breaktrough with leaning. - move your bum.

[tristantumble]

So i've been struggling with my leaning, but after seeing a video where the camera was mounted on the back of the bike showing the riders bum, i saw how often he shifted his weight around, and that is something i have not done (i was relying on counter steering only).Once i started doing it - it all started to come together, my turns got faster and cleaner.

just felt like sharing.

[stopintime]

Breakthroughs increases the value of riding  [moto]

Curious - do you/did you point your torso and head through the turn?
If I forget, I struggle.

I haven't done much ass-moving yet, don't have to or don't dare with slippery non-leather pants. (tank pads coming)

[CDawg]

Complementing on moving one's rear is to also move ones head.  You can use the rear view mirrors as a visual gauge that you've shifted your upper body.  Sometime you will see folks (who first start to move their rear) move their rear, but either keep their head at center, or worse, opposite to their rear minimizing or negating the benefit of moving one's rear.

[zLoki]

  Sometime you will see folks (who first start to move their rear) move their rear, but either keep their head at center, or worse, opposite to their rear minimizing or negating the benefit of moving one's rear.

+1 

I did that for a while but once I got it right, turning is even more fun than before.  Have not done it but I hear a track day or cornering school will do wonders that translate directly to normal street riding, i.e. safer, more controlled turns

[He Man]

try to touch your inside hand with your chin and youll see how much the bike responds.

[Goat_Herder]

Whenever I shift my butt over for leaning, I try to move my body and head over as well.  I imagine moving my head over to the side so I can look at myself in the bar end mirror. 

[Spidey]

Congrats.  Starting to shift your weight around is a big breakthrough.   

Like others have said, it's not all about the ass.  I learned bad habits early because people kept saying that you should get your butt off the seat.  Now I often revert to riding crossed up (butt off the bike more than my head and torso).  What I wish people had emphasized was to move my whole body--not just my butt--off the centerline of the bike and forward.  If you trace a line through your head and down your spine, it should be parallel to the centerline of the bike.  You do not want just your butt hanging off the bike with your torso square in the middle. 

To get your body position right from the start, break it down into a few movements.  It'll be more fluid as time goes on, but for now, focusing on discreet movements will help.  As you approach a turn,

(1) slide your inner knee forward along the frame while you shift your butt off the seat .
(2)  Drop your inner shoulder into the turn and forward. 
(2a)  Imagine your spine being parallel to the centerline of the bike.
(3)  Move your head down and inside while opening up your chest (twist your inner shoulder a bit), like you're trying to kiss your knuckles.  Look through the turn. 

Most people starting to "hang off" only do (1).  As they learn to "hang off" more and more, they just do more (1), followed by even more (1).  Work on the other steps and you'll find the cornering even more comfortable.  In particular, step (3) slows everything down a lot.  It makes carrying speed through a turn MUCH less scary.  G'luck.

[Wonked]

I find hanging off the bike exceedingly more safe, comfortable, and confidence-generating than staying planted on the seat. For the record, the same cannot be true of hanging off incorrectly, which felt awful and terrifying.

Lee Parks' Total Control ARC was my transformation point. Can't recommend it enough.

[Wonked]

Specifically, the key for me was to consciously rotate my hips toward the inside of the turn. When you get "crossed up", it's because your hips are either facing forward, or are rotated the wrong way.

[Statler]

after street riding for almost 20 years now I am learning slowly to do it right.    new tricks for middle-aged dog.

[swampduc]

^^^Looks pretty good Statler 

Spidey, when you say to move your inside knee forward, doesn't that keep your hips closed? That's the biggest prob I'm having right now: opening the hips.

[Spidey]

Spidey, when you say to move your inside knee forward, doesn't that keep your hips closed? That's the biggest prob I'm having right now: opening the hips.

Yeah, it does.  I was going for simple directions for someone who just started shifting their weight off.  I figure it's better to learn to get your weight forward  (the knee thing helps a lot with that) and then later learn to really open up your hips.  The "open your hips" thing falls somewhere around (2) or (2a), but I didn't want to add too many steps. 

[duc996]

Statler,nice form, that's actually how i do it on turns :-)

[speedevil]

When you're starting to really shift your weight around, remember this:

Chin first, butt second.

You'll know when you've got it right.

[Wonked]

Another eye-opener for me was at the Total Control class when they grab your bike (stationary), with you on it, and get you into the right position and actually lean the bike over. If you're doing it correctly it feels like you can take your hands off the bars and still be comfortable. If you are physically uncomfortable, you're not doing it right.