Welcome to Northukbikers, the North UK's No.1 Ride-Out Site. Register For FREE!
Positioning and Corners
Car drivers are relatively limited in their ability to alter their position within the lane, since they normally occupy about 50 - 70% of it. Hence, most car drivers focus on keeping their vehicle centrally within their lane. Bikes however, occupy a very small percentage of the lane and can use this to great advantage. You can alter your road position to:
| Improve your view of the situation ahead |
| Improve your chances of being seen by others |
| Avoid hazards in the road or improve surface grip |
| Reduce the severity of a corner or bend |
| Give information to influence other road users |
As you can see from the diagram, this gives the blue bike, a far better view of the corner, and any approaching hazards, a hazard can be anything which would cause problems, it can be road surface, oncoming vehicles, anything that may force us off line or cause us to move from the chosen line, seeing it earlier, helps us plan our corners and the line we take through them better.
The same rules can be applied when passing a row of parked cars (or any obstruction). By moving out and away from the obstruction, you are improving your view and reducing the risk of being hit by someone opening a car door. You are also improving your chances of seeing and reacting to stray pedestrians or vehicles coming out of driveways.
A lot of advanced riding literature, like the police motor cyclists handbook, states that you should always ride at a speed which will enable you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear, on your own side of the road. Therefore, if we can only see a short distance, we slow down. Apart from weather conditions we find that obstructions inhibit our view of the road ahead, be they other vehicles, trees, buildings etc., so wherever possible and safe we can take advantage of the small amount of space bikes take up, and we need to position our bike to allow us to see around the obstacle and thus allow us to extend the safe stopping distance and the time we have to react to a hazard.
The diagram bellow shows two typical blind right and left hand bends. Notice that despite both motorbikes being at the same stage of the bend, its' only the blue motorbike that can see the potential oncoming hazard. The Blue motorbike's positioning is much better.
Cornering position example 1.
In addition to being able to see the potential hazard, there is also a better chance that the blue motorbike rider can be seen easier by the driver of the red car. It is imperative to keep in mind, that as a motorcyclist you have a small profile. Stats show that 1 in 3 motorists don't even notice motorbikes, so you should do everything possible to improve your road profile. Generally, ride in a prominent position giving you a good view of the road ahead and the ability to react to the unexpected. Provided you are not on a motorway, this is normally near the centre of the road. Be aware of other vehicles thaty may interpret this as an indication to turn, so keep a look out for traffic coming up from the rear. In this position, you are likely to be seen by oncoming traffic and it will also keep you out of the blind spots of traffic ahead of you.
The same theory is shown in example 1, and they tie in together, once you start riding with visibility in mind, your confidence will grow, as you see more, you will feel safer, and therefore more confident.
Even the best British roads aren't built with motorcycles in mind. You'll notice all sorts of hazards from banding ,uneven road repairs, pot holes, slippery white paint and metal covers. As a minimum these will be uncomfortable to ride over, but more often will upset the stability of your bike. When riding in bad weather, you be aware of micro climates (e.g. patches of ice, or damp, on an otherwise dry road often caused by shade) and standing water after rain. Wherever possible, you should avoid these hazards, by planning routes around them.Every road has hazards to deal with, even those that are empty and straight, the edge of the road presents a hazard. This is why positioning close to the centre of the road reduces your risk. You are roughly equal and therefore the maximum distance apart from the two hazards. If however you spot a vehicle coming the other way, or a traffic island, you should move over slightly (centre of your lane) to maintain that equal distance. If the hazards are not equal (e.g. a large truck coming the other way), then consider moving over more. When planning your positioning, you should consider the following in order:
The ideal position for a left hand bend is over to the right (centre line), but you should give sacrifice this position if you see oncoming vehicles. Thus you will have less view, but you will be further away from the hazard. Safety is the highest priorityStability
The ideal position for a right hand bend is over to the left, for maximum view around the bend, but the road on the edge is often full of debris and poor surfacing. This will affect your stability, so you should compromise your positioning (less view but more stability). Your machines stability is to be considered above maintaining the best view of the road.View
If it's safe and the road surface is good position for maximum view. Providing there is an advantage in doing so.The diagram shows two riding plans: The solid line shows where the rider has compromised view for safety. In addition where the second bend is open it may be safe to improve stability by staying upright. This would not be acceptable if the rider could not be certain that there were no oncoming vehicles. The dotted line represents the uncompromised route that does not prioritise safety or stability over view.
