All courses › Motorcycle licence (A1, A2, A) › Lean angle in a bend

Lean angle in a bend

To get round a bend the motorcycle must lean. How much depends on the speed and how tight the bend is. Double the speed needs four times as much to compensate for, and a tighter bend needs more. The more you lean, the less grip you have left for braking and surprises.

Try it yourself

Speed in a bend and grip

\tan \theta = \dfrac{v^2}{r g}

the lean angle (approximately)

Symbols

$\theta$	angle from vertical	°
$v$	speed	m/s
$r$	radius of the bend	m

Example

A bend has a radius of 50 m and you ride at 50 km/h ( $v \approx 13.9$ m/s).

$\tan \theta = \dfrac{13.9^2}{50 \cdot 9.81} \approx 0.39$ , so $\theta \approx 21°$ .

Choose an entry speed with a margin. There should be grip to spare if there is gravel in the bend.

Practise bends and positioning for free →

← Line through the bend · Speed to match your view →

Part of Motorcycle licence (A1, A2, A): Bends and positioning.