I go up to the High School's parking lot every spring and practice cornering and do figure 8's and practice, practice and practice. Been riding for 40+ yrs Don't ever be so proud that you think you know it all.

One of my mantras: I can always recover from taking a corner too slowly. I may not be able to recover from taking a corner too fast.

I started watching your channel in Feb. 2020 and have already been riding for over twenty-five years. And I can't help but wonder how in the hell I'm still here. I would say It was just plain luck. Never before had I paid so much attention to all the bad habits I had, People now will ask me what to do any different scenarios and I'm able to give them a correct riding method thats going to help them. The biggest suggestion I give them is to watch MCrider. I usually send them a couple reminders through the week to make sure they watch these videos. Thank You Kevin

I could have gone 10 mph faster through that corner is always a better thought than I wish I would have gone 10 mph slower.

A thought on cornering. A lot of new riders are taught to look through the corner as you described. But ... they do that as if they have a steel rod that runs up their spine from the seat to the top of their head. In other words, they keep their eyes parallel with their shoulders. This means that as they lean over, everything in their vision appears to tilt. Momentum and centrifugal force tells their inner ears (where our balance is controlled) that everything is fine. So when the balance system and the visual system suddenly disagree on whether everything is fine, panic is sure to follow. Its my experience that most learners are not told to keep their eyes parallel with the horizon (as they point their nose/chin in the direction they want to go). When all this fell into place for me I suddenly became much more aware of the bike moving around under me and how much easier it was to make the very fine adjustments to inputs coming into, during and coming out of corners. Keeping your field of vision on the same plane regardless of what angle your body is at means your subconscious mind and autonomous nervous system have one less variable to work with when gliding around those favourite twisties at whatever speed your skill and confidence level makes comfortable. Love your videos Kevin. Ride safe.

I'm a new rider with very little experience one the pavement. I bought my bike a few weeks ago. I've been watching your channel off and on for about a year and tryed to absorb as much as I can. Just finished a parking lot session and I could hear your voice in my head every second. Thank you for all you do. I'll definitely keep watching and learning.

A new rider is any rider that rides less then 2500 miles a year regardless of how long they have ridden.Those of us in colder climates lose up to 25% of their skill level over the winter and have sluggish muscle memory for the first few hundred miles.

I was always taught that _your speed on the road should be such that _*_you can safely stop_*_ in the distance you can clearly see in front of you._ As you rightly say, that will vary with each and every corner, road and the weather conditions.

I always approach unfamiliar corners slower than needed. My buddies say I'm too slow in them. Lol

When I first started riding, I watched this guy I thought his safety advice was really lame and boring but then I crashed a few times and I respect everything this man says so much now and he helps me humble myself. Plus, he is the most relaxing motorcycle advice giver on youtube. Thank you for your videos please keep it up!!

40 plus years ago, I knew a ground school instructor that repeatedly said that generally speaking, the most dangerous person in the air, was the 200 hour pilot. Now, with enough experience to "relax" & be "comfortable", but maybe just not enough experience to see a problem coming and avert it. In the decades since, I've seen "200 hr pilots" everywhere. Cars, trucks, heavy equipment, machinery operators and motorcycles. You name it. Even in my mirror a number of times. Knowledge of this principal can be a valuable defence while working to master some demanding skill sets. Stay safe, keep learning, & listen to Kevin. Thank you so much for these MCR vidios.

I've only been riding for a year, so great tips like these are appreciated. Thanks!

