Counter-steering Discovered

[jeffsen]

This is actually pretty embarrassing to admit, but here goes...
I have been riding for all of one month, commuting to and from work (approx 40 miles round trip). Took the MSF course about 6 weeks back and understood the "concept" of counter-steering, but apparently never truly put it into practice.
What I was doing was a combination of pushing down on the right grip to turn right and sort of leaning the bike. I don't think that I was actually pulling on the left grip at all.
When I would take a turn with any type of speed I would periodically get the feeling that the rear tire was rolling/sliding. I couldn't feel a loss of traction but it was perceptible enough to make me feel uneasy.

Can someone tell me what was happening to cause this rolling?

I'm now actually practicing correct counter-steering technique and have not experienced the wierd sensation at all. What a difference!

How about some help for the rookie?

[sharpmagna]

Bike tires are not like car tires. Bike tires have a rounded bottom, while car tires are very flat. When a bike leans, it rolls around the rounded bottom of the tire. The book proficient motorcycling explains it best IMO.

Essentially when you push the handle bar right to go right, the left handle bar is pulled towards the right. This causes the contact patch on the tire to move towards the right side sidewall. This causes the bike to lean to the right. When you do countersteering, you are actually doing controlled falling of the motorcycle in either direction. I hope I explained it clearly, but if not I'm sure someone will chime in. Also read Proficient Motorcycling by Hough to get a better grasp of it.

[CNF2002]

jeff, you'll get used to it. Assuming your bikes tires aren't slipping you might just have to get used to it. Try some practice turns in a parking lot. If you are riding on a dry, good surface our blast will scrape the pegs before it will slip out from under you. Are you maintaining throttle control in your turns? You should be either slowly accelerating or keeping a constant speed in a turn, not slowing down at all. You should be at the slowest speed you need to be within an entire turn before you enter the turn.

Countersteering, don't worry about it. You're already doing it.

Always check your tire pressure and make sure it is correct. I check mine at least twice a week, most recommend you check it every day.

[jeffsen]

Thanks for the great feedback!
In response to some of the questions:
I check my tire pressure 2-3x/week.
Generally I accelerate through the corner.

Who knows? I think the whole slipping thing and my new grippie feel in the corners could be all in my head. Needless to say I'm gained a little more confidence in corners.

I will definitely grab that book. Thanks for the referral.

At this point I'm just itching to get out of the office and back onto the road.


BTW its 70 degrees and sunny in Philly.

[VermilionX]

i recommend the book "Sport Riding Techniques" by Nick Ienatsch.

he has a pretty good concept about traction among many other useful info.

[jeffsen]

Looks like I have some reading to do.
Thanks again for the advice.

[ArcticHarleyMan]

Go here to learn about countersteering, or the gyroscopic principle.

http://www.msgroup.org/TIP048.html

[Media Weasel]

This is actually pretty embarrassing to admit, but here goes...
I have been riding for all of one month, commuting to and from work (approx 40 miles round trip). Took the MSF course about 6 weeks back and understood the "concept" of counter-steering, but apparently never truly put it into practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwcI_Jvugg4

[Apitoxin]

Ooo. Another watcher of Mordeth13? I enjoy his videos tremendously.

Read Proficient Motorcycling AND watch that video. It shows you how counter steering works.

[Koss]

Ooo. Another watcher of Mordeth13? I enjoy his videos tremendously.

Read Proficient Motorcycling AND watch that video. It shows you how counter steering works.

Mordeth13 is my hero. I wish I could get away with the things he says and does

Proficient Motorcycling series of books or anything else from David Hough is just gold in my opinion.

There was also a "No BS bike" that was built to end the whole debate on countersteer a little while ago. Its pretty cool, and even though I have always used countersteering... I still wanna give that bike a shot. It sounds scary