I'm wondering if there is a coalition between which eye is dominate, and which way you find yourself turning better?
IE: I'm right eye dominate and and do better on left turns, which tells me my left eye is picking up more info in the picture while I'm looking around the turn(L), ...... But when doing a right turn that extra eye help isn't filling in the area as well.(because it is on the wrong side for that turn)
Of course turning the head more on a right turn should basicly even it out, if I'm correct in the 1st place. But the reason for this is to put some light(poll) (No-pun intended) on my theory.
So if you could share with us if your best turn is the other side from your dominate eye?
As a kid I could never do a skid on my back tyre to the left very well, or lean for that matter - but it seems I don't have the same problem on a motorcycle as it never crosses my mind or in any case makes me concentrate any harder :blink:
Left-handers are much easier for me, but I have no idea why.
Jon
Roundabouts are left
But exit ramps are right
I am left eye dominant and I used to like lefts more. Now I like rights better. go fig.
I think it has more to do more with line of sight, particularly in tight twisties such as we have around here. Driving on the right side of the road, we have better line of sight in left turns. When you can see further through the turn, you're more confident, quicker, etc.
How do you know which eye is dominant? :blink:
In any case, I'm more comfortable in right handers...
[image: View Post]dpcincy, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
How do you know which eye is dominant? :blink:
Extend both hands forward of your body and place the hands together making a small triangle (approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch per side) between your thumbs and the first knuckle.
With both eyes open, look through the triangle and center something such as a doorknob or the bullseye of a target in the triangle.
Close your left eye. If the object remains in view, you are right eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the left, then you are left eye dominant.
To validate the first test, look through the triangle and center the object again with both eyes open.
Close your right eye. If the object remains in view, you are left eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the right, then you are right eye dominant
I am right handed, and left eye dominant, so I shoot a pistol right handed, but a rifle left handed
Left turns comes easy, right turn I have to concentrate to make it right, and roundabouts makes fun!
I am WAY more comforatle turning left but knowing that I find myself purposely pushing the right turns much harder to compensate. However, I must over-compensate because my right side chicken strips are noticably smaller. Left just feels right. :laughing6-hehe:
[image: View Post]timmythecop, on 21 January 2011 - 07:38 AM, said:
[image: View Post]dpcincy, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
How do you know which eye is dominant? :blink:
Extend both hands forward of your body and place the hands together making a small triangle (approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch per side) between your thumbs and the first knuckle.
With both eyes open, look through the triangle and center something such as a doorknob or the bullseye of a target in the triangle.
Close your left eye. If the object remains in view, you are right eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the left, then you are left eye dominant.
To validate the first test, look through the triangle and center the object again with both eyes open.
Close your right eye. If the object remains in view, you are left eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the right, then you are right eye dominant
I am right handed, and left eye dominant, so I shoot a pistol right handed, but a rifle left handed
Thanks!
Left eye dominant, and I prefer right handers...
I am more comfortable turning right.
I am right handed and right eye dominant but actually skateboarded goofy footed (left foot forward).
I prefer my pasta al dente and don't care for soggy broccolli but strangley like my ice cream semi-melted.
I guess with practice we can become more at ease in each direction. I would give my left arm to be ambidexterous. :fing02:
I'm left eye dominant but I don't favor one side over the other for turns. I suspect one's comfort with the throttle hand and using or not using the arms for support in turns is a key to understanding why one side is favored.
Dirk
[image: View Post]timmythecop, on 21 January 2011 - 07:38 AM, said:
[image: View Post]dpcincy, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
How do you know which eye is dominant? :blink:
Extend both hands forward of your body and place the hands together making a small triangle (approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch per side) between your thumbs and the first knuckle.
With both eyes open, look through the triangle and center something such as a doorknob or the bullseye of a target in the triangle.
Close your left eye. If the object remains in view, you are right eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the left, then you are left eye dominant.
To validate the first test, look through the triangle and center the object again with both eyes open.
Close your right eye. If the object remains in view, you are left eye dominant. If your hands appear to move off the object and move to the right, then you are right eye dominant
I am right handed, and left eye dominant, so I shoot a pistol right handed, but a rifle left handed
I learned that shooting in the boyscouts......
I am right eye dominant (following the test above) but only slightly I guess. I am also ambidextrous. When I first started riding I preferred left turns. Now I don't really have a preference. Must be all the twisty roads I ride around here. :happy:
On a race course it's all pretty equal.
