A question bout riding

[old2soon]

Just an idle thought came to me on my ride yesterday and the day before. Now let me state I DO NOT ride at 100% of the Phatt Ghurls capabilities BUT-that word yet again-I will use that figure-100%. I enjoy/like/love dealing with the twistys-anywhere and everywhere I ride. And I find myself more comfortable in a left curve versus a right curve-lets say my comfort level in a left leaner is approaching 100% my comfort level in a right leaner is more like 93% maybe 94%-another words noticeable to riders behind me.  Wonder if it goes back to my dirt track jalopy days turning left. Had the whole right side of the car to absorb the bad juju.  Even with my right leaner trepidation ain't quite ready to sell her!  RIDE SAFE.

[Alien]

I'm exactly the same and my tires tell the tale.  They are worn right to the limit of the tread on the left and there's about 3/8 inch of virgin tread on the right.  I wonder why that is?

[Joe Hummer]

I have an easier time turning into a right hand turn than a left hand turn.  I feel I have more road available to me in a right turn than I do in a left turn because I try like hell to stay in my lane in the turns and not use the whole road...but...in an emergency situation where I need more room to maneuver (usually a result of coming into a corner too hot...), I feel I have the oncoming lane to provide more run-out room in a right turn...than the shoulder in a left turn.  But generally speaking, I am just as comfortable dragging either peg in the corners at speed and exiting the corner at near full throttle thinking about the next corner.

As I know you are fully aware of Dennis...setting up for the corner is more important than traversing through and exiting the corner.  If you don't come into it with the right...well...everything (mindset, line, speed, etc)...you aren't going to make it out of the corner anywhere near where you expected or wanted to. 

[Jess from VA]

I have always believed that almost everyone (right or left handed) turns left better (and with more confidence) than they turn right.  Driving on the right side of the road, most of our left turns are longer (faster) sweepers than most hard 90* rights, where you have to slow down to make the turn.  Over years of practice (even including childhood on bicycles), we are better (and faster) at left turns than right turns.  

I can ride the bike around in tight circles either way, but if having to maneuver in a slow tight gas station, parking lot or other, I will most often (without really thinking about it) set up to do my hardest slow leaning turn to the left, rather than the right.  

And this is also used to explain why most of us wear out the left of the tire earlier than the right (along with road crowns) (and because most lefts are longer than most rights).  These rules apply more in town and suburbia than out in the rural twisties, but our years of experience still translate to more comfort and confidence turning left than right.  (NOT IN POLITICS, for God's sake)

The Cobra boards on both my bikes are ground off on the outer/under edges, but on both bikes the left boards are much more ground off than the rights.

I've written this before here and had agreement, and also disagreement from some who insist they turn right better than left.  But this is my story and I'm sticking with it.
 

[Willow]

When we had this discussion before we came to agreement that almost everyone has a preference one way or the other.  I should say everyone being honest with himself seems to have a preference.  It seemed in our group more preferred a left than a right curve.  Jess's explanation I find believable although Joe's preference and reason for right makes good sense.

I probably don't ride as hard as some.  I do scrape either peg without panicking.  I'm more comfortable around a left curve.

If you're bored or have some time to kill here's what happened to me in a right hand curve:  An Accident of Time and Space

[Valkorado]

If you're bored or have some time to kill here's what happened to me in a right hand curve:  An Accident of Time and Space

Thats a mighty vivid description of a split second butt puckering slide.  I know we've all experienced them.

[John Schmidt]

In a small plane, I find it easier to make 360's in a left turn that a right. Maybe it's because I'm on the left side.....usually. On the bike I've never given it any thought, seems most of the time going and coming in our 'hood it's pretty equal. What's a left going out is a right coming home. Maybe I'm a closet ambidextrian....I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!!  

