Thank you I have been thinking about it for such a long time I have been doing level 3 for quite sometime now when I countersteer my bike leans I always point my tyres toward the direction I am going and I was afraid because I don know is it a correct technique so thank you for clearing it up
This is probably why more beginner bikes shake so much on the highway. The death grip on the handle bars is constant counter steering if they don’t stay close to the bike or have their arms too stiff. It’s really hard to tell novice riders not to grip the grips so hard. Best way is to have your hands hover over them with just enough grip you don’t slide around. The average person probably thinks when a biker takes his hands off the bars the bike will go out of control easy. Usually the other way around. I used to do this on my mountain bike, usually ended up hitting a tree though half the time. Loves the explanation he gave. This will help a lot of people out if they practice slow. Can seriously save your life instead of panicking.
You seriously just made this so much more clear than any other video or contain ever had for me. You really know your stuff and I want to thank you for putting out quality content to help out people like me
Yes, just let your riding happen naturally, and PRACTICE! I began refining my bicycling this way, as a 9- year old! When I became a licensed grasshopper at age 16, I would practice slaloming (is that a word?) on my Ducati 98. In farm country, excellent two-lane roads have funny dashed lines painted, white, as a broken stripe in the middle of the lane. I would slalom left, then right, choosing to leave three or four dashed lines between the next ‘swerve’ left or right, using ‘counter-steering’! Of course, it would be 40 years before seeing this term in print media. Anyway, use all of your senses all of the time you are riding, not just when practicing! After all, there is no fun in silly practicing, just to get wiped out from behind or in front! Relaxing in the face of adversity allows “The Force”, and practice, to carry you through successfully. Ride on!
You don't even need to use your hands. Turn with your knees and the exact same thing happens. Goes to show that overthinking/analysing it is the problem.
Yes indeed, it's a purely natural occurrence that a toddler learns on a scooter so no need to micro analyse it for noobs. In the real world, the noob is travelling along at 70 mph approaching a tight right hander and thinks... ooh push... and pushes forward and not down with really cool results. ........ "but I saw someone saying that's how you corner safely "......
You wouldn’t believe how unnatural counter steering feels for a beginner, especially when you force it knowingly instead of the tiny unconcious steering impulses you do naturally. I have many friends who as beginners were slow as snails in corners just because they reduced speed so much in order to apply the minimum counter steer and lean angle possible. Only when they pushed themselves to ‘play’ with the counter steering in combination with the ‘sensation of falling over’ (explained in another great MotoJitsu video by Greg) they actually started to become good and safe riders.
FINALLY! THANK YOU! Total beginner here so confused by all the other videos that say "see how I'm steering to the right to go left" when their handle bars are clearly going to the left. I don't know how many times I've heard counter steering explained, leaving out the fact that it's only an initial action to generate the lean of the bike.
Been watching all sorts of riding technique content... hours upon hours of it and this is the FIRST TIME that any instructor has brought up the fact to RELAX THE STEER once desired lean angle is reached. None of the other "Big Teachers" (you know several of whom I mean if you consume this type of content) have brought up stopping the counter steer. They only ever focus on the "push left, lean left, go left" and that's it. You, kind sir have earned a Subscribe! Thank you - you're helping make riders safe day by day and make the world of motorcycling a better place for it!
One relaxes the push to sta in a stable lean/turn. Then one again countersteer, that is making the turn sharper to raise the bike and go straight again. Countersteer to get into a lean and again countersteer the other way to get out of a lean/turn.
From riding mountainbikes and motocross/enduro quite a bit, countersteering became very intuitive for me and I felt very confident at slower speed maneuvers. However, what I wasn't used to is how stable motobikes become at higher speeds and how inert they feel above ~50mph. Had a situation during my license practice riding where I was going somewhere around 70mph through a long highway turn that I started to run wide. Slight body weight shifting and looking where I wanted to go didn't really tightened my turning radius all that much, but by remembering how countersteering works a gentle input (pushed inside, slightly pulled outside) instantly created slightly more lean angle and tightened the radius just right very smoothly. For me that was a key moment/experience. At slow speeds everything felt so natural and easy, but at high speeds I felt like I really had to spend some concious effort to kinda "reteach" contersteering to me because of how different the bike felt (to me) once it became stabilized by the fast turning wheels. Content like yours really helped me to understand and consider a lot of important things regarding street riding technique, that hasn't been adressed so deeply and/or well explained like in the course. So thanks for that! Once I got my license and own bike, I hope I find a nice parking lot and will give your Motojitsu drills a shot for sure!
and like wise your comment is also invaluable to me - as someone who mountain bikes and rode bicycles at the age of two ; even a high-electric unicycle; I'm really glad to hear you perspectives on this especially the situation about the higher speeds where intuitions around what would normally come naturally on a bike doesn't necessarily translate to a motorcycle - where deliberate / conscious effort into counter-steering is actually required. duly noted.
Thank you! This was life changing! I watched several of your counter steering videos this weekend. I’ve had my bike for a few years now but have barely ridden it because of too much life chaos! When I did get to ride, I was super slow and timid because I didn’t know how to steer properly. A friend and my husband suggested I watch your videos before taking me out to practice. We went for a ride today and I tried counter steering for the first time. It was like a lightbulb went off and everything came together for me! Thank you for putting out amazing content like this! I feel a lot safer and more fluid.
