Ash, I think you need to develop your skills at your own pace, maybe a trackday here or there or even some advanced rider training? I know all this costs money etc but it's hard to advise anything else!! I'm always up for a ride out and if you want a nice gentle pace the mrs will come along too (62mph tonight flat out down hill with a tailwind) I know I make the occasional "spank my bike/ride like a looney" statement but I am actually sensible when I need to be!!

Adam is spot on about entering the corner settled btw, get the bike in the right gear before entering the bend so you can roll on the power smoothly as you exit the bend.

I'm not entirely sure that Spanking ones monkey will help Retromic!

What Norm said.

You ride because you like it, right? Well, go and enjoy, and f... the worries. Get some speed on some straights, but then really slow down to where you are sure you can enter a curve at a speed from which you can smoothly accelerate through and out of the whole turn. Slow. Smooth. Steady (acceleration). The acceleration through the curve is the best feeling - better than just speed. ENJOY!

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2006 XB12Ss..... 1998 S1W..... 1996 S2T
We do not need the help of our friends so much as confidence that they will help us when we need it. –Epicurus

Come see me Ash. l will setup your bike for you and show you what you need to know. We will need about a day though so make a plan .

Some time on a light-weight dirt bike may be good practice.
Lower speeds, traction is worse, and it's seemed both rider and machine crash easier/safer (and more frequently) compared to asphalt.
Slide around in the dirt, grow accustomed to "crossing over the edge", and carry the experiences back to street riding.

IMO every capability needed for motorbiking can safely be trained on a bicycle. Well, except fighting a tankslapper, perhaps.

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"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living."
Terry Pratchett

Know what you mean Ash - it is irritating having those thoughts on corners. Now and then I go find a big roundabout when it's quiet and just go round and round getting lower just to convince myself that it's OK (on that oil-less roundabout at least) - it gives confidence for right handers anyway. I just fitted new Scorpions 36/42 and also re-set the suspension for the lightest rider (I'm not) by the book for a 'fresh start' mentality.

I read in your post that you just want to corner in an assured way - not learn to corner like Ron Haslam, so I reckon you should try and do all you can afford to do of what the guys advise so far. Especially like the offer from the Fying Dutchman - nice. Keep me posted if you end up doing a day with him - or both come over Bucks way for some nice curves. We could swap XB's for a few bends for comparison too.

Also try this: go and buy a kids gyroscope, sit on the settee playing with it and thinking 'hmmm I've got two of these on my bike'

And here's a new avatar for you

Serious comments now.
Your main problem is in your head. There's no need to impress anyone else with the speed of your riding, the scratches on your sliders or the width of your chicken strips. You ride for your own enjoyment and you're not getting any at the moment, so you need to go back to the beginning and find that enjoyment again. Take tubbs, TFD or anyone elses offer up and get some constructive criticism on your riding, this will help you improve. I'll come down and ride with you for a couple of hours if you want to pick up some bad habits

Quick tip to try- Don't look down at the road in front of you, look at the next bend after the one you riding. Try riding the route you've picked without using your brakes, this will be slow at first but you will improve and you will appreciate what your bike can do.

This ends the serious broadcast, normal service will be resumed.

Hey Ash,

Don't get hung up about it. I've been riding bikes since I was sixteen, usually heaps of shit with dodgy handling and cornering. I was riding like you until I had a one day track day training course, at the age of 46 I think you are unlikely to increase your confidence by practising on the road, it's too dangerous, you need to be on a track so you don't have to worry about pot holes, white lines, other vehicles, radar traps etc.

We only got taught 5 points, all of which made a huge difference. If I had to pick one technique that would help your situation it would be to look through the corner to where you want to be, and definitely don't look at where you don't want to be The guy called it "the monster", if you look at the monster you go to the monster, if you look past the monster to where you want to be it's like magic, you just go there

Also, there's no point in looking where you are, it's too late to do anything about that, so just look where you want to be, and you'll get there without even noticing it

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Wear the fox hat

Well, the guys have almost said it all.

Only one essential bit of advice they missed. You need some HRT

Right then everyone, group hug.

Not until you've put that tongue away.

Digger's post reminds me I haven't done any rider training for a couple of years. Must get something sorted, even an assessment ride with the local IAM... ooo, that's a thought...

Ash, for budget training get along to your local IAM place for a free assessment ride, then get yourself signed up to this. £75 is a lot more than when I last did it but it's still money well spent, IMO. They'll tell you what you already know, that there is nothing fundamental wrong with your riding, maybe look further ahead, definitely stop worrying so much

Worry causes tension causes stiffness causes lack of fluidity causes screwing up corners causes you to feel less confident causes worry... etc

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Good in straight lines
2001 X1 "The Tart's Handbag"
2001 FZS1000 "The Fridge"

Just checked this one out for myself. Thames Valley plod don't do it but the more progressive boys in London, working on a subsidy set up by Brother Ken, only charge £30 a day.

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Good in straight lines
2001 X1 "The Tart's Handbag"
2001 FZS1000 "The Fridge"

I ride like a jessie as well Ash and it doesn't bother me none. My poor excuse is I have a balance/vertigo probelm and if I lean to far I become disorientated. I have learnt to tilt my head back to compensate but feel like a twat doing so.
I believe if you are riding close to the limit, there is no margin for error. And I am much happier riding in the knowledge that if I go into a corner and for whatever reason need to bank it over much more, then the bike is capable of doing it.
Similarly I discovered a useful trick. Slow in, fast out. When I am following other bikes I find it quite incredible the speed that they go into corners at, then hit the brakes massively hard, get the bike into all sorts of shapes and leave the corner actually quite slowly. I use my engine to do virtually all the braking for me, and then you can accelerate through the corner without disrupting the balance of the bikes.
One more tip. Ride at the front. The rider at the back always has to ride much faster to keep up.
I have little interest in a track day, but I suspect it would make me a quicker rider. I just don't want to bin my or anybody elses bike, and I especially don't want any of that body/ ground interface going on.

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In a purple fug

I thought that could only happen to Chinese people?

I did an advanced course called 'The edge44' run by the Hampshire Police, it was very good. teaching advances, fast paced riding, safe over taking etc ... and I passed no troubles .. what it didn't teach is real work riding, cornering etc ... the course just teaches you to be safe within the speed limit

Digger, your link looks great, I will look at that more closely. My bike really needs a decent service and once I have got that done (looks at Tubbs) I will try to take up some of the generous offers of some company while I plod through the countryside

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"With square conduct, level steps, and upright intentions ..”