On the street I think lefts are easier because if you're going thru twisty two lane roads and you have to make room for head on traffic you upright the bike, if it's on a Right turn bend you have to lean the bike over even more to make room, which is more difficult especially if you're hard on the throttle.
I am going to run with my own ideas on this one.
The core is your balance in any aspect. If you are unbalanced then you will favor one side, or trust one side more.
As a kid or adult did you always have the same foot foward or down when making a jump on your bicycle? As a cyclist I have to force myself to rest equally with either foot forward or your risk crapping on long rides because you have one leg tightly held under the body and one extended. During this time you are using your core to control your whole body balance.
I a motorcycle much is the same. your muscles are stronger on one side because you always carry your lunch box in the same hand (if you follow). Professional drivers, riders, cyclist, players (of any sport) all have to work very hard at being in great shape and being very balanced.
Sure your vision is part of that, line of sight and the distance it takes to make a left and right turn comes down to "time" and prep for the turn itself. On a track you learn to sweep the whole track not lanes of traffic.
Really if you body is built unbalanced you will not ride balanced. If your hips are out of wack and your shoulders sit jacked up then you can not ride balanced.
Do you ride with a fat wallet under one side of your body lifting your hip an inch?
I think that when you are weakly balanced it will show in any situation, even sweeping curves on a sport bike.
Thx Timmy for the dominent test, it seemed a little complicated to me, and I know how to check it. So for the people that maybe couldn't follow that... Here's another way to check..... keep both eyes open look at a door knob, put one thumb up between the DK and your eyes, close one eye, if the DK is still behind your thumb than which ever eye you're using is the dominent eye, if the DK has moved to one side then the eye you're looking though is not the dominent eye.
One thing that made me think of this is for skeet or trap shooting. I find it way easier to lead moving right, because the barrel is on the right side of my face(R-eye dom, shoot r-handed). Of course riding I don't have anything blocking my view(like a shotgun).
flavadave ..... Makes a good point on working on balance of doing L&R's equality, I try to work on that daily.
For the sake of my quest I'm really liking the respounces to this.... But please don't forget to say which is your fav turn and which eye is dominent.... at some point in your answer.........Thx
Right eye dominant, right handed, except for pool, I shoot pool lefty. I find myself more comftorable in LH turns too, I allways figured it was cause I make more of them at speed on a regular daily commute than I would RH. Somebody mentioned line of sight, that probably helps too. That being said, my chx strips are about equal so I guess I don't really favor one side over the other in reality, just feels different.
I turn right easier but I always thought it was because I dress right and all that weight was the advantage. :laughing6-hehe:
[image: View Post]Goosechef, on 21 January 2011 - 06:02 PM, said:
I turn right easier but I always thought it was because I dress right and all that weight was the advantage. :laughing6-hehe:
Thx Goose....... But are you R or L eyed dominate?
I am right eye dominant and prefer Right turns.
But I prefer right turns because I always cut the apex too early on left turns for some reason...\
Edit: I mean, "I'm not an ambi-turner."
We all know what happens coming into a turn too hot...you go wide. Going wide on a right turn means a trip to the wrong side of the yellow line; scarey stuff! Now left turns, the faster the better!
Another data point... mixed-handed (write, eat, bat, electric bass right-handed; throw, racket sports, knife, saw, hammer, and shoot lefty), left-eye dominant (why I shoot lefty). Right-handers are more comfortable. For me, there's some weird uncomfortableness dealing with oncoming traffic in left-handers.
Much more comfortable with the left. I've got a few long sweepers going in to work each day that I take in reverse coming home. I just can't seem to get comfortable doing the same turn to the right which feels completely natural to the left.
I think VF1000R is on target, it just comes down to comfort with the throttle hand and arms/legs, at least for me. I practice it every day...
Left eye dominant. So what does that mean??
Judging by the tests, I am right eye dominant.
Has always seemed much easier on left turns, more awkward on rights so I try harder. Also seems less intuitive to hang off to the right in turns. Chicken strips are always slightly closer to the edge on the left side of the tire.
Right handed. Shoot with the right. Skateboard left foot forward. Left hip is a pain. Sure to mess with my core.
I find right turns easier. I'm left handed, but right eye dominant. I do some things lefty (write, throw, basketball, shoot pool) and others righty (bat, kick, target shoot with pistol and rifle). Likely I was dropped on my head several time as a baby - also explains why I play goalie. :wacko:
Sorry Monk let me answer what you really ask. I am strong on the right side, eye and hand. I thought on this and I will say I sweep to the left best. I think this is because of my extra time to think and the difference in line of sight. I then have time to pick my line more safely.