When considering using the off-side it's worth noting that:
Motorsport has been doing this for years, it enables the maximum speed possible to be achieved while going round a bend, often referred to as "The path of least resistance". However as road riders, keep in mind that a race car or bike doesn't expect to find traffic coming the other way and will normally not have to deal with blind or unknown bends. It is important to note that taking the "The path of least resistance" around a bend will significantly reduce your visibility, limit options for reacting to hazards and reduce the ability to plan ahead. Safety and visibility should, and must always take priority over smoothing a bend, but there is a point when it can be done. This is normally the point when the bend starts to straighten out. Often known as the "Exit Point" Obviously if the bend is minor and you can see it is safe to do so, then you can consider straight lining it.
When considering taking any road position, it is important remember that other road users may interpret it wrongly. Tucking in to the left, on a right hander, can indicate to following traffic, that you are stopping or moving over to allow them to pass. Always be prepared to change your road position, if you feel that it could give incorrect information. You must prioritise your hazards and ensure you deal with the most immediate first. If a car is approaching from an entrance and a right hand bend soon after, moving to the left to get a good view of the bend ahead, could be interpreted as an intention to take a left. A car approaching could pull out in front of you. In this case you will need to give up your early view of the corner, in order to give information to the approaching vehicle.
Here are some other examples of when you may need to take an alternative position:Squuezing - Imagine you are approaching a ‘T’ junction on a busy intersection and intending to turn right. Your ‘L’ test text book will have told you to move over to the right. However, an impatient motorist behind you may feel there is sufficient space to ‘Squeeze by’. They may even view a gap prior to you and try to beat you out of the junction. Your courteous action may put you in danger. You risk being hit, when the other car comes along side, pulls away and you could get pushed into the path of oncoming traffic if you both exit at the same time. In such a case it may have been better to take a more central position (within your lane). This will create less room for a vehicle to squeeze along side and may discourage them from this type of manoeuvre. The same theory applies when waiting at traffic lights.
Multiple Lane Roundabouts - If you're going straight over on a roundabout, the highway code says you take the left lane and indicate just before you exit. However, many motorists will assume that your are turning left and may pull out in front of you or move into your path without realising that you didn't exit. Again you will need to use your judgement as to the best lane to take. It may be better to use the middle lane and watch out for motorists in the correct lane.
Corner Cutting - You're turning right from a minor road narrowed by parked cars , into a major road. If you take your normal right hand position, you run the risk of being swiped by a car turning into your road and misjudging the gap. By taking a central lane position, or hanging back from the junction (assuming you can still see), you reduce this risk.
The busier the traffic, the greater the care you will need to exercise. Not just because there are more hazards to look out for, but also because other motorists will be prepared to take greater risks in order to avoid the nightmare of traffic. Road positioning can help you make safer, smoother progress and give you an early view of hazards, but use your noodle, and don't forget your immediate surroundings or sacrifice your safety for a better position.
Judging the severity of the bend
The severity of the bend will ultimately determine your approach speed, but it is not always obvious from the entry point how severe the bend is. Here are some points which will help you decide:
Road Signs - Most roads will have some sort of warning sign indicating the severity of the bend look for this and any warnings painted on the road. These will give the most obvious indication of the severity of the bend.
Vanishing Point - As you approach the bend find the point where, according to your eye, the two sides of the road join ‘the vanishing point’ if this seems to be getting closer to you, the bend is tightening up, if it is moving away from you, the bend is opening out.
Other Vehicles - Are vehicles ahead of you braking hard as they enter the corner? Are vehicles coming the other way moving slowly? If the answer is yes, the corner may be more severe than you think.
You should also understand the vertical factors such as cambers and hills which affect a bend. A banked bend and an incline has the effect of reducing the severity, while adverse camber or decline increases it.
