Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Just a quick note on the counter steering and it not being instinct. I think it is somewhat and isn't somewhat. I can tell you that no one taught me counter steering. I just figured it out within the first two min of riding. I don't even remembering thinking "How do I turn this?" I just did.

I didn't even know the term counter-steering until I had put almost 10,000 miles on the bike. I didn't know it even had a name.

Itzamna wrote:Just a quick note on the counter steering and it not being instinct. I think it is somewhat and isn't somewhat. I can tell you that no one taught me counter steering. I just figured it out within the first two min of riding. I don't even remembering thinking "How do I turn this?" I just did.

I didn't even know the term counter-steering until I had put almost 10,000 miles on the bike. I didn't know it even had a name.

I did what you are saying, but I know for me when it was pointed out I was able to apply it "harder" in certain situation. For example needing a bit sharper turn required more "press". I wouldn't have ever thought of that without the knowledge of coutersteering. Maybe some folks have better insticts than I though.

-Curly- wrote:I countersteer backwards. If I want to go right, I pull back with my left bar. I find it easyer to pull left than push right for some reason.

I think this is what they need to teach in the MSF, people will catch on straight away.

Why Oh why was this not thought of before, all those wasted years

I dont think countersteering is all that intuitive the FIRST time you ride a bike, but after you get it up to speed it probably is. I dont have too much experiance with motorcycles, which probably makes it easy to see both points. I DID pick it up quickly on a motorcycle, which was a dirt bike, and then a small chopped out rokon. However I learned it on pedal bikes, where it only works in REALLY steep leaning turns going very fast. which turned out to be most turns at motorcycle speed. Though TELLING someone to coutersteer might have them overreact and coutersteer TOO much and do some beautiful swerving like I demonstrated on the rokon. THen again I pan to take the rider training course from the DMV, which I belive is different from the MSF but earns you a liscense at the end. should I take a MSF course as well? and whats the difference?

I took the MSF after being taught how to ride by my brother; I had been riding for about 5 months before I took the course... I definately think it is a valuable course... yes you do everything low speed but you can apply everything you learn in the course to real world driving... just a bit faster If you haven't taken the course you really have no idea how many things they will teach you/point out to you that you probably would never think of or learn from someone "uneducated".

If you don't know squat about riding motorcycles, like I did, the MSF is a good way to go. After that you're out of the nest, fly or die, and hopefully you learn as you go.

No, you do not go in the streets with traffic, you never go over 20/25 miles per hour either.

Kal wrote:I am curious because of how I've read what is here, but on either the MSF or the DV motorcycle tst do you actually have to go out onto the roads with traffic and everything in order to get licenced???

In Alberta there are two choices:

1) you challenge the DMV test, which involves a parking lot ritual, and being followed in a car
2) you take a MSF course with a valid drivers license and just pass the parking lot ritual. If you don't have a valid drivers then you need to be followed in the car after successfully completing the parking lot.

rubthebuddha wrote:If you don't know squat about riding motorcycles, like I did, the MSF is a good way to go. After that you're out of the nest, fly or die, and hopefully you learn as you go.

I read a great quote somewhere....When you start riding you have a bag full of luck and a nearly empty bag of experience. You have to hope one fills up before the other one empties.