I can say this for sure. No matter how hard I tried over the years the thing I fear the most is coming over a right hand up hill sweep going wide and catchinng air off the crown in the road. Sends me over to the white line on the edge of the ditch. It has happened twice and I think I frapped my pants both times.There is no where to adjust to if your on the wrong side of the road and looking at a car or truck.
John, By your test and Timmy's I am right eye dominant. I prefer left turns.
BTW, in answer to your question in the welcome forum, I'm older by about a month.
IMHO, whether one is left-ye dominant or right-hander, it is always easier turning left when you're riding on the right side of te road as we are, and most other countries. It is simply because the LEFT turning radius is larger than that of a RIGHT one.
Although with practice, you should feel equally comfortable with either side.
[image: View Post]dajerk, on 22 January 2011 - 12:12 AM, said:
IMHO, whether one is left-ye dominant or right-hander, it is always easier turning left when you're riding on the right side of te road as we are, and most other countries. It is simply because the LEFT turning radius is larger than that of a RIGHT one.
Although with practice, you should feel equally comfortable with either side.
Welcome and thx for the comments......... I agree with you, and on many points that can make turning one way or the other easier.... having done many track day's(being able to use the whole track of course) I still need to work more to do right turns......... I think using the throttle, or just sliding to the right on the seat, etc. all fall into play. This(eye thingy) is just something I was wondering if it was another thing that may make a difference, which may be able to help by turning my head to the right more than when doing a left turn. After all it is winter, might as well do some armchair riding till spring.
[image: View Post]Earthshake, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
I think it has more to do more with line of sight, particularly in tight twisties such as we have around here. Driving on the right side of the road, we have better line of sight in left turns. When you can see further through the turn, you're more confident, quicker, etc.
[image: View Post]Ottoman, on 21 January 2011 - 08:07 PM, said:
We all know what happens coming into a turn too hot...you go wide. Going wide on a right turn means a trip to the wrong side of the yellow line; scarey stuff! Now left turns, the faster the better!
I hold the same opinion as these guys, and believe that the crown of the road play a part as well.
Mac
All my track crashes have been turning left! Not sure how that fits in to the discussion... I guess I'm too comfortable on the lefts, and push too hard? I don't wear the right knee slider nearly as much as the left, even when not crashing... :goofy:
I don't seem to have a prefered side when turning/leaning her over in the twisties.......I thought about it at one time, but I decided to just ignore the issue as I'm afraid that thinking about it too much might actually cause me to end up turning better one way than the other..... :comp13: :blink:
Beck
95 VFR
[image: View Post]Mac, on 22 January 2011 - 09:06 AM, said:
[image: View Post]Earthshake, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
I think it has more to do more with line of sight, particularly in tight twisties such as we have around here. Driving on the right side of the road, we have better line of sight in left turns. When you can see further through the turn, you're more confident, quicker, etc.
[image: View Post]Ottoman, on 21 January 2011 - 08:07 PM, said:
We all know what happens coming into a turn too hot...you go wide. Going wide on a right turn means a trip to the wrong side of the yellow line; scarey stuff! Now left turns, the faster the better!
I hold the same opinion as these guys, and believe that the crown of the road play a part as well.
Mac
Two things about this, is one don't cross the line if you can see around the turn or not (it's a tighter line and better for practice), it makes for better riding habits IMHO. Two is that wide in seems to be a better line on public roads in general, IMHO.
[image: View Post]Ottoman, on 21 January 2011 - 08:07 PM, said:
We all know what happens coming into a turn too hot...you go wide. Going wide on a right turn means a trip to the wrong side of the yellow line; scarey stuff! Now left turns, the faster the better!
I think this is the answer. Over cooking a right-hander == death. Over cooking a left-hander maybe not so much.
What do the UK and Aussie folks have to say about left vs. right preferences?
To keep this on track, I remembered that we have a polling section, so here it is.
Strangely enough, I feel more comfortable on left handers BUT my chicken strips are smaller on the right side.
Go figure, .... maybe I overcompensate???
