Cornering Your Motorcycle

One of the most fun things you can do on a motorcycle is to tackle a challenging corner, especially on those great winding back roads. It’s critical that you learn how to corner safely, because getting a corner wrong can put you in a world of hurt. At North County Indian Motorcycle® in San Marcos, California, we’ve put together this brief guide to help you understand how to tackle the toughest corners with confidence—and have a lot of fun doing so! And when you’re ready to shop for a new bike, or you need motorcycle accessories, gear, or anything else, come see us! We also serve customers in San Diego and Oceanside.

Basic Tips

What kind of bike do you ride? If you’re on a racing bike, your cornering will look a lot different than if you’re on a crotch rocket or a cruiser. In fact, every motorcycle corners a little bit differently than any other, and it’s important to get comfortable and confident on your bike first, and then use that confidence to help you when you’re upping your cornering game.

For example, if you’re on a sport bike or a racing bike, you’ll want to learn how to lean your bike as far over as you can, so that you can get the most speed and control on the track or the road. These bikes are designed for knee-dragging fun on the racetrack, so they have very different dynamics and power characteristics than, say, a cruiser.

If you have a cruiser, then you have a different challenge to tackle. Cruisers often have lots of bits sticking out of them—foot pegs, chrome fairings, panniers, big handlebars, and so on. They’re also weighted differently than sport bikes are, and that makes for completely different dynamics when cornering. You can’t lean as far over, so you have to corner at a lower speed. 

The bottom line is that you need to know your bike before you get to know those fun roads. And you need to know yourself—your riding skill, your comfort with speed, and even how your own weight and riding position will affect how you corner.

See the Whole Turn

As you’re riding down that twisty road, you need to keep your head on a swivel. Once you approach a turn, see the whole turn—look through the initial corner, see the sweep and angle of it, and look all the way to the turn’s exit if you can. Not only will doing this help you navigate the corner, but it’ll help you naturally adjust your riding position to tackle the corner with confidence.

Know What Countersteer Is

Countersteer is how motorcycles corner. It’s a concept any good rider needs to know about. You countersteer by pressing forward and down on the handlebar that’s on the side of your bike you want to turn. If you want to turn left, press the left handlebar. To turn right, press the right handlebar. Countersteer can be a little tricky and counterintuitive for new riders, so it’s important to master this technique before you really start challenging yourself. 

Steer Through the Turn

Once you’ve got the bike at the right angle and lean for the corner, ease onto the throttle and add power gently up to your comfort level. Be very careful not to use too much throttle for your riding ability—sometimes, a turn might be tighter than you think it is initially, or there might be debris in the road, or something else might happen, and you’ll find yourself in a world of hurt if you’re not in control. As long as you focus, keep control, and ride to your skill level, you should be able to take any corner with ease, and have a lot of fun doing it. 

Get Upright

As you exit the turn, apply gentle pressure to the opposite handlebar, give yourself a little more throttle, and straighten out at the end of the turn. Exiting a turn correctly is just as important than any other part of the turn, and getting it wrong can be just as consequential. 

Bikes are meant to be ridden, and the ride is meant to be fun. As long as you’re smart and keep a good head on your shoulders, you’ll be tackling those great canyon roads with a big grin on your face. And the next time you need parts and accessories for your bike, or you need a new motorcycle entirely, come see us at North County Indian Motorcycle®. We’re looking forward to meeting you!