A Beginner's Guide To Motorcycle Cornering

Motorcycle cornering is an important skill that every rider needs to develop. After all, you won't be riding in a straight line, stopping, turning your motorcycle around, then riding in a straight line home. All routes will involve turns, which means all routes will involve motorcycle cornering.

Use the following tips to understand the basic concepts for your next practice drive. If you have questions or want to shop motorcycles for sale, visit Jim Moroney's Inc. Our dealership is based in New Windsor, New York, and we also serve those in Newburgh and Cornwall.

1. Adjust Your Speed

Never take a corner at full speed. It's an unnecessary risky situation that can result in damage to your motorcycle or yourself. It's why so many road turns will have a reduced speed limit posted! 

With proper motorcycle cornering, you will lower your speed coming into the turn. You'll be able to get back up to your previous speed in no time...once you've safely made it through.

2. Change Your Rider Position Accordingly

A small shift to your riding position can make motorcycle cornering easier. As you go through the corner, lean forward and shift your body weight to the motorcycle's front. At the same time, move your inside leg up and forward. Position your toes down during this process.

These tweaks help push the center of gravity inwards. This keeps your upper body in line with the motorcycle, which helps you control the torque. It also reduces the amount you need to lean, which helps boost rider endurance.

3. Time The Gear Changes Right

As you exit the turn, have steady throttle control and work the clutch. When you time this right, you'll get power to the ground without sacrificing rear wheel grip.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice

Motorcycle cornering is not a skill that comes naturally or instantly. It takes time to learn the specifics of your given model's turning radius, how it responds to you, and how to adjust your approach based on the situation. The more you can practice, the faster you will become a motorcycle cornering expert.

Start off somewhere with little to no traffic. If possible, seek out an empty parking lot or a low-traffic neighborhood. Practice cornering at slow speeds. As you become more confident, you can slowly increase your speed. After you've dedicated the necessary practice hours, you'll be able to tackle higher speeds and more challenging routes. 

We hope you found this guide to motorcycle cornering helpful. For more riding advice or to shop motorcycles for sale, contact Jim Moroney's Inc. Our expert staff can answer questions, give suggestions, and help with whatever you need. Reach out today or stop by our dealership in New Windsor, New York. We also proudly serve those in Cornwall and Newburgh, New York.