Lines

By Andy Ibbot
If we listen to advice we will never go any faster than we are now. Why? Because advice isn't an exact science and can sometimes be the wrong thing to do entirely. The most common piece of advice heard seems to be; "There's only one fast line through a corner." Rubbish!

If there was only one line around a corner or racetrack, the only fun and overtaking would have to be done on the straight - and that battle would be won by the person with the most horsepower and least weight. Hmmm, sounds like Formula One to me…

This all becomes clear when you take a look at the current World Championship racing scene. It's fair to say that Haga and Chili have very different riding styles and different lines through a turn, yet both of them are as fast as each other. The same goes for 500GPs with Roberts and McCoy. The list goes on. But there are several physical facts that can't be ignored when it comes to getting a bike around a corner quickly.

Grip, lean angle and speed are all interlinked and if you've got too much of one, then you will have less of the others. It's a circle that can be positive or negative, depending on your place in the turn and how well you planned it. Here you have two different lines through a given corner. This corner could be on the road or track; it doesn't matter as the basic principles apply.


Example A
This example shows the most common line used. Make the corner the least radius possible. Seems fine on the surface of it, and on paper it looks perfect, but under closer scrutiny it's not as good as it might be.

Splitting the corner into thirds let's take a closer look.
Once the rider has seen the start of the corner they begin to turn the bike. This adds lean angle, which increases the further into the turn he goes. He is likely to carry his highest angle of dangle at the apex. Turning a bike slowly in to the apex does this. Carrying a lot of lean means that his traction is reduced. The more you lean a bike over the smaller the front and rear contact patches, where the tyre meets the road, become. If his grip is reduced then he has to take a lot more care with the throttle and certainly is restricted as to how much be can use, and most importantly - how soon. Therefore, he has to try and make up the speed on the exit slowly, picking the bike up and getting harder and harder on the gas to get out the other side faster.
As he comes into the corner his field of view is restricted. He has cut himself off from seeing the apex until he has got about a quarter to a third of the way into the turn. This means he will have less time to react to any surface change or hazard. He will also be less accurate with his line because he can't plan his route through the corner, as most of it is blind until the apex. For this to work you would need to know the corner well before you got comfortable with your line. The end result is that he might go in quicker but will not come out carrying the best possible speed.
By going in to the corner a little bit deeper you can counter a lot of the problems that develop in the 'classic' line.
For a start you will see more of the corner before you turn the bike. This will allow you to be more accurate with your chosen line. It also means that the bike will be facing in the direction of the exit almost straight away. It also means that if there is a hazard or the corner tightens up you will have more time to react because you saw it sooner.


Example B
In the middle of the turn the bike is more upright than in Example A, therefore the rider has more grip. More grip means he can use more power and sooner, which in turn (sic) means that he will have a lot more speed on the exit.
Using less lean thought a corner is always going to be of benefit. Okay, so it might mean that you don't get your knee slider on the floor but which would you prefer? More speed or style. Err, hang on a minute, and let me think about that one… This style might mean you have to come into the corner a little slower, but you will get out on the other side a lot faster, on a predictable line most importantly and more likely to be in one piece! If you can shorten the time between turning the bike into the corner and getting back on the power, then you will have the best possible exit speed for your chosen angle of lean. So, next time you ride be encouraged to go into the turn deeper, you know it will be better for you!