speed control in corners

[altagirl]

I've been working on cornering techniques - and have read all the recent posts here. I'm a complete newbie (4 days so far) so I know things will get easier with more time on the bike, but at the same time, I don't want to develop any bad habits if I can avoid doing so. The basic body position and counter steering technique come pretty naturally (I race DH mountain bikes and it's about the same), but I'm a little confused on speed control in corners. My husband has been describing how to feather the clutch in corners to control speed, but I just haven't felt like I need to do this - when I try it I just end up slowing down more than I needed to. (Disclaimer that he's pointed out I shouldn't necessarily be taking his advice since he hasn't ridden in 10 years.)

Anyway, I'm just slowing down a bit by letting off the throttle as necessary before entering the turn, staying lightly on the throttle in the corner, and then accellerating out of the turn once it starts to straighen out. Am I going to need to change this once I get faster? Is using the clutch in a corner more of a two-stroke technique and I'm just not needing it because I have a four-stroke and it's just slowing down on its own?

 

[High Lord Gomer]

While still learning the basics I would separate the two. Work on clutch control and power delivery on straights (uphill, preferably) and work on turning techniques while rolling through the turns smoothly in a gear that will get you all the way through the turn without having to shift or slip the clutch.

I don't know about DHMB, but when I tried BMX it was *way* different than riding a dirtbike, so some of the skills and techniques might not transfer as well as you think. For example, I had many problems in BMX because I was too far forward on the bike. In MX, most people don't get far enough forward.

BTW, what kind of bike? That might have a bearing on some answers you'll get.

 

[altagirl]

It's a DRZ250. The cornering techniques that are pretty much the same are putting your weight on the outside peg (pedal) and inside bar, getting your weight forward, and looking through the corner. I've never ridden BMX, but in DH one of the things that helped my riding the most last year was getting forward esp. on loose corners. The actual body position might be a bit different, but to me it's more of a feel for getting forward to the point where you're keeping the front tire weighted.

So far cornering on the DRZ, I've been feeling pretty stable (once I got past the initial fear of the bike flopping over when I lean it), provided I'm not doing anything incredibly dumb with the the throttle/clutch/gearing. ;) Some of it is experimentation to see what works best and some is just "What the heck am I doing???"

 

[MTRIDER]

use the gas to control balance through the corner vs. using the brake

 

[Erick82]

I have been riding for about a year and ridden alot of mountian bikes before and still do.

To me I do it in three stages.

1. before corner I brake, down shift, pull in clutch, let off gas, weight forward.

2. through corner some back braking if coming in hot and sliding through turn ussually left turn, or cost with clutch ingaged and revs starting to increase, weight forward and on outside peg, inside foot out and looking through turn.

3. Out of corner on gas, release clutch, I ussually leave my weight forward unless I got a jump right out of the corner to keep the front wheel low.

It seems to work for me, but like I said I have been riding less than a year.

Balance and fitness from mountain biking helped me, but jumping and throtel/ clutch control are new. Ya, I jumped on my mountain bike, but a two foot jump on a bicycle is a good size jump and it is very small on my dirt bike.

 

[Eggnchips]

I am with you Erik, Tht's exactly what I do. Don't know (or care) if that's the right thing to do but it feels good to me.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Erick has described the technique very well.