FLSTC
Well-known member
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...
Going where you look
- Thread starter bigpoppa
- Start date
bigpoppa
Well-known member
Iv heard of this magic trick called counter steering however have yet to find a good explanation.
one that shows you how to physically actually do it
Iv ridden bicycles before, and a bit of motorcycle, and people keep telling me "well then you have already counter steered without knowing it, you cant turn anything on two wheels without counter steering"
sesamestreet
Well-known member
push right to go right and vice versa. the amount of force determines your lean angle, thus affecting your turn. More push, sharper turn. It actually works every time I feel like my turn is off and I remind myself, counter steer and look wher I want to go. works like magic.
Also if you're going in a straight line, admiring the landscape doesn't mean you're automatically headed for the hils. you'd have to be looking for a good minute for that to happen. It is meant as a guideline to keep in mind when tackling corners.
Also if you're going in a straight line, admiring the landscape doesn't mean you're automatically headed for the hils. you'd have to be looking for a good minute for that to happen. It is meant as a guideline to keep in mind when tackling corners.
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FLSTC
Well-known member
Countersteering: As the speed of the motorcycle increases, if you try to TURN the handlebars to the LEFT (pushing with your right hand and/or pulling with your left hand) the bars won't actually turn, rather the motorcycle will bank/lean to the RIGHT and you will travel/turn to the RIGHT. And vice versa.
Also called push steering as you push forward on the RIGHT handlebar to turn RIGHT and push forward on the LEFT handlebar to turn LEFT.
Also called push steering as you push forward on the RIGHT handlebar to turn RIGHT and push forward on the LEFT handlebar to turn LEFT.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
FLSTC
Well-known member
To avoid an obstacle in the road, e.g. a pothole, LOOK at the track you want to drive on, i.e. do not focus on the pothole, rather where you want your wheel to go. Assuming you want to avoid to the right, you push on the right handlebar to bank/lean right, ride to the right of the pothole, then you'll have to push on the left handlebar to bring the bike back to level and even maybe correct a little bit more right to get back going straight down the road.
FLSTC
Well-known member
If you are pushing your bike, you will have to turn the bars LEFT to go LEFT. As the speed increases from zero, push steering needs to be used. I'm not sure at what exact speed, but perhaps over 50km/h it will be 100% push steering.
The transition from slow turning where the bars actually move in the direction of the turn to push steering is one of the unusual things you will have to get used to as a new rider. For example, come to stop at stop sign, then turn right and accelerate.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
so why isnt it just called steering then? Why call it "counter" to confuse people?
Your just pushing the right handle bar to the left to turn left,
and pushing the left handle bar to the right to turn right....
GateKeeper
Well-known member
sesamestreet
Well-known member
well because at slow speeds or when simply rolling the bike around, you will employ normal steering (turn bars left to go left), at speed it is called counter because you actually push on the left grip to go left. In theory, pushig on the left grip will turn the bars right but at speed this doesn't happen, the wheel barely diverts from a straight path, its the lean, initiated by counter steering, that changes your course.
I think the proper term is called out tracking, and counter or what is now called push steering is only a part of that, beginning at somewhat higher speeds than walking.
Look here for some tips: http://www.msgroup.org/Articles.aspx?Cat=4
Look here for some tips: http://www.msgroup.org/Articles.aspx?Cat=4
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bigpoppa
Well-known member
This makes sense
I found a great explanation here:
"At very slow speeds we steer a motorcycle by turning the handlebar in the direction we wish to go. We can only do that at speeds of less than about 6 MPH. At any higher speed we do the exact opposite, whether we realize it or not. For example, assuming we want to turn to the right, we actually TRY to turn the handlebar left. This results in the front wheel leaning to the right and, as a result of the lean of the wheel, a turn to the right. This is counter-steering."
matt365
Well-known member
Think of it like this:
Were you ever abusive to your bicycles when you were a kid? Ever ghost ride it down a hill?
As the riderless bike picks up speed, it gains stability. Thats gyroscopic inertia. The faster it goes, the rotation of the wheels makes it more stable. A motorcycle at speed does not want to change direction. Essentially what you are doing when counter steering is making it unstable. You are using the geometry of the steering head to make it fall into the corner to initiate the turn. It remains stable because if its inertia/ forward momentum.
Counter steering: because its counter intuitive to how you think a bicycle steers at low speed.
Another good video. Some scientific stuff in the beginning, but watch at 2:00 where they show the front wheel of motorcycle (and then a bicycle) briefly turn to the right to initiate a left turn.
[video=youtube;upAI5rb_pFY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upAI5rb_pFY[/video]
Push steering can be learned on a bicycle as well, just get moving 20 km/h or so and gently push on left bar bicycle goes left, push on the right bar bicycle goes right. Harder you push quicker the turn. Best place to practice on a motorcycle is a straight road, start gently and slowly get more aggressive. It is the only way to steer a two wheeled vehicle at any thing above 20km/h.
Boots
Well-known member
Careful when looking at scenery. I was going to river road and caught myself looking at a nice view for a couple seconds. I was going up a hill and when I looked back at the road all the cars in front of me were at a standstill on an 80 road because of the construction on the roads ahead. Almost went into the car in front of me at that speed. I pulled over for a bit after to collect myself.
You'll most likely eat more **** doing that than veering your bike off the road because you're looking away. I myself had no problems keeping the bike going straight when looking away
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You'll most likely eat more **** doing that than veering your bike off the road because you're looking away. I myself had no problems keeping the bike going straight when looking away
Sent from my SM-G530W using Tapatalk
I do it every day.
A funny reminder
My greatest feat of motorcycle proficiency came when I was riding my bike around the industrial complex where I stored it. I knew there was a body rub parlor on the other side but didn't realize that on some nice days the babes would sit around out the back wearing their ummm "Uniforms".
I actually managed to go by without dropping the bike. I often wonder if the one in the nurse's outfit was actually a nurse had I dropped the bike and injured myself.