Dude keep making these vids cuz I'm a new rider, and a lot of experienced drivers give wrong or confusing info...your explanations are good n understandable.
Something that made it much more confusing for me when I started learning about it was that no one really talked about the transition from the counter steer, to steering into the turn once you've got the lean angle, so it's nice to see that part covered.
Great video, as always. What I find fantastic about counter-steering is the fact that you can correct yourself instantly if you overcook a turn. And it takes just a minimal push - or pull - to do that.
@@ADVBear Ahahaha, been there! You may already do it, but just in case--definitely learn and practice trail braking. Ha, I feel like I'm always saying that, but it's such a great and easy to learn safety-enhancing skill.
@@TravisTerrell I a;lready cover the front brake, and use trail breaking. I have practiced a lot - and still do. But when I started riding... all hail safety equipment.
Agree with all these comments. I've heard it said you can't use counersteering below 20mph. Wrong. I also use it as someone mentioned to adjust my line once committed into a turn, standing the bike up after a turn and to counter gusty side winds. Basically everywhere.
I had trouble mentally getting this concept. Thankfully, the "push left/go left" or "push right/go right" really helped, especially when riding and not thinking about it. I've practiced this earlier in the week on my commute. It is way more intuitive on the bike. I just had trouble wrapping my head around it conceptually. Great video; thank you!
@@yogeshyonjan5179 most of us instinctually experience counter steering. But when ever there is a video or someone explains it in person most peoples mind start to explode with confusion. Anyway i remember as a kid riding my BMX bike downhills and experiencing counter steering because of the high speed (i didnt know it was counter steering at that time) but anyway i remember going side to side in a sweeping motion not realizing that my handle bars were not turning in the same direction that i was turning (hence counter steering) hope that makes sense.
When my 2 year old grandson got control over his first 2-wheeled bike, he had full control over countersteering, but no word for it ;) He never had training wheels, just a balance bike with low seat and no pedals. Now at the age of 4 he does mountainbiking.
At last, after all these years and watching so many videos on this subject and hearing so much confusing and conflicting advice finally you sir have made it crystal clear. Now I can't wait to practice this. Your demos too are so good. I'm 62 for heaven's sake and this has always bugged me. Thank you so much
After 30 odd years of motorcycling, I started hearing and seeing videos about " how to countersteer", thinking it was some new technique, but no, it's something I've been doing subconsciously all the time. I think new riders are under the impression you have to make really deliberate inputs on the bars, but you don't. I have the feeling that you will set out to practice this, and realize you have always done it naturally! :-)
@Pete Firth. Indeed, drives me nuts when I hear noob bikers tell of how "counter steering saved my life" and "how did I ever ride without this knowledge"...... Sorry but you learn this on a scooter when you're about four years old doing it naturally and micro analysing it to get more likes is just nonsense. Sorry Phil Forrest, but if you're still trying to figure out a natural occurrence at 62....... Despatch rider for thirty years and I learned "counter steering" when my dad stopped pushing me without stabilisers. How did I survive as a courier until this awe inspiring knowledge?
same here , never could understand how this can possibly work !!! and a lot of other videos on the subject never mention to relax on the push once the bike leans in the desired direction !!!! he definitely made it a lot easier to understand !!!!!
Congrats! This is BY FAR (!) the best demonstration of the physical effects of counter-steering a bike I've ever seen! Thank you! Specially LEVEL 1 demonstrates how counter-steering is in the first place a "counter leaning" (staying in that lean angle through the effect of the angular momentum of both rotating wheels) ... ... clarifying that counter-steering is a serially combined two step process ... first lean than turn into the curve ... ;-) LEVEL 3 is a great practical advice ... doing all counter-steering with the left hand (push for lean left & pull for lean right) so that the right hand is free for control of brake & throttle ...
Gotta say I've been binging your videos thankfully with no ads (premium) and gotta say these counter steering videos have made me feel so much more comfortable on my bike. THANK YOU! Waiting until the weather clears to practice some quick stops next.
LMAO..you drove right past my old office when i lived in SD....and yes, there's not trick to counter steering..nothing to be afraid of, and if new riders put in the time everything becomes less scary and more intuitive. Great Video
I’ve really understood counter steering one day I was on the motorway. I was struggling before to follow the curves because I was using my body to lean. I slowed down every time I needed to take a curve. The day after, I tried to push the handlebar to see what will happen and everything went clear. I started to practice leaning with counter steering and I went to the motorway and I experimented how keeping pushing the handlebar allows to follow a curve perfectly.
Been an active counter steer rider for many years, two things i have learned to do regarding counter steer, #1) make pushing the dominant force rather than a balance of push/pull, feels awkward for the first few minutes but absolutely improves precision and control. #2). Use my outside knee to push into the tank as I apply the push on the bar.
@Wesley Blokker I think you have mis- read or mis-interpreted my post. I don't understand your last sentence, I'm not at all sure what you are trying to say.
