Since bends and cornering are one of the things that really set bikes apart from cars, are one of the main places where riders come to grief (and where most fatals occur), and were a large part of the training courses I offered . . .
. . . It seemed to make sense to gather all of the links to blog pages related to cornering and bends. To start, just a list of links, but as time allows I'll copy and paste some content across to this page.
Systematic Riding
This sequence of posts develop from the theme of systems in riding, and then give a cornering system I've developed as a progression from the MSF's Slow, Look/Lean/Roll.
How Many 'S's?
When I started my involvement in rider training (although, in those days we used to train the bike, because it was ‘motorcycle training’ :) ), there was a well-known, derived from police ‘Roadcraft’-based training, Four ‘S’ list:
Safety
System
Smooth
Speed
‘Safety’ was the priority, then ‘System’ - riding to the Police System of Motorcycle Control:
Next, ‘Smooth’, all actions should be carried out smoothly. Finally, if all three ‘S’s could be achieved, then add ‘Speed’.
Sometimes, there was a fifth ‘S’ added: Gloss :) , or ‘Sparkle’, often defined as “That indefinable gloss” . . . very helpful.
After a few years of repeating that, it struck me that – in my opinion, anyway – there was a significant problem with the existing 4xS list: it encouraged systematic riding ahead of smooth riding.
In my opinion this could be unsafe. Why? Let’s use ‘braking’ as an example: you’re slowing for a hazard, you need to lose a fair bit of speed (more than can be achieved by just closing the throttle), so you brake – but rather than applying them smoothly you ‘grab’, with the potential for wheels to lock etc.
Reverse the order, and take a similar scenario slightly further on through the ‘old’ system: having slowed using the brakes a gear change is needed, but although you survived and stayed upright despite the harsh braking, now you’re ham-fisted with the clutch and don’t match the revs.
Compare this to where’ smooth’ is more important than system: before braking you change gear [‘System’ rider now having a fit, “No No No NO!”] – but match the revs perfectly and use the clutch smoothly . . . then close the throttle and start to brake, again applying the brakes smoothly and weighting for the balance to shift to the front tyre before braking more firmly . . .
So my ‘improved’ prompt became:
Safety Smooth System Speed
With:
Safety Smooth System Speed Sparkle
If you wanted real ‘high standard’ riding.
This kept me happy me many years, provoking a few discussions along the way.
But more recently I’ve been thinking about this, particularly in light of my gradual move away from ‘advanced’ training.
A few years ago I took the decision to end my involvement with the BMF Rider Training Scheme, under which I trained riders for the Blue Riband Advanced Riders Award. This was a wrench, as I was the person who managed its introduction across the UK at 15 centres, launched at the 1989 BMF Show, and subsequently took it to 45 centres across the UK from the Orkneys to Northern Ireland and down to Cornwall.
Instead of training riders to towards an ‘advanced’ test, I’ve been working more on sorting problems, really helping riders to enjoy their riding, and overcoming hurdles they had.
As part of that I developed the three-level Whole Rider assessment format – I really must make that available some day – which is a single assessment format which can be used for all riders from novice through to advanced.
For riders who simply want to enjoy their riding, without the ‘progress’ imperative often felt by those taking advanced training, the ‘speed’ and ‘sparkle’ elements may be irrelevant.
Also, those riders may not want to ride like a police officer on his best behaviour, they may prefer to move around like a motocross rider, or hang off like a grand prix star. That’s up to them to chose!
So I’ve shortened the 5xS back to three. Keeping ‘Safety’ and ‘Smooth’, I’ve removed the final three and, instead, added ‘Style’.
As I was moving away from ‘advanced’ training, I simplified my basic assessment of someone’s riding (although I’d use the Whole Rider Assessment and an advanced test format as necessary), asking just a few simple questions:
“Is their riding safe?”
“Is the riding in control?”
“Does the rider know what they’re doing and why?”
Which ties reasonably well with Safety Smooth Style.
Now, Q‘3’ isn’t just about ‘style’, it also encompasses far more about the rider’s awareness and the decisions they make. But from decisions come style, even self-expression. Hence the picture at the head of the post :)
So now you know, there are three ‘S’s in modern motorcycling.
Or are there . . . ?
More S Theory
In 1992 I became involved the US-based Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which taught a simple cornering ‘system’:
Slow, Look/Lean/Roll
Slow upright and in a straight line
Look where you want to go
Lean the bike (by counter-steering)
Roll the throttle on through the turn
Like the 5xS, I was quite happy with this for several years, but moer recently have found that it wasn’t what I actually did.
So I spent some time analysing my own riding and found that I actually started to open the throttle slightly before looking and steering, although I would still roll on the throttle through the turn.
As with the 5xS, this was part of a longer re-assessment of how I taught successful cornering.
So now I’m pleased to introduce the ‘S’s of motorcycling numbers 4, 5 and 6! (Although, of course, they’re really another 1, 2, 3)
This is the Malc improved cornering system: Speed Settle Steer
Slow: set the speed for the bend, select the appropriate gear to suit
Settle: both bike and rider
– off the brakes
– check you’re relaxed and comfortable
– open the throttle to balance the bike
Steer: head and hands, look where you want to go, press to steer, roll on the throttle
This allows a rider a little bit of ‘breathing space’ as they approach the bend, which encourages a riding style where the bike enters the bend balanced and under control.
It also acknowledges that all three of head [look], hands [bars & throttle] are important elements of steering.
The key thing, really, is earlier planning. You shouldn't have to 'fight' to get a bike around a corner. If that is the case, then you're doing it wrong, simple as.
Getting the bike around should be easy - you shouldn't need 'effort' at all.
So next time you're out for a ride, start by planning early for the bend, getting your speed down early (to a speed where you're comfortable looking well ahead around the corner - turning your entire head not just your eyes (point your chin where you want to go) - and to a speed where you're comfortable opening the throttle to drive the bike (going in with the throttle closed will make the bike feel 'heavy' and unco-operative).
Get yourself settled and relaxed (there's no need to hang off like a gibbon to get a bike to turn, you can sit 'square' on the bike and just use your forearms to steer (and a relaxed riding position with loose shoulders and arms will allow that arm movement).
Then settle the bike, off the brakes, gear seected, open the throttle to get the engine pulling.
Remember, all this is before you enter the turn!
At the start of the turn, point your chin and press on the bar. Keep looking, keep driving under power. If the bend tightens, turn your head further, press more to lean more.
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2010/09/cornering-continued.html
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2010/09/cornering-missing-link.html
Get it wrong cornering, and who's fault is it?
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/10/cornering-is-your-brain-bigger-than.html
Using - or abusing - the limit point when assessing bends:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/09/corners-cornering-safe.html
Some real-life examples of observation links and taking in clues:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2008/11/observation-links.html
What is 'concentration'? Some ideas on 'what' and how to improve:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2009/04/nature-of-concentration.html
Do you know whatan apex is?
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2009/06/think-bends-require-skill.html
Video from the cornering clinic web site:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2009/06/cornering-clinic.html