time for some fun...

[Liam002]

hi guys, once again.
I've been building confidence and i've got good control of my bike now, so it's time to try to use the bikes big advantage over many other bikes, which is of course its light weight and brilliant handling. Im wondering if anyone could give me a few tips or hints on how to take corners properly, so i have somewhere to start from, rather than just guessing what i should be doing or using trial and error on what i think should be done.

Really i just want to use some more of my bikes almost completely untapped but huge potential in this area, and maybe put a few scrapes on the knee sliders while im at it. Any advice or links is appreciated!

[Jeppo]

Theres some good videos on youtube on how to get your knee down, however it isn't always the fastest way round a corner.
Just carry more speed into corners each time and get a feel for it. Body position is very important, i find half my butt of the seat, and get your head nice and low, around the mirror somewhere. Again the youtube vids (such as the one by mcn) are pretty gd at explaining this. If your going for knee down then toes on pegs (right at the edge of the peg) and stick your knee out.

As for keeping up with bigger bikes in corners, just make sure your in the right gear to accelerate away before you hit the corner, revs around the 10k mark, and be off the brakes before you tip it in, these little bikes tip in much quicker than the bigguns.

Find some good smooth roundabouts and go round them many times getting faster and faster, make sure your not pissing traffic off though. lol

[zimm]

i wouldnt worry about knee down .. i'd been riding on the road for 13 years, done 2 track days and 6 races before i got scrapes on me sliders..

that said.. it is fun

[crushedlizard]

I'd say body position is the most important aspect of cornering fast. People say KD isn't always the fastest way and it's true - there's no point hanging off like an ape on a gentle curve. But on most corners the KD body position is better. You don't have to touch your knee, but the body position required to get your knee down will keep your bike more upright giving you better grip (especially in the wet) and give you some extra lean angle in reserve should you misjudge it.

I often touch the knee to get a feel for the angle then bring it up (knee sliders are made of dairylea so don't last long!)

Also look well round the corner, as far round as you can as that's where you're heading. If you run wide, as hard as it is, don' look at the fast approaching outside curb, just keep that 1000 yard stare at where you want to be.

Best advice I heard was from that MCN KD video - you want to peer around a door. Your upper body is very important - there's a lot of weight up there so get it off and get it low. It's not just about your lower half.

To be honest do a track day - you'll learn your bikes (and your) limits safely and it's worth a 100 road hours.

Take it easy though. I recently trashed myself and my bike because of some debris I didn't see. (beacuse I was looking well round the corner )
Any other bike would have soaked up the bump. But not the ball punching Kawasaki ride with its rigid forks...