Gravel Cornering....How do you do it?

I bought a guitar a few years ago but I crashed it and it broke.

Cornering too fast or exceeding the skill to brain ratio?
Bloody closet Harley rider most likely

Sounds like we could start a band.

@innathyzit im sure learning would happen with the trial and error method but would probably also involve long periods of reflection from a hospital bed. I'd rather be riding.

The thing i have learned about lessons is that to get real results in a relatively short time (years) you have to keep doing them.
So in hindsight maybe a one off is not really such a great idea.

And I'm not writing off anyones skills...Birch is just the first name to come to mind and was used as an example. Im happy to learn from anyone. Set it up and ill be there!

I found it. we all need some more of the D4 Gene.

"There's a particular gene called the dopamine receptor D4 gene, which is associated with risk taking. It was once called 'the boy racer gene' because it tends to be found in people who regularly take extreme risks.

you own 2 beamers.....don't think you need anymore risk in your life Gerard

After much interweb research (aka reading the OZ regional forum, the font of all knowledge much humour and occasional Kiwi bagging) I have discovered that this, apparently, is how you do it!



You many need to also grow a mullet, which explains why baldies like me are crap riders. I have also been riding all wrong, the round thing at the pointy end isn't actually supposed to be on the ground at all, except when you get on (but not necessarily off)

Who knew??

he wasn't weighting his pegs

Secret solved - he was on orange bikes ...

You guys have overlooked a major part of cornering. Throttle control. I see corners as having 3 parts.

1. The set up. Get all your braking and gear changing out of the way early, while the bike is upright. Use the gearbox. Slam it down a couple if going into a tight corner. Might make horrible revving and popping noises but boy will it scrub off the speed.

2. The corner. Make sure you're in the right gear. You want to be at about 1/3 to 1/2 revs so you've got the most usable power available. Use the bars to steer the front and your legs to steer the back. Think of both wheels as totally independent of each other (pivot steer). Feather the throttle so you're just under the point where the back lets go. You don't have to be fast through this bit, just smooth.

3. Exit. As soon as the front is lined up where you want to go, start feeding the power. A bit of rear step out shouldn't matter here because you've got a clear open road ahead. Sit back a bit, change up through the gears, and let her rip.

Tyres - The real fast guys I've ridden with run road tyres. While I like a little grip up front, the back doesn't make a lot of difference. You just have to brake earlier. Tyre width makes a huge difference though. Fat tyres tend to role around on the surface of the gravel while skinnys dig through the marbles to the hard stuff. That's why I have a stock of $10 Chinese 110 width tyres sitting in my shed.

Sitting/Standing - I like standing. You can see further and it generally gives more options mid corner if everything goes to shit. In saying this I've seen some very quick riders who don't get off their arse all day. I guess it's what works for you.

I could go on all day but the first thing I'd be checking is how many revs you're carrying into the corner. Too few and the bike isn't responsive enough. Too many and the back will cut loose too early.

My 2c.

what he said.......cept I cant find and skinny Chinese tires to fit the Tiger

That's possibly a good thing

Have been a long time escapee from this asylum but after reading this interesting post thought id break back in .All I can really add is i did Chris Birchs two day course back in feb just up the road from his farm in thames.I will say its the best rider training ive ever had a Chris is a fantastic coach and all round nice guy.I used to do some motocross and enduro back in the eighties and some road racing and thought I was reasonably competent I was wrong.What i learnt about body positioning .head shoulders hips butt etc transformed what i could do on the Xcx.One huge bonus of doing it in thames was that Chris had access to closed forestry roads so on the learn to turn section of the course you could really practice the slide and accelerate technique on reasonably fast gravel.One thing i should probably add is that due to a last minute change in dates a lot of guys couldn't do the course So five of us had Mr Birchs undivided attention for two days with heaps of one on one training

Birchy has a solid reputation as a first class instructor. Might have to google his site and see when he has a class in the North Island. Cheers for the tips.

200 each a session or 1750 for a group. I'll be doing one this summer. Next one is october, doesnt work for me.

Should we organise a group ride/session? Might be fun to do it all together.

May i respectfully suggest if you do decide to do the course please do the stage one as well as stage two sections of the course.The basic stuff he teaches on the first day really set you up well for the second stage learn to turn section of the course.You may not think so at the time but all will be revealed on day two.who knew you could ride a big adventure bike with just two fingers on the bars.all the rest is just correct body position.As a previous poster said you dont know what you dont know until you realize you dont know then its too late lol

How do you turn the throttle with two fingers ?
All jokes aside, I've spent many a mile riding on gravel with one hand on the bars teaching myself those sort of things.

Touche good sir I should have said thumb and second finger.Leaving index fingers free for brake and clutch.Object of the exercise was to turn lock to lock figure eights at walking pace shifting body and weight without using bar leverage.But for sure as said before practice practice practice is the key .

I've sent the man himself an electronical communification. We will see what eventuates

Had an answer, beginner course recommended, sometime next year.
I think it will be good value for me.

Get yerself on old dirtbike, go trail riding.
It'll do wonders for your skills...