Next time you're out logging 5 digits and you come up on a sweeper, push the bar in the direction of the curve until you get the angle right, and hold it. As you're coming out of the curve, ease up on the bar and let it go upright. No arcs, tangents, or radii required, even in spiral or compound curves. Just adjust the pressure to suit your line. It'll make your life better, and you'll be countersteering.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrK_U...eature=related

 

I am a beginnner and find it crazy how many people think they know what countersteering is but have it all wrong. I learned it going through 2 MSF courses(BRC&BRC2). In BRC, it is taught asa technique used to avoid sudden obstacles in your path such as a car pulling out of a driveway. Pushing on the side of the handlebar that coincides with the direction you want to swerve, ensuring that you don't roll on the throttle through the swerve and straighten up.
I'm sure there are some other advanced techniques for countersteering but the information is out there even if you can't afford an MSF course.

 

How do they have it wrong? They're arguing about the physics of how it works, I don't see you give your answer for it.

MSF teaches you to use it going into and through turns...not just evasive maneuvers. Remember "Press and roll"? They emphasize "press" much more when doing the evasive zig zag maneuvers.

As for the physics...the answer lies in the arc of your front wheel when you lean the bike over...think about the leading edge..vertical bike..straight line. Leaning bike..that leading edge of tire, when it contacts the pavement, will have an arc to it which will pull to that direction.

 

I was about eight years old when I was riding no handed on my Schwinn 3 speed and I reached down and gently pressed the end of the handlebar with my left index finger expecting the bike to turn right, but it turned left instead. Then I rode faster and tried it with both hands on the handlebars and began a lifetime of aggressive riding. Riding bicycles hard and fast was good training for motorcycles since the same physical laws apply. But crashing sucks on either one.

 

Nobody is quite explaining it correctly I think.
You countersteer to lean, which allows your lean to turn the bike. Ideally in a turn (leaning) your front tire will be driving forwards. (ecxept for slow speed maneuvers)
I've seen the youtube videos where it shows it's nearly impossible to turn without the bar input.
On a big touring bike, you are adjusting the countersteer a little more in a turn I've found compared to my 400lb sportbike I had. Then it was FLICK then lean.
Either way. Spend $200 and take a class or two and don't listen to us on the internet. You'll be surprised how well your bike actually handles.

 

It's good that you're figuring this out. I ride with people that have no idea what it is. I know this because I asked them. Some people do it instinctively, others have no clue.

I did a demo to my wife one time when she was on the back to explain the principle to her. What I showed her was that there are two ways to turn a motorbike. One way, the beginner or thick sculled way, is to simply throw your weight in the direction you want to turn. If the road curves left you lean your body to the left and you'll go around the corner.
The correct way is to gently press on that left grip, or what I do is pull back on the right. This action puts the bike in a lean to the left and you turn.

People who refuse to learn this simple technique are a riding time bomb. They will one day ride off the road on a corner, have a head on with an oncoming vehicle or hit a guard rail on a decreasing radius corner.

Practice this and you'll get used to it.

In my younger years I did a lot of flat track and ice racing. Like someone said, it's countersteering to the extreme. For example imagine a wide open frozen lake, you're barrell assing across wide open top gear, pull back gently on the right grip the bike starts a big arcing turn to the left. The more you pull that right bar, the tighter the corner, you're back tire is drifting out at an angle to your right. Keep pulling that right bar until it hits the lock. There's no other feeling than going wide open, top gear, in the power band with the steering locked all the way to the right.

 

Counter steering is something every rider does wether they realize it or not, it's a thing you do instinctively when riding, it's just not something new that come up recently.

 

All riders that manage to make a curve above 15-20 mph in a steady arc are counter steering. If they weren't then they would miss a curve sooner than later. I only know of one person who could not counter steer and he sold his bike after three wild *** ditch trips. Push left handle, leans bike to the left and bike turns left. Push right handle bar, leans bike to the right and bike turn right. Interesting to read the different descriptions of mostly the same technique even though some have it totally wrong.

 

EVERYBODY does it. There is no way to ride a motorcycle and not do it.

...If you countersteer at the same time, which you do.

No one turns a motorcycle by leaning their body. Studies done in the late 60's found the bike leans before the rider does, so it's not the rider leaning that is making the bike lean. That's when they figured out about countersteering and began explaining it to people.


... do it without realizing they are doing it. They become better riders when they understand they are doing it, become conscious of how they are doing it, and learn how to use that knowledge in an emergency situation.