Side-hanging is a higher-level maneuver. The rider hangs to the outside of the bike, different from the previous three. Side-hanging requires shifting the body outward, leaning further, and achieving a lower angle. Only experienced riders or professionals can perform this move.
Side-hanging offers the smallest field of vision among these four techniques. When cornering, the rider must lay their body on the side of the bike closest to the apex of the turn, with the other side completely obscured by the bike. This is currently the most common way to lean into a turn and is accessible to ordinary riders. Lin Yan explained it thoroughly to Su Moxin.
Are there even higher-level techniques? Yes, but they are not entirely distinct. GP riders' side-hanging is unique. When cornering, they not only shift their bodies outward but also lower their upper bodies as much as possible, getting closer to the ground. Especially in high-speed corners, their helmets are only about ten centimeters from the ground, and their shoulders are practically touching it. This is a way to counteract centrifugal force.
The centrifugal force and braking force of factory bikes are far more complex than a simple one-plus-one equals two compared to production bikes. Of course, their vision is also the most limited. As the saying goes, the higher you stand, the farther you see. When their line of sight is almost parallel to the ground, they can only see the road conditions within ten meters.
"Then how do I lean it down?"
Su Moxin understood these three points, but they were only physical movements. She still didn't know how to tilt the bike while riding. She couldn't just grab the handlebars and force the bike to one side, could she?
As she spoke, Su Moxin gestured with her hands, her movements quite endearingly clumsy.
Lin Yan tapped her helmet twice, as if to say, "What's the rush?"
"Practice these movements on the bike first."
Lin Yan first had Su Moxin familiarize herself with the rider's posture when cornering. While she was practicing on the bike, he explained how to tilt the bike into the turn. Tilting the bike is the most difficult part and the easiest way to crash, which is what new riders fear the most.
"Have you ever played with a spinning top?"
When explaining the principle, Lin Yan brought up something.
A spinning top?
Su Moxin blinked slightly.
"I've heard of it and seen it, but I haven't played with it."
Su Moxin vaguely remembered her younger brother playing with something called a spinning top when he was little, the kind that spins on the ground.
"Yes, it's good that you've played with it. You can imagine the bike's front and rear wheels as two spinning tops."
Lin Yan hadn't played with spinning tops himself, but he had seen them online recently, and they were perfect for comparing the posture of the tires during a corner lean.
"Spinning tops are horizontal. If you stand them upright, they are like the bike's tires. Their principles are the same: stable at high speeds and unstable at low speeds."
Many people have a misconception about cornering. Cornering doesn't rely on arm strength to lean the bike down; it relies on the throttle and speed. Spinning tops are very stable when spinning rapidly, standing horizontally on the ground. If you gently press its edge at this time, the immense external force will cause it to tilt slightly. However, as long as there is speed, it will quickly self-correct. If you keep accelerating it, it will become stable again. This is when there is speed. When the speed gradually slows down, even a slight tilt can cause it to fall after a few wobbles.
The principle of a racing car's front and rear wheels is the same as that of a spinning top. When spinning at high speeds, no matter how much you press with your arms, you can't lean it down. However, once the bike's speed slows down, you don't need to exert force with your arms; you just need to lean your upper body slightly towards the apex of the turn, and it will easily lean down. This is how to lean it down. As for how to stabilize it, it depends on the rider's ability to control the speed. It needs to slow down gradually. Like a spinning top, as the speed slows down little by little, it also becomes unstable little by little.
As the speed slows down slightly, the bike will automatically tilt a bit. As the distance to the apex of the turn shortens and the speed gradually decreases, it leans down to the lowest point. This is the fundamental skill of corner entry. Throughout the entire process, what controls the lean angle of the bike is not the arms, but the speed. The arms only serve to guide the initial deceleration and control whether to lean left or right.
"Remember, when leaning down, use the engine's own deceleration to lean down. Don't touch the throttle or the brakes."
After explaining the principle, it was time for practical application. Before Su Moxin was ready to operate, Lin Yan specifically cautioned her. It is difficult for beginners to control their speed in corners, and using the brakes to slow down in corners is very dangerous for them. So, what should they use to slow down? They should use the engine's own braking. When the bike accelerates to a certain speed, slowly release the throttle. If cruise control is not engaged, the speed will gradually decrease. This decrease is very smooth and is a good method for pure beginners to train with.
As Su Moxin gradually applied throttle to accelerate, Lin Yan ran alongside her. The maximum speed of this bike in first gear is around thirty-nine miles per hour, which is perfect for practice, and Lin Yan could keep up.
"Release the throttle."
"Oh!"
After the speed picked up, at Lin Yan's signal, Su Moxin slowly released the throttle, twisting her right hand, which was holding the throttle, upwards. Then, following the movements Lin Yan had taught her, her body instinctively began to tilt to one side. Her movements were quite standard, without panic. This was the confidence that the racing suit gave her. If she were wearing ordinary clothes, Su Moxin would definitely not dare, but wearing the racing suit and having Lin Yan by her side gave her a sense of security.
As the speed decreased, the bike became noticeably looser. With the added weight of Su Moxin, it slowly tilted to one side, with an angle of about twenty degrees.
"Okay, don't release any further. Give it some throttle to bring the bike up."
Lin Yan ran alongside her for a while. Seeing that Su Moxin had reached a thirty-degree lean angle, he immediately told her to apply throttle to lift the bike. The method to straighten the bike is also very simple: slowly apply throttle, and the bike will gradually straighten up. The spinning top accelerates again, going from unstable to stable.
A thirty-degree lean angle is not large; even some delivery riders can easily achieve it. However, for Su Moxin, a beginner with little riding experience, it was a good achievement. This also requires a gradual approach. Based on Lin Yan's observation, this thirty-degree lean angle was already Su Moxin's limit.
After setting up the traffic cones, Lin Yan had Su Moxin circle around them, gradually testing lower lean angles. Two traffic cones were placed to the left and right, about twenty meters apart, creating two fixed points. The route around the cones was similar to a track on a campus. There were left and right turns, with twenty-meter straights above and below, used for acceleration.