Has anybody done a survey to count how many riders who turned wide knew that pressing forward on the inside grip is the easiest minimal-effort way to make the bike turn tighter? I believe this is likely the most common reason for these crashes. All the other things are supplementary. "Pressing on that right handgrip" is not a sufficient teaching. You have to say "press FORWARD", because it is counterintuitive, and explain why it is counterintuitive and why it works. If you just briefly say "press" in passing and then distract riders with all the other details, they'll still crash. Slow parking lot exercises focusing only on what happens when the handlebars are moved one way, then the other, keeping everything else centered, will demonstrate the effect. Slow, look, press, and roll does not help if the rider does not know precisely what you mean by "press". When the rider presses the right grip forward (not down), the bars turn slightly to the left; then, because of rake and trail (which you must explain properly as well), the front contact patch shifts to the left of your direction of travel, which causes the center of gravity of the bike-and-rider to fall to the right of an imaginary line connecting the rear and front contact patches, which makes the bike lean right, which makes the bars turn right (because of the caster effect, like the wheels on a shopping cart), even though you're still pressing the right grip forward, because the weight of the bike and the forces on the fork are way stronger than the force of your right hand pressing forward, so the bike turns to the right. Pressing forward more strongly makes the bike turn more sharply. This takes very little effort, and if you pull REARWARD with the opposite hand at the same time, it takes even less effort. Riders turning wide simply do not know this. It is not a failure of where they're looking, nor a failure to remember "slow, look, press, and roll", nor being distracted, nor any other reason. When I started in 2007, I first took the MSF course, and by the end of the class, they taught me NOTHING about these things. Immediately afterwards, I bought and read all the books by Keith Code, Nick Ienatsch, Lee Parks, and Vittore Cossalter, which taught me what MSF skipped in their misguided effort to dumb things down so that all riders can understand. Stop dumbing down for us, and teach us what we really need to know!

Thanks again, Kevin. Always great advice. I'm within my first year of riding and I always have your voice in my head when out on the road. So far so good.

Kevin, great video always reminding me of proper technique. Seems like I hear your voice every time I ride and encounter different situations.

Yep. I can fully agree. Beginners will drop their bikes at slow speeds or when totally stationary. I've my license for three and a half years now and I dropped my bike three times in the first year. First time at a gas station as I was leaving and couldn't somehow get my left foot on the ground, second time in slow speed traffic as I was yielding, steered to the right and used the front brake - bike fell to the right which is that classic noob mistake and the third time in my backyard which was the most embarassing drop because I just forgot to put the side stand down. Dropped it right in front of me. After those incidents no more drops. Also all those drops were performed with an old beater Honda NTV for 600€. Got my new bike Yamaha Tracer after a year and a half in and never dropped that one. To all newbies I recommend a used and cheap bike as a first bike. Just my 2 cents. 😁😃

One of the best motorcycle skills channel on u tube thanks for the tips

I created a skill level system for our riding club, but it is based on miles ridden, not years. Basically, I have riders graduate to the next level every 1000 miles. There are 5 levels. Completing the MSF course is worth 500 miles. Going a year without riding deducts 500.

Thank you for making me remind that i need to pay more attention since i am in that 1-2 years of motorcycling experience range. Hope to improve my riding. Cheers 🥂

My nemesis, turning, particularly right turns. I'm practicing, but I also tend not to turn my stupid head. Working on it! I've bee riding for a year now, working to get better. Thank you for this important point of not letting a year of riding make you think you know it all. Great video!

Just got my Ninja 400 last week and been watching all your videos. Appreciate the help 🙏🏼

I've been riding for exactly 60 years now (starting at 15 1/2) and will be on my bike tomorrow. I have to admit that I've learned more about proper and safe riding in the last three years than I had learned the previous 57 years thanks to MCRider and the practices Kevin recommends. With regard to taking corners, as I approach a corner, I focus on it, I look through it and stake out a path so that I can stay smack in the middle of my lane without drifting wide or skirting the wrong lane. This makes riding more enjoyable and relaxing with a feeling of safety and yet I get through the corners at a satisfying speed. I now drive my cars this way too and I'm a better driver for it. I do not "trail brake" nor do I see any reason to do so.

Thanks for the latest video, practiced this during my ride this weekend and the corners went much smoother a big 👍

Good stuff, Kevin. Absolutely on track. Been riding about 8 years. I’m almost 72 years young. Your program was a great “remind and review” for me. Thank you as I head out on the road again this year. Blessings, bro.!

I've now being watching Kevin for a few months, great staff, good work and certainly very helpful. However I believe that due care & anticipation as well as reading the road's condition is a must for safe riding.

