking for the "Right Line" is not the major priority.
Other factors such as the surface, camber, other vehicles and, most importantly, line of sight through the corner, is the determining feature.
A common mistake made is riding into a corner where vision is restricted. For example, a blind right hand bend which is signposted at say, 20 km/h, the vision through the corner being restricted by a rock wall. In that scenario, if a tourist decides to stop at the exit of the corner to take some photos and the rider decides to enter the corner at 60 km/h, a crash would be inevitable. At 60 km/h, it would take the rider possibly 1 second to react to the stationary vehicle. this would mean that the rider would travel about 17 metres before attempting to apply the brakes (Reaction Time). because of the angle of lean, the rider would be unable to brake as effectively as when travelling in a straight line. restricted vision through the corner would mean the rider would run out of TIME and SPACE.
It is the most important to remember that speed must always be related to the extent of road you can see to be clear (including the road surface) and the ability to stop within this distance day or night. Sometimes, local knowledge, if wrongly used, can be hazardous beacuse it can tempt you to ride faster than is safe along familiar roads.
Knowing the braking characteristics of your motorcycle is important and remember, when your speed is doubled, your braking distance is quadrupled.
Reducing the Tightness of a Corner or Bend
When riding on the road, the thing to consider is reducing the tightness of the curve as you ride through it. By moving your motorcycle from one side of your lane space to the other, you can follow a shallower curve, thereby improving stability. It's important that you check your mirrors every 3 to 5 seconds so that you know what's going on behind and consider that the driver of the following vehicle will have no idea what you are doing and may think you have pulled over to let him through. If it is a tailgater, that may be the best action ie. get him to pass you, then he's no longer a concern.
Series of Bends
If you plan your course through a series of bends, your exit point will put you in a good position to enter the second bend. Only do this if you can clearly see across the bends and that there are no additional hazards in your path. If there is oncoming traffic, you should consider how close to the centre line you are and, in fact, staying left could very well be the best position.
The bottom line should be: "What position on my half of the road should I be to approach the next corner?"
NEVER SACRIFICE SAFETY FOR POSITION
Points to keep in mind when cornering on the Public Street:
-Practise using all available lane space
-Think - what can I observe through the bend?
-Reduce curvature of bend
-Think - surface condition
-Look well ahead - stay left when approaching other vehicles.
What Can I See?
The road position you adopt will be determined by how much you can see when you are entering the corner. This position is the one which gives you the best view depending on whether it is a left or righthand corner.
Right Hand Corners
Move towards the left of your lane space. Being aware of parked vehicles, blind corners and poor surface conditions towards the edge. For right hand corners, the nearside (left side of the lane) gives an earlier view into the corner.
Left Hand Corners
Positioning yourself towards the centre line (offside) to get an earlier view around the bend - consider the following before adopting this position: approaching traffic and other offside dangers; whether your move to this position might mislead traffic as to your intentions; and finally, whether any advatage would be gained at low speed or if an open corner with plenty of vision through it. For left hand corners, the position towards the centre of the road gives an earlier view.
Until next time, Stay Upright
Warwick Schuberg
Stay Upright
Motorcycle Techniques
