Increasing your corner speed

[Rick]

Corners are tough to master for most folks, as a lot of things are happening when you enter and exit each corner.  The most common mistake is to look at the corner (essentially at the ground) while you are entering, passing through, and exiting the corner.  Try this:  Find a corner that has a smooth arc that you can ride in second or third gear with confidence.  Choose a smooth corner, one without rocks or whoops, so you can focus on technique.  As you begin to enter the corner, leave your foot off the rear brake, this is not a slide into/power out of corner technique.  As you enter the corner, turn your head towars the exit of the corner, keeping your eyes at the same level as before, and look past the exit.  You are essentially looking at WHERE you want to GO, not where you ARE in the corner.  Your head will naturally rotate back to center as you exit the corner, making you ready for the next corner/obstacle/trail tansition.

Most folks will look at the ground in front of their front tire, but the reality is that whatever is going to happen in that section of trail is going to happen whether or not you see it or not, as you are traveling too fast to compensate for that unkown obsacle anyway.  Trust your instincts to compensate for whatever is in the apex of the corner, and force yourself to ride based upon where you want to go, not where you have been.

Give it a shot, I think you'll increase your corner speed, as well as your enjoyment of the trail.  Think it won't work?  Next time your watching your favorite National MX rider go around the track at the next National, watch his head.  As he enters the corner, his head will snap to the exit, essentially making the spot where he wants to go.

Rick

[mwt168]

Maybe just another quick tip, don't be afraid to lay the bike over while going through the turn. Depending on how sharp the turn is, you can lay the bike over and ride out the turn. Me personally, I don't slow down too much coming into turn, I make sure the back tire gets in the birm, lay the bike over, and at the same time I smash the gas. Reminder, pull the clutch in when coming into the turn. Make sure you keep the revs up while you're in the turn. As soon as you begin to exit the turn, dump the clutch and roll on the throttle. Depending if your going uphill or not you may not want to let the clutch out all the way. Basically use your clutch as a throttle, not the actual throttle. Hope this helps. Remember learn slow, get the technique down before you decide to go ripping through a turn.

[KXcam22]

I find my KX steers very well by weighting the pegs.  Not so much for tight turns but in high speed sweepers and such. Experiment by putting all your weight on one pegs, then the other, and see which way the bike goes. Cam.

[toddwunsch]

Yeah, the pegs tip was the best tip I've ever gotten.  Increased my riding ability one level with that tip alone.  In fast sweeping turns, especially in sand, weight the peg in the direction you want to turn.  It's amazing how the bike  almost turns itself.

[KXcam22]

Todd,
  It's a neat trick. I used to race a 400 Maico that was the opposite.  You weighted the outside peg in turns. It took a bit to get good at since in tight corners you actually crouched low over the seat (but not siting) with all your weight on one leg on the outside peg.  You could  corner unbelievably doing this. My KX seems to respond to this as well (but only in slow tight corners) but not as dramatically as the old Maico. Cam.

[rhinogrrrl]

Good info guys...

...also fun to practice weighting the outside peg with rear braking/slide/turns...or whatever you call them. The bike does most of the work for you when you've got your peg weighted correctly...plus its fun to turn 90-180? in quick fashion.   ... not that I do it with any proficency...but fun nevertheless.

[kiwikx500]

Sounds like gd advice thanks 

[SMPKX500]

Yeah, the pegs tip was the best tip I've ever gotten.  Increased my riding ability one level with that tip alone.  In fast sweeping turns, especially in sand, weight the peg in the direction you want to turn.  It's amazing how the bike  almost turns itself.

I was told to weight the outside peg taking classes at Dade City Race way and it seams to have helped me.
They said to stand approaching the corner weight shifted backwards braking in a straight line and downshifting in the gear that you are to use exiting. Enter the corner sitting shifting your weight full forward and extending your inside leg while weighting the outside peg pushing off.
accelerate through the corner looking out where you intend to go. Don't look at the berm, look ahead.

You must brake going straight before entering the berm and accelerate through it. Most guys dont slow enough and over shoot the corner.

Hope this helps.

 

[Polar-Bus]

Corners are tough to master for most folks, as a lot of things are happening when you enter and exit each corner.  The most common mistake is to look at the corner (essentially at the ground) while you are entering, passing through, and exiting the corner.  Try this:  Find a corner that has a smooth arc that you can ride in second or third gear with confidence.  Choose a smooth corner, one without rocks or whoops, so you can focus on technique.  As you begin to enter the corner, leave your foot off the rear brake, this is not a slide into/power out of corner technique.  As you enter the corner, turn your head towars the exit of the corner, keeping your eyes at the same level as before, and look past the exit.  You are essentially looking at WHERE you want to GO, not where you ARE in the corner.  Your head will naturally rotate back to center as you exit the corner, making you ready for the next corner/obstacle/trail tansition.

Most folks will look at the ground in front of their front tire, but the reality is that whatever is going to happen in that section of trail is going to happen whether or not you see it or not, as you are traveling too fast to compensate for that unkown obsacle anyway.  Trust your instincts to compensate for whatever is in the apex of the corner, and force yourself to ride based upon where you want to go, not where you have been.

Give it a shot, I think you'll increase your corner speed, as well as your enjoyment of the trail.  Think it won't work?  Next time your watching your favorite National MX rider go around the track at the next National, watch his head.  As he enters the corner, his head will snap to the exit, essentially making the spot where he wants to go.

Rick

Great post,
When I attended the Tony D. MX school, I knew I needed more confident cornering. The first thing they tutor you on is "target fixation" In corners, you will "always go where you are looking" They stress the importance of keeping your head UP, and looking at the END of the berm, not looking low, and at it. This was a big improving step for me, but took a lot of discipline for me to consistantly do thereafter (I have so many bad habits)

[RIDEitINTOtheGROUND]

all this peg weighting is quite useful stuff.  weighting either side is an option, depending on what you need.  generally weighting the outside helps most people feel more confident in turns because it helps keep you hooked up to the ground.  weighting the inside gives the bike a tendancy to break loose, you're pusing/rotating the bike into a counter steer.  i find that i use the inside peg weight method the most when i'm standing, layed out over the front of the bike in high speed sweepers.  for some it helps to think of it as (when standing) lightening the outside peg to let the bike slide out to meet your weight, this way you can have a lot of finess