On Fri, 14 Feb 2014 10:23:41 -0500, "Mr. Luddite" wrote:

On 2/14/2014 10:14 AM, BAR wrote:
In article om, says...

On 2/14/2014 9:30 AM, KC wrote:
Yup, counter steer, then steer, then countersteer again.... got it...
but not "through the corner".. your own pics are clear.... thanks....

I hope you can remember all that in the middle of a critical turn.

I rode a motorcycle on the roads for about 5 years. I never thought about how to steer
through the corners, it came naturally maybe due to all of the bicycle riding that I had been
performing in the preceeding 20 years.


You just said it in a nutshell. It becomes intuitive because you
learned its how you get around a curve. You don't even realize what you
are doing until you really think about it or we get in a discussion like
this.

The reason it became intuitive is because without counter-steering ..
you crashed.

However, understanding what counter-steering is all about can get you
out of an unexpected dangerous situation, like avoiding a deer or
something that fell out of the back of a pickup truck.

I remember reading a motorcycle safety article years ago. When riding,
the bike will track in the direction you are looking, simply due to
unconscious reactions you make to seeing road ahead or objects on or in
it. If you see and concentrate on a big pothole coming up in the road,
you will naturally tend to head for it initially. That's where
understanding effects like counter-steering becomes important.


Damn, sounds like you were reading a MSF instructor guide. 'Look where you want to go' is one of the
major teaching points in the MSF course. When you see someone doing a figure eight, or a u-turn,
their head should be turned hard in the direction they want to go. If I'm doing a figure eight in
the road, I'll keep my eyes on the 'center' of each circle as I'm going around. Same thing with a
u-turn. The eyes are focused on the center of the 'U' as I'm going around. Looking at the ditch
you're trying to miss is a good way to get into it.

The MSF teaches courses at different levels. You should try the Advanced Rider Course. A great way
to spend a day, it's taken on your own bike, and I guarantee you'll learn something!

Here's some Massachusetts info.
http://nm.msf-usa.org/msf/ridercours...derCourse+Info

"Advanced RiderCourse (ARC) [formerly ARC-ST]
A one-day course that complements a rider's basic skills and helps with personal risk assessment. It
includes a fast-paced classroom segment with several interactive activities to improve perception
and hazard awareness. Range exercises enhance both basic skills and crash avoidance skills.
Improving braking and cornering finesse is emphasized. The course is beneficial for riders on any
type of street motorcycle."