Countersteering and leaning

[MSTRS:Me]

Someone above said that you can lean a bike and still go in a straight line, well I tried that awhile back and no way I could keep going straight. When I leaned the bike a little, the bike no longer went straight. I did this on a straight dry rural road with no traffic by the way.

Ah, that would be me. And I stand by what I said. You didn't counteract the lean with your body position, did you?

[smitty]

Ah, that would be me. And I stand by what I said. You didn't counteract the lean with your body position, did you?

Can't remember what exactly I did but I tried to change body position and still could not go straight. I know that someone could probably 'counteract the lean' as you say but to put it in context of this thread it is my belief that learners need to lean more rather than get hung up on the theory or science of countersteering. Next time I get on a straight safe road I will try to 'counteract the lean' and go straight.

[grusomhat]

Ah, that would be me. And I stand by what I said. You didn't counteract the lean with your body position, did you?

Much easier to practice on a push-bike, get the lean on and stand up right.

[MSTRS:Me]

Can't remember what exactly I did but I tried to change body position and still could not go straight. I know that someone could probably 'counteract the lean' as you say but to put it in context of this thread it is my belief that learners need to lean more rather than get hung up on the theory or science of countersteering. Next time I get on a straight safe road I will try to 'counteract the lean' and go straight.

It's easy.
Fig 1 + 2 - Push down or forward on the indicated bar and that's the way you lean/turn
Fig 3 - Lean the bike or body only (without input on the bars) and you keep going straight

[CookMySock]

You can ride the bike in a straight line with it tilted to one side. Simply travel along a straight road and lean your body to the left, and push on the right bar. You body will be tilted to the left, and the bike will be tilted to the right. Algebraic sum = vertical.

This is a way bike crashes happen. Rider tips the bike into corner, gets fright, sits up straight, pushes bike down until it scrapes its pegs, sits up further, bike goes in straight line. Rider dies.

There should be no leaning going on as far as the learner rider is concerned, unless you are deliberately making sure your body mass is inside the motorcycles centre of mass for the purpose of conserving the angle of lean. If you didn't understand that description, then you are better not to screw around with "leaning" until you have had some training, and just steer with the bars. If you want to play with leaning, then put your shoulders and chin to the left or the right side of the windscreen before you enter the corner, and leave them there until you are clear of the corner.

Steve

[Leyton]

the bike no longer went straight. I did this on a straight dry rural road with no traffic by the way.

You can do this by countering , The guys who hang of there bikes to setup for a corner are countering there weight by counter steering slightly

[quickbuck]

You can do this by countering , The guys who hang of there bikes to setup for a corner are countering there weight by counter steering slightly

Well, by counter steering (in this case), I'm hoping you mean turning in toward the turn?
If not then sorry, you have missed the dynamics of motorcycle steering...
If you do, than carry on.....
Confusing term really.

I remember an ex WSB rider (Kiwi) mentioning on a DVD that people should forget about all the talk of counterstreering and just turn the motorcycle....
This is fine, providing you understand fully what is going on.

Some look at it as Push Down on the inside bar. The resulting effort (action) on the motorcycle is to turn the front wheel out of the turn.....

[discotex]

Some look at it as Push Down on the inside bar. The resulting effort (action) on the motorcycle is to turn the front wheel out of the turn.....

While we're being pedantic you should probably amend that to "push forward" on the bar not "push down".

Pushing down 100% vertically on the bars would not achieve the desired result at all.

I believe Layton was trying to explain what happens pre-turn when you hang off. I.e. you actually use countersteering to lean the bike the wrong way to counter your weight which is off the other side (so the net result is going straight). You then countersteer the bike into the turn when you're ready. Total over analysis but correct none the less.

[Leyton]

Well, by counter steering (in this case), I'm hoping you mean turning in toward the turn?
If not then sorry, you have missed the dynamics of motorcycle steering...
If you do, than carry on.....
Confusing term really.

Erm, I am sure I have not missed anything...