Almost bit it today
 

So im pretty new to riding and I think I almost made a major mistake. I was at a stop light turning left when I realized I was going to far out. I panicked and let go of the throttle and didnt pull in the clutch. The bike jerked hard because I was still in first gear and it felt like the back wheel actually slide a little. I thought I was gonna high-side for sure.

I learned from my mistake and havent done that since. What should I have done in the situation?

Tough answer without really knowing the situation.

When I'm going wide in a turn it's usually because I either

• Misjudged my entry speed
• I'm still accelerating instead of using maintenance throttle

Just a guess but since you said you panicked you prolly also target fixated on where you were going too.

Generally my solution is the same when I'm swinging wide.

• Look harder through the turn
• Lean down more
• Use the throttle to maintain my speed through the turn

I have to trust Ororo to see me through the mistake provided I quit screwing her up :p Looking where you want (even need) to go and your body want to do what's necessary to get there naturally. Follow those instincts and you'll be on your way to safely correcting the mistake. It'll be hard since you'll prolly be on the edge of panicking, harder if you already are. But
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You're gonna have to change your lean angle to make the turn. Looking thru the turn will help here. Your body will naturally follow your head and begin adjusting itself to the right position for the lean. Go with it. Easy on the grips. Don't tighten up. Drop your elbow inside the turn and shift your upper body over the tank into the turn. The input needed to correct the turn will come naturally.

Maintenance throttle is a biggie. Swinging wide is usually caused by too much speed or accelerating too soon. You've seen what happens when you chop the throttle. So obviously neither are the correct answer. You want the bike's weight distributed more on the rear than the front for traction in the turn. About a 40 / 60 distribution. Use the throttle to achieve that balance. Neutralize the throttle for the new lean.

Now all this is prolly the by the book answer. Of course there are other answers but they require experience. But the biggest thing is this: Trust you can make it. Think about it a moment: you were in 1st gear. Unless you were redlining the bike in 1st, do you really think you were anywhere near the bike's traction limits (assuming everything was normal)? You weren't. Keep that in mind when facing this situation again.

Kuroshio wrote down a good answer.
I just want to emphasize one point. don't close the throttle inside a turn. this will shift the weight forward, reduce the traction of the rear wheel, and could cause you to loose it in a low side or worse (that be a high side).

as Kuroshio explained, the right thing to do is simply maintain speed or slightly accelerate, and if you feel you need to, tighten the turn by leaning further in. on a normal street ride you are miles from the bikes limits, and shaking it by suddenly shuting the throttle is one of the worse things to do.

I totally agree with Kuro... i know i cant speak for while riding but with all my knowledge and certifications in snowboarding this still holds true to any sport where movement and balance is involved. YOU MUST ALWAYS LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO GO NOT WHERE YOU ARE GOING. this is, in my experience, 90% of how to fix this problem. I have saved many of my students from crashing just by forcing them to look where they want to go and not the ground in front of them. its human nature to look at the ground in front of them when they move.

another thing that may help you a bit more, as it did me

and kuro had suggested this in a previous thread, is to buy the book twist of the wrist 2 by keith code

it realy explains what you should do with experiences like that and how the bike acts or wants to act

the other book, which i have yet to pickup is Sport Riding Techniques by Nick Ienatsch, heard it was very good, but last i looked at my local book store, they didnt have it :(

Did you take the MSF course? They had us do figure 8's in a small box. Point is, slip the clutch if you are somewhere between needing the throttle to accelerate, and just to stabilize durring a stoplight style turn.

yea everyone said it i dont need to say it again, its hard to get the idea that the bike actually handles better like its supposed to with throttle not without, breaking into a corner almost always makes it harder, and any sudden movement like letting go of throttle or snapping it open, or hitting breaks hard or just yanking makes everything harder, the smoother u can get and more relaxed u can stay the easier it is to ride. Just my .02 glad u didnt eat it though lol, and like u said lesson learned im sure we have all learned lessons the hard way

Remember to lean and move your weight (center of gravity) too and Juliets Thread on countersteering makes a very good read.
Be relaxed and confident. Sometimes I see a lot of riders tensed up , gripping the bars hard and rigid and upright as in not
leaning ...... that's when it becomes Man v's Bike

[QUOTE=Kuroshio;955042]Tough answer without really knowing the situation.

When I'm going wide in a turn it's usually because I either

• Misjudged my entry speed
• I'm still accelerating instead of using maintenance throttle

Just a guess but since you said you panicked you prolly also target fixated on where you were going too.

Generally my solution is the same when I'm swinging wide.

• Look harder through the turn
• Lean down more
• Use the throttle to maintain my speed through the turn

I have to trust Ororo


I am new....what is Ororo. hmmmm?

Ororo is my F4i :)