@Wesley Blokker Sure, everyone who rides uses countersteering. But not everyone who rides knows they're countersteering. My MSF instructor when I got my endorsement was completely sure that countersteering was accomplished by pushing down on the handlebars rather than forward. Obviously, he's pushing forward at some point (because he's been riding for years and has presumably turned at some point during all that time), but he still doesn't actually know what he's really doing to manipulate the bike, and so he must be doing the proper manipulation by accident while he's trying to do his downward push. When someone talks about how they countersteer, I tend to assume that they mean they do it intentionally rather than that assuming that they think it's optional.
Sixty year old former pilot working up for A2 licence in Spain. Ride my 125 Shadow, looking forward to getting a Honda CB500X. I love the series and have subscribed. I can never see me doing wheelies, but even learning about what causes them is invaluable for prevention and cure. Gyroscopic theory describes counter steering at speed. Still trying to get my head around slow speed stuff. Going to find a parking lot to practice White Belt. Thank you, man.
Thank you for talking about countersteering as the destabilization moment vs what the tire does through the turn. I have had multiple friends tell me that in up from 30kph the handlebars stay straight in turns when they corner and they only "lean" as if they had a solid assembly on their steering stem... After a while it gets to a point where i stop arguing with stoopid 😂
The one finger on the bar really illustrates it. Most people say, "Here, look! I'm pushing on this side!" They dont understand that they're not showing anyone anything, as no one can see where the pressure is applied in their illustration. Good show here, you made it obvious.
I think this video gave me my eurika moment! fairly beginner rider here (bought a year or so in) - been feeling less confident on my right turns even with a faily shallow lean angle, but your note on pulling with a left same as pushing to the right to give you more control over throttle might be something to take note of - also the whole explaination of the counter steering aspect at low speed before this video left me confused but for which ever reason i've understodd it clear as day this time. Happy Riding!
The best video on countersteering ever. especially because of the emphasis on the second part of countersteering, relax on the handelbar and allow the wheels to follow the corner.
I tried your tips on bicycle first just to practice. Can't stress enough how helpful this was to me, and how much more confident I feel with my steering control now. Thanks a lot.
i just want to say that if you feel not comfortable with counter steering on a motorcycle, you can do it even on your bicycle ^^ I started using counter steering few years ago when I started my adventure with motorcycles and I was using it even without knowing it's counter steering because since i was a kid i was riding a lot on bicycles and I was just used to it :P and remember that counter steering saves lifes
You are the leader in my book Dude! Only 4 other guys come close to you and you jibe with them all! But you are a constant and that’s valuable training! Thinking about it every day, even if you are a commuter, your tips should bring joy! Thanks!
FINALLY!!! Someone actually tells you how to “exit” a counter-steer… by pushing the opposite way of the turn. I know this may seem self explanatory to most, but we never want new riders to assume anything.
Push right, go right goes against everything I have done in a car for the past 29 years. Trust the process and the knowledge you guys are sharing is what I have to counter steer in this brain of mine. Thanks dude. You shared some knowledge I have practiced myself but as a new rider on a motorcycle for the first time it's not that easy to get down in a few days. Even though I have my license I still need more practice before I put myself into the world of stop and go traffic. Thanks again. Liked and following!
I guess a lot of riders like me requested further explanation concerning slow speed counter steering. I have been riding a long time and I ride on tracks, dirt bikes, muscle bike drag racing and I guess you are never to old to stop learning, thanks!
This video is as simple as it's important and awesome. IMHO it belongs in a chapter of the ChampU online course, in fact I have requested more information about counter-steering in the forums to which they've replied "we already touch briefly on the subject". This is something riders do intuitively but it's so much more clear to understand it when explained like this, thank you so much.
wow wow wow.. Great explanation. So simple and clear. The last tip was gold too. Steer more with left hand and more throttle and brake control with right hand.
Motojitsu- dudemon...."I rode when I was young." Never heard THAT before. Then marriage, kids, job, life and all of a sudden, no ride. What? Thanks for helping me back to the motor-hood. I was a sport bike, now I'm a cruiser, um I think I want a sport bike too, but.... that's another thread. Because of you I practice a different maneuver every day that I ride (3-4 times a week). I'm u-turning at 20 ft. on an 1100 cc bike, THANKS to you AND it came in handy at a swarming and very packed Walmart gas station on a Saturday afternoon... like Frogger on steroids. (I'm a little older) but thanks to you, I handled it like a pro. No foot ever touched the pavement. Ha! Counter steering, I knew about that in the 80s, BUT again you even helped me in that area too (everybody needs a great coach). I say riding comes easier and is way more fun when you're really good at it. Thanks! Do you have merchandise? Btw, I left FB 2 years ago. Great enterprises existed long before Social Media did!
Wow, this is amazingly clear. No other videos I’ve seen so far, even the MSF online course, explained this as well as you did. Thank you for making us all better riders. So blessed.
Hey I just came across this and I appreciate it mostly because I was out watching people riding bicycles today and saw that they all just did it instinctively and had never thought that they were turning the "wrong" way to turn in the right way. Inescapable physics we just never noticed. So cool, thanks for pointing this out, it's fun to watch.
Omgosh... You just explained what I am doing wrong... no one told me I needed to stop pushing once in the desired angle to let the wheel turn the right way. They just said, push more to lean the bike. 🤯 I am totally flabbergasted!!!! It is a big detail for beginners!!! I'll probably be less scared next time I ride in curves!!!!! Thanks man.