I'm 59. Been riding all types of bikes since I was 14 years old, off & on. I understand corners, braking, situational awareness, etc, etc. Other vehicle, non-motorcycle drivers plus smartphones put my eyes & brains on FIRE! Motorcycles are hard to see, period! Distracted drivers on smartphones just PISS ME OFF!😊 Thanx for all your time Kevin!😊

I have over 20 yrs on Goldwings. When I went from a 2010 (manual) to a 2019 DCT, I fell into the "New Rider" category for about 3 months until I became comfortable and confident in the new bike.

I was at the tail end of a 1000 mile road trip on my Triumph yesterday. I had stopped for a little break and some coffee right before getting into 20/25 miles of curves and some tight sections of switch backs in the Serria mountains. This video had popped up, what great timing. Well I home now, thanks again for these videos. ✌

Excellent information I also find slowing down in corners allows me to assess road condition for possible gravel,sand and water on the road surface.

Been riding over 60 years and I still learn things every day. Keep up the good work.

Always very good tips 👌 I love this channel

I approach riding as a meditation. You have to be the state of mind some call being in the present moment. Your inner voice turns off (except maybe you are thinking through what you're doing) and your senses are heightened.

I made this exact mistake as a brand new rider, just yesterday and had to apply the brakes. It was a close call but I thank God I made it out without crashing and believe prayer made the difference... The first thought that came to mind was your thumbnail “Don’t Run Wide!” So before going out today, I am watching... and praying. Thank you for this vital information. 👍

Thanks for this vid. As a rookie this is going to be invaluable. 👍

Thanks Kevin. Always great advice.

The older I get, the faster I was. My days of going fast are over. I ride at or near the speed limit, and never in the rain or rush hour traffic. Been riding since 1974...so far so good...accident free...knock on wood. Current wheels are a 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S.

Hey there I sure hope there was alot of Riders that watched this video it sure was 100% helpful to me as well and I've been on 2s since I was a 7 year old kid now 58 and for sure still Ridin more than ever thanks.

I enjoy your channel. I ride a sport bike and appreciate your universal viewpoints.

An additional issue afflicts intermediate riders: the failure to make a distinction between speed and acceleration. Inexperienced riders might take a corner at a relatively low speed, conclude mid-corner that they've got the corner under control, get on the throttle a little too hard, and get shocked when they run wide. I think that controlling the direction of a bike using the throttle is something that I've rarely heard explained directly. Instructors do say that the bike tends to straighten up when you use the throttle, but using this effect to control your direction is something I had to discover on my own.

I agree with your definition of a crash with one small exception and it probably only applies to touring big twin Harleys. I don't consider dragging the floor boards a crash, but your not far away at that point. One of the things that I almost learned the hard way is to not be afraid to lean the bike. I was riding a friend's 850 Norton many decades ago and almost high sided it because I didn't lean far enough and bounced off of a curb in the opposite lane. I was lucky I didn't crash and neither the bike nor I were hurt. I did scare me and in 40 plus years of riding I haven't repeated that mistake. Keep the good stuff coming Kevin.

Thank for the tips - I'm a new rider and I can use this information; it really helps.

Just because I've been riding motorcycles for 50 years doesn't make me less cautious every time I get on my bike, your channel is very good,as for going too wide into a bend, Easter Sunday two years ago my friend did exactly that, experienced careful rider, one mistake met a truck head on and he's gone, be careful out there.

Another valuable video. One thing that doesn’t get mentioned much is keeping your head in your lane through a corner. I see it way too often, riders coming through a corner with their tires in their lane but most of their body leaned into the on coming traffic.

I've been riding Honda Goldwings for 25 years. I find that safe speeds for beginners to enter most curves is the State's recommended speed for that curve. Once you enter the curve, you can accelerate through the curve. More experienced riders can easily enter most curves at 10 mph faster than the State's recommended speed for the curve.

