Today I went out to study my turn-in points. Even though I've been taking the corners faster than I was before, and completing them much more comfortably, I still felt I may be turning in a little too early. I wanted to go out and try to pinpoint exactly what it is that I look at when I decide to make my turn-ins.

Usually, I've felt that I just aim for the latest point possible (the latest point that I'm comfortable turning at). It seemed that I would focus on a point at the end of the straigh, and fix that as my turning point, but usually as I near that point I would chicken out and turn before I got to the point I had picked out. The cornering would always be completed smoothly, but why?. How does that wor? I choose a turn-in point and never use it? It didn't really make any sense.

What appeared before as me chickening out before I got to my chosen point, however, is not quite so. As it turns out, the point I pick out while speeding down the straight is just one of the variables I use to calculate my specific turn-in point. I always initiate my turn-in before this point because that IS the where I had calculated I would be turning in. It just isn't as easy to look at that point on the pavement. You see my actual turn-in point is a little before where the far tangent of the corner and my current heading intersect.

It seems that I focus on the point at the end of the straight to try and keep me on line, and to prevent me from turning in too early. The point that I actually turn in at is to keep me from hitting the imaginary wall formed by the tangent comingof the far edge of the corner. The turn-in must be made to get the bike to align almost perfectly with the wall.

All-in-all, it still leaves a lot of room for adjustments. At least now though, I know what and why I am looking at where I am looking.