Well in my some 40 years experience you don’t stop pushing during a bend. You initially push the inside grip to get the bike to lean. Once the angle has bee acquired you maintain a neutral force on the grip. That’s to say if you want to lean more then you physically push forward a little more on the grip. If you want to lean less then you ease pressure off the inside grip, but once you’ve found the lean angle that you want you neither push more or less, you just maintain a neutral pressure. So effectively you do stop pushing (more), nonetheless a pressure is still maintained. When the bend is complete, ease the pressure off the inside grip and the bike will stand up and ride straight. I hope I haven’t made this sound to complicated and I hope it helps.
Your short vlogs on motorcycle control really hit the spot . I have gone out and put your advise into practice and yes it’s certainly helped me improve , keep these coming . Many thanks . Paul
Thank you so much for all the content. This is probably the best explanation I've seen for counter steering. As a new rider I've found your content absolutely invaluable
You drop a vid and i am watching. Most of the stuff you go over I have been doing for year on my dirt bikes. 42 years I have been riding but 3 years ago I bought my first street bike. I have been street bikes since I was 10. My Uncle had a KZ 1000 in 86 and I would ride he would sit on the back. Everything I have learned over the years had made my learning curve very small. For me it was trusting that the tires would grip on the road. But I’m not a track guy I am more of a Road Racer! I know the road is way more dangerous but it is more fun to me. Stay safe Bruddah!
Wow your videos are amazing quality. I bought my first bike, CFMOTO 650NK, today and it is a BLAST! I've been re-watching many technique videos to help improve my riding skills more quickly. Thanks!
That may explain my difficulty in getting into a tight slow speed turn. I go to push the outside hand to turn the wheel, but end up in hesitation because the bike doesn’t lean in so I end up slowing down to get the wheel around. I’ll give it a try to push on the inside hand momentarily and see if that initiates the slow speed turn better.
Before I started riding, the concept of counter steering sketched me out. But when you get on a bike and actually counter steer, you find out it feels very natural and intuitive it is, despite how strange it sounds on paper.
This is so brilliant, thanks! The way I've often heard people describe turning didn't quite make sense to me because it seemed to imply that you continued to apply that initial pressure through the turn. Now I completely get it. When I was a kid I was obsessed with being able to ride a bicycle as precisely as possible, even when going extremely slowly. While doing that, I realised that when you turn on two wheels, you're doing what I called slightly rounding into the turn to absorb some of that forward momentum into the arc. That was kind of just a less accurate way of describing what you're talking about, I think. Cheers!
Thanks for this, I knew I was right that I have learned to counter steer since my early teens. Just got really confused on so many explanations. IT IS ABSOLUTELY possible at very slow speed.
Transfer of weight is a part of this as well. I like the part when he does the slow motion turn to his right and you can see he is looking ahead where he wants to go. Probably the most easiest difficult thing to do.
The concept and the “science” of counter steering are quite clear for me (no doubt about it), but i have one big dilemma: how much should i practice “CONSCIOUS counter steering” in everyday riding and in every turn? (in my rides i never or very rarely apply it consciously...) Thanks for your video
When you are going very slow, like in a parking lot, you don't counter steer. As you increase speed, you hit a threshold at which the bike counter steers. So at low speeds, you turn the handlebars in the direction you want to go, but at higher speeds you now have to turn the handlebars in the other direction to make the turn. The most important thing to remember is counter steering is not optional. Its the only way the motorcycle turns. Even if you aren't aware of it, you are counter steering. Below is a copy of some comments I made in another thread, it goes into more details. Its a lot to type out so if some of the comments sound odd, remember this was from another post. "Both bikes and motorcycles turn by counter steering. Its not optional. That's how they work. The only exception is at very slow speeds. Friction forces a bike to counter steer, and it increases with speed. Anyone who has ridden a bike or motorcycle knows you can just turn the handlebars in the direction your want to go at low speeds, but there is a speed where enough friction builds up and forces you to counter steer. In the video its true that most people are not aware that this is happening. Here's how counter steering works. Its not about balance and turning right first, then left. People come to conclusions like that based on how they feel the bike is working. From this point on, I'm assuming the bike or motorcycle is going fast enough where counter steering is necessary. Also, bikes and motorcycles steer exactly the same way, so everything I say applies to both. To make a bike turn, 2 things need to happen. It has to lean in the direction you want to turn, and the handlebars have to move as well. Most people don't feel the handlebars move because they only move a tiny amount. Unlike cars, motorcycle tires are curved, not flat. When a bike leans into a turn, it rides on a different part of the tire. And because bike tires are curved, the effective diameter of the tire decreases the more you lean the bike. This also changes the speed at which the tire rotates. To visualize this, imagine you are driving a motorcycle in a straight line at 40mph. If you come to a turn in the road and want to keep the bike moving at the same rate of 40mph, the wheels have to spin faster in the turn then when going straight. The other factor to making a turn is counter steering. This is what initiates the bike to lean and enter the turn. The reason you counter steer, is because in order to turn the bike, you need to not only lean, but decrease the effective diameter of the of the tires, otherwise it can't happen. Since the front tire is the one that steers, you turn it in the opposite direction you're traveling, and that forces the bike to lean more and ride on a part of the tire that keeps getting smaller. And friction forces the turn. If you take pressure off the handlebars, less friction will force the bike to go back to an upright position. "
I taught myself countersteering naturally by the pulling method. I later learnt that the pushing method sets your body up into a much better position for taking corners quicker and smoother.
