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Welcome to Turning a motorcycle motorcycle Steering.
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 The
MSF course teaches the Slow, Look, Press and
Roll method of motorcycle steering. The technique
is actually quite good, not advanced, but good
for beginners. We'll explain the slow,
look, press and roll method here.
There are two (2) types of steering you will
be doing - slow speed turning where you
actually turn the wheel in the direction you
want to go and faster speed turning -
press the grip (push forward) in the direction you want to go.
How fast - 10 to 20 mph, depending on the rake of
the motorcycle (at very low speeds it's just simpler
to turn the wheel in the direction you want to
go, although counter-steering will lean the bike
even at very low speeds). |
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Call Today - (386) 756-4733
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motorcycle Steering |
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 The motorcycle Safety Foundation's basic rider course
provides students with the Slow, Look, Press and Roll
method of steering a motorcycle. Actually a very
good method, but we'll explain it in detail here, for
those that want to know more about it.More
advanced methods include shifting your body weight prior
to entering the turn, coming to the turn quickly, rapid
braking just before entering the turn, easing off
braking smoothly, smooth
acceleration through-out the turn (couple of miles per hour) and
rapid accelerating while exiting . Slow in fast out. Picking your line (apex) is very important.
We'll discuss it in detail here
Motorcycle Apex -
Picking your line for the roll off and roll on
points and delayed apex (street
riders apex)..
| Slow, Look, Press and Roll |
- Slow –Braking should be
preformed before you enter a turn.
Unlike racers, you don't have to slow from more than 200 mph to about 40 mph to make a turn - hopefully. You reduce speed before you actually
enter the turn, by rolling off the
throttle - apply both brakes
smoothly and evenly; and downshifting
the motorcycle if necessary. If you have to you downshift.
Advanced riders Blip just prior to downshifting to bring up the engine speed. Blip? when the clutch is pulled in they briefly rev the engine, to match engine speed with the tire speed. so you don't feel that heavy gear shift or squeak the rear tire. How slow? You
want to slow to a speed suitable for you and your
comfort level and at the same time still be able to
increase your speed by 2 mph (steady roll on) to
stabilize the suspension. Advanced
methods include easing off the
brakes to reduce suspension bounce.
(TIP: Brakes are one of the
most significant controls of a
motorcycle, the key to effective
corning is have good brakes and
braking skills. Master
braking and you have mastered the
first step in efficient steering.
- Look – Turn your head and
look through the turn. – You
need to know where you are going,
look for trouble ahead (see further
- live longer) and it's part of your
balance system . Turn your head, not just
your eyes. Keep your eyes up and level with the horizon.
Look for trouble ahead briefly. You can turn
your head 20 times and without input
from the body or front wheel, it's
not going to turn the motorcycle. - see ocular
driving for more info
Motorcycle head turn - ocular
driving
TIP: (on the Rider course range -
always do a head turn and see with
your eyes, when turning and
keep it turned while turning on the
rider course range ),
but on the road there are
circumstances when you need to turn
your head in another direction to observe traffic and
your surroundings, even in a turn. You certainly want to
be able to see traffic when merging
onto a highway from a curve, just be
aware the motorcycle
tends to go in the direction the
head and eyes are pointed and take it into
consideration. (THE
BODY TENDS TO FOLLOW YOUR HEAD
WHICH CAN INFLUENCE THE MOTORCYCLE)
- Press – To turn, the
motorcycle must lean. To initiate a
lean, press forward on the handle
grip closest to the direction you
want to turn. In other words, press
left, lean left, go left; press
right, lean right, go right. Jab the
hand grip quickly and the bike
quickly turns on it's side, gently
push and the motorcycle goes over
slower. This is
called
counter-steering. About
pressing. If you jab the grip
quickly, the motorcycle leans
quickly, if you press gently it
leans gently. Here's the
problem:
During the MSF course, Instructors
are constantly telling you to pick
up your speed. There is a reason for
that, PRESS in the direction you
want to go (FORWARD) is one of the
most important concepts you will
learn. You have to get up enough
speed to judge the effect, so when
you're in the real world you will
use it.
Higher speed and tighter turns
require a more vigorous lean. In
slow, tight turns, lean the
motorcycle but keep your body
straight and upright. In very tight
turns (tight U-turns) at very low
speeds, you can use
the counter weight method -
lean your body slightly away from
the direction of the turn, although
it is not necessary, it seems to
provide comfort to some. This can
be accomplished by an extreme head
turn, leaning your shoulders.
TIP: On the road, the passenger should be told to
look over the shoulder (the shoulder
leaning into
the turn) of the driver. By doing so
the passenger will be in the correct
lean for the turn. Never carry a
passenger, if you cannot control the
bike no matter what the passenger
does.
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- Roll – Roll on the
throttle gently and evenly
throughout the turn, maintaining a
steady speed or slightly accelerating.
Gently rolling on the
throttle through the turn will
stabilize the suspension, and will
stabilize the motorbike through the
turn and Rolling on will actually
raise the motorcycle a bit giving
you more clearance. Rapid deceleration or rapid
acceleration in the corner causes
the tires to handle traction
unevenly - deceleration shifts the
weight forward to the front tire. . Throughout the turn you
should only gain a couple of miles an
hour. The point is to keep the
motorcycle stable. We're not racing
here, we're out for a Sunday ride,
be in a gear that allows smooth
acceleration. Advanced riders
accelerate rapidly coming out of the
turn (slow in - fast out). If you
find it difficult to smoothly roll
on, have your motorcycle in a gear
that isn't as responsive (higher
gear). In fast turns rolling on
helps counter act centrifugal force
which wants to pull the motorcycle
out from the turn.
counterweight - slow tight turns: The MSF recommends counter-weighting in the U-turn box. They recommend leaning the upper body away from the turn, seems to add a lot of comfort for students in the U-turn area. Counterweight actually inadvertently
increases the lean angle, much more than is needed for a full lock turn. This is a beginners course and the comfort of the students is important to some for various reasons!
Is it necessary for advanced riders or shorter turns - nope! Most motor cops lean into the turn and go faster.
See
Motorcycle head turn - ocular
driving for more information on slow tight turns |
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