No, if you want to get technical. There is only acceleration. Some of it just happens to be negative acceleration.


Kinda how cold is just classified as a lack of heat.

Wow this is deep! Considering that most riders only use the front brakes, decreasing throttle would inherently have a greater effect on the rear of the bike, while braking has a greater effect on the front, right? I mean, all things being otherwise equal, wouldn't a 5 mph reduction in speed accomplished by decreasing the throttle have a lesser effect on the front suspension that a similar decrease in speed brought on by the brakes? Obviously ASSuming that you would use the front exclusively. I actually use my rear brakes quite a bit...

Woldn't you agree, though, that there is a difference between just turning off the heat and shoving it in the fridge?

This technique is used once lean angle has been set. We are talking anywhere from a few thousandths of a second to a full few seconds. In terms of throttle, movement is very subtle not abrupt at all to minimize upsetting the suspension.

yup... just as there's a difference between steering with the front wheel & steering with the rear... which is kinda what this thread was originally supposed to be about.

Two things that seem irrationally difficult for some people to grasp.

At any rate, I'm glad you posted this. Hopefully at least one person got something out of it.

I'd also be willing to bet everyone on this board has, at least once, decreased throttle to get through a turn they over-cooked or had to change their line to avoid an obstacle. And anybody that shot off the road as a result either slammed the throttle closed and/or sat upright on the bike when the decreased throttle.

Exactly.... ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, turning radius is dictated by cornering velocity... slow down and it tightens up, speed up and it widens out.

No doubt. Everybody has basically agreed that with no variables, the arc of a corner will change in the way you said. :lol:

You guys seem to be the ones stuck on being right about one small aspect of the equation.

In reality, 99.9% of the time any one of us would just steer a little more into the corner and call it a day.

Would you not agree that it is good to know all possible outcomes of your actions? I think its good to know that you can tighten a corner by getting on the gas, as well as slowly closing the throttle. Just as well, I think its good to know that you can overcome the grip on your front tire if you do this wrong when approaching some serious lean angles.

So, I'm sorry for bringing up other aspects of the technique proposed. I didn't mean to try to run anybody off by bringing up some variables in their scenario.

Merely trying to balance the discussion... most people seemed hellbent on arguing that you can't or shouldn't control the arc with an adjustment in speed.

I dunno about 99.9%, but yeah, no doubt that's the first piece of advice that I'd give to just about any rider that wants to know what they should do if they find themselves entering a corner too hot. "Neutral throttle & keep on leaning!"

The main reason why I was talking more about speed controlling the arc than lean, is because that was the original question... It's also how one would typically change the turning radius if you were already at or near full lean. It's also how you want to control your exit.

But I suppose what it all comes down to is steering with the rear wheel like this is more of a racing technique than a street technique. Not that it can't be used on the street, but it's not used as much due to the circumstances. But having the ability to control the turning radius with an adjustment in speed rather than JUST using lean angle IS a sign (to me at least) of a more proficient rider.

One steering input per turn is the goal.

That would be smooth. I remember a video of an interview with a teenage Nicky Hayden after he beat a bunch of experienced racers, and he said something like "I guess I was just smoother than them."

I'd say that half the curves around here are blind. And about 10 percent of those blind curves are decreasing-radius. What messes up many riders is that they are not prepared to change their steering input for the tighter radius.

To tighten the steering, I just push the handlebar more. I'm usually leaning off at my max, so I can't change that. If I'm off the brakes, I don't want to put them on unless I have to stop. And my simple brain couldn't tell my hand to give more throttle when all my other senses are telling me to slow down or lean more.

By pushing on the handlebar more, instead of giving brake or throttle, a rider behind me might think I looked real smooth going through that decreasing-radius curve. And being smooth is important to me even when nobody's behind me.