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A significant share of motorcycle crashes happen in corners, and often with no other vehicle involved. The cause is almost always the same: taking the corner too fast, panic-locking your gaze on the obstacle and being afraid to lean the motorcycle. The good news is that cornering technique can be learned and becomes an automatic skill through repetition.

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1. Vision: the motorcycle goes where your eyes go

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This is the most important rule of cornering. You go where you look; if you look at the barrier, the pothole or the oncoming vehicle, you head towards it.

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2. Entry speed: \"slow in, fast out\"

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Set your speed not in the corner but before the corner, with the motorcycle upright. An upright motorcycle has the most braking grip; as you lean, part of the tyre's grip is used for side grip and the share left for braking shrinks.

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  1. See the corner and judge your speed according to your sight distance.
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  2. Brake on the straight and, if necessary, change down.
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  3. As you enter the corner release the brakes and open the throttle lightly and steadily.
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  4. When you see the exit and begin to straighten the motorcycle, increase the throttle gradually.
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The feeling of \"I'm going too fast\" in the middle of a corner is often not real; a motorcycle can usually lean more than you dare. Instead of grabbing the brake in a panic, turning your gaze to the exit and leaning a little more is the right reaction in most cases.

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Hard front braking in a corner stands the motorcycle up and runs it wide, or can slide the front wheel. If you have to brake in a corner, do it very gently and progressively. For this see the braking technique guide.
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3. Counter-steering: push the opposite way, turn that way

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Well above walking pace, a motorcycle is leaned not by turning the handlebar but by applying pressure to it. The rule is simple:

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You already do this unconsciously, but doing it consciously gives you two things: faster changes of direction and control in an emergency swerve. On an empty, straight road at medium speed, press lightly on one end of the handlebar and feel the motorcycle lean that way. The more decisive the pressure, the faster the motorcycle leans.

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4. Body position

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5. Choosing a line: outside, inside, outside

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On the road the basic line is this: approach the corner from the outside of the lane, move towards the inside at the apex, and open out to the outside again on exit. But unlike on a track, on the road a late apex is preferred:

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On blind corners

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In a corner where you can't see the exit, ride at a speed at which you can stop within the distance you can see. There may be a tractor, spilled gravel or diesel behind the corner.

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6. Tarmac and grip

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Practice suggestions

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  1. Vision practice: Ride figures of eight at low speed in an empty car park. On each turn focus on turning your head to the exit.
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  2. Counter-steering: On a straight road, change lanes between two cones (or water bottles) using only handlebar pressure.
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  3. Familiar road: Ride a winding road you know slowly first, identifying the entry point, apex and exit of each corner. Increase speed gradually over weeks.
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  4. Training: Advanced riding courses and controlled track days fit learning that would take years on the road into a few days.
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Summary: Set your speed before the corner, turn your head to the exit, push the opposite handlebar, keep the throttle steady, and open it when you see the exit. If you will be going out on a winding road with a group, also look at the group riding guide.
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