I'm right-handed, right-eye dominant, and find myself much more comfortable in RH turns than left. For a while this was a real issue for me. I had a real Zoolander complex on fast rides, so much so that I would put myself at the back of the pack behind much slower riders because I couldn't keep a consistent pace. The more I get out and ride, the more it goes away, though. On a faster-paced ride, I barely even notice the difference at this point. Still, if I'm riding at a casual pace with one hand on the throttle and the other on my hip, I will go around RH corners all day long just like that but often will put my LH back on the bar for a LH turn.
Mike
Would this question be easy or difficult to answer for a Cyclops?
I think I like rights better. Don't know which eye is dominant. If you're right handed, is your right eye dominant?
[image: View Post]Knife, on 21 March 2011 - 11:44 AM, said:
Would this question be easy or difficult to answer for a Cyclops?
I think I like rights better. Don't know which eye is dominant. If you're right handed, is your right eye dominant?
Here's a way to check..... keep both eyes open look at a door knob, put one thumb up between the DK and your eyes, close one eye, if the DK is still behind your thumb than which ever eye you're using is the dominent eye, if the DK has moved to one side then the eye you're looking though is not the dominent eye.
I'm right handed and not ambidextrous, but fortunately, I do not prefer turning one side or the other.....Now if we keep talking about it, I might suddenly get concious of it and end up prefering one side......... :lobby: .
I think it's a matter of not thinking about it too much and just leaning away..... :happy:
Beck
95 VFR
Left turns easier (on the road and on the track), right eye dom.
I think it also has something to do with my technique not being as good as I would like...harder to control throttle when I'm hanging off on the right.
Left turns much easier and i'm right eye dominant (along with being right handed)
Left turns are much easier but depending on the lay out of the turn. For example if it is a slow swiping right hander that progressively gets tighter and tighter NO problem but if it�s a straight on hard right hander I naturally slow down. I don�t understand why but I have always done it.
I think "looking through" the turns will also help out most riders even out their left and right turning preference (there should not be). as they will not be as concious of the difference in direction of the turns....and just let things flow naturally.
beck
95 VFR
[image: View Post]whiteboyslo, on 21 March 2011 - 11:40 AM, said:
Still, if I'm riding at a casual pace with one hand on the throttle and the other on my hip, I will go around RH corners all day long just like that but often will put my LH back on the bar for a LH turn.
Mike
I used to ride that way when going slower all the time, now that I've read Total Control I find myself putting my left hand back on the bars for LH turns also.
My difficulties turning right went away when I quit watching NASCAR.
J/K, I never watch NASCAR. :goofy:
Right, left, it doesn't matter to me. What matters is the line of sight, how the turns are laid out, the levelness or lack of it in the road surface. :biggrin:
If you give your left arm to be ambidextrous, you've actually just become a unidexter. :laughing6-hehe:
[image: View Post]Mac, on 22 January 2011 - 09:06 AM, said:
[image: View Post]Earthshake, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
I think it has more to do more with line of sight, particularly in tight twisties such as we have around here. Driving on the right side of the road, we have better line of sight in left turns. When you can see further through the turn, you're more confident, quicker, etc.
[image: View Post]Ottoman, on 21 January 2011 - 08:07 PM, said:
We all know what happens coming into a turn too hot...you go wide. Going wide on a right turn means a trip to the wrong side of the yellow line; scarey stuff! Now left turns, the faster the better!
I hold the same opinion as these guys, and believe that the crown of the road play a part as well.
Mac
Right eye dominant, but I don't seem to have a strong preference for right or left turns.
Left turns have the line of sight advantage, but in my area, the roads have a pronounced crown which means left turns have a slight off camber that isn't a great source of comfort.
Right turns have slightly less line of sight, but the crown gives me a feel of a slightly banked corner.
As a side note, all the sand left on our roads from winter make many turns somewhat of an adventure.
Having ridden dirt bikes for years, the rear stepping out isn't nearly as much of a concern as the front wheel moving over a few inches.
I try to look ahead and be conscious of the conditions, but I have had a couple of twitches this spring. Keeps my heart rate up though. :biggrin:
[image: View Post]Monk, on 21 March 2011 - 12:41 PM, said:
[image: View Post]Knife, on 21 March 2011 - 11:44 AM, said:
Would this question be easy or difficult to answer for a Cyclops?
I think I like rights better. Don't know which eye is dominant. If you're right handed, is your right eye dominant?
Here's a way to check..... keep both eyes open look at a door knob, put one thumb up between the DK and your eyes, close one eye, if the DK is still behind your thumb than which ever eye you're using is the dominent eye, if the DK has moved to one side then the eye you're looking though is not the dominent eye.
