Getting my learner licence

[CookMySock]

No worries bro. Try consciously riding everywhere actively countersteerng regardless. The idea is to embed it to such an extent that you revert to it in an emergency, rather than braking and standing your bike up.

Transition later to a large, heavy, and powerful machine is then much safer, particularly if you want to hoof it everywhere, as ya do.

Steve

[vegan_virgin]

ok so let me check ive got this right.......countersteering is a bit like the force? which makes me luke skywalker? put that way it makes perfect sense to me

somebody asked about what bike i might get? being a bit of a traditionalist i ike a bike that looks like i think i motorbike should look like and will be getting a gn250 or a volty. depends on how much money i can raise, in the proecss of selling anything non-essential on trademe to build up the funds!

[CookMySock]

ok so let me check ive got this right.......countersteering is a bit like the force? which makes me luke skywalker? put that way it makes perfect sense to me

Probably more like Fluke Skykicker in the short term, but you will get there.

Steve

[JMemonic]

Welcome to the nut house, I would suggest you take up Mainland driving schools offer that is subsidised by ACC for a little more tuition than just getting you through the basic handling course well worth the extra dollars.

You can also come along to the Wednesday night rides for the sumer and maintenance evenings which are run through the winter if you have time, local folks who are willing to lend a hand and knowledge.

[vegan_virgin]

tis the mainland course i have booked, seemed like too good a deal to pass on. glad to hear you say its worthwhile

i may wait until i have spent a bit of time practicing around the side streets before i inflict myself on company! diont want to be causing a scene!!

[Old Steve]

Yeah, I've been riding three days and have just discovered countersteering. I understood the theory, to turn through a left hand curve you have to lean over left into the curve. So you can subtlely move your weight and the bike does lean left and around the curve you go, but you're unbalancing the bike, you're moving your weight to control the bike (this may be Ok for some knee scraper at Paeroa on a superbike, but not really a great method for an everyday rider to change direction quickly or to change your line half way through a tightening curve, say).

Now if you come up to a left hand corner and push slightly on the left handle bar, the bike really wants to turns right. It leans out to the left, natural centipetal reaction, and you go smoothly around the curve to the left, leaning into the curve. Piece of the provebial. You can even tighten up the corner by pushing more on the left handle bar. Now understanding the theory is one thing, I never believed it until I pushed on the left handle bar and the bike went around the curve to the left. Act of faith, yeah, but it works.

So, beginners, try it, it's a lot easier than moving your weight.

[JMemonic]

tis the mainland course i have booked, seemed like too good a deal to pass on. glad to hear you say its worthwhile

i may wait until i have spent a bit of time practicing around the side streets before i inflict myself on company! diont want to be causing a scene!!

Dont worry about the practising first bit its a cruise so easy on new riders, only a few more to go before we hit winter so come along.

[howdamnhard]

tis the mainland course i have booked, seemed like too good a deal to pass on. glad to hear you say its worthwhile

i may wait until i have spent a bit of time practicing around the side streets before i inflict myself on company! diont want to be causing a scene!!

Welcome to KB and riding vegan_virgin it's good to see your keen to learn all you can . The fun thing is you never stop learning. There are a few useful threads in here amongst the survival and 250 forums. It's also good to get some practical training to as I see you are,well done.

[CookMySock]

So you can subtlely move your weight and the bike does lean left and around the curve you go, but you're unbalancing the bike, you're moving your weight to control the bike (this may be Ok for some knee scraper at Paeroa on a superbike, but not really a great method for an everyday rider to change direction quickly or to change your line half way through a tightening curve, say).

It isn't really possible to unbalance the bike. You can stand off the side of it on one footpeg and it will still ride in a straight line.

Tempting as forming your own theories are, you will be much better served in the medium to long term, to buy some books and read the real business from the horses mouth.

Steve