Countersteering...

[Pugi]

...is brilliant. :thumbsup:

I haven't been riding for long and gave it a try today. It takes some reprogramming, but in the clear bends where I can go at it with confidence, it's obviously a much quicker way to turn! Why didn't they tell me this at driving school?

Now...can anyone give me a tip of where to read more 'proper' riding theory, that I can put to practise and improve my riding? :flag:

[Dave G]

bet you've been doing it all along,your just conciously doing it now.

[CK & AK]

'Twist of the Wrist' books 1 & 2 by keith Code, Pugi.

Read book 2 first:)

[bigredduke]

...is brilliant. :thumbsup:

I haven't been riding for long and gave it a try today. It takes some reprogramming, but in the clear bends where I can go at it with confidence, it's obviously a much quicker way to turn! Why didn't they tell me this at driving school?

Now...can anyone give me a tip of where to read more 'proper' riding theory, that I can put to practise and improve my riding? :flag:

Just showing my ignorance but what is countersteering?

[Pedro]

Counter steering is basicaly pushing the bars the opposite way to the turn you want to make while leaning in to it. It causes the front wheel to run a wider path and the bike to lean more quickly hence turn in more quickly.

Ped

[Pugi]

bet you've been doing it all along,your just conciously doing it now.

Well, 'they' say that it's the only way to turn a bike at speed due to a thingy called physics, so you might be right. Now I am conciously and doing it, and much more distinct, which gives sharper and quicker turns. :hail:

'Twist of the Wrist' books 1 & 2 by keith Code, Pugi.
Read book 2 first

Cheers, will do! But why book 2 first? :scratch:

Just showing my ignorance but what is countersteering?
We're all learning. It's when you steer left when heading into a right hand turn and vice versa. Contrary to intuition, this makes the bike turn the 'correct' way and very much quicker than when simply leaning the bike. I've read, as hinted above, that you still do it unknowingly since it's the only way to steer at speed.

[Albie]

I was trying to explain to Lady Bob at weekender about it with disbelief from the look on her face.:eek: Be doing it eversince.:mand:

[gary tompkins]

Been doing this for ages on the solo - but it also works really well on the trike oddly enough :mand:

[Gilps]

You can't go round a corner without countersteering. It's the law of physics. Thats why we wobble so much as kids when trying to learn to ride a bicycle as we are fighting it. Its not just about running a wider line either. By countersteering you are altering the centre of gravity meaning the bike goes over futher to get around the corner, or something like that. The best bit is that once you are aware of it you can actively use it. What I find interesting is the difference in effect that it has depending on the bike being ridden. I find I don't need as much input on the Monster as I do on my BMW GS, but when I do it on the GS it has a big effect. I used to have a Honda Shadow, the big slow cruiser jobbie and that cornered like crap, but countersteering transformed the handling. It seems that slower a bike is to turn, the more it responds to countersteering.

[bigredduke]

Counter steering is basicaly pushing the bars the opposite way to the turn you want to make while leaning in to it. It causes the front wheel to run a wider path and the bike to lean more quickly hence turn in more quickly.

Ped

sounds like the ideal way to meet oncoming traffic!

[Jim66a]

Thats why we wobble so much as kids

at what age is the wobble supposed to stop????

[Bodybag]

There was an article about this in Ride or Bike in the last couple of months. At any speed over about 15mph you should countersteering to turn in more quickly. I have to say that "active" countersteering (as opposed to "passive") on my S4 helps when chasing fireblades through corners. :-)

You'd use Active countersteering in tighter corners but passive in long sweeping bends. Active is where you consciously push the bars the wrong way into the bend whereas passive is where you do it through instinct more than anything else as the bike will do it itself to a point as you lean in.

Easiest way to understand countersteering is to get yourself on a good, smooth, long and straight piece of wide road get up to about 30mph and push the right hand bar very slightly and you'll feel the bike tip in. Correct it by pushing the left bar very slightly. when I say slightly, I mean no more than 1mm or 2mm as anymore will have you cornering like Barry Sheene (not good on a good, smooth, long and straight piece of wide road!)

[pooh]

Hi Folks
As CK AK says it is all explained in TWIST OF THE WRIST or better still go and have a day with The California Superbike School and they will prove you cannot turn a bike without it, even by hanging of the side as it is all to do with the gyroscopic effect of the wheels that is why lighter wheels make a bike turn easier.

Ian

[Shandy]

Easiest way to understand countersteering is to get yourself on a good, smooth, long and straight piece of wide road get up to about 30mph and push the right hand bar very slightly and you'll feel the bike tip in. Correct it by pushing the left bar very slightly. when I say slightly, I mean no more than 1mm or 2mm as anymore will have you cornering like Barry Sheene (not good on a good, smooth, long and straight piece of wide road!)

Tried this on the way to work this morning and was amazed at how little you need to move the bars to start the bike leaning over/turning in, you wern't kidding with the 1-2mm bit. I must have been doing it sub-conciously to get round bends but to do it conciously is one wierd feeling.

Now I am conciously and doing it, and much more distinct, which gives sharper and quicker turns. :hail:

I found the same much more precise cornering, going to get me a copy of the book CK & AK listed to find out more :thumbsup:

[Pugi]

I found the same much more precise cornering, going to get me a copy of the book CK & AK listed to find out more :thumbsup:

I am looking to get it too. We'll be the fastest slow riders in the club. ;)

[neilp]

Is this countersteering anything like how speedway riders are cornering? Accepting that they are turning the bars slightly more aggressively.

I mean, is the principle the same in getting the bike to turn in, not the actual style of cornering if this makes sense.