Fear of Curves
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 4,133
Likes: 125
From: Japan
Fear of Curves
I have been riding motorcycles since I was 19, but bought my first H-D 2 years ago. I have always had a terrible fear of taking curves, especially blind, downhill curves, and have to slow down to a crawl, until I can see my way around them before I accelerate through the curve. I always get left behind on mountain roads, but I have one buddy in particular who rides an Ultra and always takes the curves at speeds that seem a little crazy to me. He leaves me in the dust on twisties and loves giving me advice on how to keep up, to point where I feel pressured to ride at speeds where I don't feel comfortable. I don't mind scraping floorboard or anything, I just feel uncomfortable taking curves at speed, which I can't see around, for fear that they might tighten up on me, sending me into a ditch or worse, oncoming traffic. Is there anything I can do help overcome my fear? Any advice from anybody here, or does it just come with practice and experience? It just seems to me that no amount of experience can bring comfort in taking a blind curve at the speeds I see a lot of riders do.
Last edited by HoggyMtnBreakdown; Oct 3, 2010 at 08:46 PM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,312
Likes: 12
From: Missouri
my advice is, let him go as fast as he is comfortable with, and you do what your comfortable with, Accidents happen when a person pushes themselves into riding beyond their ability. Just ride, if you need to corner slower, then slow it is, and go home intact with a bike intact...really man, just ride your ride.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,079
Likes: 21
From: Queens, NY
you have to do what you're comfortable with, but i'll offer this...
trying to baby the bike thru a curve can develop bad riding habits for you.
take it slow if you have to, but don't baby the bike through.
keep the throttle steady and your eyes up and through the turn
sounds simple enough but the bike will follow your eyes.
keeping on the throttle and keeping it steady will make the turn much smoother, as i can imagine you're rolling the clutch on and off through the turn now.
trying to baby the bike thru a curve can develop bad riding habits for you.
take it slow if you have to, but don't baby the bike through.
keep the throttle steady and your eyes up and through the turn
sounds simple enough but the bike will follow your eyes.
keeping on the throttle and keeping it steady will make the turn much smoother, as i can imagine you're rolling the clutch on and off through the turn now.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
Yep, I used to ride with a racer he got on the back and showed me how they do it and since then nobody can keep up with me on curves.
Try this in a car when going around curves, it’s hard to focus and it takes concentration every time, but when you get used to it will improve your driving as well.
Other than the basic, push bars instead of pull, be in a gear that you can accelerate in and that slows you down when you let off the throttle. Slow b/4 the bend and accelerate thru it.
Now the trick- FOUCS/ LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO BE-look around the corner, not in front of your tire.
Open your eyes wide and gaze in front of you but focus on the furthest point that you can see around the corner.
Look where you want to be, nowhere else, this changes by the second and is a little tough to get used to but once mastered it works for accident avoidance as well.
He also told me "stare at the tree hit the tree" lol.
This works I have worn the sides of my heritage floor boards off with this technique (both sides) good luck and just keep practicing b/4 you know it you will be flying sparks. besides after a while it tickles when you ride a scrape and it looks cool at night.
Try this in a car when going around curves, it’s hard to focus and it takes concentration every time, but when you get used to it will improve your driving as well.
Other than the basic, push bars instead of pull, be in a gear that you can accelerate in and that slows you down when you let off the throttle. Slow b/4 the bend and accelerate thru it.
Now the trick- FOUCS/ LOOK WHERE YOU WANT TO BE-look around the corner, not in front of your tire.
Open your eyes wide and gaze in front of you but focus on the furthest point that you can see around the corner.
Look where you want to be, nowhere else, this changes by the second and is a little tough to get used to but once mastered it works for accident avoidance as well.
He also told me "stare at the tree hit the tree" lol.
This works I have worn the sides of my heritage floor boards off with this technique (both sides) good luck and just keep practicing b/4 you know it you will be flying sparks. besides after a while it tickles when you ride a scrape and it looks cool at night.
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 7,079
Likes: 21
From: Queens, NY
a good trick to help keep your eyes moving through a curve for me is if you are riding amongst cars, keep your eyes trained on the license plate of furthest car you can see in the curve.
this way you're focusing on a fixed point, but that fixed point is moving through the curve, allowing your eyes to naturally follow the curve.
this way you're focusing on a fixed point, but that fixed point is moving through the curve, allowing your eyes to naturally follow the curve.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 2
From: Gainesville, FL
I used to slow down below the speed limit on curves and drive my husband crazy. Now I can take them at the posted speed limit and sometimes a little more, but still not fast enough to keep up with other riders or my husband who take curves much faster than I do.
To help me improve my skill on curves, I remembered what I learned during the MSF course and what others here mentioned. Look "through" the curve, to the point where you want to go. If you're going around a blind corner, look at the farthest part you can see. As you come around the blind corner, look again at the farthest part.
When going around a curve, I'm repeating to myself to look where I want to go and not "at" the curve itself. I found that now I'm leaning a little more in the curve as I increased the speed to be closer to the speed limit.
Just keep doing that and you will improve your skill on curves.
To help me improve my skill on curves, I remembered what I learned during the MSF course and what others here mentioned. Look "through" the curve, to the point where you want to go. If you're going around a blind corner, look at the farthest part you can see. As you come around the blind corner, look again at the farthest part.
When going around a curve, I'm repeating to myself to look where I want to go and not "at" the curve itself. I found that now I'm leaning a little more in the curve as I increased the speed to be closer to the speed limit.
Just keep doing that and you will improve your skill on curves.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 873
Likes: 0
From: Just east of the 'bama line, GA.
a good trick to help keep your eyes moving through a curve for me is if you are riding amongst cars, keep your eyes trained on the license plate of furthest car you can see in the curve.
this way you're focusing on a fixed point, but that fixed point is moving through the curve, allowing your eyes to naturally follow the curve.
this way you're focusing on a fixed point, but that fixed point is moving through the curve, allowing your eyes to naturally follow the curve.
Don't get so nervous or scared that you freeze up on the turn or half way thru either. Just follow thru....