Overcoming right turn struggles

[Tekime]

For some reason my body loves to turn left. Everything just falls into place and I'm right at home. Turning right I feel like a toddler trying to walk for the first time, all awkward and fidgety, nothing quite lines up right.

I've been trying to address this for a while, just practice practice practice, tweaking my body position, etc. but I just don't feel like much is changing.

One thing I've clearly noticed on the GSXR is that my right forearm easily rests on top of the tank in a left turn. Inner forearm and right knee planted I feel super comfortable. The opposite is not true - I have to strain my left arm a bit to reach the tank, and not sure if it's 100% body position, or maybe my left arm is longer? I have the same preference for left turns on basically any bike. I'm definitely very right handed and turning right feels about as awkward as writing with my left hand.

I can't be the only one who favors left or right turns, anyone else get hung up on this and how have you approached it?

[loudbeard]

These struggles aren't unique to you, I think a lot of people have trouble with it when they start sport riding. For me I believe the problem was not being smooth with my throttle inputs. Throttle is on the right side and when you tip in to the right you are "protecting" your throttle hand. Once I became better with the throttle, my problems turning right disappeared.

[TwelveGaugeSage]

You're not alone. Right turns have always felt awkward to me too.

Found this: KEITH CODE RIDING TIPS: Why Turning Left Seems Easier Than Turning Right

[JettaJayGLS]

I'm in the same boat. I notice it most snowboarding. Thompson clockwise has helped tremendously!

[isaac_]

I'm in the same boat. I notice it most snowboarding. Thompson clockwise has helped tremendously!

I dont have a problem with track speed right turns. But slow speed right turns... forget it.

[theducman]

Looking where I want to go.... than past it has helped me become more comfortable with turn three at Loudon. Fast sweeping right turns have helped too, like jetta said, Thompson or Palmer.

[Pittenger5]

Slow down and focus 100% on body position. Realize what you touch in lefts (arm on tank, knee on tank) and consciously think about making that same contact on rights. And slow down more. Think you're going slow? Wrong, you're not thinking about body position, slow down more.

[Tekime]

I dont have a problem with track speed right turns. But slow speed right turns... forget it.

Interesting, really slow speed where I'm not leaning off the bike and counterbalancing it's comfortable. Mid-speed when I'm leaning just a bit is the hardest for me. Higher speed/more lean gets more comfortable...

Slow down and focus 100% on body position. Realize what you touch in lefts (arm on tank, knee on tank) and consciously think about making that same contact on rights. And slow down more. Think you're going slow? Wrong, you're not thinking about body position, slow down more.

Pretty much exactly what I've been doing (er, trying to do).

Left turns: right inner forearm rests on tank naturally, knee comfortably planted high up on the tank, weight on balls of my feet and using my right heel a lot to stay clamped on the bike

Right turns: strain my left arm so left inner forearm rests on tank, on balls of my feet, knee awkwardly searching for the sweet spot on the tank, weight on balls of my feet and left heel also uncomfortably trying to get planted

Basically just can't seem to get in a comfortable position and mirror what I'm doing on left turns. Going to really pick apart my position next few rides I might even be unconsciously keeping my butt a little to the left which would explain some of it..

I'm riding street and not burning through turns usually so I'm really relying on my hips/legs to support my body position going in/out of a turn rather than just falling into the g forces.

Note: I really like having my forearm on the tank, and probably shouldn't be relying on that but it just feels right

[Imbeek]

Check your throttle hand grip. Using a "Screwdriver grip" as opposed to forearm perpendicular to the throttle, may free up your upper body if you aren't already doing this.

In other words, your right elbow, while turning right, needs to be further from the centerline of the bike than it might naturally be sitting upright on the bike. If you don't adjust your throttle grip, the right elbow prevents your body from moving where it should, which in turn prevents left elbow from contacting tank, etc...

[nhbubba]

Put the bike on a stands and work on it in the garage. BP clinics at track-days were helpful for me.

