Conquering the Corner

by Sandra Miller

Motorcycle owners acknowledge that bikes are inherently dangerous machines. In fact, they say, that’s why they own them. By mastering the art of cornering, though, they can subtract a good percentage of the danger and look for it elsewhere.

Keith Code, founder and director of the California Superbike School, knows what happens in a corner, what it takes to perfect safe passage, what can go wrong, and how to fix it. A two-day weekend course held this month in Watkins Glen, N.Y., will provide some tools and techniques for cornering on your Triumph or Ducati.

Code, a former motorbike racing champ, says there are at least 11 aspects to cornering that are all connected. “Get them all right, and the corner goes well,” he says. But one misplacement of wheels or balance, he says, and you could be in trouble.

During the past 20 years, Code has trained nearly 40,000 riders, including champions of the sport, and has published three books and a video on motorcycling.

Classes are geared for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders, and they include gear, breakfast and lunch, and use of a 2000 Kawasaki ZX-6R. You also leave with a memento: a video of your new and improved riding technique.