If you want to work on making very tight turns at speed, then get the Ride Like A Pro videos. But frankly, at your skill level, it sounds like you need to stop worrying about "pushing", and just LOOK where you want to go. It's that simple.

 

You know what? You are right.

I am not sure I have been doing it right all these years. But practicing is just going to make riding more fun. I like doing that kind of stuff.

I was pressing "DOWN" on the handle bars and not forward.

 

The motorcycle will respond to your input as long as you continue that input.
Let me ask you this, Do you continue to twist the throttle open all the time? Or do you back off it and keep it at a position to maintain a certain speed?
The same applies to Push to turn. Once you have the motorcycle at the lean required for a turn, the pressure used to intiate the lean is no longer needed to maintain that lean. You are getting overly analytical about this. Just go out and practice it. Learn it, practice will make it a natural action.

Scoop

 

I always slow down when I go into a curve. I really have not been counter-steering. I thought I was counter steering because I was pushing DOWN on the handlebars, not forward. Its OK. I love going out there and practicing stuff like this.

 

A distinction -
When you are riding at a slow pace, you steer the bike by turning the handlebars (and front tire/wheel) in the direction you want to go. As you speed up you can't do that, the exact speed varies.

Get on a straight section of road, where you have no traffic or other obstacles to worry about, and you have some room to veer to either side safely, and simply try it.
Gently push (or press) forward on the right grip, the bike will lean right and you will track to the right. Same with the left grip- press on the left grip, you'll lean left and you'll track left. Thsi will happen once you apply the correct amount of pressure.

The harder you press, the more you'll lean and the sharper you'll curve.

I suggest you take the MSF class- if you did, then you'll know that the instructors do more than just tell you "Press Right, Lean Right, Go Right, etc.... You will practice it as well.

Not understanding "how" to counter steer is can get you in trouble in a big hurry if you have to suddenly swerve to avoid something. That and not understanding how to correctly brake (especially in a curve or turn) causes a lot of problems for new riders.

By the way if you pressed on your bars, and the bike leaned you WERE counter steering. You just didn't know it.
It's difficult to take a turn or curve at speed without countersteering.

 

When I took the California Super Bike School in the 80s, we were taught to push the bar on the inside of the direction you wanted to go, if it wasn't enough then keep pushing the bar into the road, they said it's better to low side than high side, yep, that is true, I have done both.

 

I'd think as a student it's your responsibility to ask questions when you are not sure and not wait an entire year then ask random people online

 

i fully disagree that a new rider doesn't need to worry about counter steering. I would in fact say that it is one of the #1 things they need to learn. Nothing can you get you out of a bad situation better than knowing how to counter steer well. You see a pothole coming up fast or something in the road, a quick well made countersteer maneuver is the only thing that will save your ***. There is no leaning quick enough. Take a corner too fast and your heading into the opposite lane around a corner? The only way to get out of that is to counter steer your way out. They should practice it every time they take a ride. I learned how to really use countersteering when i got my first sport bike. You have to countersteer well because your going so fast around corners, if you want to get your knee down ect. Yes we all use countersteering naturally when riding, but using it on purpose is different, it takes practice to do it well, then more practice so you use it automatically when in trouble. Kinda like learning how to take corners, where the Apex is ect. Something many harley riders dont seem to understand either.

 

I took the course 15 years ago.

Actually, asking online is pretty good. That is why I did it. I really only had one question, should I press forward or down. I was going to call MSF but they don't have a phone line to answer questions like this. The next best thing is to post in this forum. I know enough to be able to judge the responses because I have been riding for quite some time. Frankly, the responses in this thread have been VERY HELPFUL.

 

You have to push up and forward at a 18 degree angle (for a touring bike). A lot of people do it wrong by simply pushing forward.

Oh, and to anyone crazy enough to be reading this whole thread for the first time, OP is a troll. You might as well quit now. Other than some brief moments of hilarity, the thread is mostly him arguing with people that have forgotten more about riding a motorcycle than he'll ever know. You've been warned, continue at your own risk of wasted time.