Situation Awareness! Turn signals and brake lights are to communicate with others on the road. I like many others have been riding for a couple decades. At 14 I picked up my uncle's 47 Indian Chief and my cousin taught me to ride. Two years later I bought my cousin's 65 Electraglide. That was 1981 and put down a few bikes and I've been put down. Everytime I know I stopped paying attention to my surroundings or motorcycle. I see to many riders with cell phones mounted on their bars or looking too long at the landscape. In every " accident" I am at fault. Personal responsibility for situation awareness is everyone's! Thank You for your videos. I'm not too old or too " experienced" to learn from you. You all are in my prayers Hoka Hey

Scuttled my Blade on a reducing radius corner here in U.K. about 10 years ago, grabbed too much brake after a slight slip dipping in. I’ve been back to the scene of the crime many times and it is a nasty corner, but I learnt a lot from the experience. I’m sure if I hadn’t braked the bike would have settled and taken me through. A couple of years later I was touring in Wales and half way round a corner there was water running off a mountain over the road. I resisted the very strong temptation to brake and the bike glided through with no issues.

Kevin your videos are a wake-up call to me I'm at the overconfidence stage I bought a lighter smaller bike more flexible in the corners and I've been forgetting all the lessons you taught me like Trail braking. Without your videos I've would have not been here or worse been here but can't ride anymore thanks for all you do

@MCRider - Really enjoy your tutorials, Kevin. On this one, I gotta say determining "New Rider" by Years is an imperfect method. I've owned my used '07 Softail Deluxe for 4 months now. I take it out 5 - 6X/week. Each ride logs between 20-40 miles here in AZ, not to mention a few 100-mile day trips with fellow riders. On my daily rides, I always work on my skills & strategy: proper stopping (left leg), progressive braking, following my nose, lane positioning. My rides always include minimum 10 mins in a giant church parking lot to practice my slow-speed cornering around small islands throughout the empty lot, as well as U-Turns and Emergency braking. I work to reduce my U-turn radius to within 2 parking spaces, so far getting it down to 3 spaces. No problem with the cornering & emergency braking, which I thoroughly enjoy! I've logged 1400 miles in 4 months so far. I know I definitely have more to learn and remain humble. By the same token, I recognize that I've put in more "skills" effort time in than most straight-line "weekend warriors" who've ridden for years. Am I still a new rider? Probably, but my seat time and dedication to skills work has built up a much-appreciated confidence level. Someday I'll take some Enhanced Skills classes to further improve. For now, I shudder at the thought of dropping my pristine (unprotected) Deluxe just so I work on doing a turn in 20' instead of 30'.

Great teaching as always !! Thank you.

Spot on advice. I started riding from scratch 18 months ago. Got my full licence (UK) last September aged 68. The most amazing thing I found is that on a bike you truely go where you are looking. In 50 years of driving a car I never felt this happening to the same extent. sounds obvious but look properly at where you want to be and (assuming speed is in the right area) you will arrive safely.

No one so far spoke about which gear you should be in. I've found that you should always be in a gear which allows you to feel confident to accelerate in. I.e. if you are going too fast, even slow, but your gear is high so that you need to freewheel, is when you run wide. Gear down before the corner so that you have the confidence to accelerate

Nicely done. One thing you left out: riders run wide in curves because they do not know how far they can lean the bike over before it will scrape, and they get scared and do not push the grip harder into the curve when they could. Most riders never come close to leaning and turning the bike as hard as the bike can go, and instead go off the road. Its better to push the bike over too far and have it scrape, than to go off the road on the far side, or worse, to drift head-on into oncoming traffic.

Thank you, I got my new bike for one week now, watching your videos help a lot. The problem with cornering starts when you go above legal speed, The roads and the curves are not engineered just for cars, the speed signs give you an idea before a corner, you should use that speed and then adjust your own speed according to your riding skills. Roads are not the place to practice our track skills.

I never ride aggressively. Do the speed limit. The speed limit signs are there for a reason. Go slower into the turns and pay attention and you will always hold your line and get through the turn. Kevin is AWESOME.

I learned really quickly about the dangers of the front break in turns when I "dropped" my bike going ~3-5km/h at a stop sign. I'm happy I had that experience at low speed when i first started - good experience of what NOT to do.

Great information as always. Thanks Kevin

I like this video I'm in the 2-3 year bracket. This video was on point. Getting ballsy and having some small but puckers

Spot on! Point your nose as far into the corner as you can, until you find the exit. The bike will follow your nose. My riding abilities grow by leaps and bounds when I started using this technique, along with trail braking. Great video!