I was confused about the concept of counter steering as I prepared for my learner's course. I watched several videos, but it wasn't until I saw this one that I really understood the maneuver. Thanks, great video!
I'm left-handed and do most steering input with my left hand. This reduces the dexterity demands on my non-dominant hand which is already busy with the throttle. I became aware of this somewhat recently and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one pulling the outside bar rather than pushing the inside one.
Loved the explanation of using your left hand to pull in order to leave your right hand to focus on throttle and brake! Never heard that before and I have that problem pushing on the right bar, this is perfect
Counter steering; probably the most over explained, and unnecessarily complicated subject in single track riding. This is probably the most concise explanation/demonstration.👌🏽✌🏽
You know what's funny, I think a LOT of us did this as kids on our bicycles without ever even knowing it. As a kid, did you ever swerve a bike back and forth and then cut it real hard to one side or the other? Well then you just counter steered. Lol.
Thank you for this, I've been reading this part in Ohio Motorcycle Operator's manual, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. You explained it in a way that's so easy to understand.
BROTHER! You just got rid of my fear of leaning. I haven't even taken my driver's license test because of my fear of leaning or going into a corner. Thank you.
I love the beginning with the I-15 corridor as a safe ( mostly ) place to demonstrate counter-steering. Sometimes it's like you're in an isolated, walled off test track that's all yours.
Great explanation, sir! I do it everyday but never realized what "counter steering" really meant until this video. Such a great explanation with the figurine. Mind blown by such a basic concept. Easy to do, but easy to fail (at low speeds) if the concept is not purely understood.
I have been riding for 49 years and never even thought about it. I must admit Many years in Mid life I was working so much I didn't ride at all .. Getting back into it now at age 61 .,.
@@smilingcookie1672 If I can lose 20# I would considering getting a custom Tailored Vansen race suit.. and try a track day . Have sort of been running out of Budget for mire motorcycle expenses. I ride snowmobiles too . Most Motorcycle safety goes to common sense. I drive 18 wheeler and 40 wheeler trucks too . It's pain driving an 18 wheeler through the Mountains and thinking how much fun it would be to be in a Motorcycle
Great explanation of counter steer! A lot of people miss that the act of counter steering is ONLY done at the very beginning and very end of the turn. During the turn, a balanced bike should just lock into the lean. Semper Fi!
I have been counter-steering since the 60’s. Quite honestly I learned this on my bicycle and adapted it when I began to ride motorcycles. I found that my pulling muscles were much stronger than my pushing muscles and therefore more steady in a turn. So I always pulled right to go left. Later on in the 70’s my technique evolved to where I used a balance of pull one side and push the other side to keep a balanced tension on the handlebars. This was especially helpful in very rough off-road riding.
Such a better explanation. I have always hated "push right, go right," or "push left go left." It is only a momentary "push" to destabilize/shift weight of the bike into the direction of the turn. It then requires you to turn in the direction of the turn. As you stated, you would crash if you just continued to countersteer.
Wrong! You don’t steer into the turn after initially counter steering. To attempt to do so would stand the bike up. The front wheel does indeed steer into the bend but this is due to bikes steering geometry and not rider input!!!! After counter steering and the lean angle is achieved, the rider stops pushing forward but maintains a neutral forward pressure on the inside grip. Example here: ua-cam.com/video/lzk8oyNO708/v-deo.html
@@softailfun relax... my statement is a reiteration of motojitsu's video...so if you disagree you're disagreeing with his video. Go troll somewhere else.
@@robertdowling8656 Nope, not a reiteration at all. You need to watch the video again. No trolling here fella, just 40 years of riding experience and a short fuse for stupidity! Try 3:10
I recently observed what I was naturally doing going into a corner and Bingo. I was counter steering. What I need to work on is counter steering to swerve. Don’t think I’m doing that naturally and right now I only drive a 500cc KYMCO Scooter (I’m having fun and I’ve owned everything like 3 BMWs and 5 Goldwings. but your vids apply and are very helpful 👍 Thanks much
Thanks. Love your videos. I’m working on the white belt skills right now with my Goldwing. Just the few exercises I’m doing has already improved my riding so much.
The way my motorcycle instructor explained counter steering to me during my learners test was: tippy toe on your bike so your bum if off it, then push your steering wheel right - the body of the bike should tip and the weight should fall right and the front tire should turn right as you ease off pushing.
Great video... I've been asking and looking for info about the turn after you've leaned and countersteered... nobody I have watched has explained that once you lean you do then turn into the direction of travel! I always wondered if you kept counter steering to go round a steeper corner! I can't wait to try this. Well explained Sir!
The rider does not turn into the bend. The front wheel does indeed steer into the bend but this is due to the bikes steering geometry…. Not rider input! The rider does counter steer for the duration of the bend. We watched the same video… right?
Great video, I saw this effect of first getting the bike to lean by counter steering and after follow through with the "normal way" or "expected way" of turning. There is a video of you showing how to swerve and the camera is right in front with the bike coming towards the camera, and I was able to see exactly what you explained here and finally got it that time. But with this one is much clear of how counter steering works. As you said the only thing to do now is to practice to take advantage of it.
