Total Motorcycle Community Forums

someone explain countersteering to me please.

Try looking here.

so does this mean that I countersteer through the whole turn until I'm ready to straighten up or that I start the lean by countersteering and then turn the wheel into the turn?

I'm a new rider also, but the way I kinda figured it out and I know if I'm wrong, I'll hear about it is this way:

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.

I hope I'm telling you the right advice. But that's what I do. So you guys and gals that have been riding longer, how close am I to being right?

Sandy

There used to be someone on here who did a video blog and did a good demonstration of counter steering on his VFR. It shows plainly what sometimes is difficult to explain.

I just don't remember his name. I might try to dig that up.

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

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

An excerpt:

"The phenomenon is called Gyroscopic Precession. This is what happens when a lateral force is applied to the axis of a spinning gyroscope. The spinning gyroscope translates the force vector ninety degrees off the direction of spin. Thus, if we try to turn our front wheel to the left, the force we use appears as a lateral force forward against the axle on the right side and this is translated into a force that tries to lean the wheel to the right. Similarly, trying to turn the wheel to the right results in the wheel trying to lean to the left."

bikernana wrote:I'm a new rider also, but the way I kinda figured it out and I know if I'm wrong, I'll hear about it is this way:

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.

I hope I'm telling you the right advice. But that's what I do. So you guys and gals that have been riding longer, how close am I to being right?

Sandy

Sadly,(no offence intended) what you described is a good way to kill yourself.

I know you think that you do as you said, but in fact it's just the opposite.

To turn the handle bars into a right turn, you would push the left side so that the wheel would turn to the right... Correct? Well maybe if you're riding very slow, once you speed up, if you push the left handlebar you will in fact go left.

Don't believe me? Get on your bike and and at walking speed push the left side forward, you'll turn right, and pushing right will make you go left... Now, get out on a straight stretch of empty road, bring your speed up to say 20 or 30 miles an hour. Gently, and I mean gently, push the right or left handle bar forward, then come on back and report what happens.

It's actually funny that everyone countersteers yet it's so "Counter Intuitive" Pushing right to go right just doesn't make sense, yet it does...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGY-kLYKqSY

Great video on "leaning" from Captain Crash (a member here).

graymojocat wrote:so does this mean that I countersteer through the whole turn until I'm ready to straighten up or that I start the lean by countersteering and then turn the wheel into the turn?

i was where you are. trust me, you're over thinking it. you push in the direction you want to go. when you want to straighten up you push in the opp. direction.

i say this as a dad of two, sign up for a class. all of the questions you have and the nerves that are eating at you will be answered and fixed. trust me. i honestly don't know if i would have gotten on the road if not for the class. it was hard enough setting out on my first trip looking at my daughter - knowing i had training. and i can tell you that there are about 3 accidents (1 or 2 of them would have been pretty bad) were avoided because of taking the class. i heard my instructors in my ear and corrected what i was doing.

bikernana wrote:I'm a new rider also, but the way I kinda figured it out and I know if I'm wrong, I'll hear about it is this way:

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.

I hope I'm telling you the right advice. But that's what I do. So you guys and gals that have been riding longer, how close am I to being right?

Sandy

hmmmmmmm,

settle down tiger i think your better served just riding the bike, forget about what you think you might know about CS cause it doesnt matter how you think you do it so long as the bike goes in the direction your aiming thats about as complicated as it needs to be.

Your not totally incorrect in your summation, although it is highly ambiguous and could be a threat for those who also dont have a clue



Im by no means the most experienced rider in here, far from it, but I tell you not once in any second ive been riding have I ever considered for a millisecond how im going to input into the bars for any type of turning maneuver, I just do it, its as natural as walking or steering riding a bicycle, you dont think about it you just do it

IMHO