Any suggestions where to practice leaning?

M

misterangelo

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Hi everyone,

I ride a Ninja 250 and I just wanted to know if anyone can suggest me any places where I can practice my leans? Whether it be on the street with nice turns or even parking lots. I currently live in etobicoke, if anyone knows any places in etobicoke/Mississauga that would be even better! But I am open to anywhere else within the GTA. Thanks everyone. P.S Any tips on how to get a clean lean and what not would be great as well!

Regards,
 
I used to sneak over to the Humber excess parking lot off of 27, a long time ago.
They had the exercises marked out in paint back then.

Im not sure if it would be allowed in this day and age.

Always best to stay close to home in case something happens.
I've had to walk my bike home a couple of times.
 
meme said:
May be a weird suggestion but how about the track?
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This. I have to be going more than double the speed limit to get any kind of decent lean unless I'm intentionally doing it wrong (leaning body out of the curve to lean bike more into the curve) which I pretty much never do.
 
unL33T said:
This. I have to be going more than double the speed limit to get any kind of decent lean unless I'm intentionally doing it wrong (leaning body out of the curve to lean bike more into the curve) which I pretty much never do.
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U-turns and figure eights at slow speeds? Too slow and you'll do a really big lean though....like....horizontal.
 
Baggsy said:
I used to sneak over to the Humber excess parking lot off of 27, a long time ago.
They had the exercises marked out in paint back then.

Im not sure if it would be allowed in this day and age.

Always best to stay close to home in case something happens.
I've had to walk my bike home a couple of times.
Click to expand...
Still do.
Also their second lot across from Woodbine centre.
I go there once in a while.

Sent from a Samsung Galaxy far, far away using Tapatalk
 
Track school is your best bet - There are many unknowns on the street to try and learn high performance riding on it.

For example, I was taking the left hander from bayview into the DVP north and right at the point of max angle there is a nasty bump, with my new bike's less than desired suspension my *** almost end up on the ground and I could say I have some good experience, imagine a new rider trying to do the same.

But if you chose not to, off and on ramps are always the best spots, again highly dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
 
You should check out Total Control by SharpRider. They will teach you the proper way to lean a bike into a turn. Plenty of comments about this training on GTAM
 
Old Suzy said:
You should check out Total Control by SharpRider. They will teach you the proper way to lean a bike into a turn. Plenty of comments about this training on GTAM
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This is a good course and probably the same goes for the advanced courses offered by other riding schools. Mississauga and Etobicoke do not really have streets for you to practice your cornering techniques. This is better done in a controlled environment off the public roads and in parking lots or on the track. That said, country areas up north or down south are areas with plenty of curvy roads.

Get some small cones, find a clean and empty parking lot and practice doing figure 8's in 1st or 2nd gear. As for tips on how to lean, reading through some good books will help you like Total Control, Sport Riding Techniques, Twist of the Wrist, Proficient Motorcycling etc...
 
I think y'all are reading too much into the OP's post. Pretend they said "turn" instead of "lean"
 
I won't say that the track is stupid place to learn to drive on the street, but it teaches you many things that you then have to unlearn.
 
^
Don't listen to **** like this. Everything still applies, just not as aggressively.

Anyway, go do Total Control. Read some books. Find a parking lot.

Whatever you do find a SAFE PLACE so if you crash you do not end up in a world of pain.
 
Any Go train parking lot on weekends are wide open.
 
油井緋色;2345732 said:
^
Don't listen to **** like this. Everything still applies, just not as aggressively.
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It doesn't apply.

On the track, you can hang off the bike because you're committed to a turn confident that there's no oncoming traffic or animals or children about to jump in front of you. You don't commit like that on the street because you need the freedom to adjust your direction.

On the track, you can threshold brake right to the apex to lower your lap times. On the street you should get all your braking done in a straight line.

Track: Front brake mostly. Street: Both brakes mostly.

On the track, you're only focused on what's in front of you. On the street, you should be aware of everything around you, front, back and sides.
 
油井緋色;2345732 said:
^
Don't listen to **** like this. Everything still applies, just not as aggressively.

Anyway, go do Total Control. Read some books. Find a parking lot.

Whatever you do find a SAFE PLACE so if you crash you do not end up in a world of pain.
Click to expand...

Sure, pretend that all roads are one way, there are no stop signs or lights, no opposing traffic, appex all turns for the highest speed through etc. etc. Just not aggressively. :p

On the street you're looking for things like a delayed apex turn instead of the straight apex; the view is the key, not the speed. Signaling your intentions, being predictable, waiting your turn, slowing when you don't know what others are going to do, or don't have a sightline, many of those things that might be a disadvantage on the track.

You don't have to go super fast to use push steering. It's better to work on smoothness at somewhat lower speeds.

Many street rides end in a parking area of some sort, so low speed maneuvering is always good to have.

Proficient Motorcycling is a decent book. If you are going to take a course on a track, then Total Control seems to be one of the better ones.
 
Thank god for faceless activity specific forums. You wouldn't want to saunter into a biker gathering "excuse me mate where can I practise leans within the greater Toronto area?" You just wouldn't, or at least not with anything gasoline powered.
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