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Posted: 4/13/2014 4:19:24 PM EDT
So I think i'm scared to lean all the way right.  At least according to my tires.  On left turns I'll damn near scrape the ground but right turns i will slow down and hesitate.  I wonder if its due to the gaurdrail or less space on the right?  Anyone else seem to have this problem?
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 4:41:25 PM EDT
[#1]
Don't do more to get rid of "chicken strips" due to any social pressure. Ride your own ride. That being said, most everyone I know has a side that they are slightly more comfortable with.



Also, instead of leaning the bike all the way over, you can use a little body english. I don't hang my butt off the seat on the street (you have to reposition to turn the other direction) but I will shift my torso/shoulders/head over in the direction of "kissing the mirror" This keeps your suspension more upright (effective) which is good on public roads.



As far as scared, or a mental block, just practice and slowly increase what you are comfortable with. Don't push yourself or your level of safety to uncomfortable levels on public roads.



Disclaimer: I am no expert or racer. I just ride ~20k year as my main mode of transport and fun.
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 5:10:19 PM EDT
[#2]
Move your upper body and head to the inside, look through the turn, and work on improving your lines. Don't worry about how far you are leaning over.
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 5:45:31 PM EDT
[#3]
No trouble here.  In fact, I prefer right turns since the apex keeps me away from the centerline and opposing traffic.

Perhaps you have more blind corners, and right hand turns don't allow you to see as far around the corner as left handers?
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 5:56:41 PM EDT
[#4]
Do a track day
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 6:01:08 PM EDT
[#5]
I preferred the right also and I hang my ass off the seat....pick up the bike and jump down of the other side on a switch back. Wear the proper gear and never over ride your abilities or the bikes abilities. I have the scars to show what happens when you do. .  Ride at your own pace.
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 6:09:52 PM EDT
[#6]
I am much better leaning right, but mostly because both on the track and on the street twisties I ride, there are MANY more right turns than left, so I have more experience turning right.  Yes, I counted the turns around our local lake..
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 6:14:17 PM EDT
[#7]
Generally speaking, since we drive on the right hand side of the road, right turns are sharper (smaller radius) than left turns.

Required lean angle (all else equal) is a function of speed and the radius of the turn.  Just like you must lean a given amount to negotiate a turn, you can't force the bike to lean more than required to negotiate the turn.  In other words, if you want to lean more, you'll have to go faster and/or through tighter turns.
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 6:19:10 PM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I am much better leaning right, but mostly because both on the track and on the street twisties I ride, there are MANY more right turns than left, so I have more experience turning right.  Yes, I counted the turns around our local lake..
View Quote


My usual rides have a pretty good mix of lefts and rights, But I've always felt a little more comfortable getting lower on the left, of course the couple times I've gone past the limit or found sand, it's been on the left side  but with a supermoto, a low-side isn't going to do much damage as long as you've got some run-off...

I slide off and kiss the grip, but I don't really dangle a knee, I'm not usually wearing knee pucks.  I wear out the sides of my tires first, and I usually end up replacing peg sliders about as often as tires.

If it's extra tight low-speed corners, I transition to dirtbike/supermoto style, balls to tank, push the bike down, maybe throw a leg out to weigh the front end.
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 8:27:40 PM EDT
[#9]
I favor whichever side is not the big fucking cliff on the roads I ride.  On Mosquito Ridge Road ( google it if you'd like, add pashnit to the search,  it's definitely tier one ) going down into the canyon I'll push the right handers a bit more,   sliding into the hill side is OK,  the 500 to 1000 foot drop on the other side just doesn't work for me.  Coming back up it's the lefts that make my dick slap the tank.   I don't really favor either direction other than leave a little more margin for error when the consequences are serious like jumping off a high rise with no chute.
Link Posted: 4/13/2014 11:19:13 PM EDT
[#10]
The few twisty roads i'm near are all incline or decline and they do have blind corners/boulders/trees.  I want to find some windy flat farms roads to try out.



Edit:  I assume chicken strips is one flat bald spot in the middle of the tire?  Yea, it's nowhere near that bad (guy I bought my bike from had that severly and I had to replace tires).  I just see wear the dirt marks are compared to each side little sliveron the left and a larger one on the right.   I was just hoping for a few good pointers like others mentioned.
Link Posted: 4/14/2014 4:56:55 AM EDT
[#11]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Do a track day
View Quote

Link Posted: 4/14/2014 5:04:37 AM EDT
[#12]
Chicken strips are the outside of the tire edge that has never touched the pavement.
Link Posted: 4/14/2014 1:11:28 PM EDT
[#13]
I was the same way for a long time...I don't think it was a case of me being better or more comfortable going left vs right, but just that all the corners where I really got leaned over happened to be left handers.  Take it out on a track, you might find the same results.



Also, it's cool to not have chicken strips, but having them really doesn't mean anything.  As I started doing more track riding and went to some California Superbike School days, my riding style and body positioning progressed and evolved a lot and eventually my street bike tires would always have pretty good size chicken strips, even though I was riding faster and more comfortably through corners than I ever did before.  Being able to smoke everybody in the group of dudes I rode with and still have a 1/2" of tire in reserve in case I needed it was more satisfying than having my tire scrubbed all the way to the edges...but ymmv.







