Originally Posted by Paniolo

Great point.

I would say that everybody uses countersteering (otherwise they would NEVER make it around any curve) but not everybody understands it. I have found that crossing that center line happens when folks go into a curve too fast and in that moment of truth go back to "driving a car" instead of ridng a motorcycle. Then they meet reality head on as you said.

By that I mean they abandon their motorcycle skills and start thinking that like a car they need to turn the wheel more into the turn. This in fact countersteers them directly across the center line and into oncoming traffic. This is often compounded when riders do incorrect things like look at the on coming traffic, decellerate, or apply brakes.

So the only way to minimize this is to practice countersteering and cornering on a regular basis. And riding to see the sights and get a bite with your friends is NOT the same as practice.

Mark

Originally Posted by Toypuller

North Carolina has (or had until recently) a loophole in the motorcycle laws.

A person could get a learner's permit that was good for 18 months by passing a vision and short written exam.

The learner's permit could be renewed indefinitely. So that means you could ride on North Carolina's roads without ever taking a practical test or having a full motorcycle license.