Left vs. Right

[Serk]

I realized the other day while out riding that I have a measurable amount more comfort with sweepers going one direction as opposed to the other way... That got me to thinking, is that common? And if so, is there a statistical weighting one way vs. the other, and of course..... what does it all mean?

Just curious, one of those things I ponder while out riding and try to remember to come post about when I get home...

[Jess from VA]

Not so much sweepers, but doing tight circles (or turnarounds) in any confined space. (Like the MSF box)

But I hate admitting I go left better than right. 

I can do either, but I'm better (more confident) left.

I think it's because out on the road, we nearly always do lefts at a good roll, but have to slow down to do most tight 90* rights (intersections).  Left turns are longer and faster, rights are shorter and slower.
Affects tire wear as well.

[Oss]

going down the sweeping highway overtaking a truck in the right lane I am more relaxed going left as I like to see beyond the point of "no can stop" before I get there. This may just however be a lesson I learned riding in heavy traffic I dont know for sure  When my left mickopeg broke off (yep you are not supposed to stand on em) as I was doing just that in west virgina on 68 coming back from IZ, I was passing on a decending right sweeper at 70++.  Recovery was had, laundry fixed any problems in shorts.  

  On a tight mountain road like the goat trail or 106 I am happier with right turns unless its wet then I am more relaxed with lefts (and hope nobody crosses over the line)

cool question serk

[Big Rig]

That is a funny question....one of the guys I ride with asked me that very same question last summer. He said he was a lot more comfortable with leaning the bike to the right. He is deaf in his left ear and was wondering if that had something to do with it. His question got me to thinking...do I prefer rights or lefts?? I believe for me it is the corner/curve it self.  I think most with like the left twisties as you can see more of the road ahead then rights.

For me, I am ok either way....but I always try to run the pro line thru the twisties.

 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Depends if the riding is in the USA or Ireland. Here I think I'm more relaxed with left turns. Probably because like BigRig said, you can see more of the road. But I definetly noticed while riding in Ireland that if coming around a blind left sweeper and a vehicle approached, I would have to mentally tell myself not to freak out and stay left of it. Never had any real problems, but sometimes it was pretty disconcerting to not react instinctively .

[Hooter]

I was always told that it depends on if you are right or left handed? Turning the opposite of your strong / dominate hand is typically easier? Works in my case...

[hubcapsc]

I'm guessing I'm better at left than right. I turn (we all turn?)
by pressing on whichever handgrip to set up the countersteer.
When you're turning left you just have to press left. When
you're turning right you have to press right with the same
hand you're already using to modulate the throttle.

-Mike

[cookiedough]

good question, never thought about it but for me either is fine, more so depends on the road than anything else.  More left sweepers have less gravel on them than tighter right hand turns around me though.  Like said, most left turns offer more room and time to turn thus probably in general left turns are easier than right hand turns.  

[GiG]

Driveshaft Rotation makes turning left much easier.
Left is the way the bike wants to go naturally.
Twist the throttle hard on a wet road and see which way she goes    


we are talking about an intentional spinout to brek the rear wheel free - not a limp-wristed attempt to go straight.
The rear wheel will kick out to the right every time.
Honda engineers attempted to address  the drive shaft's rotational inertia by having the alternator spin the opposite direction, but the alternator has much less mass than the driveshaft.

[Gryphon Rider]

Driveshaft Rotation makes turning left much easier.
Left is the way the bike wants to go naturally.
Twist the throttle hard on a wet road and see which way she goes    

It goes forward.  The only thing the driveshaft may do is try to jack the suspension a bit.  I've never actually noticed this on the Valkyrie, although I did on my GS850.  The Valkyrie has no preference for turning direction.

I indicated a preference for right hand sweepers, because they are more likely to have greater superelevation (banking) to allow greater speed before dragging pegs, and if I miscalculate and drift out, I still have clean pavement under my tires.

[Jess from VA]

I don't think it has anything to do with dominant hand.

I've asked this question to a lot of people, and most turn left better (tighter, more precise).

