I am not talking about "counter steering" here. We all know what that is and we all do it whether you know it or not.

What I want to talk about here is "counter balancing" in a turn. I don't do it all the time but it is really fun. It is very hard to explain by writing, but here goes.....

When going around a corner at a decent speed, instead of leaning into the curve, have you ever let the bike lean under you while you stay a little more upright. It is almost like you are staying on the "high point" of a leaning bike. It actually requires you to shift your butt to the opposite side of the seat from the direction you are turning. In other words, if your bike is leaning to the right going around a curve, you shift a bit over to the left side of the seat and your arms go to the right with the bike. The feeling is that the bike is leaning under you and you stay more upright.

I do this a lot on dirt bikes and it helps to hold the wheels under you and they don't loose traction and slide out from under you. It is a very secure feeling as it keeps downward pressure on the wheels rather that sideways.

I never tried to explain it before but does anyone know what I am talking about? Or can anyone describe it better.

I don't see many people who do this and I am not sure why.

 

Wet roads, suspected grit area, do it all the time at REDUCED speed...upright is better under these conditions. Trying to do this at speed could be disasterous as your bike wants a "coordinated" turn, your body is doing something else. Kind of like the gyro in your hand when you were a kid. Rotate the gyro in the direction it's turning, no problem. Remember what it felt like when you turn your hand the opposit way of rotation?

 

yeah, i know what you are talking about and have done it on my bikes. can't explain it any better.

ride safe
mjh

 

That's how all the squids ride, just watch them. But their bike is 400 lbs lighter. We call them canyon racers....

Canyon racer, canyon racer,
You fell down...
And left your face there.

 

why do you think super bike riders lean in the direction of the turn and shift their weight and drag a knee? It was explained to me in a race class that this allows the bike to be more upright and you do the leaning with your body making faster turns with less lean of the bike.

 

You are correct, but the way he described it is actually opposite of the crotch rocket riders position in a turn.(If I'm understanding correctly)

 

That's the difference between dirt riding and street riding.

 

Yeah, I would say that what I am describing is opposite of the crotch rocket riders.

 

What do you mean by "reduced" speeds? I can do it all day long on the twisties and I can make much sharper and more controlled turns this way.

 

I know what you mean, and I do it as well. It really is hard to explain. I'll try it this way. I have a backrest on my bike. If I lean against the backrest through a series of turns, I'm one with the bike, and am leaning with it through the turns--but the turns are a bit "lazy," for want of a better word, and I might be more likely to take them a bit wide. If I want to make much sharper, smaller radius turns, I sit straight up, and (for a right turn, say) physically move the bike to the right.

What I think it happening (to somewhat muddy the issue) is that what we are doing when we do that is implementing counter-steering in a much more acute and forceful manner. Notice, too, that when you do that your head tends to stay up and remain perpendicular to the ground, not to the bike. Like a racer's head.

I don't do it all the time, but the faster I go and the tighter the turns the more likely I am to ride in this manner.

Works for me.

Philip