Very informative and well said

Being a second-year rider, I think about what you I said about confidence every time I go out for a ride now. When I am feeling good about my skills there is a little voice that sounds like Han Solo in the original movie, " don't get cocky, kid! ".

Thanks Kevin as always

Your example at the 3:00 mark is exactly what happened to me. I started to get over confident and went on auto pilot around a corner, my body auto corrected a little too early and in the literal second or two of realization of my mistake I was into the grass shoulder that disappeared into a ditch. I walked away more or less unharmed, the bike was fixable but insurance totaled it b/c of its age. I have a new bike now and a better respect for the hobby. Ride like you have a pet bear, love it with a healthy fear/respect and you will do just fine.

Thank you sir for your knowledge. We all need help.

thanks for helping keep me safe

Great tips. Thanks!

Great information thanks

Thanks, Kevin. Wealth of info for me.

For me I found that more than actual corners, turns on older winding roads and hairpin on ramps often have a varying radius so the turn might start out with a particular radius then get tighter halfway through.

Kevin, I must thank you for all your tips, for all your work. Your tips on riding on loose surface (don't remember in witch vid it was :P but I remember your voice in my head speaking those tips and many many others). Just had a ride on heavy tourist bike with road tires on sandy roads, very deep sandy roads. Bike was doing what it should do, even when I was riding (sliding slowly) sideways not even once I put my feet on the ground, I kept moving forward with almost no traction on tires :)

As always, great advice.

Excellent video! This will save paint and lives.

Thanks for the helpful video I lean the Goldwing so far my boots was hitting the gravel😟

great video, thank you

I too had a "little" crash on day of my MSF class. They let us get there early and ride around the parking lot. I was killing it and feeling good with 1 day of training under my belt. They had us start and had everyone lined up behind me asking me to lead the line to the start. Feely all kind of cocky I took off, got to the first curve going a little too fast so I grabbed the front brake (hadn't mastered the rear brake yet) and you know what happened. Over I went. Turns out besides breaking one of the mirrors off I also sprained my ankle. Finished the class and passed easily. The next morning I could not walk so off to the emergency room I went. Lesson learned that day - no heavy front brake when making a turn...

Ah the smooth logic and dulcet tones of Papp motorcycle. All part of a complete breakfast.

Hey Kevin I enjoy your videos. One thing I haven't heard anyone address is that right hand corners are sharper than left hand corners, at least that's the case if you live in a country where you ride or drive on the right side of the road.

*Great stuff!*

Hello Kevin. I've been riding for about 8 months and your videos have helped me tremendously and have been able to get out of critical situations by following your instruction, except the other day, I went down going about 30 to 35 mph. I installed a phone mount on my bike and on the first bump that I hit, my phone fell off, my first reaction was to look back while braking and worried about my phone not to get ran over by the cars behind me, I slowed down a bit too fast, fished tailed the bike and down I go. I only had a couple scratches and a sore knee, thank God. I was feeling down and depressed becuase I could've avoided that situation, but I didn't, my reaxtion was faster than my mind to think how to handle the situation, I guess I was more worried about my phone than my safety and that's a big no no.

Valid points. I often fall victim to that my ambition outweighs my talent situation. I am older, shouldn’t I be wiser by now?!? 🤷🏻‍♂️ I wish my MSF instructor would have applied more emphasis on the “turn your head!” On the u turn. I still struggle with it, but now I ride a trike (long story regarding my wife’s health), so it isn’t as vital, but I still practice it.

This is a great video. 👍

Priceless.

Great video as always I've learned so much from watching. Only have one suggestion regarding how to measure the experience of a new motorcycle rider. It seems like they are a lot of Weekend Warriors. For example I bought a used 2012 Fatboy with only 1200 miles from somebody with 7 years experience. I myself have only 3 years experience, but with 12000 + miles a year. Like to know your thoughts on time / mileage for experience. Thanks again for all the knowledge you share.

Great advice!

All riders need to know COUNTERSTEERING ( anything above 5-10 mph) and leaning turns the bike. This is paramount when a sharper turn is required!! The brain & hands must know to push inside bar and not panic!

