kind of confused

[RhadamYgg]

I liked this video which I saw before I got on a bike. It is a pretty good explanation, but what I would love to see is a video of someone demonstrating what you need to do to take an off-ramp/on-ramp properly.

Countersteering Example explained

RhadamYgg

[Batan]

someone explain countersteering to me please.

Are you riding? If not, the explanation can be confusing. I think people talk too much about counter steering, it's one of those things that is a lot easier to do then explain. If you had ridden a bicycle around a fast corner you had most likely counter steered already, you just did not know what to call it.

[graymojocat]

someone explain countersteering to me please.

Are you riding? If not, the explanation can be confusing. I think people talk too much about counter steering, it's one of those things that is a lot easier to do then explain. If you had ridden a bicycle around a fast corner you had most likely counter steered already, you just did not know what to call it.

I just started. I'm still in the riding in the parking lot phase. And I am signed up for a class in 16 days for the other people who were wondering.

[Batan]

someone explain countersteering to me please.

Are you riding? If not, the explanation can be confusing. I think people talk too much about counter steering, it's one of those things that is a lot easier to do then explain. If you had ridden a bicycle around a fast corner you had most likely counter steered already, you just did not know what to call it.

I just started. I'm still in the riding in the parking lot phase. And I am signed up for a class in 16 days for the other people who were wondering.

I finished the course just recently and I'm a new rider as well. I dont know how it is done where you're taking the course but countersteering was one of the things we practiced. I find that, if I think about it... it's hard to do. Should come naturally, it did for all 4 people in my group, they had absolutely no problems with it.

[Kal]

Stop thinking about it. While actively countersteering can produce a positive result and improve general cornering at your level counter-steering will take care of itself and to be honest you should have far more important things to be concentrating on at this point in your career.

Instead try concentrating on where you are looking - the bike will naturally follow the line your head is giving it.

[ccshamp]

In the first hours of my course this spring, someone started to ask a question. The instructor interrupted and said emphatically, "You're not going to ask about countersteering, are you?" Certainly it is one of the mysteries before one is really riding and he taught enough courses to know that many people are thinking and wondering the same things.
Does it work?
Will it work for me?
Will I have to think about it?
Does it work?
Does it work?
Does it work?

It does work but as others are saying, it doesn't take great thought. Instead, once you've got a bit more experience, it may be more helpful to keep with "Slow, look, press, roll."

[jstark47]

+1 to everyone who said don't think about it so much. Look left, push left, go left. Look right, push right, go right. That's all ya need to know!

The speed at which a bike transitions from steering to counter-steering varies by bike, but by 10 mph, it's safe to say counter-steering is in effect on most bikes.

[storysunfolding]

Possibly way more than anyone would want to know about countersteering:

http://www.msgroup.org/Tip.aspx?Num=048

Or if you want real physics

http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~fajans/pu ... ikeAJP.PDF

Of course, it doesn't matter how well you know physics as it boils down to press right go right,

To answer your question, you do counter steer through the entire turn. If I had a bit more time I'd explain about motorcycles being dynamically nuetral, but that's not too important right now. The only time you should push the bars in the other direction during the turn is to straighten.

Getting used to countersteering and knowing that pressing left makes the bike go left will help you when you're in a turn and the poop hits the fan. It may be because you hit it too hot, it was decreasing radius or in one case I encountered in the mountains, part of the road was gone. However, when you need to go tighter in a hurry, you need to know that pressing is the only way to get it done.

[MZ33]

You're right, roncg, Capt Crash's video is great! It put to rest some confusion I had about the whole CS thing.

Then, as a related clip, youtube listed the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghIBkg2s ... re=related

I would like to hear the comments of people who do the twisties as to how this rider is taking these turns. I'm horrified, but I am both new and a much more conservative rider. It seems to me that this guy is taking a whole lot of chances with blind curves, completely ignoring the "outside-inside-outside" concept. I'm currently focusing on that a lot in my riding, albeit on more simple turns. Is it me, or is this rider taking most of these turns way too fast for his skill level, or for his bike's cornering abilities? Or is that just how y'll take the twisties? 'Cuz then I know that'll never be for me.

[motokid]

If there is a wide curve in the road, I'll just lean into it. If the curve is tight or if I'm turning a tight corner, I'll turn the handlebars in the direction of the corner or curve, while slightly staying straight up.
....

Sandy

as others pointed out - stop over analyzing it - just let the bike do its thing, that is, let the laws of physics act.

However, there's one dangerous misconception here, particularly if you main experience comes from riding a bicycle:
- you don't/can't lean the bike. Expecting to be able to influence the turn leaning the bike is sure receipt for disaster. Bike is too heavy and goes too fast (gyroscopic force) for you to lean it. Also, even if you manage to just lean it, it doesn't mean it is going to turn (riding the cross wind in the straight road is an example).

Rather, the bike leans itself as a result of speed and corner radius you are taking. That is very important to remember. Only two things you can influence are: speed (accelerator) and radius of the curve (pushing the handlebar).

So, in short, to make turn over 10-ish mph, push right to go right, push left to go left. And lean with the bike - don't keep you torso straight while the bike is leaning (it will cause the bike to lean even more and scrape the pegs). If you need more turn (like in you misjudged your speed getting into the curve and it feels like you are not going to make it), just push harder that handlebar, the bike will lean more and shorten the turn - resist the urge to break - it will either slide or straighten up the bike, causing it to go right ahead across the curve.

K