Summary:
- Taking corners is some of the most fun you can have on a motorcycle—but you also need to be careful and hone the right skills to do it safely.
- Maintaining contact with your bike as you lean, refining your throttle control, and looking where you want to go are all basic skills that will help you corner with more confidence.
- Learning how to trail brake and choosing the right line to enter and exit each corner are more advanced skills that will help you corner more aggressively. Just be careful while learning!
- Some bike upgrades can also make cornering easier. Make sure your bike has comfortable bars, dialed-in suspension, and consider using Luimoto’s tank grips to help your knees maintain more contact with the bike during curves.
Mastering the art of cornering on a motorcycle is your ticket to more exhilarating rides—but taking curves also comes with risks, so you’ll need to build up your skills and confidence first. That’s why learning a few techniques and setting your bike up properly are essential before you start speeding through the twisties.
Here at Luimoto, we do more than just make premium aftermarket seat covers for motorcycles—we also share our riding knowledge to help you enhance your two-wheeled adventures! So we’re here to help with this list of tips and tricks for better motorcycle cornering. Learn from our experts about how to position your body, improve your bike’s lean angles, and more.
1. Stay in Contact with Your Motorcycle
Keeping close contact with your motorcycle ensures better control and stability, especially when leaning into corners. The more connected you are to the bike, the more you can react to its movements and maintain your balance throughout the turn.
How-To
- Press your chest and torso lightly against the fuel tank.
- Use your knees to grip the tank, especially during lean, to secure your lower body.
- Luimoto's tank grips provide added traction, helping your knees stay in place even in aggressive cornering. You can find them for a wide range of different makes and models, made from durable weather-resistant materials and easily fixed in place via 3M.
2. Look Where You Want to Go
Your eyes guide your bike. This principle is called target fixation—by focusing on the exit of the corner rather than what's immediately in front of you, you subconsciously guide your bike in the right direction. This helps you avoid overshooting, and reduces your risk of making sudden adjustments that could cost your stability at a key moment.
How-To
- Keep your head up and your eyes on the exit point of the curve.
- Avoid fixating on obstacles or the inside of the corner; this can throw off your line.
- Make sure your head stays level, even as your body leans.
3. Master Body Positioning
Shifting your body position during cornering lowers your center of gravity and allows for better control over lean angle. This is critical for helping your bike maintain grip and staying balanced as your speed increases.
If you’ve ever taken a dirt riding course, you’ve probably learned how to do this. If you haven’t, you might want to consider it—believe it or not, it’s a great way to improve your on-road skills as well!
How-To
- Shift your hips slightly off the seat as you move towards the inside of the corner.
- Keep your outside leg pressing firmly against the tank for stability (our tank grips can help with this).
- Ensure your head and chest are low and towards the inside of the corner to maintain balance.
4. Smooth Throttle Control
Smooth and consistent throttle application keeps the bike stable through corners. Avoid aggressive or choppy throttle movements—these can disrupt the balance of your motorcycle and cause your tires to lose traction with the road.
How-To
- Gradually roll on the throttle as you exit the corner to build up speed.
- Avoid abrupt acceleration, especially mid-turn, to prevent spinning the rear wheel.
- Keep a steady throttle hand to maintain balance and traction.
5. Use Trail Braking for Tighter Turns
Trail braking is a technique where you apply a measured amount of rear brake before the start of a corner, then gradually release it as you lean in. This helps your bike maintain more front-end grip and allows you to take sharper turns.
Note: Trail-braking isn’t for beginners—and it can be dangerous to hit your brake in a corner, so you’ll need to practice this carefully. Still, although this is an advanced technique, it can be incredibly useful for controlling speed in tricky corners. For more details on how to trail brake (and practice safely), check out the following video:
How-To
- Begin braking before you start to lean, then gradually reduce pressure as you enter the corner.
- Keep a light amount of braking through the turn until you are fully leaned in.
- Release the brake fully once you’ve committed to the turn to regain full grip.
6. Set Your Suspension for Corners
Proper suspension setup can help you maximize your cornering performance because it helps your bike react more predictably to uneven surfaces and avoid diving or squatting excessively during turns.
Fine-tuning suspension can also improve your comfort while riding—although our premium gold gel inserts might do an even better job.
How-To
- Adjust preload, compression, and rebound settings to match your weight and riding style.
- For more aggressive cornering, firm up the suspension to reduce front-end dive.
- Test different setups on familiar roads or tracks to find what works best for you.
Related: 5 Reasons Your Motorcycle Seat Feels Uncomfortable When You Ride
7. Choose the Right Line
The right line through a corner allows you to carry more speed safely, as it minimizes sharp direction changes. By positioning yourself correctly at corner entry, apex, and exit, you can maintain a smoother, faster line.
To see an easy-to-understand version of this in action, check out the following video:
How-To
- Enter wide to allow for a sharper, smoother apex.
- Aim for the inside of the corner (apex) at the midpoint of your turn.
- Exit wide to maintain speed and straighten the bike sooner.
8. Stay Relaxed on the Handlebars
Tensing up on the handlebars reduces your ability to make small adjustments and impairs the bike’s natural movements. By staying relaxed, your bike will move more fluidly, especially through tight or high-speed corners.
- Keep a light grip on the handlebars, avoiding any unnecessary input.
- Use your lower body to stabilize yourself rather than pulling on the handlebars.
- Let the bike move underneath you naturally, responding with subtle inputs rather than forceful corrections.
9. Focus on Proper Tire Pressure
Tire pressure directly affects grip, handling, and stability, especially in corners. Underinflated tires can cause sluggish handling, while overinflated tires reduce contact with the road.
How-To
- Check your tire pressure before every ride, ensuring it matches the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- For more aggressive riding, consider lowering pressure slightly to increase grip.
- Adjust tire pressure for road conditions (e.g., slightly lower for wet or uneven surfaces).
10. Practice Throttle-to-Brake Transitions
Mastering smooth transitions between throttle and brake helps maintain the balance of your motorcycle, especially when entering or exiting corners. Abrupt changes can unsettle the bike, making it harder to control through the turn.
How-To
- Gently roll off the throttle before braking to prevent the bike from lurching forward.
- Smoothly release the brake as you begin leaning into the corner to avoid abrupt weight shifts.
- Practice transitioning back to throttle as you exit the corner to maintain smooth acceleration.
Take Your Next Corner with More Confidence
Following the tips above might seem like a lot of work at first—but most of the adjustments we’ve suggested are simple, and they can all make a considerable difference.
Adjusting the way you ride can improve your safety on the road, and investing in a few specific pieces of equipment will help you continue to enjoy the sport just as much as you ever have. Get started by exploring Luimoto’s range of rider seat covers and go from there.
