By Eric Wood
Part 3 – A Critical Piece of the Puzzle
We began this series of articles talking about two very important building blocks for riding on the racetrack. Once a rider has memorized the track (step one) and established a proper apex that takes in account the style of each corner (step two), the foundation is there to run consistent and comfortable laps. The next step is to begin building up speed and working on riding techniques. As speed builds and riders begin to experiment, the most common problem that I have found in track riders today is improper bar inputs.
Front Traction
To truly understand the importance of proper bar inputs we only need to look at the factors that consume front tire traction on the way through a corner. There are three major loads that consume the amount of front grip that you have; braking forces, cornering forces and turning forces. Unless the corner is one that requires no brakes, each of these forces is a mandatory component of every turn.
Braking Force
Braking force pulls in the direction the motorcycle is traveling and increases as more lever pressure is applied. Braking is the primary consumer of traction early in the corner and it steps nearly down to zero as the rider approaches the point of the largest turning input. Ideally the majority of braking is done while the motorcycle is still very upright. This provides the maximum grip and minimum risk that allows the rider to brake as close to 100% as possible. If we all rode like Jorge Lorenzo or Nicky Hayden, we would be able to utilize close to 100% of the available front grip (without stepping over that threshold) throughout the entire entrance of the corner. As such, as the brakes trail off (and consume less grip) we should be replacing that available grip with cornering and turning load.
Cornering Force
On the surface, cornering and turning forces sound like the same thing. However, it is the differentiation between these two consumers of grip that is the most important piece to this puzzle. Cornering forces are generated as your motorcycle travels in any type of circular arc. These forces act perpendicular to the direction of travel and always act to try make the bike stand up. There are two ways to increase cornering force; you can increase speed at a constant radius or you can decrease the radius (sharpen the turn) at a constant speed. As the cornering load increases, the motorcycle is forced to increase the lean angle in order to balance this force. In a perfect world, this cornering force would comprise 100% of the load on the tire through the sharpest point of the corner. However, this is often not the case.
Turning Force
Turning load is the part of the traction equation where riders have the greatest amount of control. In order to make it through a corner, the bike generally must slow down (braking force) and it must carve an arc (cornering force). The location of the major portion of these loads through a given corner is mostly set in advance. Valentino Rossi and the average track day rider have to both brake and carve an arc through very similar segments of the tum. However, if we could pinpoint where Valentino made his bar inputs, you would likely see some major differences when comparing to that same track day rider.
Unintended Inputs
The turning load is created by the actual twisting of the bars back and forth. Through timing of our turning inputs, we can control when the greatest cornering load takes place and also allow for maximum available grip throughout the corner. The most common mistake that track riders make is to make both unintended and poorly timed handlebar inputs. These inputs can consume a very large percentage of your available traction.
An Important Rule
The first rule to remember is that major bar inputs should be made only while the bike is still fairly upright. Once the bike is set on the edge of the tire, only very small corrections should be made with the bars. Remember, when the bike has significant lean angle, a major part of your tire’s available traction is being consumed by the cornering force. You can actually limit the amount of lean angle that can be utilized by having any type of significant turning load in the bars (intended or not). Let’s say for example that your tire can handle 100 lb force before it breaks traction. We’ll say that if the bike is leaned over to 40 degrees that it is using 80lbs of that available load. If a rider has a steady bar input throughout the corner of 20 lbs (this is not very uncommon), then there is no available grip left to tighten up your turn.
The Key to Getting Lean Angle
In order to maximize the amount of speed your motorcycle can carry, you need to be able to lean the bike over to its maximum lean angle. It only makes sense that in order to accomplish this the turning input must be at an absolute minimum at full lean. In order to accomplish this, top riders will have a defined, short duration, maximum turn point that precedes the apex in most comers. Rather than run a long, sweeping arc with a nearly constant bar input, these riders have very short bursts of bar inputs with long periods of minimum input both before and after the turn. A common sequence of inputs is outlined below.
Mixing in the Brakes
The major braking portion of any corner is done while the bike is upright and traveling in a straight path. This allows for 100% of the available grip to be dedicated to braking forces. This is one of the few instances where bar input is not detrimental, as the rider will resist the braking force by both gripping the tank with his knees and by supporting his body with his arms. As the rider enters the second half of the braking zone, there is often an initial turn-in that is made to get the motorcycle on the right path into the turn. The reduction in braking force (for example, from 100% to 85%) allows for quick burst of turning load followed by a 15% cornering load on the way into the corner. As the rider approaches the major turn point, braking force will reduce down to 60-70% and lean angle will increase slightly to fill the rest of the load. Next, the rider will in fast sequence initiate the tum (from nearly upright) and then release most of the braking load and the turn input as the bike reaches its maximum lean angle. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the weight of the rider should be supported by the rider’s legs and torso, allowing his hands to be relaxed on the bars. This simple concept is critical to reaching your potential.
As the bike carves to the apex, nearly all the load on the tire is cornering force (no real braking or turning force). The rider will then open the throttle as soon as possible and control the exit trajectory by letting the bike stand up on its own with the acceleration. It is extremely important to avoid bar input as the throttle is applied, as the unweighting of the front wheel under acceleration produces a significant decrease in front grip.
Conclusion
The use of a precise turn-in point is something to get used to for many riders, but it pays big dividends in the end. By drastically shortening the duration of bar inputs, there is much more traction available for braking, turning and acceleration. Riders are able to come in faster, drive out harder and spend less time on the edge of the tire.
The biggest hurdle to clear is the establishment of this defined turn-in point, which becomes increasingly critical as entrance speed increases. The final piece of this puzzle is to be sure that your body position is such that you are able to completely relax your input on the bars, which is where we will pick up next month.
All the best – Eric Wood
Penguin Racing School Inc.
Reprinted by permission from Penguin Racing School Inc. © 2026. All rights reserved.
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