Learning to Counter Steer Your Harley
Practicing these techniques on your Harley will make you a better (and safer) rider.
The old expression “like riding a bike” insinuates that the act is so simple and ingrained in your mind and body that you’ll never forget how to do it. And sure enough, most of us can hop on a bicycle after years of not doing so and be just fine. But that isn’t necessarily the case with riding a Harley. Honing your skills on a motorcycle is a never-ending practice that takes, well, practice.
This is especially true in regards to cornering. While we see professional racers fling their bikes around curves seemingly effortlessly, doing so on a heavy Harley requires more precision. You can’t just sling your body weight around and hope for the best. Well, you can, but the results might be disastrous. And these important lessons led HD Forums member saltlick to start this informative discussion.
It begins with a harrowing tale that should sound familiar to many of us.
“A long time ago I went around a corner too fast and wound up completely in the opposite lane while going around a blind turn. I felt completely helpless, and no matter how hard I leaned, there I was in the middle of the lane until I made it through this tight turn and was able to get back to my side. If a car was coming I would have hit him head on.”
But like many scary experiences, it led to the OP seeking out some education to prevent it from happening again.
“I bought a book called Twist of the Wrist, and later, Twist of the Wrist 2. They explain counter steering, how to take turns (how to enter and exit the turn), and much more. The main thing I took away from those books is counter steering. We all do it consciously to a certain degree every time we ride. The trick is learning how to do it on purpose and being good at it. It takes practice.”
And, fittingly, that’s exactly what the OP does.
“Seems like every time I go out, I’ll pick a spot in the road and pretend like its an obstacle and counter steer myself quickly around it. I cant tell you how many times this has saved my ***. Many times I wind up going into a turn a little faster than I’d like, and by consciously counter steering through it, it puts me right back on track. I honestly don’t know if i would be here after 30 years of riding if I hadn’t bought that book and started practicing.”
And it seems like he’s not the only one. Scores of other members chime in with their own steering tips, including cvaria.
“All true. I didn’t know how bad of a rider I was. Mr. Code showed me my problems. Leaning vs. counter steering with body positioning was one of the problems I had. Letting off the throttle in turns was another. Great series. Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough is great too. Because PM, I see this in my head all the time.”
Of course, you can also learn these skills in your local Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, as Bubba Zanetti notes.
“If you really want to learn some stuff, take a state sponsored safety course. I had been riding for decades until I took the MSC course here in Pennsylvania back in 2001. I learned a lot in that class and it was free.”
And BTLorys even has a useful graphic to share documenting the finer points of counter steering.
“I present to you, everything you need to know about counter steering. I got this from possibly the worlds leading counter steering expert.”
Whether you’re a beginner or even if you’ve been riding for years, there is some fantastic information in this thread worth reading over. Spend a few minutes doing so, and you’ll most likely learn something. At the very least, it’s a reminder to ride safe! And if you’ve got any steering tips to share, be sure and add them in, too!
