Cornering

1) Starting corners wide will improve your vision. Planning to finish them in tight will help you get your speed right and leave you room for slight errors. Most importantly, keep away from the head on zone. Taking corners this way will slow you down a little on the approach but will allow you to accelerate out much earlier, when you have a clear view.  (RTA)
 

Picking your line

2) Scan ahead for hazards, keep your eyes moving. Always leave something in reserve, never push it to the limits on the road.

Best Performance

3) Make sure the bike is serviced regularly and properly, and you can face the road with a lot of confidence, and also ride better. Much better than wobbling around on near-flat tires or having the gear lever fall off. Look after your bike and it will look after you.  (RTA)

Easy Cleanup

4) Spraying Pam (the cooking spray, silly) on parts hard reach areas make bugs easier to remove. Caution: spraying Pam on engine may make you hungry.

Steering - Rake and Trail

5)  What makes one motorcycle turn better than another one? What is heavy steering? What is rake and trail any ways?

Rake is the angle between the headset tube and a vertical line. Increasing the rake will move the front tire farther from the bike. Rake is measured in degrees, and is a frame specification. To visualize trail, draw an imaginary line along the path of the headset tube to the ground. Measure from this point to the center of the tire patch. This is trail, and is measured in inches.

The amount of rake is significant in determining a motorcycle's handling characteristics. In general, more rake provides greater straight line stability, less rake makes the bike more responsive. Larger values of trail also create more straight line stability. This is why the forks on a sportbike are more vertical than those of a cruiser.

Typical Cruiser Dimensions (2003 Honda VTX1800)

Rake 32.0 degrees
Trail 152.0mm (6.0 inches)
Wheelbase 67.5 inches

Therefore: With a rake of 32 degrees and a trail of 152mm (6 inches) this motorcycle will be better and more stable in a straight line than turning a tight corner. The long wheelbase of 67.5 inches also assists this motorcycle again in straight line performance but will hinder it in cornering. So this motorcycle has been properly designed for it's intended purpose (touring, cruising, and highway use).

Typical Sport Bike Dimensions (2003 Honda CBR600RR)

Rake 24.0 degrees
Trail 95.0mm (3.7 inches)
Wheelbase 54.7 inches
 

Therefore: With a rake of 24 degrees and a trail of 95mm (6.7 inches) this motorcycle will turn much quicker and sharper than the Cruiser, but will not be as good or as stable in a straigh line. The short wheelbase of 54.7 inches also assists this motorcycle again in cornering but hinders straight line stability. So this motorcycle has been properly designed for it's intended purpose (going in and out of corners at high speeds and taking twisty roads).

Visualize the wheels of a shopping cart for an illustration of a machine with zero rake and a lot of trail. Exciting handling, but zero straight line stability.  (www.totalmotorcycle.com)