When cornering at about 40+++mph, when do I gear shift down??? Before the turn or after? I know the slow, lean, look and press concept but when do I integrate the shifting process?? I'm afraid that I might get hit from behind for slowing down before the turn or get a high side for shifting (to the wrong gear) while in the turn. Let me know guys!

 

It's always best to enter a turn too slow and power through it. I am more comfortable downshifting prior to the turn and powering through it. Do you know the principle of chasing the turn?

If you are entering a turn too fast, the point where the vision is obstructed (left and right side of the road meet in your vision) will not move away from you. You will see the same focus point. If you are seeing new material as you get closer to the turn, you are doing well. So look as far ahead as you can.

I wouldn't worry about someone taking you out from behind unless you're racing. Normal traffic should be pacing themselves far enough back that they notice you're slowing down. And most likely, what ever they are driving can't handle the curves half as well as your bike can.

Make sense?

 

I agree with DonCollins, wot your focusing on ahead is where your going to go.
Get yourself into a rythym, change down before going into a corner and power out of it. If you think you may have over cooked it going in, then use the bikes torque to slow you down. Better to brake before a corner than brake while your in one.
Don't try to second guess yourself & everybody else, or worry about wot is going on behind you, it's wots going on in front that your concentrating on.

All ways ride in your own comfort zone, never let anybody, be it friends on other bikes, or some ****** in a prime mover two inches off your backside push you into making an error of judgement (Remember the movie "Duel")
Pretty soon you will be taking corners without conscious effort, and thats when you find the magic of motorcycling.

 

As a rule you'll always enter the curve in the gear you intend to exit. So downshift before you have to do any leaning. Downshifting doesn't mean you have to slow significantly -- our bikes have sufficient rev range to keep cars off our *** even in lower gears.

From you question I suspect that you're relatively new to the sportbike scene so I'd suggest taking the curves in as high a gear as you can without bogging the bike. If you want your entry speed to be 40 mph then I'd suggest 4th to start out with ... less chance of a twitchy throttle hand throwing you in the ditch. The main thing is to look through the curve and then up shift when you've exited.

 

I always downshift before the turn

 

I agree downshift before power out....I'm kinda lazy and keep the revs down and use the torque...I'd have it in maybe 4th round 4k and power out slowly....racing would be a diff story but im not there yet.

 

if you are going to downshift in the turn make sure your rev's match where you should be, or you'll lock up the rear and be in some trouble i locked mine up for a quicksecond in a turn up hill going to fast more worried about the little ****face kid trying to pinch me off into the barrier.

 

I will Brake & Shift before the turn.

 

you need to complete all your braking and downshifting by the time you enter the turn. anything else you're asking for trouble...unless you're trailbraking or something else.

 

Thanks for the responses.. Another quick question: Is it okay to have the clutch in while in the turn? I've made a habit of shifting down before the turn and holding the cluth while in the turn and slowly letting it go when I start using the gas. Is that bad?