Where does the Speed come from ?

Well, if you're like me riding with guys like Derstuka and Nepix, they just outmachine and outskill me. I'm stuck with my 1990 Radian right now, which, has very little ground clearance and struggles to accelerate past 75; those two left me in the dust on our last ride on a long stretch.

I know it's not exactly your problem as you're riding a modern VFR, I'm just trying to say I know the feeling.

 

At speeds a bike's inertia builds to the point where it is able to self correct disturbances in path of travel I've found that it is *IMPOSSIBLE* to get a bike to turn by only leaning. For my ride style I preemptively get my body in leaned over before I actually press the handlebar for the turn (My current bike gets massive head shake in turn if my body isn't leaned over far enough, without regard to throttle control, My guess is because of the weight of the windshield/headlight/etc. being on the bar).

I can have my ass hanging off the seat and the bike doesn't budge until I press.

And I think the experts would agree.
Superbike School :: No B.S. Machine

 

Here's a couple of things to practice when riding in turns. If you want to go left push on the left bar, same for going right. It's called counter steering. Do it gently. Get your body weight off the seat and on the pegs! Support your weight with your legs. It puts your body weight at peg height now. Lower center of gravity. NEVER really sit on the seat. The pegs become the fulcrum point. If turning left more weight on the left peg and visa versa for right. Lean forward towards the front tire. Where ever you point the front tire the bike will go. Throttle control is gentle. More throttle the bike wants to stand up and less it wants to fall in to the corner. You can adjust your line with throttle control also. Look way out ahead of the bike, through the turn. You will go where you look. The faster you go the farther ahead you must look. Learn what "apexing" a corner is. The three types of turns are coming off a straight in to a corner, coming out of a corner on to a straight and a corner between corners. The latter being the slowest. Also you start your turn in to a corner before you get to the corner. If you start to turn when you get to the entrance of a corner your to late. Do your braking before the corner and accelerate once you hit the apex or a tad before. Keith Codes book as mentioned above is worth it's weight in gold to read. So get it. Plus a riders school at a race track will teach you a lot. One last thing and it's the biggest. Your mental attitude. Half of racing(taking corners) is mental. The other half is picking yourself up off the pavement.:smile:

 

leaning turns a bike? i though leaning was to keep the bike more upright....countersteer baby..

anyways focus on smooth, speed will come.

also when we ride we typically ride in at least 2 groups and have meet points.

 

the leaning of the bike is how the bike turns, to initiate the lean though, you must countersteer. once the bike is leaned over, then you can begin to steer into the turn. this of course is how the bike turns when you're going FAST or SLOW.

 

Are you having fun? That to me is the main question. Speed comes with experience and time in the saddle. Don't worry about it.

 

A lot of great advice here. Don't worry about keeping up with your fellow sportbikers. It's better to lose them than lose your bike and possibly your life!

One thing I'd like to add is to relax your grip. Imagine that your grips are eggs and that you dont want to crush them. The problem is that if you hold on to the bars tight it's actually HARDER to make turns because the bike has to resist the inertia from your death grips.

What I recommend is to either ride alone on a long sweeper or practice with a very patient friend willing to give you feedback and offer pointers. Keep on riding and go at YOUR own pace. Don't worry if it takes you weeks or even months to finally get it.

Again, don't worry about keeping up with the rest of the guys. You want to live to ride another day. Too many people have desperately tried to "look badass" and end up killing themselves.