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StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Thing I didn't know I knew, but I now know I know....how to countersteer a motorcycle. Turns out it's exactly the same as steering a bicycle, which I learnt a mere 37 years and however many thousand miles ago, and I've been doing it right on bikes with motors ever since my first CBT in 2013. Which is nice. Also nice, the FZR R125. Not quite as point and squirt easy as the Honda, and rather thirstier (only 100mpg!)...I might still be a minute or two slower on the commute (no clock on this one so not sure) but the engine's flexibility and power, and the easy shifting on the gearbox, mean it's very close indeed. And there's a nice rumble from the exhaust :smile:
 

Rickshaw Phil

Overconfidentii Vulgaris
Moderator
I first realized I used countersteering on a bike, when I first rode a trike.
If you try countersteering, it all goes horribly wrong!
Pretty much everything on a trike is not how it is on a bike, even down to having the inside pedal down to get the weight in the right place when cornering.
It surprised me when I let people have a go at driving the rickshaw how a few of them couldn't make it go in a straight line. The one guy completely panicked and was thrashing around at the handlebar until he hit the kerb at very slow speed. All very bizzarre.:scratch:

With the motorbike my colleagues at work tried to explain countersteering but when I tried to do it how they described the machine felt horrendously unstable in the corners, so I have just stuck to doing what feels right.
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
With the motorbike my colleagues at work tried to explain countersteering but when I tried to do it how they described the machine felt horrendously unstable in the corners, so I have just stuck to doing what feels right.
It struck me that some of the online explanations of countersteering are just overcomplicated and not terribly helpful. Whereas, if they just said:
'Can you ride a bicycle? Know how you dodge a pothole by gently nudging your handlebar on the left or right, how you corner by doing the same? That's countersteering. It's the same on a motorcycle, be it a 50cc scooter or Honda Gold Wing. Just carry on'.....
 

Speicher

Vice Admiral
Moderator
Tis drizzling here today, so me and my best friend are sheltering from the rain.

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