[Valker]

Studies have been conducted on this for bikers. About 80% prefer left turns over right. Handedness did not make a difference. Changing sides of the road upon which one drives proved no difference. Even switching the throttle to left grip made no difference. They asked folks if they noticed a difference when driving their cars. When it was thought about, the exact same percentages of preferences were found. Seems folks turn their cars so much, they don't realize a difference unless they concentrate on it.
I figure this explains NASCAR.

[BradValk48237]

To me its because on left hand turns you seem to have "more" road.....

On a right hand turn to apex it you crowd the centerline and have to move to the edge of the turn... and if you judge it incorrectly you then again crowd the center line... or go over.. so I tend to maybe more cautious in a tight right hander to make sure I don't close the centerline to much... so you seen to have "less" Road to work with.. plus you have things like mailboxes, mountain walls, ditches,etc. in your sight line that tend to make you back off.

On a left hander.. you do the opposite and along with having more of a comfort zone you also have a better sight line because you are further right and can see around the corner better.. especially on a blind curve ( like a lot of those tight mountain roads down in TN and KY.... )

SO I to feel better in a lefty than a righty....

Plus thinking about it I prefer to make tight parking lot turns to the left because doing it to the right tends to cramp your throttle/brake hand and be harder to control the throttle and or cause you to have issues using the throttle in a low speed situation. Plus making a slow speed u turn on the road is always a lefty...... Also when I think about it more, In motorcycle class you always did the "Box" test in a left hand turn to simulate a u turn on a road....

SO even though I am right handed.. I prefer to be a lefty on the Valk....

B

[Gryphon Rider]

I tend to drag the left peg more than the right.  I figure it's because the road crown reduces clearance on the left.  When I ride tight twisty roads, my goal is to drag the right as much as the left, but I seldom succeed.

[old2soon]

If you're bored or have some time to kill here's what happened to me in a right hand curve:  An Accident of Time and Space

Thats a mighty vivid description of a split second butt puckering slide.  I know we've all experienced them.

           Kinda like when the cue ball leaves the end of the cue stick-you just KNOW whether it's right or wrong! Been fortunate on my lapses of judgment other wise known as entering the corner too hot!  I'm also thinkin had GOD and/or my Guardian Angel NOT been ridin with me I'd have been a distant memory for a few.  Also been fortunate enough to LEARN from my mistakes/lapses in judgment-least ways to this point in time.  RIDE SAFE.

[Alpha Dog]

I will always take the right handed better in my area, SW Ohio.  It is sloped to me and I can see it better as so many roads around here have a chance to have loose gravel on them.

[Mr Whiskey]

I feel I have more road available to me in a right turn than I do in a left turn because I try like hell to stay in my lane in the turns and not use the whole road...but...in an emergency situation where I need more room to maneuver (usually a result of coming into a corner too hot...), I feel I have the oncoming lane to provide more run-out room in a right turn...than the shoulder in a left turn. 

No disrespect what-so-ever intended here, but I sure wish you'd take another look at this strategy.
I've been on the receiving end.

[Joe Hummer]

I feel I have more road available to me in a right turn than I do in a left turn because I try like hell to stay in my lane in the turns and not use the whole road...but...in an emergency situation where I need more room to maneuver (usually a result of coming into a corner too hot...), I feel I have the oncoming lane to provide more run-out room in a right turn...than the shoulder in a left turn. 

No disrespect what-so-ever intended here, but I sure wish you'd take another look at this strategy.
I've been on the receiving end.

No problems Whiskey and I completely understand...but I did say that I feel like...not that I use...the oncoming lane for those purposes.  I do my best to ride within my lane at all times.

Joe

[Karen]

It's not just on the bike,. I noticed it even more when skiing. On curves, I try to stay to the outside of the curve to see further. Makes for puckers on right handers, because so many cross over the center line while using the inside of the curve.

[solo1]

When I was riding I always felt more comfortable in right turns except when driving the rig, then left turns were more comfortable (because of maybe 'flying the chair').

