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Countersteering is the name given to the counter-intuitive technique used by cyclists and motorcyclists to turn corners. It is the only way a rider can cause a single-track vehicle at speed to turn. It is important to distinguish between countersteering as a physical phenomenon and countersteering as a rider technique for initiating a turn (the usual interpretation of the term). The physical phenomenon always occurs, because there is no other way to cause the bike and rider to lean short of some outside influence such as an opportune side wind, although at low speeds it can be lost or hidden in the minute corrections made to maintain balance. On the other hand, the technique of applying pressure to the handlebars to initiate a turn is not always necessary, since, on a sufficiently light bike (especially a bicycle), turning can also be initiated by shifting body weight. Documented physical experimentation shows that on heavy bikes (many motorcycles) shifting body weight is ineffective at initiating turns. For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). ...
Mika Kallios KTM125 racing motorcycle A motorcycle, also called a motorbike or just a bike, is a single-track, two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ...
How it works
When riding a bicycle or a motorcycle, countersteering is a method of initiating a turn by a small, momentary turn of the front wheel, usually via the handlebars, in the opposite (counter) direction. While necessary at all speeds, the need to countersteer becomes more noticeable as speed increases. For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). ...
Mika Kallios KTM125 racing motorcycle A motorcycle, also called a motorbike or just a bike, is a single-track, two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ...
A bike can negotiate a curve only when it leans towards the inside of the turn, at an angle appropriate for the velocity and the sharpness of the turn. Otherwise momentum (also known as centrifugal force, but that term is controversial) will tip the bike and rider over towards the outside of the curve. The transition of riding in a straight line to negotiating a turn is a process of leaning the bike into the turn. In classical mechanics, momentum (pl. ...
Centrifugal force (from Latin centrum center and fugere to flee) is a term which may refer to two different forces which are related to rotation. ...
If a rider wants to turn to the right, he first throws the bike off balance by momentarily pointing the front wheel slightly to the left. The center of mass of the bike plus rider will continue in a straight line, but the contact patches of the tires move to the left with respect to this straight line. As gravity then tips the bike over to the right, the front wheel is steered into the curve, and the curve is negotiated with the proper inward lean. This process usually requires little physical effort, because the geometry of the steering system of most bikes is designed in such a way that the front wheel has a strong tendency to steer in the direction of a lean. Contact patch is the name applied to the area of a vehicles tire that is in contact with the road surface. ...
Bike wheelbase, head angle, fork offset, and trail Bicycle and motorcycle geometry is the collection of key measurements (lengths and angles) that define a particular bike configuration. ...
At low speeds countersteering is equally necessary, but the countersteering is then so subtle that it drowns in the continuous corrections that are made in balancing the bike, often falling below Just-noticable_difference or threshold of perception of the rider. In psychophysics, a just noticeable difference, customarily abbreviated with lowercase letters as jnd, is the smallest difference in a specified modality of sensory input that is detectable by a human being or other animal. ...
Once in a turn, countersteering is again required to make changes to its shape. The only way to decrease the radius at the same speed is to increase the lean angle, and the only way to increase the lean angle, is again to momentarily steer opposite to the direction of the curve. To the untrained, this can be extremely counter-intuitive.
To exit a turn, countersteer by momentarily steering further in the direction of the turn. This tilts the bike back upright.
Countersteering is indispensable for bike steering. Most people are not consciously aware that they employ countersteering when riding their bike any more then they are aware of the physics of walking. Their body has learned to include the well timed countersteering jolt. They may have learned to do so while learning to ride a bicycle in childhood. Often people simply assume that the steering of a bike is just like the steering of a car. Their unconscious balance skills know better.
As is well-known in bicycle racing, the countersteering phenomenon becomes evident when there is an obstacle preventing the wheel from countersteering, e.g., when closely overlapping wheels or riding very close to a curb. In these situations, the only way to initiate a turn away from the obstacle is to come into contact with it, that is, turn towards the wheel or curb in order to avoid crashing into it. Lack of understanding of this principle leads to accidents in novice bicycle races. Bicycle racing encompasses many forms in which bicycles are used for competition. ...
Motorcycles Even more so than on a bicycle, mastering the technique of countersteering is essential for safe motorcycle riding, and as a result is a large part of the safe riding courses run by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. At the higher speeds that motorcycles commonly travel at, it becomes increasingly impractical to steer by taking advantage of the minute and random corrections needed to maintain balance. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is a US national, not-for-profit organization sponsored by the U.S. manufacturers and distributors of BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio/Vespa, Suzuki, Victory and Yamaha motorcycles. ...
Much of the art of motorcycle cornering is learning how to effectively "push" the grips into corners and how to maintain proper lean angles through the turn. When the need for a quick swerve to one side suddenly arises in an emergency, it is essential to know, through prior practice, that the handlebars must be deliberately pressed away on that side instead of being pulled. Many accidents result when otherwise experienced riders who have never carefully developed this skill encounter an unexpected obstacle.
See also Bicycle and motorcycle dynamics is the science of how bicycles and motorcycles move: balance, steer, brake, etc. ...
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