Bends- Phase 2- Speed

When we are in the right position we should we think about our speed. We need to sort out the speed long before we think of cranking the bike over, so that we address the bend at a speed that allows us to be comfortable, open the throttle to drive positively around the bend.

Remember that an open throttle is required because a mix of forces will combine to scrub off speed - these include friction, reduced wheel diameter and centrifugal force.

A bike at rest has say 45% of its weight over the front wheel, 55% over the rear wheel. Ideally we want to maintain that relationship so that the bike is balanced and we are not asking too much of either tyre. If we are braking as we turn, the front wheel will be too heavy, steering will feel heavy and we risk a front wheel side. If we accelerate too much we are lightening the steering too much and unbalancing the bike. Imagine this 45%, 55% relationship as you turn into the bend and remember we want a reasonable open throttle to maintain that balance and keep our speed steady until we can see the exit. An open throttle also has the benefit that we are biased to acceleration when the opportunity arises. So how do we adjust speed into the bend? 3 possible ways, 2 of which are acceptable, 1 of which is not generally used. These are 1) Throttle 2) brakes and 3) gear change. Normally, closing the throttle will deliver a degree of engine braking, the lower the gear you are in, the greater the amount of engine braking. If that is not enough to reduce your speed, supplement it with braking. Do not drop gears to reduce speed. If you find that you always have to use brakes to supplement your engine braking, it may be that you are running in too high a gear - check that out. Each bike model varies in the amount of engine braking it delivers. There is nothing wrong with using your brakes, just as long as they are used before cranking over for the corner, not in the corner!