How to Handle the Bike in a Curve
Print This Post
Most of the accidents occur on curves. So it is important for us to practice handling and braking the bike in curves. Usually when you are approaching a curve, the safest tactic is to start turning late and take a sharp turn rather than having a long gradual turn. When you turn late, you will have better visibility of the vehicles coming from the opposite direction, or any other possible distractions and would buy you some time if it was going to be a risky show up.
The usual human nature is to take a ‘C’ turn. I prefer you to take the ‘L’ turn. Alright, nothing technical… ‘C’ is the gradual curve and ‘L’ is the near right angled turn. Although it is impossible to have a perfect right angled turn, try to work your way up from ‘C’ to ‘L’. If you are riding a new bike for the first time be extra careful. Curving nature oof the bike differs from model to model. I had a shock when my friend’s Yamaha R15 refused to turn as I wanted it to.
It is very difficult to practice this in a curve but you can practise turning in a round about. Choose the one which has little traffic. Also choose the time of the day when there are not too many vehicles and especially when there are no guardian of road laws! First practice in a big one and work you way down to small round abouts. As you get used to turning and leaning, start braking. Imagine an emergency situation and brake suddenly. Be careful.
Wish you safe biking,
Deepak
Related posts:
- Safe & Smart Use Of Motorcycle Brakes
- Rolling Stoppies In A Karizma
- 25 Motorcycle Safety Tips from Amit
- Yamaha R1 Ownership Review by Vikas
- Yamaha FZ16 Vs. TVS Apache RTR Fi
16 comments
Sanket Kambli on October 17, 2008 at 3:55 am
very good article..
but C turn sometimes is useful..
and many times like you said when there are incoming vehicles..L turn is useful..
C turn is helpful when you have left or right turn and its one way route and every vehicle is taking a L turn and you want to stay ahead of all of them then C turn works ..but speed needs to be regulated…
good work man! keep it up!
Deepak on October 17, 2008 at 5:01 am
Sanket, Thanks for your input!
Daksh on October 17, 2008 at 11:40 am
hi, nice article…
but i dunno which category does this kind of a turn belong to.. “C” or “L”… maybe both?? 
il try differentiating between the two types of turnings next time i ride my “nova”
i usually drive in the centre of the road when there arnt 4-wheelers around… in the curves.. this helps me to apply minimum brakes or no brakes at all even if im at 50 kmph & above.. and the view is also pretty good.. soo its all good
Anand on November 27, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Hey i have an RTR and it really feels confident while taking sharp turns to move your foot/knee out towards the side which you are turning just as racers do. Any bike for that matter. I also do this on my dads old scooter
It feels really safe while taking a right angle turn. What do u say Deepak….
Deepak on November 30, 2008 at 11:44 am
Yeah, I agree that Apache has a very good handling!
sriguru on March 3, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I ride a Hyosung 650cc V Twin naked actually uses suzuki v-twin engines, weighs in at 185 kilos. Currently the twin carbs have restrictors as it is sold for learners in Australia. I have chosen not to remove it as the 33HP @10+RPM it provides is good. Removing them will cause fuel efficiency to drop to say 15kmpl from current 20+. Also power will jump to 81HP at 12+RPM.
Am getting used to curves etc and handling is now wasier after 6 months as am used to the 185 kilos and it handles pretty easy and the wight is so well distributed it feels like 150 kilos. do not feel the 185 kgs.
Please lemme know about the handling…what preciuations shd I take while handling curves….
thx
sriguru
australia
Morfy on April 14, 2009 at 1:24 am
I thought the idea of taking C turn and L turn is not good
Because the turns not always the same , roads are different views are different and visibilities are different,
the best way to choose the turn, which gives you better visibility and your visibiliy to the opposite end,
similarly always consider people who are coming from behind sometime L turn put them in trouble,
make your turn at lowest possible speed , before turning decrease speed and apply breaks , not while making turns, and most important always consider that road allow you to make good angle and speed while turn otherwise cause big problems
Shah Rukh Khan on June 28, 2009 at 9:19 pm
hey guys,
this is really a wonderful , i am just hav’ng a scooty pep plus but when i take a ‘l’ turn it looks stylish and comfortable too . thanks to deepak
-SRK
riche on September 22, 2009 at 2:57 pm
i have a great problem with the headlight of pulsar150 dtsi digital meter on highway, i fill the light is very low, when the opposite direction the cars are comming they do not put there dipper on they go with full light i goes blind, is there any posibility to increase the intensity of headlight from 35watts to higher.
vinod on October 24, 2009 at 8:29 pm
cornering depends on the speed
stratus on October 29, 2009 at 6:26 am
when there is visibility you can make a ‘C’ turn, and retain some speed. when there is no visibility behind the curve you have to use the ‘L’ turn.
It depends on morons who take a free-right turn also. Horn first, to make the buffalo milk drinking morons to move, and then turn safely. Like those morons have a right to stand in the corner, and to park in the corner, you also have a right to horn.
Manav on January 28, 2010 at 11:25 pm
I didn’t understand the meaning of ‘turning late’. Can you please give some more details.
jacob on March 5, 2010 at 10:38 am
i only do full body turns…
Aditya on April 24, 2010 at 1:19 am
yaa….every thing deepak said was nice…but do you don’t think but taking a sharp turn all of a sudden can sometimes may lead to disbalance or slipping of the bike or any 2 wheeler off the road??
So we should undertake the turn depending on the situation on the road and also the condition of the road (especially Indian roads).!!
Wishing u all a happy and safe biking
Aditya
Aby on April 30, 2010 at 6:40 pm
wht is ment by ‘turning late’ ???
lavanya on August 5, 2010 at 12:33 pm
yes I accept an ‘L’ turn will be a safety one.
Thank You For your Information