Excellent videos. I come here before and after I practice in the parking lot. I can’t say I have ever been in a do or die situation but why wait for that to start practicing. Thanks.
Thanks, yes, great info. I find that on my Indian Scout that I was hesitant to push hard enough in a higher speed turn as it takes a good amount of pressure. So I started pushing as usual AND pulling some with the other hand too. Much better results.
On the track, at the exit of the turn, you counter-steer (by pulling the arm on the inside of the turn) so that the bike straightens faster and you can go full throttle. It is also possible on the road, but you rarely need to raise the bike quickly. Regards, 40tude
Thank you so much for making this video. I do have one question. When I was at Champ School in January. I was struggling to add more lean angle after tip-in when the handlebars were already starting to steer into the turn. In a left hand turn for example, I was trying to lean more by pushing on the left handlebar and it felt like I had to push very hard and nothing seemed to be happening. When I spoke with the instructors, they said to just relax the inside hand. When I did that, the bike was able to navigate the corner way better (I was amazed), but it didn't lean more. I was struggling to add lean angle the whole weekend. From what I remember, the instructors were also talking about using body position and putting more weight on the inside of the gyro to get it to lean more, but sometimes you have to rely more on counter steering than body position (they said that before the 2-up rides or for on the street). What is the relationship between adding more lean through the handlebars with counter steering vs body position (weighting the inside of the gyro)? Also do you think the difficulty I had with pushing the handlebar is simply that I need to push harder and try to push the bar more forward rather than down? I think I may have been trying to push but my arms were not in the best position to push forward, and I was instead pushing down on the bar which obviously doesn't do anything. I was on a racing Yamaha R3, so maybe I was riding it a little too "upright" to be able to push forward on the bar easily. I suppose the question is, to lean more after the steering head has turned into the corner, I can always use counter steering to gently add more lean no matter how hard it is to push the bar? Just push harder and in the right "vector" (forward not down) then relax again once you are at the new desired lean angle? Thank you for your time reading this and helping me out. I am very thankful for your help and all your videos. You are the reason I went to Champ School and try to be as safe and proficient as possible. I am also trying to spread the word and help my friends to be safe as well and always wear gear. Blessings, Amadeus
Really great question, Amadeus! I'd love to read the answer too. I'm not sure if you watch all of FE's live videos like me, but he's mentioned that he doesn't have time anymore to go through all of the comments on UA-cam. He's suggested that people send him personal message on IG instead. I did that yesterday, and had an answer back from him in 10 minutes or less. ;) Maybe consider giving that a try.
If you were navigating the corner fine the adding more lean would have made you turn too much into the corner. If you want to add more lean you have to go into the corner with more speed. If you add body lean while also leaning the bike you need even more speed to keep the same radius. That's why motogp riders lean and hang off so much because they want to go at the highest speed. If you lean that much while going at a low speed you'll just go in a circle(very tight radius). Bike lean vs body lean is basically the same, they add up together. Body lean + bike lean = 2x as much radius decreasing. But you can do either one individually too.
Beautiful camera angles and use of slow motion. I get hype when a new video comes out. You taught me how to shift gears better and now I look forward to learning something new
It's a funny thing. You don't think about it but you do it. It's really counterintuitive to what you think should happen but it just does. Great work moto!.
Thanks for this explanation! This is of great help to me, your videos and explanations have helped me a lot, I have improved my technique and my handling has been improved on trips with my groups.
I just spent 5 hours in a motorcycle training course and it was never explained like this. They were just like "push in the direction you want to go!" Of course this made no sense to a newbie like myself. This however makes so much more sense... Not sure why they couldn't explain it like this. Thanks!
If you're still confused, watch these:
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ua-cam.com/video/WW4AjZg8vQQ/v-deo.html
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Thank you I have been thinking about it for such a long time I have been doing level 3 for quite sometime now when I countersteer my bike leans I always point my tyres toward the direction I am going and I was afraid because I don know is it a correct technique so thank you for clearing it up
This is probably why more beginner bikes shake so much on the highway. The death grip on the handle bars is constant counter steering if they don’t stay close to the bike or have their arms too stiff. It’s really hard to tell novice riders not to grip the grips so hard. Best way is to have your hands hover over them with just enough grip you don’t slide around. The average person probably thinks when a biker takes his hands off the bars the bike will go out of control easy. Usually the other way around. I used to do this on my mountain bike, usually ended up hitting a tree though half the time. Loves the explanation he gave. This will help a lot of people out if they practice slow. Can seriously save your life instead of panicking.
You seriously just made this so much more clear than any other video or contain ever had for me. You really know your stuff and I want to thank you for putting out quality content to help out people like me
I love how the explanation makes it seem complicated, but it just happens naturally when you're riding.
Yes, just let your riding happen naturally, and PRACTICE! I began refining my bicycling this way, as a 9- year old! When I became a licensed grasshopper at age 16, I would practice slaloming (is that a word?) on my Ducati 98. In farm country, excellent two-lane roads have funny dashed lines painted, white, as a broken stripe in the middle of the lane. I would slalom left, then right, choosing to leave three or four dashed lines between the next ‘swerve’ left or right, using ‘counter-steering’! Of course, it would be 40 years before seeing this term in print media. Anyway, use all of your senses all of the time you are riding, not just when practicing! After all, there is no fun in silly practicing, just to get wiped out from behind or in front! Relaxing in the face of adversity allows “The Force”, and practice, to carry you through successfully. Ride on!