In tight spaces, I've seen folks go farther to set up a left Uturn, rather than the right, right in front of them.  I've done it too.

Hadn't thought of it before, but going real slow and precise, turning left does leave the precision throttle working hand out of (a good portion of) the turning work.  Working the throttle precisely (tiny increments) is harder with it all the way back at your rib cage (esp on our big eagle wing bars with bent wrists).

I'm really talking slow tight maneuvers, more than fast sweepers.  I don't really have any preference in those.  Except I generally run the inside of my lane, and that is where the sand and gravel is in right turns.

[old2soon]

Back when I raced dirt roundy round a racer I knew then also rode and his take on it if you favor lefts over rights was in a cage we-Americans-most generally operate from the left seat and making a left turn leaves space tween you and an "object"-fixed as in Might hurt ya type "object". He figured it Might be a carryover. Also here in America you have More radius in a left than you do a right. Depending on the curve involved I "may" roll off the throttle a tad more in a righty than a lefty!   When the guys that I motocrossed with decided to flat track we turned left. Mostly.  RIDE SAFE.

[..]

I realized the other day while out riding that I have a measurable amount more comfort with sweepers going one direction as opposed to the other way... That got me to thinking, is that common? And if so, is there a statistical weighting one way vs. the other, and of course..... what does it all mean?

Just curious, one of those things I ponder while out riding and try to remember to come post about when I get home...

With time and miles you may find that either is accomplished equally.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Driveshaft Rotation makes turning left much easier.
Left is the way the bike wants to go naturally.
Twist the throttle hard on a wet road and see which way she goes    

It goes forward.  The only thing the driveshaft may do is try to jack the suspension a bit.  I've never actually noticed this on the Valkyrie, although I did on my GS850.  The Valkyrie has no preference for turning direction.

I indicated a preference for right hand sweepers, because they are more likely to have greater superelevation (banking) to allow greater speed before dragging pegs, and if I miscalculate and drift out, I still have clean pavement under my tires.

My Yamaha XS 750 was real bad for that. Only times it was really an issue would be if you were accelerating thru a turn and realized you were too fast. When you let off the gas it would drop the rear enough to throw off the steering geometry. But it was easy enough to get used to.

[Rams]

Every day that I ride into town, I ride through a sweeping S curve.   Can't say I favor one versus the other.    But, I will admit that at slow speeds, I seem a little more confident at left over right.

Always felt left leaners were slower though.      

[The emperor has no clothes]

Every day that I ride into town, I ride through a sweeping S curve.   Can't say I favor one versus the other.    But, I will admit that at slow speeds, I seem a little more confident at left over right.

Always felt left leaners were slower though.      

I've always felt right leaners were cumbersome. 

[Rams]

Every day that I ride into town, I ride through a sweeping S curve.   Can't say I favor one versus the other.    But, I will admit that at slow speeds, I seem a little more confident at left over right.

Always felt left leaners were slower though.      

I've always felt right leaners were cumbersome. 

   That's understandable, with practice, even a left leaner can learn to handle, accept and learn the right with grace. 

[henry 008]

I've always felt more comfortable with turning left, especially sharp lefts. I remember trying to figure out why, along time ago when I was riding dirt bikes. I assumed that because I was right handed my mind/ body tried to protect my right side more than the left. 

[davit]

I'm a bit gun-shy going right as dragging the right peg while rear braking messes with my head.  Peg dragging doesn't happen often since cresting half a century but it always niggles my brain.

[Beardo]

Below 5 mph, definitely better with left. No idea why that is.  Maybe it's because of my short TRex arms, I can't reach the clutch as easily when extended. I bought some risers this off season, maybe that'll help.

Above 5mph, no preference.

[baldo]

Every day that I ride into town, I ride through a sweeping S curve.   Can't say I favor one versus the other.    But, I will admit that at slow speeds, I seem a little more confident at left over right.

Always felt left leaners were slower though.      

I've always felt right leaners were cumbersome. 

   That's understandable, with practice, even a left leaner can learn to handle, accept and learn the right with grace. 

It's not as easy as one might think.....