Have you tried practicing the screwdriver grip on the throttle for those right-handers?
Forearm on the tank is right.. at least for a sport bike. Balls of your feet on both pegs, inside leg pivoted out with heel driven into side of the bike, outside leg jammed between tank and rearset, using calf muscles to hold. Tank grips are key on most bikes here.

[Chippertheripper]

Interesting, really slow speed where I'm not leaning off the bike and counterbalancing it's comfortable. Mid-speed when I'm leaning just a bit is the hardest for me. Higher speed/more lean gets more comfortable...



Pretty much exactly what I've been doing (er, trying to do).

Left turns: right inner forearm rests on tank naturally, knee comfortably planted high up on the tank, weight on balls of my feet and using my right heel a lot to stay clamped on the bike

Right turns: strain my left arm so left inner forearm rests on tank, on balls of my feet, knee awkwardly searching for the sweet spot on the tank, weight on balls of my feet and left heel also uncomfortably trying to get planted

Basically just can't seem to get in a comfortable position and mirror what I'm doing on left turns. Going to really pick apart my position next few rides I might even be unconsciously keeping my butt a little to the left which would explain some of it..

I'm riding street and not burning through turns usually so I'm really relying on my hips/legs to support my body position going in/out of a turn rather than just falling into the g forces.

Note: I really like having my forearm on the tank, and probably shouldn't be relying on that but it just feels right

On the street, as you say, it has just as much to do with your (lack of) perception of the road. You can see further in a left hand turn than a right.
It's in your head.
Proceed with caution.

[Tekime]

I've pretty much always got two fingers covering the front brake and have a tendency to trail brake well into a corner. I pitch my elbow out and pivot my hand so I guess it's screwdriver-ish, but I definitely notice both hands are far-center on the grips if I'm not consciously reminding myself. Far as leg position, pretty much exactly what nhbubba described.

Gonna process some of this wisdom y'all are dropping... good stuff

[SVRACER01]

I dont have a problem with track speed right turns. But slow speed right turns... forget it.

pretty sure it was left i saw you tree your dirtbike in

[Paul_E_D]

pretty sure it was left i saw you tree your dirtbike in

I wish I had seen that!

[nhbubba]

Was that even a turn?!

[isaac_]

I thought the statute of limitations had run out on bringing up that event




Ok... never mind... it's still freaking hilarious


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[Paul_E_D]

I never tried riding up a tree when I owned that bike... Maybe I was wrong about that?!

[isaac_]

It takes a certain... quality... to do what I did


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[nhbubba]

I'm just glad you have a sense of humor about it.

We need to do that sort of thing again. Maybe minus bikes-in-trees this time.

[SVRACER01]

I thought the statute of limitations had run out on bringing up that event




Ok... never mind... it's still freaking hilarious


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if i still have to hear the nickleback jokes then youre still gonna hear about this LOL

in fact maybe it should be in the "old NESR jokes" thread

[isaac_]

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[isaac_]

if i still have to hear the nickleback jokes then youre still gonna hear about this LOL

in fact maybe it should be in the "old NESR jokes" thread

Joel beat you to it

[Petorius]

Let me know when you figure out the secret. My right knee has touched the track maybe 10 times, and 8 of those were crashes.


Edit: I will add that for me, I think the problem is partially how I am using my legs. I do most of the work with my outside leg, using it to support as much weight as possible. I feel like I could hang off the bike from my outside leg alone. My left leg is doing all the work on right turns, and I am right handed (so it feels very awkward to rely on the left that much).

[7470racer]

I feel where you're coming from.

One of the track day staff noticed me tucking my right elbow inconsistently when making right turns. Some corners I would, others I wouldn't. Seemed the same tight corners I would, sweeping or double apex ones, I wouldn't. I had no idea I was even doing it. I didn't feel like it hindered my riding and was relatively smooth. Now it's almost in my head?