You don't even need to use your hands.
Turn with your knees and the exact same thing happens.
Goes to show that overthinking/analysing it is the problem.
Yes indeed, it's a purely natural occurrence that a toddler learns on a scooter so no need to micro analyse it for noobs.
In the real world, the noob is travelling along at 70 mph approaching a tight right hander and thinks... ooh push... and pushes forward and not down with really cool results.
........ "but I saw someone saying that's how you corner safely "......
You wouldn’t believe how unnatural counter steering feels for a beginner, especially when you force it knowingly instead of the tiny unconcious steering impulses you do naturally. I have many friends who as beginners were slow as snails in corners just because they reduced speed so much in order to apply the minimum counter steer and lean angle possible.
Only when they pushed themselves to ‘play’ with the counter steering in combination with the ‘sensation of falling over’ (explained in another great MotoJitsu video by Greg) they actually started to become good and safe riders.
@@TheUnsungVil not to mention when people panic and try to steer away from something like they do in a car and end up counter steering right into it
FINALLY! THANK YOU! Total beginner here so confused by all the other videos that say "see how I'm steering to the right to go left" when their handle bars are clearly going to the left.
I don't know how many times I've heard counter steering explained, leaving out the fact that it's only an initial action to generate the lean of the bike.
welcome
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
Been watching all sorts of riding technique content... hours upon hours of it and this is the FIRST TIME that any instructor has brought up the fact to RELAX THE STEER once desired lean angle is reached. None of the other "Big Teachers" (you know several of whom I mean if you consume this type of content) have brought up stopping the counter steer. They only ever focus on the "push left, lean left, go left" and that's it. You, kind sir have earned a Subscribe!
Thank you - you're helping make riders safe day by day and make the world of motorcycling a better place for it!
I loved that point about 'relaxing the steer' too! I haven't heard that said before.
Exactly, always felt something was missing in all those videos
One relaxes the push to sta in a stable lean/turn. Then one again countersteer, that is making the turn sharper to raise the bike and go straight again. Countersteer to get into a lean and again countersteer the other way to get out of a lean/turn.
From riding mountainbikes and motocross/enduro quite a bit, countersteering became very intuitive for me and I felt very confident at slower speed maneuvers. However, what I wasn't used to is how stable motobikes become at higher speeds and how inert they feel above ~50mph. Had a situation during my license practice riding where I was going somewhere around 70mph through a long highway turn that I started to run wide. Slight body weight shifting and looking where I wanted to go didn't really tightened my turning radius all that much, but by remembering how countersteering works a gentle input (pushed inside, slightly pulled outside) instantly created slightly more lean angle and tightened the radius just right very smoothly. For me that was a key moment/experience. At slow speeds everything felt so natural and easy, but at high speeds I felt like I really had to spend some concious effort to kinda "reteach" contersteering to me because of how different the bike felt (to me) once it became stabilized by the fast turning wheels.
Content like yours really helped me to understand and consider a lot of important things regarding street riding technique, that hasn't been adressed so deeply and/or well explained like in the course. So thanks for that! Once I got my license and own bike, I hope I find a nice parking lot and will give your Motojitsu drills a shot for sure!
and like wise your comment is also invaluable to me - as someone who mountain bikes and rode bicycles at the age of two ; even a high-electric unicycle; I'm really glad to hear you perspectives on this especially the situation about the higher speeds where intuitions around what would normally come naturally on a bike doesn't necessarily translate to a motorcycle - where deliberate / conscious effort into counter-steering is actually required. duly noted.
Thank you! This was life changing! I watched several of your counter steering videos this weekend. I’ve had my bike for a few years now but have barely ridden it because of too much life chaos! When I did get to ride, I was super slow and timid because I didn’t know how to steer properly. A friend and my husband suggested I watch your videos before taking me out to practice. We went for a ride today and I tried counter steering for the first time. It was like a lightbulb went off and everything came together for me! Thank you for putting out amazing content like this! I feel a lot safer and more fluid.
Dude keep making these vids cuz I'm a new rider, and a lot of experienced drivers give wrong or confusing info...your explanations are good n understandable.
MotoJitsu is pretty much my pre-MSF course lol
Something that made it much more confusing for me when I started learning about it was that no one really talked about the transition from the counter steer, to steering into the turn once you've got the lean angle, so it's nice to see that part covered.
After you initiate the fall/lean by countersteering, the wheel/handlebar will tend to turn by itself in the right direction.
exactly this! do you know how i just recently learned it? because i´ve discussed this topic with chat CPT 😆
Great video, as always. What I find fantastic about counter-steering is the fact that you can correct yourself instantly if you overcook a turn. And it takes just a minimal push - or pull - to do that.
Well, as long you didn't overcook it _too_ much, ha. (That's where trail braking becomes your best friend/lifeline!)
@@TravisTerrell Oh, but I did, a few times... I have shat a few diamonds. But is all good, all part of the learning curve.
