Art of Motorcycling – Cornering on your motorcycle

Cornering is perhaps the most exotic yet challenging aspect of bike riding. Cornering is an art. Cornering is philosophy. Cornering is skill. No matter how much you read about it or practice it, you may never reach perfection of this art in single life. Finding a perfect cornering line and adjusting your motorcycle on perfect speed is something that comes with birth. May be riders like Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa got this skill as god’s gift. But for a rider like you and me, it’s a subject of constant meditation.

Looking at corner:
Looking and judging corners is a skill that comes with lot of practice. You will learn this art only by practice. Looking plays most important part in entering corner at right speed, in right lane and in right gear.
Always focus on where you want to go, not on which lane you want to ride. Don’t look at a tree standing at corner of road, but look at lane which takes you on right path. Focus ‘far ahead’ than immediate turn and try to judge your lane while looking at curve.

Choosing perfect lane:
Choosing perfect curve while taking a corner is most important. If you choose wrong lane and take too wide a curve, you might end up on opposite lane or go off road.

All curves are different and should be treated differently. However, there is one basic rule that you should always enter the curve from as much outside as possible to increase your line of sight. As you take the curve, ride towards inside of curve and while exiting, move you motorcycle to the outer side.

Riding at perfect speed:
Many a times, riders make mistake of entering a corner at wrong speed. If you enter a corner at higher speed then necessary, you will either end up braking your vehicle right in the middle of curve, losing all momentum. If you enter at lower speed, you will find your motorcycle struggling to clear the corner in effective manner and you might have to shit-up gears to get right momentum.
It is advisable to always enter the curve at lower speed to make sure there is no vehicle coming from opposite side and you have perfect leaning angle before exiting. Once you are at middle of curve and see the road ahead clearly, you should increase throttle and exit at increasing speed. This is called rule of ‘Slow in, Fast out!’

What is perfect lane and speed for any corner?
Well, there is no perfect lane or speed for any corner. Its all about your comfort and control over your motorcycle. Its about how skillfully you can clear a corner while maintaining perfect lane and speed. Never look at how rider ahead you cleared the corner. Rather, focus on how skillfully you can ride through it.

Ratnagiri – Konkan’s most diverse tourist destination

Ratnagiri is city located on the western coast of the Indian State of Maharashtra. Ratnagiri is district of forests, beaches and forts. Ratnagiri has perhaps most diverse tourist locations in whole Konkan. Famous Sahyadri Hills on east and Serene Arabian Sea on its west contributes to its breathtaking beauty. With lots of scenic sea shores, rivers, backwaters, hot water springs, forests and waterfalls, Ratnagiri offers one of most extra ordinary experience to visitors.

Jaigad fort, is one of most important place worth visiting. Its situated on the top of a mountain in Ratnagiri. Fort is just 35 kms from famous Ganpatipule beach. The fort is nestled on a cliff from where the whole bay can be seen. The bay is situated where the Shastri River merges with the Arabian Sea. The Jaigad lighthouse and a jetty port are located near the fort.

Some of the historical attractions near Ratnagiri town are Jaigad Fort, Jaigad Light House, Thibaw Palace, etc.

Apart from fort, tourists can spend their time at various creeks, seashore, rivers, hot water springs, hills and waterfalls. Ratnagiri beach is one of most beautiful location worth visiting. Tourists generally visit fort area, Ganpatipule and nearby naturally beautiful locations to spend quality time.

Ali Museum in Ratnagiri is an ancestral house of Lokmanya Tilak. The house contains lots of pictures of the great freedom fighter. Shri Devi Bhagwati Mandir is one of the ancient temples of the place and is known for its architecture. The temple is filled with devotees during the Navratri festival.

Apart from Ganpatipule beach, there are many other beaches worth looking at. Bhatye Beach and Mandavi beach are virgin beaches, away from commercialization and offers complete experience to visitors. There are facilities of Adventure sports like paragliding and watersports on few of these beaches.
Some of the religious destinations in the vicinity of Ratnagiri are Swayambhu Ganpati Temple, Swami Swaroopanad Ashram of Pawas, Parashuram temple, etc.

To Compile, Here is list of places to visit in Ratnagiri:

• Places of worship : Ganapatipule, Velneshwar, Marleshwar, Hedvi, Hatis, Parshuram [Chiplun], Rajapur
• Caves: Panhalekazi, Sangameshwar
• Palace: Thibaw Palace [Ratnagiri]
• Sea Shores: Kelshi, Murud, Guhaghar, Palshet, Ganpatipule, Velneshwar
• Beaches: Mandovi [Gateway of Ratnagiri], Bhatye, Guhagar, Anjarla, Ganapatipule
• Birth Places of eminent personalities: Ratnagiri, Malgund, Dapoli, Palgad
• Forts: Bankot, Mandangad, Ambolgad, Jaigad, Ratnadurg, Mahipatgad
• Sea Forts: Ratnadurg, Harne, Purnagad, Jaigad
• Bird Sanctuaries: Vanadi valley, Anaskura Ghat
• Exotic forests: Pat Panhale, Bavnadi valley
• Timeless Landscapes: Goval, Hatlot Ghat, Tivare Ghat, Amba
• Hill and Hill Ranges: Sahyadrian Ranges
• Rivers: Jagbudi, Vashisti, Kasavi
• Irrigation Projects: Natuwadi, Nandivali, Kolkewadi
• Water Falls: Parshuram, Prachitgad, Marleshwar
• Hot water Spring : Unhavare, Aravali, Tural, Rajapur