Cornering with a GL1200

[marcusknight]

I have had my GL1200 for a year and a half now. I still think I could do better when it comes to handling the bike while cornering. When I get to an intersection where I do not have to stop and I am going to turn right for example, I find I end up slowing down so much that my handle bar action steers more like a car than the typical push and lean action of a motorcycle that you have when going at least a significant speed.

Perhaps its just hard to get used to handling something this big. I wonder if I dont have enough confidence to lean the bike over when cornering more than what I have been doing. Perhaps my subconscious mind thinks that the bike will get laid down if I lean it over to far. I am not certain.

I guess are there any rules of thumb when it comes to cornering with a goldwing? I would like to get through corners a bit faster then what I have been doing.

 

[dan filipi]

Counter steer if you aren't already. Push the bars left you will go right and vise versa.
Not so much when going slow but it seems to help some.
Also, where you look is where you'll go...more or less so don't look down, look where you want to go.
This is a heavy bike, no way around that. Slow practice in a empty parking lot helps a lot.

 

[Ansimp]

You cannot counter steer at slow speed, it is correct that you are steering in the direction that you want to go. :good:

 

[julimike54]

The bike will handle like all bikes, but just as a much less flickable one (ie it's heavy). If you wish to turn a corner with less steering action, raise the speed. As the speed goes up there is more counter steering involved. How much it's leaned over will depend on how comfortable you are at the speed you're going. I've watched (with amazement) the wing drill teams perform and they aren't going very fast but they are leaned over far enough to drag hard parts. That kind of maneuvering just takes a lot of practice, if you want to ride that way!

 

[dan filipi]

"Slow speed" is a general statement. I would say about any speed below 40 you have to turn the bars in the direction you want to go.

 

[slabghost]

Yes it's a heavy bike. However cg is low and it is well balanced. Take some time and practice in a safe area. Bring a friend in case you do accidentally drop it.

 

[marcusknight]

If you are in the country side, and you are making a simple 90 degree right turn with no traffic and no stop sign, assuming you want to stay within your proper lane, what gear do you guys find yourself in when making said turn?

 

[slabghost]

First gear usually and I've been known to drag the side of my boot with my foot on the peg. A bit too much lean I think.

 

[marcusknight]

When a person is counter steering, do you find you actually are trying to "turn" the handlebars or do you find you tend to push them down in the direction you want to go? For example, when I turn right, I found myself pushing the right side down and leaning the bike to the right at the same time.

 

[Rednaxs60]

marcusknight » Yesterday, 7:11 pm[/url]":1r5hzs25]
I have had my GL1200 for a year and a half now. I still think I could do better when it comes to handling the bike while cornering. When I get to an intersection where I do not have to stop and I am going to turn right for example, I find I end up slowing down so much that my handle bar action steers more like a car than the typical push and lean action of a motorcycle that you have when going at least a significant speed.

Perhaps its just hard to get used to handling something this big. I wonder if I dont have enough confidence to lean the bike over when cornering more than what I have been doing. Perhaps my subconscious mind thinks that the bike will get laid down if I lean it over to far. I am not certain.

I guess are there any rules of thumb when it comes to cornering with a goldwing? I would like to get through corners a bit faster then what I have been doing.

When you slow down to make a corner that you do not have to stop at, but are doing a 90 degree turn, slow down but keep the RPMs up - you will have to use the clutch in the "friction zone" to accomplish this.. The bike will start to flounder if there is not enough power to keep it upright and "happy". The bike will tell you when it needs power and if it is not readily available, interesting things can happen. When doing this you will want to "slip" the clutch. Won't hurt the bike any. When doing this, having power readily available allows you to recover simply by letting the clutch out - do not apply more power - interesting things happen when you do more than one thing at a time. The bike will straighten up and want to go straight.

You want the bike to pull itself through the corner and the only way to do this is to apply power by using the clutch to control the bike.

Make sure you are in a gear suitable for the corner you are taking. Lugging these bikes because we can is not an effective way to get around corners.

It has been mentioned to find somewhere to practice. There is a lot of information available in literature and on line. Worth a look and then try.

Just a few thoughts.

Cheers

 

[dan filipi]

I find sitting up straight and tall in turns gives me the best control in turns like that, sorta like when you ride a dirt bike.

 

[aussiegold]

marcusknight » Mon Sep 05, 2016 12:10 pm[/url]":3fi8fupm]
When a person is counter steering, do you find you actually are trying to "turn" the handlebars or do you find you tend to push them down in the direction you want to go? For example, when I turn right, I found myself pushing the right side down and leaning the bike to the right at the same time.

i might be misunderstanding the pushing down , i tend to push more forward, than down to countersteer. slower corners in town etc is more of a lean than countersteering . but thats just me. :BigGrin:

 

[Ansimp]

I like the " push" for the direction that you want to go when counter steering. :good:

 

[ekvh]

Plus one on the pusher theory. Has to be something you just do.

 

[dan filipi]

ekvh » 12 minutes ago[/url]":rg7d3yzk]
Plus one on the pusher theory. Has to be something you just do.

I'm the same way, do what comes natural. Sometimes I push sometimes I pull.
Mostly it just takes doing it to develop a habit.

 

[joedrum]

im in the dual mode push and pull at the same time ..pointing bike where i want to be ..pointing the bike where i want it to go ahead of me in the corner ....