How do I get over this fear?

Question

This is a weird question. I am trying to get comfortable with my bike and counter steering and leaning. I can swerve side to side while going straight, however I have this fear that if I do this in a turn onto a street that my back end is going to somehow come under me and low side. Oddly enough I didn’t have this fear in the MSF class. Probably because I knew for sure that there wasn’t crap on the road that would make me low side.

So I guess my question is how do I get over this fear? And how bad do the road conditions have to be where I shouldn’t lean/counter steer say in to a turn?

Steven 6 years 0 Answers 1313 views 0

Answers ( No )

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    Time in the saddle.

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    It’s natural for new riders to have little confidence in the tyres. Basically it’s something that just comes with time. If you wanted to speed up the process I would suggest following a rider you trust and use them as a marker for correct cornering lines, speed and lean angle, or even spend a few hours at the track learning how hard you can push your bike.

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    Don’t worry about going too slow. I sometimes get that feeling, too, and I’ve been riding since 2005. The worse thing that kills the best riders is over-confidence. Bikes are extremely fast and can easily be underestimated while riding. I think it’s a good thing that a few dangers scare you because it makes you feel and know your own limits and stay aware. I say take the corner safely, but most important, make sure that the person behind you sees you if you’re going to slow down enough to not need to counter-steer through the corner. Always use your blinkers – the LED’s are badass and look good, so why not show them off a bit? Spend time riding and take your time learning and don’t get too impatient – before you know it, you’ll be making turns without even having to think about it and seeing hazards on the road ahead of time so you can adjust to be safe. Maybe practice in a big hospital parking lot near ER 😉 Take it easy, man. Patience & practice.

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    Also apart from very low speed cornering ie in a parking lot, you are not going to be able to turn without at least a little counter steering.\nAs you get more experienced you will get better at judging speed and how much you need to counter steer when entering a turn. You have probably heard it heaps before but try to finish your braking before entering a turn, it makes you more stable, comfortable and it’s one less thing to worry about.

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    Empty car parks are a great tool for building confidence. If you find one big and flat enough, with a minimal number of islands, you can get some decent speed up and real feel the bike. I spent some time doing that when I first got my licence. Still do it every now and then to keep my low speed skills up.

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    If you want to get nerdy, there is actually a mathematical equation for countersteering in the Wiki page. I read the whole thing and am intrigued by the science involved during the process. Pretty cool!!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering#Gyroscopic_effects

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    Remember the msf course bikes are small and low to the ground. You shoud4 be looking ahead in the future remember and view reading road conditions. Just take the easy the street is no place to drag knee

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    Keep riding look ahead where you want to go. Also watch twist the wrist 2 on you tube

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    YouTube twist the wrist 2.

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    I had this fear as well. Try figure 8’s in an empty lot.

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    Do a track day with an organization that provides instruction. They are typically called Advanced Rider Training days (ART).

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    And if it hasn’t been mentioned pick up the Twist of the Wrist books by Keith Code.

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    Get 5000 miles on the bike then when you get the next set of tires break them in and go to a track day. A coach will give you hands on pointers in real time.

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    Thanks for the advice everyone. As for road condition advice, does anyone have any suggestions? I would feel more confident to learn harder if I knew for sure the road conditions wouldn’t be the cause of my fall. I fear that every grain of sand on the road is going to cause me to wash out

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    Pay attention. That’s all it is. \nYou’re gonna crash one day, and road condition will probably play a big part in it, but keep your head screwed on, look ahead of where you’re going, and be mindful.\n\nBut once you have trust in your bike and in your tyres, you won’t worry about the conditions as much, won’t be as paranoid about going tits up. You’ll be able to see, recognize and avoid almost every hazard well before you’re on it

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    First off you should ALWAYS countersteer and lean even if road conditions are bad. Fighting physics is only going to make matters WORSE. Push the low bar (the one on the inside of the turn) as much as required to make the turn. As far as leaning, just don’t fight AGAINST the lean you don’t need to overlean. Just go with the flow. Exaggerated leans are only for higher speed manuevers where the goal is to lean your body more, so the bike leans less, which gives your tires a bigger footprint.\nIf road conditions are bad, you just need to go slower. But you always use counter-steering if you are moving above 5-10 mph. It seems counter-intuitive and can be scary. Confidence comes with time. One TECHNIQUE that you MUST use at your confidence level is to look way ahead while turning. Don’t look at where you are, or what your afraid you will slide on or into. Be looking at where you will be in several seconds look as far as possible ahead in the turn, or beyond the turn.\nThis technique works in two ways . Number one it avoids target fixation, which steers you into obstacles. If you are looking out of your line your body will not want to steer or lean no matter what your mind is trying to do. The second way it works, is by giving your unconscious mind, which is much faster and smarter, more data which makes leaning and steering more natural because you see the whole equation at once. You see the end of the turn, and the things you need to do are no longer a counter-intuitive guess, but an unconscious knowledge TRY it It works Also don’t passively sit. Put weight on your pegs and let your knees hold the tank lightly (or snugly) and let your body be a shock absorber for any bumps or whatever. If your body is working with the bike and not against it you can lean it over very far with no low side worries. It is natural not to trust it at first, but really you have tons of grip to spare. Don’t worry about over-leaning, just stay with the bike. Over-leans and kneedowns are advanced riding you don’t need, and will not adress your concerns.

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    You are way overthinking it. Just don’t come hard on the throttle… You’ll be fine!

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