When looking at making gains on the track as a newcomer, one of the biggest benefits (if not the biggest) comes from drive out of the bends, but this is one area where a lot of riders struggle to improve, and with the images we see on TV of racers being catapulted out of their seats for a flying lesson it’s no wonder.
Getting on the power out of bends is one of the hardest aspects of riding a motorcycle on the track to improve with many fearing the dreaded high side, so it is really something that should be worked on sensibly and methodically, especially given the many factors that come into play.
Here’s are a few points I want to raise to get you thinking about what areas you should be looking at on your quest to improve your drive out of bends.
If you are using a shallow entry line (turning in too early and too slowly) this will only see you run wide on the exit and prevent you from getting on the power because you will be turning for much longer to get the bike pointed up the track. By turning the bike quicker and deeper into the turn you will allow yourself to get on the power harder, much earlier. Have a read of my Advanced Line – Squaring Off guide for a better understanding of why this line is beneficial.
Your ability to pick the bike up quickly will dictate how hard you can get on the power out of bends, this is because picking the bike up reduces the cornering forces the tyres are subjected to, so it allows you to then be more aggressive with your throttle application.
It’s worth noting though that this point goes hand in hand with the previous point and if you’re taking a shallow entry line, trying to pick the bike up quickly at (or just after) your apex will probably only see you heading off the track. Therefore it is your line in to the corner that dictates how quickly you can pick the bike up, and how quickly you pick the bike up that dictates how hard you can get on the throttle.
But just how do we pick up the bike? If you read the guide on How to Steer a Motorcycle Effectively you’ll know that we use counter steering to tip-in and set our lean angle for a turn, but how do we pick it up?
It’s easy, just do the reverse!
To lean the bike into a turn we push on the inside bar. When you want the bike to stand up, just pull on the inside bar and it will stand up. All you are doing is counter steering in the other direction. It’s that simple.
A very common trait that a lot of riders adopt is to spend too much time focusing on the apex, to the point where they are right on top of the apex and still looking down at it.
It’s only once they have made it to the other side of the apex and look up to find out where they’re heading that they actually see how much space they do or do not have.
Instead, once you are confident you are going to hit your apex (different people will have different timings, but for me it’s about 2-3 bike lengths away from the apex), look up and out to your exit and more often than not you will realise that you could have picked the bike up earlier and got on the power sooner because of the extra space you can now see.
This is one of many ways your visual skills can help you.
While not strictly the exit, what we do in the middle of the turn does actually affect our exit.
Another common trait for riders is to crack and hold a neutral throttle after they have finished turning the motorcycle and are holding their line. They naturally do this thinking it is the best way to keep the bike stable as well as prevent any unwanted rear end slides, but this isn’t exactly best practice for a couple of reasons.
The first reason why neutral throttle isn’t best practice is because you are actually slowing down through the corner when it’s just been cracked and held neutral. Much like holding a neutral throttle in a straight line and then going uphill will mean gravity slows you down, the cornering forces acting against the bike in the middle of the turn will also mean you slow down if a neutral throttle is held.
What we want to do then is crack the throttle and start a slow, gentle roll-on (not to be mistaken with your exit drive) as soon as we have finished our steering input and our bike is on line. This stops any unwanted slowing down mid turn and also settles the bike.
As an added bonus, this slow roll means we achieve a better weight distribution between front and rear tyre, which in turn puts both the front and rear suspension in a better range for optimum traction.
Speed Advantage of the Roll-On
When you roll on enough to achieve the correct weight distribution and stop the mid turn slowing down, the speed you are travelling when you start your exit drive will be considerably different (higher) to someone going around the same turn on neutral throttle, or worse, no throttle at all. The longer and faster the corner, the bigger the effect too.
The last benefit of starting your roll on as soon as you have finished your steering input relates to grip. By starting your roll on you have already transferred some of the weight to the back of the motorcycle. This means that when you get to the stage where you would apply some meaningful power to exit the corner, the rear tyre has already taken some of the load so it won’t be as surprised as you apply more power progressively.
As I said, neutral throttle means you are slowing down, and slowing down means weight is being transferred to the front end, so when the time comes that you crack the throttle and apply hard power at the exit, the weight transfer to the rear tyre is a little more sudden, which could in turn increase the chances of you overwhelming the rear tyre. It’s not a massive difference, but we always want to ride as safe as we possibly can, right?
There are many other benefits that come from good throttle control, but I have only touched on the ones that benefit your exit and power out of corners. To get the full picutre, check out my online training course – Track Rider Training.
A common fear when talking about drive out of corners is the fear of the back end stepping out or sliding, but let me offer you this comfort blanket.
If the back steps out when you start to apply your exit power, I would very much like to assume that because you are at the exit you are starting to pick the bike up as a natural part of the corner exit routine.
Yes the rear may have stepped out, but as you pick the bike up you are picking it up into the slide and aligning the front and rear wheels once more, meaning eventually the rear tyre will regain full grip because the bike is now upright.
Look at the GP riders at Sepang as an example (pictured right). They get the back to step out and slide but then start their pick up to fire the bike out the other side (the benefit being they can get the bike pointed up the track earlier so they can get it upright earlier), but do they crash as soon as the rear starts to slide? No.
While I don’t expect anyone to go out and start sliding around Casey Stoner style, it certainly eases the fears knowing that even if the back steps out as you are exiting a corner, the fact you are picking the bike up will go a long way to stop it getting out of control (not chopping the throttle helps massively too), all the while the bike’s dynamics will keep it from hitting the deck long enough for you to pick it up.
However, this should not be mistaken for getting greedy with the throttle while the bike is right on its side. What I’m talking about here is the back end stepping out as you are picking the bike up and getting onto the portion of the tyre where meaningful power is applied.
By taking the above points into account, it should give you a good idea of how you can start working towards improving your power out of bends. As said, with the many factors that come into play when talking about how to exit corners, good coaching should be main your port of call if you want to make big strides to improve, but the above advice is a great first step for you.
Is there something you’re still not sure about after reading this guide? Use the contact form to get in touch with me and I’ll do my best to help you better understand the material.
Photo by Mark Seymour