SAFETY TIPS
By MIKE Phillips |
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BODY POSITION have been on many group rides
I this year and hope you have too . I like to ride at the back of the group so I can watch how the other riders handle their bikes . Most of the problems I see happen in curves . Over 40 % of all crashes occur in curves involving a single motorcycle . The same three issues lead to the majority of crashes in curves . They are speed , braking , and rider body position .
Entry speed in a curve is the most critical factor in a crash . This does not mean speeding over the limit but is any speed that makes you slow down after starting the curve . Choose a speed that allows you to maintain or slightly increase speed through the curve . If you need to slow down in a curve by applying the brakes , rolling off the throttle , or pulling in the clutch , it is because you started the curve too fast . Slowing by any means in a curve causes the bike to stand up straighter , making the curve radius larger , thus forcing the bike off the road . Heavy braking in a curve can cause the bike to fall over to the inside of the curve . Take each curve at a speed slower than you think you should . As part of my job , I have investigated multiple crashes in curves and have never had a rider tell me the reason they ran off the road was because they were going too slow .
There are two ways to use brakes for curves . The first is to brake to the appropriate entry speed before the curve . Use both brakes , then release the brakes before the bike leans into the curve , and do not
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touch the brakes until the curve is completed . This is the easiest and safest way to take a curve for most riders . The second way is to trail brake to the center of the curve . Trail braking is an advanced technique that takes time and practice to perfect . Trail braking is an excellent skill to use in all curves . Trail braking involves using the brakes before the bike leans in the curve . As the bike leans , the rider eases off the brakes through the first half of the curve . The front brake is used the most in trail braking . The term comes from the rider trailing off or easing off the brakes as the bike rolls through the curve . The brakes are used as the bike starts its lean into the curve , rather than grabbing the brakes after the bike is leaned over . Grabbing the brakes after the bike is leaned in a curve usually results in a crash or a near miss .
Body position is one of the least understood skills riders use . Body position in a curve can make the curve easier or cause a crash . For example , a bike is steered through a curve with the lean angle of the bike , not the handlebars . Curves taken faster than walking speed requires the rider to counter-steer the bike . Push forward on the righthand grip to lean the bike to the right . The weight transfers to the right , letting the bike turn right . The rider should lean their upper body in the same direction as the bike . Many riders start a curve by leaning
the bike to the right and then lean their upper body to the left away from the curve . This increases the turning radius making the curve harder to negotiate . Many riders are uncomfortable leaning into a curve , but that is exactly what is needed to help the bike through the curve . Leaning to the outside of a curve sends mixed signals to the bike and reduces the ability of the rider to look all the way through the curve .
Total Control cornering classes teach a skill called chin over wrist . This teaches the rider to lean into a curve with the bike by pushing your chin over the wrist on the inside of the curve . Head and eyes are up , looking through the curve . The right-hand pushes forward on the right-hand grip as the upper body leans right . The left arm straightens out and pulls slightly on the lefthand grip . This motion of pushing forward on the right and pulling slightly on the left grip helps lean the bike , making the curve smoother and easier . By leaning the upper body into a curve , the bike will not need to be leaned over nearly as far to complete the curve . Watch racers on sport bikes riding curves at high speed . The rider leans into the curve as far as they can , almost touching the ground with their bodies . That much lean angle is extreme for riding on the road , but it is the same skill road riders should use .
Riding through curves is one of the most fun things to do on a bike . We travel the country looking for twisty roads to ride . However , the ride can be more fun and safer by choosing an appropriate entry speed , using the brakes correctly , and leaning your upper body into the curve . CMA
Mike Phillips is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation ( MSF ) instructor in Arkansas .
27⎪NOVEMBER 2022⎪www . cmausa . org