Link Posted: 4/14/2014 1:42:36 PM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Do a track day
View Quote

This.

One, you will get used to ripping it on both sides pretty evenly.

Secondly, you will suddenly care much less about your chicken strips on the street.
Link Posted: 4/14/2014 1:47:56 PM EDT
[#15]
I tend to be bias to one side as well. I also recommend doing a track day... No need to try and time your laps, just practice and become a better rider.
Link Posted: 4/14/2014 2:55:03 PM EDT
[#16]
I've looked into track days and there is one At summit point wv.  Motorcyclexcitement they are the ones that teach the class I suppose. I can't seem to figure out if its like the msf on a track or follow the leader around it.    I think the site might be down can't get it to fully load.
Link Posted: 4/14/2014 3:30:47 PM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Don't do more to get rid of "chicken strips" due to any social pressure. Ride your own ride. That being said, most everyone I know has a side that they are slightly more comfortable with.

Also, instead of leaning the bike all the way over, you can use a little body english. I don't hang my butt off the seat on the street (you have to reposition to turn the other direction) but I will shift my torso/shoulders/head over in the direction of "kissing the mirror" This keeps your suspension more upright (effective) which is good on public roads.

As far as scared, or a mental block, just practice and slowly increase what you are comfortable with. Don't push yourself or your level of safety to uncomfortable levels on public roads.

Disclaimer: I am no expert or racer. I just ride ~20k year as my main mode of transport and fun.
View Quote


this and not cornering as hard to the right is a normal result of slightly rolling off the throttle while you are pushing on on the right grip while turning right
Link Posted: 4/14/2014 3:37:17 PM EDT
[#18]
We are in America.
We drive on the right had side of the road.
What side of the road has the crown?  
Link Posted: 4/15/2014 2:57:07 AM EDT
[#19]
I used to ride at a pretty good clip on the roads, and have worn tires to the edge before.

With that said, nowadays I realize chicken strips = safety margin.

Too much oil, antifreeze, dirt, gravel, paint, etc. on the roads.  Having the rear end step out for no apparent reason is no fun.
Link Posted: 4/15/2014 3:58:50 AM EDT
[#20]
A lot of riders favor left curves more than right.
Link Posted: 4/15/2014 8:06:32 AM EDT
[#21]
I leaned all the way over to the right once.
Link Posted: 4/15/2014 8:52:35 AM EDT
[#22]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
We are in America.
We drive on the right had side of the road.
What side of the road has the crown?  
View Quote


around here the curves are banked
Link Posted: 4/15/2014 12:17:34 PM EDT
[#23]

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


I leaned all the way over to the right once.
View Quote
Last time I did that it was to the left,



Link Posted: 4/16/2014 4:01:20 PM EDT
[#24]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


around here the curves are banked
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
We are in America.
We drive on the right had side of the road.
What side of the road has the crown?  


around here the curves are banked


So you're saying that all "curves" are banked in Iowa?
Really?
Must make for some interesting driving for the people in the outside lane when they are on the outside of a curve.  

How many mountain roads are there in Iowa again?
Link Posted: 4/16/2014 4:16:13 PM EDT
[#25]
I was the same way when I started out. Then I went racing, gotta learn fast. Talking with other racers most said they had a easier time one way or the other.

I could rip through left handers, no problem sliding the ass end out on corner entrance and exit, but not so much going right. One day that all went away and I feel equal either way.
Link Posted: 4/17/2014 5:40:53 PM EDT
[#26]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


So you're saying that all "curves" are banked in Iowa?
Really?
Must make for some interesting driving for the people in the outside lane when they are on the outside of a curve.  

How many mountain roads are there in Iowa again?
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
We are in America.
We drive on the right had side of the road.
What side of the road has the crown?  


around here the curves are banked


So you're saying that all "curves" are banked in Iowa?
Really?
Must make for some interesting driving for the people in the outside lane when they are on the outside of a curve.  

How many mountain roads are there in Iowa again?


Wut?

yeah most are banked
not super speedway banked but but far from dead flat
also not sure why direction of travel around a banked curve makes a difference. NASCAR could run clockwise around the oval just the same.

unless you are for some reason assuming that the crown of the road continues around a curve. Crown being the high spot down the center to help rain make it's way to the ditches.

no Iowa doesn't have mountains but they do allow me to leave this state every once in a while
Link Posted: 4/17/2014 9:47:59 PM EDT
[#27]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
unless you are for some reason assuming that the crown of the road continues around a curve. Crown being the high spot down the center to help rain make it's way to the ditches.
View Quote


You're right, I'm wrong.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_design_of_roads
Link Posted: 4/17/2014 9:52:40 PM EDT
[#28]
One other thing to considers is that your motorcycle might be out of alignment.
It might have a bent frame, swingarm, forks or misaligned wheels.

Quite a few motorcycle frames come from the manufacturer with frames that are out of whack due to manufacturing tolerances or assembly issues.
The end result is that your bike wants to turn one way and not the other.

https://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0&hl=en#complete=0&hl=en&q=motorcycle+frame+alignment+
A lot of info on this out on the web.
It affects all motorcycles, dirt bikes to touring bikes.

It's a suggestion.

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