I like the “point your nose” tip. Gonna remember that one!

How many miles does the average new rider put on a bike in a year? When I was young, I would put 3000 to 4000 miles a year on a bike. On my new bike, I have put almost 9000 miles in 10 months. It had been 40 years since I had ridden a bike very much, and 25 years since I had ridden at all. I love riding, and ride anytime I can, as much as possible on rural country roads for practice.. I will ride 50 miles or more just to unwind at the end of the day. Much of what I had learned on a bike in the 70s has kept me out of car crashes since. I took a new rider course, and can still hear the instructor yelling "TURN YOUR HEAD". I really like your videos, and I have learned a lot. Praise God, I have never had a serious crash on the street. 1974 Kawasaki Z1 900 in the 70s. 2020 H-D Road Glide Limited with RDRS

More on throttle control to stabilize the bike please. Much more on using the brakes for weight distribution and traction especially at tip in please. While using the brakes is not necessary for every turn, proper use (pressure and timing) is critical (not optional) for turns that require it.

Been riding about 6 years now. The most impactful tip I received in regards to turns was to utilize the Down shift. Lower gear through the turn is so controlled. Just my experience.

Early apex the corner, run wide at the exit. Diagrams showing the line (series of positions throughout the corner) are useful.

Good point all. Thanks.

Great advice I learnt a lot from you, thanks. One question on being a new rider, is it by number of years or miles on bike? Or if I rephrase how many miles/km on the bike makes you an experienced rider?

the first time as a new rider you encounter a decreasing radius turn unexpectedly is pretty dicey. I'm in that 1yr ish range. I still take corners fairly slow. And by slow, i guess i mean, i go the speed limit, or what the "turn" speed signs suggest. I know my bike can probably handle more speed, but I don't feel I can, so unless I know the turns, I keep it real reasonable. which is probably the least "motorcycle" thing to say. but eh... rather get home safe than have my ego be why i ride.

I’ve rode for forty years and every one f your videos shows me what I didn’t know. Scares me how careless I have been!

Great info!

🤚yes my ambition outweighed my talent more than once. Thank God I lived to learn. Side note: took an msf course in Montgomery AL where they discussed excess corner speed and what to do if you realize you are going too fast. Instructor hung just his upper body into the corner by bending one arm and straightening the other (example: leaning right with left arm straight and right arm bent). This allowed the motorcycle to remain slightly upright and prevent hard parts from scraping. This technique combined with countersteer and looking through the turn might reduce the risk of levering the rear tire. Of course he emphasized correct entry speed was always best.

My Road name is Eeyore. I Ride like a Brand New Rider. Round here, you don't fly through corners. WAY to many Trucks pulling trailers and "Mud" Trucks on tiny Roads. Lots of "debris" from them dropping a tire, or 3, off the edge and tossing asphalt, rocks and sand into the road. Plus I started down in the Sandhills of NC. You earn a healthy respect for slick roads with a quickness. I've hit slick spots in turns on Rides. Had the tail kick more than once but I've always been at a speed that I could control it. So I'll gladly take the "New" Rider label even though I have been Riding since '07. Rather be safe than sorry. I don't heal like I used to.

May 2019 I had sever sepsis, it made an abscess in my neck and I had surgery to cut the bones on the back of my neck, I was in a wheel chair for two months. When I got home I pushed my bike in and out of the garage to wash and wax for about a month, and then I took it in for inspection. My neck is locked I have some mobility. I practiced in parking lots feet up sharp turns and forced my head to look into the turn.

My corner mantra is, slow in fast out, enjoy the scenery and slow down, it's not a race, let any traffic pass you out that's driving too close or putting pressure on you, you can filter past them all at the next stop in traffic anyway.

Kevin you are very good at giving insight and techniques into the motorcycle lifestyle. I’m riding a Honda gold wing trike to make my riding easier and safer. Do you have any particular skills or advice for us trike riders?

Laid my first Harley down about a month after getting it, 10 years later looking back I pushed way above my skill level at the time lol now I push things way farther than I should