Driving the Miata, sharp left turns are more comfortable for me. ( 'roundabouts' are still a welcome challenge    )

[Hoser]

I am nearly blind in my left eye, probly explains why I am much more comfortable in a right turn.    Hoser

[0leman]

Logic says that the right hand curve would be tighter than the left hand curve.  So I tend to go around them a little slower on the right had curve.  

Most of the right hand curves that I ride thru around here tend to be around a ridge.  Since you can't see around the curve as far, I tend to ride thru them a bit slower than if I came back around them on the other side.  

Also not sure the posted (suggested) mph is the same for all curves.   I have a couple that are posted at 35 mph, and can't for the life of me to go 50 mph (indicated) around them like I do on other 35 mph curves.  Just saying.

[Gerard irl]

Hello my Friends I Live Ireland and we drive on the left side  for me about 3.000 miles per year
On left side once/2 year go to mainland Europe my son lives in Holland and Inzane  they Drive on
Right side  so I do about about 2.000 miles their  so ware is good for me 

[J.Mencalice]

Banking, crowning, and inclination/declination are all part of the physics of the turn as well.

"Keep yer toes in them stirrups, Earl!"

[czuch]

I have never scraped the pegs on the Valk. We get too much blown, washes sand on the road here and I stay pretty upright. A friend of mine in Colorado wondered aloud how I didn't really lean into their beautiful curves. Fear of the slide.
HAHA,,,,,a thread about riding,,,,,,,,,,,I just noticed that.

[Firefighter]

I had never thought about this before. I sometimes practice slow right and left circles and figure eights. I drag the rear brake and try to peg the handlebars, comes in handy when needing to turn around on a two lane narrow road. Now thinking about it I am more comfortable turning left, interesting!

[Jersey mike]

ive always had a better relationship w/ my bikes when leaning left. even when I was just riding bicycles and doing stupid stuff like skidding the tire or power sliding in sand on the blacktop. it was always more comfortable and natural to me. I could always do it right sided too. then when I started riding dirt bikes, I use to love doing donuts and again it was to the left the majority of the time and even if riding thru mud or wet grass and wanted to leave a good burn out, i'd loved starting to the left and get the rear tire sliding way out and then transition to the right.

on the highway I feel I can sense the road to peg distance better in a left lean than to the right, but since it is the road, I try and keep my "skill", confidence and comfort as equal as possible.

as for tire wear, I developed a habit decades ago of scrubbing my tires when I ride. if I see a series of esses coming up or some long sweepers I'll scrub them a little to be sure there is no build up on them and I do it on the highway too every 30-40 miles to keep the whole tire clean, warm and even on all of the tread. plus I have ants in my pants all the time and it keeps me alert and involved at all times.

[Mr Whiskey]

I have never scraped the pegs on the Valk...... Fear of the slide.

You must be runnin' Dunflops?
Get yourself a Metz & a carrr tarrr
(then buy some extra pegs )

[..]

Right or left both can scare the poop out of me when I get carried away   

[Bighead]

Right or left both can scare the poop out of me when I get carried away   

That would be a sight

[..]

Right or left both can scare the poop out of me when I get carried away   

That would be a sight

Cheohala Skyway.

Hard left bend.

Left peg scraping

Lifting foot off peg so as to lean a tad more.

Bike pushing right as I gently trail brake to reduce speed.

Right foot and wheels getting closer to crash barrier.

Pressure on sphincter increasing close to blow out.   

[Carl]

Perhaps it has to do with the rotation of the earth in its axis.  The CCW rotation has our brains wired to naturally rotate in a left hand direction.

[Bighead]

Right or left both can scare the poop out of me when I get carried away   

That would be a sight

Cheohala Skyway.

Hard left bend.

Left peg scraping

Lifting foot off peg so as to lean a tad more.

Bike pushing right as I gently trail brake to reduce speed.

Right foot and wheels getting closer to crash barrier.

Pressure on sphincter increasing close to blow out.   

Glad you came out unsoiled

[Mr Whiskey]