The Right Technique For Motorcycle Cornering and Body Position

Cornering on a motorcycle is perhaps one of the most exhilarating and technically demanding aspects of riding. It’s also an area where proper technique makes a tremendous difference in both safety and enjoyment. As a riding instructor, I’ve seen how the right approach to cornering can transform someone’s entire motorcycling experience. Let’s dive into the fundamentals of proper cornering technique and body positioning.

Table of Contents

The Cornering Process

Effective cornering isn’t just about leaning; it’s a sequence of coordinated actions that work together. Here’s how to approach corners properly:

1. Preparation: The Approach Phase

Before you even reach the corner, you need to:

Assess the corner – Look as far through the turn as possible to gauge its severity, radius changes, and surface conditions.
Position your motorcycle – Typically, for a right-hand turn, position yourself toward the left side of your lane; for a left-hand turn, toward the right side. This increases your visibility and creates a better entry angle. Always adjust this positioning based on road conditions, avoiding debris or poor surfaces, and considering visibility around blind curves.
Adjust your speed – Complete most of your braking before entering the corner. Remember the mantra: “Slow in, fast out.”
Select the appropriate gear – Choose a gear that gives you smooth power delivery through the entire corner.

2. Entry: The Turn-In Phase

As you begin to enter the corner:

Look through the turn – Your bike goes where your eyes go. Look toward your exit point, not at the ground or obstacles.
Initiate the lean – Apply gentle pressure on the handlebar in the direction you want to turn (countersteer). Push right to go right, push left to go left. This causes the front wheel to momentarily turn in the opposite direction, initiating the lean toward your intended direction.
Roll on the throttle gradually – Maintain a steady or slightly increasing throttle through the corner. This stabilizes the suspension and maintains traction.

3. Mid-Corner: The Apex Phase

At the middle of the turn:

Maintain a steady throttle – Hold a constant throttle at the apex before beginning to accelerate. Some corners may require subtle, smooth throttle adjustments based on radius changes or traction variations, but avoid abrupt changes that can destabilize the bike.
Hold your line – Commit to your chosen path through the turn.
Continue looking through the exit – Always look where you want to go.

4. Exit: The Drive Phase

As you complete the turn:

Gradually increase throttle – As the bike stands up, progressively roll on more throttle.
Return to an upright position – Allow the motorcycle to naturally straighten as you accelerate out of the turn.
Resume normal lane position – Transition smoothly back to your regular riding position.

Body Positioning: The Key to Confident Cornering

Your body position dramatically affects how your motorcycle handles in corners. Here’s the proper technique:

Basic Body Position Elements

Head and eyes – Keep your head up and turn it toward the exit of the corner. Your peripheral vision will still catch any hazards closer to you.
Shoulders – Align your shoulders roughly parallel with your handlebars or slightly rotated toward the inside of the turn.
Torso – Lean slightly toward the inside of the turn, but keep your upper body relaxed.
Arms – Keep your arms loose with a slight bend. Maintain a light grip on the handlebars; tension is the enemy of smooth cornering.
Inside knee – For sharper turns or sporty riding, move your inside knee slightly away from the tank. This helps shift weight without unnecessarily moving your upper body.
Weight on the pegs – Press down through the balls of your feet on the footpegs. This helps you control the bike and absorb bumps.
Outside thigh – Apply slight pressure with your outside thigh against the tank for stability.

The Degree of Lean: Match It to the Corner

How much you should lean your body versus the motorcycle depends on your riding style and the corner’s demands:

For casual riding: Keep your body nearly aligned with the motorcycle. A slight inward lean of your upper body is sufficient for most street corners.
For more aggressive cornering: Move your body toward the inside of the turn more significantly, which allows the motorcycle to maintain a more upright position for the same cornering radius.
For tight, technical corners: Shift your weight more dramatically, moving your inside buttock off the seat while keeping your outside thigh firmly against the tank.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

In my years of instruction, I’ve noticed several recurring issues that hinder proper cornering:

Target fixation – Looking at obstacles or the edge of the road instead of through the turn. Remember: you go where you look!
Chopping the throttle – Suddenly closing the throttle mid-corner, which destabilizes the bike.
Tensing up – Rigid arms and a death grip on the handlebars make the motorcycle less responsive.
Entering too fast – Carrying excessive speed into a corner often leads to running wide or panic braking.
Poor lane positioning – Not setting up wide enough for entry, which limits visibility and cornering options.
Inconsistent throttle control – Erratic acceleration through the corner affects stability and traction.

Advanced Techniques to Practice

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can refine your technique with these advanced practices:

Trail braking – Gradually releasing the front brake as you increase lean angle into the corner. This is an advanced technique that should be practiced in controlled environments first.
Hanging off – Moving your body weight significantly to the inside of the turn, allowing the motorcycle to remain more upright while achieving the same cornering radius.
Corner speed maintenance – Learning to carry consistent speed through longer corners without unnecessary acceleration or deceleration.

Safety Considerations

Always remember these safety fundamentals when cornering:

Never exceed your comfort zone – Progressively build speed and lean angle as your confidence grows.
Leave a margin for error – Use only 70-80% of available traction on public roads.
Road conditions matter – Reduce speed and lean angle on wet, dirty, or uneven surfaces.
Be aware of decreasing radius turns – These tighten unexpectedly and require careful speed management.
Watch for mid-corner hazards – Gravel, oil, potholes, or debris can appear suddenly.

Practical Cornering Exercises

To develop your cornering skills, try these specific exercises:

Slow-speed cornering practice – Find an empty parking lot and set up some cones. Practice tight turns at slow speeds to develop balance and control.
Vision drills – On familiar roads, consciously practice looking through turns earlier and farther. Notice how this improves your line and confidence.
Body position progression – Start with minimal body movement, then gradually increase how much you move inside the turn as your skills develop.
Throttle control exercise – Practice maintaining absolutely steady throttle through a corner, then work on the subtle progressive roll-on that best suits each turn.
Line selection practice – Experiment with different lines through the same corner to feel how early or late apexes affect your exit speed and stability.

The Physics Behind Good Cornering

Understanding the “why” behind cornering techniques helps riders apply them more effectively:

Countersteering physics – Pushing on the right handlebar causes the front wheel to momentarily turn left, initiating a right lean. This counterintuitive technique is how all motorcycles initiate turns at speed.
The stability triangle – Your motorcycle’s stability comes from the relationship between the center of gravity and the contact patches of both tires. Good cornering maintains this relationship throughout the turn.
Traction management – Each tire has a finite amount of available traction that must be shared between cornering forces and acceleration/deceleration forces. This is why braking or accelerating hard while leaned over can cause loss of traction.

Conclusion

Proper cornering technique combines preparation, vision, body position, and smooth control inputs. As your cornering confidence grows, you’ll experience that perfect harmony between rider and machine that makes motorcycling so rewarding. Developing these skills takes dedicated practice. Be patient with yourself, gradually expand your comfort zone, and always prioritize safety.

With time and practice, you’ll find yourself flowing through corners with a confidence and precision that elevates your entire riding experience. The most important element to remember is that smooth, deliberate inputs and proper vision will do more for your cornering than any amount of courage or aggression. Master the fundamentals, and speed will come naturally as a byproduct of good technique.