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Counter / active steering

Joined Jul 2009
1K Posts | 11+
Co. Durham - England
As an elderly (50 this year) rider who has been biking all my life, I was wondering what all this fuss about active steering that I have been reading about in mags.

Dont get me wrong, I have never been slow round the bends, its just I have been using the "lean it over & look well ahead" method of getting round.

So I give it a go and to my surprise, it works.

How have I been getting round corners all my life ?

All it takes is a bit of turning effort on the bars (push the right bar / pull the left on a right hand bend) when cornering & the bike tips over a bit further in a nice controlled way.

All this might be second nature to all of you track day fiends, but it just shows you can teach old dogs new tricks.
:thumbup
 
How have I been getting round corners all my life ?
You've been counter steering as you move your body weight on a bike your arms change positions slightly.
Try this sit in a chair with your arms set like there on your handle bars, now lean from the waist left or right and watch your hands,my bike instructor showed me this many moon ago .
 
Yeah - what he said.

It's how we all ride anyway, knowing it and practicing does help you turn faster - which can help you get out of the **** when some donk pulls out in front of you, but it's not magic.
 
Yep, its a natural thing when riding, but as above, it can help you out of the **** if/when needed.
 
I think all that happens when you concentrate on it and actually make the effort to try and do it you just increase the pressure a little more than you would naturally do when cornering. Gives the feeling of 'wow I never knew about that'. As all the others have said thats how we all ride anyhow.
 
Recently watched Twist of the Wrist vol. 2 (download dvd) where many things explained, they also call it cornering bible ))
 
an less o the elderly Olaf min.....thirs sensitive souls oan here awe in the same bracket
 
Next time yer oot on an empty road when yer comin up fir a left hander as yer jist aboot tae tip yer bike in shove yer left hand oot and pull back intae yer wae yer right.

Then pick yersel up.

And fir those who say it's whit yer dae, is it feck.

That's whit happens when yer tip yer bike in.

All that **** said it does get yer tuning quicker than a 16year old Spainish dude on a one to five.
 
The only time I *consciously* tend to use counter steering is when I need to tighten my line suddenly mid-corner. eg: Tipping into a left-hander right out on the white line when some muppet in a car appears coming the other way right on or over the white line: shove on the inside bar, dive in to the left and wait for the ringpiece to stop twitching.
 
Next time yer oot on an empty road when yer comin up fir a left hander as yer jist aboot tae tip yer bike in shove yer left hand oot and pull back intae yer wae yer right.

Then pick yersel up.

And fir those who say it's whit yer dae, is it feck.

That's whit happens when yer tip yer bike in.

All that **** said it does get yer tuning quicker than a 16year old Spainish dude on a one to five.

Aldo, you really must lay off the moonshine when yer posting :)
 
Bats, don't a feckin know it.

I cringe every morning and say "yer had a swally ffs keep aff the forums ya fud".

My lassies 18th today and the hoose has jist emptied, a got to watch the 125 & moto2 this morning am still pissed aff they took that french boys win away.

A set ma telly fir the tt stuff that kb posted and am signing oot tae go and watch it noo, cheers fir that Keith.

Bats A'll make a more conserted effort tae heid yer advise.

Cheers mucker.
 
Olaf, your body responds to counter-steering in an auto too! Next time you take a hard left or right, note which way your body travels.
 
The more I do this, the more I realise how much of it is done without thinking.

Ref Nob`s comment about pot holes, I was thinking about the usual scenario with something in the road that you would rather not hit, be it a pot hole, road kill etc.

Usually spotted last second when considering an overtake, day dreaming, checking out some eye candy, etc.

A quick nudge of the bars get round it quickly, instead of leaning, which invariably takes longer to do.

After speaking to a few of my mates, its surprising how many of them were unaware of all this, even though they were doing it without thinking.
 

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