As motorcycle riders, we have to consider what traction is available to us at all times. Two tiny patches of rubber keep us planted to the ground. If we understand this, we can maximize that traction properly and release our uneasy cornering feelings for good. Replacing it with confidence.
Traction, or the amount of grip each of your tires has on the road, is strongly connected to three factors: throttle, lean angle (turning), and braking. Understanding how these work, will allow you to maximize traction in any situation.
One nice rule of thumb regarding traction is:
DON'T SURPRISE THE BIKE. Meaning don't ever communicate with the bike in both a rapid and dramatic fashion. Don't immediately roll all the way on or off the throttle, don't immediately lean all the way to maximum angle, and don't immediately apply all of your might to the brakes. Allow the bike to accept your input by being deliberate not dramatic. Remember, all of these inputs transfer weight to/from the tires, and rapid transfer causes the tires to give out. Give the tire time to accept the new load.
In keeping with this idea, trail braking involves slowly and deliberately relieving pressure from the brakes as you enter a turn. This allows for an even deliberate transfer from brake traction to lean traction.
Trail braking means applying your most heavy pressure to the brakes before the turn, but slowly fading off the front brake as you begin to lean and head to the apex of the corner. t allows you to slow down after you are already turning, which is valuable if a blind corner is tighter than you thought, or if there are obstacles you did not see before turning.
As you become more adept at this technique, you will learn that it is quite fine to brake while cornering, and in many cases it is even desirable. In fact, most experienced riders employ trail braking regularly when entering steep corners, especially if they are unable to see the apex immediately. It is especially useful to control corner speed when riding downhill.
I came across this video by CanyonChasers, and it is really the best explanation of the technique that I have seen.
Traction, or the amount of grip each of your tires has on the road, is strongly connected to three factors: throttle, lean angle (turning), and braking. Understanding how these work, will allow you to maximize traction in any situation.
One nice rule of thumb regarding traction is:
DON'T SURPRISE THE BIKE. Meaning don't ever communicate with the bike in both a rapid and dramatic fashion. Don't immediately roll all the way on or off the throttle, don't immediately lean all the way to maximum angle, and don't immediately apply all of your might to the brakes. Allow the bike to accept your input by being deliberate not dramatic. Remember, all of these inputs transfer weight to/from the tires, and rapid transfer causes the tires to give out. Give the tire time to accept the new load.
In keeping with this idea, trail braking involves slowly and deliberately relieving pressure from the brakes as you enter a turn. This allows for an even deliberate transfer from brake traction to lean traction.
Trail braking means applying your most heavy pressure to the brakes before the turn, but slowly fading off the front brake as you begin to lean and head to the apex of the corner. t allows you to slow down after you are already turning, which is valuable if a blind corner is tighter than you thought, or if there are obstacles you did not see before turning.
As you become more adept at this technique, you will learn that it is quite fine to brake while cornering, and in many cases it is even desirable. In fact, most experienced riders employ trail braking regularly when entering steep corners, especially if they are unable to see the apex immediately. It is especially useful to control corner speed when riding downhill.
I came across this video by CanyonChasers, and it is really the best explanation of the technique that I have seen.