Bronze Lifetime
- Messages
- 5,834
- Reactions
- 2,176
Of course dirt track riders yawn at the mention of counter steering....
Actually, it was an accomplished dirt track racer who taught me how to counter steer. Works even better on a heavy bike like one of my Harleys.
Look at this guy turning his wheel right so he can turn left.
Put an empty dixie cup on a table on its side, and roll it. It will roll in a circle around the small (bottom) end. Motorcycle and bicycle tires are like that - bigger diameter in the center than near the rim. Just like the dixie cup, when you lay the bike over, the "dixie cup" principle takes over and the bike will turn toward the smaller diameter near the rim. Counter steering just lays the bike over so that the differential in diameter across the tire can turn it, just like a dixie cup.
The "dixie cup" force is greater than the small amount of counter steer that's used to keep the bike tipped. Otherwise if you steer in the direction you want to go, centrifugal force will try to lean the bike to the outside of the turn, putting you in the ditch.