Countersteering and leaning

[crystalball]

leaning is fun everytime im heading for a bend im thinking sweet more practice at perfecting my leaning. Its all good just enter the corner at safe speed and ride it out.you tube have good video clips on helping with leaning to. I got some good imformation from there.

[MSTRS:Me]

Hey congratulations on your pass!!
...find yourself doing it automatically as you get more comfortable with riding and the feel of your bike. Some things are best not "over-intellectualised" or you can end up more confused than you were in the first place!!

+1
And remember that the Learner phase means what it says. You will not be able to do anything automatically for ages. But it will come. In the meantime, ride lots, take plenty of breaks (if you go for loooong rides) and keep asking questions.

[discotex]

Do you guys ever get off?

I ride my bike at least twice almost every day. Would ride it more if I didn't have to work.

[Jantar]

Maybe pushing down might be alright for permanent pootlers who only minimally corner a bike, because they won't have the will power to scrape a peg in a dire situation anyhow, but I don't like it. There is also no path ahead for the motorcyclist to grow, because the technique is fundamentally flawed.

Pushing down does work for small changes in steering, but it's a bad habit to get into, because if you have to swerve hard in an emergency, pushing down will have limited effect, no matter how hard you push. Pushing forward is far more authorative - pushing down is like having a brake that will never work more than half way, so best not to get used to it and do it the proper way instead. But yeah, much willpower, brain reprogramming, and time is required to swerve hard.


Steve

Are you really as mentally challenged as you make out? Or is it just a front for trolling?

Simple geometry (primary school level) will tell you that unless your shoulders are directly and verticaly (ie. in line with the forks) over the handle bars then pushing down is pushing forwards at the same time. The mere fact of pushing on the inside bar is counter steering.

I would strongly suggest that you attend a motorcyle riding class of some description before someone starts taking you seriously.

[EJK]

The best way to introduce yourself to countersteering is on a straight road. Choose a long straight country road with no traffic and travel at about 70km/hr, and use only bar pushes to swap from the left to the right side of your lane - start with just gentle pushes on one bar and then the other, and watch the bike instantly respond. Once you "see" this you will find it quite intriguing, and you will have great fun doing it everywhere. It feels cool as well.

What you will have discovered, is that you can actually sit perfectly still on a bike and steer very accurately with only with the bars, so try doing this everywhere you go, until it feels normal. Resist the temptation to apex corners (for now) and concentrate on accurately maintaining your position in your half-lane, until you are the picture of accuracy, and you can choose precisely and exactly the line you will take. Don't try to add speed.

This sets an important mode in your brain - so should you ever get a fright on your bike you will likely revert to countersteering by default, rather than standing the bike upright and going straight ahead. Owch!

And forget all about that "countersteering will make you drop your bike - don't try this at home" crap, that is a lot of bullshit. It is NOT countersteering that will get you in the crap much more quickly at highway speeds.

Hey welcome to KB as well. Have a good time!

Steve

Did you know that you can counter steer on a bicycles aswell? OMG Thats so cool!!!!

[discotex]

Did you know that you can counter steer on a bicycles aswell? OMG Thats so cool!!!!

And guess what... You can also wheelie and stoppie them

[pritch]

- start with just gentle pushes on one bar and then the other,

I like that "gentle" bit. Good advice.

[Skyryder]

Look where you want to go and forget about everything else. It's called being focused on what you're doing. If ya head is in some other shit like trying to counter steer sooner or later ya going to come to grief. Best advice I can give is ya not on the track trying to win ya on the road trying to stay alive.


Skyryder

[Rodney007]

oh great asking about counter-steering and leaning on this forum is like asking a chicken about eggs..


dont take any advice..... get on your bike and ride it....... get someone to show you how to change gear if you dont know how already

the rest will come naturally... no point activly thinking about countersteer...youl crash

[MSTRS:Me]

oh great asking about counter-steering and leaning on this forum is like asking a chicken about eggs..


dont take any advice..... get on your bike and ride it....... get someone to show you how to change gear if you dont know how already

the rest will come naturally... no point activly thinking about countersteer...youl crash

I know what you are trying to say, but 'taking advice' is exactly what learners need to do...as long as the advice is right. I'm not sure that your post complies...

[Badjelly]

no point actively thinking about countersteer...you'll crash

You know, I've crashed a bike a few times (this is not something I'm proud of, by the way) and never once was "actively thinking about countersteer" a contributing factor.

Some people like to analyse what they're doing. Some don't. You're one of the latter group. Fine.

[johan]

Wow, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of how to flick a bike knee to knee through a chicane, but after reading this thread, I have no doubt only explored the tip of the iceberg. So many techniques I've never heard of before.

[MSTRS:Me]

Wow, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of ........

Just wait until the subject turns to tyres....

[davebullet]

I got the following bit of advice recently and reminded myself of my bad looking practices...

One of my fears is leaning too far over. Not that I'll flop on the road, buit fear of a loss of grip and low-siding with the bike sliding out underneath. My mistake is focussing on the road edge - not through the corner to what is called the vanishing point. Looking through this to point and focussing on where you want to position the bike on the road ahead means your brain is busy on getting you to the vanishing point, rather than panicking thinking "oh shit maybe I'm leaned over too far".

Also learn to relax. I'm slowly learning not to newbie death grip as I go around the corner. Doing so only makes your body bounce around if your bike hits a bump which destabilises you. Keep your upper body relaxed.

Hope the above helps. As other's have said, swallow any pride and go on a cruisy group ride or get a mentor. Either way, ask them to follow you and they will give you tips / pointers on all other things - not just countersteering. Following them lets you see the lines they choose.

Cheers,
Dave.

[discotex]

Looking through this to point and focussing on where you want to position the bike on the road ahead means your brain is busy on getting you to the vanishing point, rather than panicking thinking "oh shit maybe I'm leaned over too far".

Good advice. On top of doing this you should make sure you head is parallel to the road not the bike. If it's parallel to the bike you'll feel like you're leaned over more than you really are.