A motorcycle’s handling prowess is dependent up on many factors such as its weight, wheelbase, tyre size and more. Some motorcycles are naturally very fluidic in nature, they tend to turn into a bend with minimal effort and change directions as fast as a house fly. On the other hand, some bikes (mainly in the cruiser and adventure touring categories) aren’t counted among best handling bikes.

In the report below we have listed down a number of steps which can be followed in order to make your motorcycle more agile on its feet. But at the same time, please note that bringing any change to motorcycle’s stock handling geometry may seriously alter its performance and rideability.

• Updating tyres –

Tyres contribute majorly in altering a motorcycle’s handling geometry, so much so, that the same bike handles differently when its tyres are changed. The sport category of tyres has a rounder profile compared to the daily tyres. Also they are made up of soft compound materials which aid to better grip when taking fast corners. The round profile helps in faster side-to-side transitions, and makes the bike lighter on its feet around the corners. So if you want to make you bike’s handling lighter, then choosing sport tyres will prove to be a good investment.

Also, at the same time, you must know that wider the tyres are, less agile the motorcycle become. So do not buy large sized tyres just because they add to the looks, always go for the recommended tyre size.

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• Tune your suspension on stiffer setup –

The softer the suspension is, the vaguer the handling will be and vice versa is also true. So make sure you get your suspension tuned to a stiffer set-up. This will help provide more feedback from the ground to the rider, which is a trait for all the good handling motorcycles. Stiffer suspensions add to the handling prowess of a motorcycle, adding to the confidence even around the sharp corners. This is a reason why all the sport bikes come with stiffer suspension, which may not be entirely comfortable like the cushiony suspension as on a cruiser, but they certainly handle better.

• Maintain higher tyre pressure –

The handling turns vague and stiffer as soon as tyre pressure turns down. So always maintain the recommended tyre pressure if you want the motorcycle to handle in the best way possible.

• Upgrading handle-bar –

If you ride a naked or a sport bike, you can always upgrade to the clip-on handle bars. The slow slung clip-ons always tend to provide more leverage on to the motorcycle, which ultimately provides more focused handling. The clip-ons are generally mounted on to front suspension rods using mountings. Make sure you get the job done only through a specialized mechanic.

• Dropping off motorcycle’s weight –

It is true that lighter the bike is more agile it will be on its feet. So try and shrug off all the extra weight from the bike to make it as light as possible. So if you have heavy saddle bags installed, it is better to take them off now, this will also help in a more balanced ride. Also get an aftermarket exhaust installed as it is lighter and aids to more horsepower and mass centralization of the bike. Also, you can replace the stock alloy wheels with newer lighter ones, and get the stock battery replaced with a new lighter unit.

Additional tip: Longer wheelbase result in a lazier handling, at the same time it also aids to the stability of the bike.