Countersteering: Putting theory to practice, my experience

**Pixie** · 4th February 2010, 17:17

Originally Posted by Mikkel

Counter-steering files... the truth is out there.

[queue ominous music]

And about as believable as the X-files

**Pixie** · 4th February 2010, 17:33

Originally Posted by Smifffy

Read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering

* Balance and Steering, by Tony Foale
* "No B.S. Machine" physical experimentation

Let's have a wiki war
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_dynamics
My link has more calculus

I put a lot of store in Tony Foale's opinions.

For the book "Motorcycle Chassis Design",he built a bike with a fully adjustable front end.With the rake reduced to nearly zero degrees,he found that:"The most noticeable effect was the total insensitivity of the steering to bumps.Not only could the bike be ridden hands-off,but it could be weaved from side to side across ruts with little effort and no detectable deflection of the steering."

The book explodes many of the myths about motorcycle geometry and how steering actually occurs.

**avgas** · 4th February 2010, 18:12

Originally Posted by Pixie

The book explodes many of the myths about motorcycle geometry and how steering actually occurs.

While I found it a great book......it also created many myths for me.
Its funny how facts and figures all go out the window with natural things. Goes to show that some things are shaded in perception.
I suppose thats why somethings feel like autopilot when riding/driving and others just leave us uneasy. I still like a rock solid rear (suspensioned of course) where I know this doesn't improve the handling - but it gives more confidence in my riding.

**avgas** · 4th February 2010, 18:13

Originally Posted by smifffy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/countersteering

yay for matlab!!!

**Conquiztador** · 5th February 2010, 01:25

Originally Posted by Pixie

For the book "Motorcycle Chassis Design",he built a bike with a fully adjustable front end.With the rake reduced to nearly zero degrees,he found that:"The most noticeable effect was the total insensitivity of the steering to bumps.Not only could the bike be ridden hands-off,but it could be weaved from side to side across ruts with little effort and no detectable deflection of the steering."

The book explodes many of the myths about motorcycle geometry and how steering actually occurs.

You have forgotten to mention the most important factor in stability of the forks/frontwheel: Trail. Here: http://www.american-v.co.uk/technica...etry/body.html