Clever man! Thank you, Monk. I'm right eye dominant.
[image: View Post]CharlesW, on 22 March 2011 - 09:05 PM, said:
[image: View Post]Mac, on 22 January 2011 - 09:06 AM, said:
[image: View Post]Earthshake, on 21 January 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
I think it has more to do more with line of sight, particularly in tight twisties such as we have around here. Driving on the right side of the road, we have better line of sight in left turns. When you can see further through the turn, you're more confident, quicker, etc.
[image: View Post]Ottoman, on 21 January 2011 - 08:07 PM, said:
We all know what happens coming into a turn too hot...you go wide. Going wide on a right turn means a trip to the wrong side of the yellow line; scarey stuff! Now left turns, the faster the better!
I hold the same opinion as these guys, and believe that the crown of the road play a part as well.
Mac
Right eye dominant, but I don't seem to have a strong preference for right or left turns.
Left turns have the line of sight advantage, but in my area, the roads have a pronounced crown which means left turns have a slight off camber that isn't a great source of comfort.
Right turns have slightly less line of sight, but the crown gives me a feel of a slightly banked corner.
As a side note, all the sand left on our roads from winter make many turns somewhat of an adventure.
Having ridden dirt bikes for years, the rear stepping out isn't nearly as much of a concern as the front wheel moving over a few inches.
I try to look ahead and be conscious of the conditions, but I have had a couple of twitches this spring. Keeps my heart rate up though. :biggrin:
Man, I hate when the front loses traction. I have absolutely no dirt experience and the other day I had my ST1300 out and the front lost traction and moved a couple of inches on me...Ugh it didn't feel good.
I think a lot of people have problems with right turns solely because of the way they hold the throttle on right turns.
The hand position is different then on left turns, imo.
[image: View Post]2thdr, on 23 March 2011 - 01:52 PM, said:
Man, I hate when the front loses traction. I have absolutely no dirt experience and the other day I had my ST1300 out and the front lost traction and moved a couple of inches on me...Ugh it didn't feel good.
That two inches feels like two feet, doesn't it? :unsure:
Not to worry.
If it had stepped out two feet, you probably would have been down. :blink:
[image: View Post]Brown81, on 23 March 2011 - 02:12 PM, said:
I think a lot of people have problems with right turns solely because of the way they hold the throttle on right turns.
The hand position is different then on left turns, imo.
I think there is some truth in this.
I do have to concentrate on moving my body to the right rather than just leaning the bike and keeping my body in an upright or centered position. (Like the drawings in the header of this forum)
I do know that tight slow right turns are very diffcult for me because of the throttle position and the proximity of the tank at full lock or anything close to full lock.
FWIW, I installed Gen Mar risers and the tank to bars clearance seems to be a little greater, but I haven't had the occasion to make any slow, full lock right turns since I put the risers on.
[image: View Post]CharlesW, on 23 March 2011 - 03:30 PM, said:
[image: View Post]Brown81, on 23 March 2011 - 02:12 PM, said:
I think a lot of people have problems with right turns solely because of the way they hold the throttle on right turns.
The hand position is different then on left turns, imo.
I think there is some truth in this.
I do have to concentrate on moving my body to the right rather than just leaning the bike and keeping my body in an upright or centered position. (Like the drawings in the header of this forum)
I do know that tight slow right turns are very diffcult for me because of the throttle position and the proximity of the tank at full lock or anything close to full lock.
FWIW, I installed Gen Mar risers and the tank to bars clearance seems to be a little greater, but I haven't had the occasion to make any slow, full lock right turns since I put the risers on.
A very good racer (funnily, I can't remember who, I think Bostrom?) enlightened me on this a bit. And, in so doing really improved my right handers. Maybe it will work for you:
It's difficult to get your elbow out into the turn because your wrist/grip on the throttle. If you are gripping it like a hammer (tilted horizontally) you range of motion for your entire right arm/shoulder/elbow is very limited. Works for straights and lefts fine, but rights cramp it. Try it now while imagining your right/left turns.
Now, try this: Rotate your hand up and over a bit so that you are throttling as if you are holding and working a screw driver. Work the throttle twisting, rather than up and down. It really allows a ton more range of motion on the right arm/elbow/shoulder.
This is probably very familiar to dirt riders. Really helped me and maybe it'll work for you as well!
End of thread · 54 posts recovered Wayback Machine snapshot 17 Jul 2012