On 2/14/2014 7:59 AM, Poco Loco wrote:
This was originally posted in the 'Windows XP end of support' thread, where it doesn't belong.
Luddite, something for you also, at the end.

Scotty, I spent a good part of yesterday trying to explain to you what really happens when you turn
a motorcycle. You chose not to believe it, came up with ridiculous 'arguments', put up a picture of
a dirt bike in a slide, argued against Wikipedia, expert rider videos, and a Motorcycle Safety
Instructor. Then you started putting bull**** words in my mouth and comparing me to Harry and Kevin.
After trying to keep a level head, I gave up. That's when I said I'd just made up the whole thing.
By looking at Google, Wikipedia, videos, etc, you should have realized I was bull****ting when I
said I made it all up. But I'm thinking that was the only thing you took seriously.

OK, here's the real poop. Steering a motorcycle at more that 'parking lot' speeds is done using a
technique called counter steering. The technique is called 'counter steering' because it is
'counter' to the way we learned how to turn a tricycle. On a motorcycle, we push left to go left,
and push right to go right, as was explained in numerous videos, Wikipedia, and over a million hits
in Google if you plug in 'counter steering a motorcycle'.

Here are some nice pictures explaining the technique:

http://www.motorcycletraining.com/wo...eering-pic.jpg

http://xbhp.com/ridesafe/images/coun...ersteering.jpg

The process through a curve::

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...cornerbike.gif

To really see what counter steering is doing, use the technique *without* letting your body lean.
Just keep your upper body vertical, push the left bar, and the bike will lean left and turn
*without* a body lean. Getting good at this will let you quickly swerve to miss an obstacle in your
lane, and swerve back so you stay in your lane.

Here is another great use for counter steering. (Luddite, if you're reading, you may be able to use
this also.)

Very often I see riders coming to a stop with both feet down, sliding on the ground, because they
don't know which way the bike will lean when it finally stops. I call it a 'four point landing'. A
sure-fire way of knowing which way the bike will lean is to give the left handlebar a little push -
just before the bike completely stops. This will cause the bike to lean left a bit just as it stops,
and you put your left foot down as you stop. That way you can continue to use your foot brake as you
are stopping. I call that the 'three point landing'.



Good tip. (pun intended).