@@ADVBear Ahahaha, been there! You may already do it, but just in case--definitely learn and practice trail braking. Ha, I feel like I'm always saying that, but it's such a great and easy to learn safety-enhancing skill.
@@TravisTerrell I a;lready cover the front brake, and use trail breaking. I have practiced a lot - and still do. But when I started riding... all hail safety equipment.
Agree with all these comments.
I've heard it said you can't use counersteering below 20mph. Wrong.
I also use it as someone mentioned to adjust my line once committed into a turn, standing the bike up after a turn and to counter gusty side winds. Basically everywhere.
I had trouble mentally getting this concept. Thankfully, the "push left/go left" or "push right/go right" really helped, especially when riding and not thinking about it. I've practiced this earlier in the week on my commute. It is way more intuitive on the bike. I just had trouble wrapping my head around it conceptually. Great video; thank you!
Understand the physics behind it and it turns out much easier to think about
@@1narutogrand Yes, indeed! Stay safe!
I have been countersteering my bicycle all my life and didn't realize it until I started watching these motorcycle videos. Lol
Let me guess, now it's confusing.
Right, me too. I even doubt if it is actually a counter steer due to so many complicated and confusing explanations
@@yogeshyonjan5179 most of us instinctually experience counter steering. But when ever there is a video or someone explains it in person most peoples mind start to explode with confusion. Anyway i remember as a kid riding my BMX bike downhills and experiencing counter steering because of the high speed (i didnt know it was counter steering at that time) but anyway i remember going side to side in a sweeping motion not realizing that my handle bars were not turning in the same direction that i was turning (hence counter steering) hope that makes sense.
When my 2 year old grandson got control over his first 2-wheeled bike, he had full control over countersteering, but no word for it ;)
He never had training wheels, just a balance bike with low seat and no pedals. Now at the age of 4 he does mountainbiking.
At last, after all these years and watching so many videos on this subject and hearing so much confusing and conflicting advice finally you sir have made it crystal clear. Now I can't wait to practice this. Your demos too are so good. I'm 62 for heaven's sake and this has always bugged me. Thank you so much
After 30 odd years of motorcycling, I started hearing and seeing videos about " how to countersteer", thinking it was some new technique, but no, it's something I've been doing subconsciously all the time. I think new riders are under the impression you have to make really deliberate inputs on the bars, but you don't. I have the feeling that you will set out to practice this, and realize you have always done it naturally! :-)
@Pete Firth.
Indeed, drives me nuts when I hear noob bikers tell of how "counter steering saved my life" and "how did I ever ride without this knowledge"...... Sorry but you learn this on a scooter when you're about four years old doing it naturally and micro analysing it to get more likes is just nonsense.
Sorry Phil Forrest, but if you're still trying to figure out a natural occurrence at 62.......
Despatch rider for thirty years and I learned "counter steering" when my dad stopped pushing me without stabilisers. How did I survive as a courier until this awe inspiring knowledge?
same here , never could understand how this can possibly work !!! and a lot of other videos on the subject never mention to relax on the push once the bike leans in the desired direction !!!! he definitely made it a lot easier to understand !!!!!
Congrats! This is BY FAR (!) the best demonstration of the physical effects of counter-steering a bike I've ever seen! Thank you!
Specially LEVEL 1 demonstrates how counter-steering is in the first place a "counter leaning" (staying in that lean angle through the effect of the angular momentum of both rotating wheels) ...
... clarifying that counter-steering is a serially combined two step process ... first lean than turn into the curve ... ;-)
LEVEL 3 is a great practical advice ... doing all counter-steering with the left hand (push for lean left & pull for lean right) so that the right hand is free for control of brake & throttle ...
Gotta say I've been binging your videos thankfully with no ads (premium) and gotta say these counter steering videos have made me feel so much more comfortable on my bike.
THANK YOU!
Waiting until the weather clears to practice some quick stops next.
I've seen a bunch of videos trying to understand counter steering. This is bar none the best. Clear and to the point.
LMAO..you drove right past my old office when i lived in SD....and yes, there's not trick to counter steering..nothing to be afraid of, and if new riders put in the time everything becomes less scary and more intuitive. Great Video
Love these short specific videos. It’s like reading an article vs reading a book. Short, very well written (explained), and to the point.
I’ve really understood counter steering one day I was on the motorway. I was struggling before to follow the curves because I was using my body to lean. I slowed down every time I needed to take a curve. The day after, I tried to push the handlebar to see what will happen and everything went clear. I started to practice leaning with counter steering and I went to the motorway and I experimented how keeping pushing the handlebar allows to follow a curve perfectly.
Thanks for this great explanation! Counter steering is even a life saver.
welcome
Been an active counter steer rider for many years, two things i have learned to do regarding counter steer, #1) make pushing the dominant force rather than a balance of push/pull, feels awkward for the first few minutes but absolutely improves precision and control. #2). Use my outside knee to push into the tank as I apply the push on the bar.
@Wesley Blokker I think you have mis- read or mis-interpreted my post. I don't understand your last sentence, I'm not at all sure what you are trying to say.
@Wesley Blokker Sure, everyone who rides uses countersteering. But not everyone who rides knows they're countersteering. My MSF instructor when I got my endorsement was completely sure that countersteering was accomplished by pushing down on the handlebars rather than forward. Obviously, he's pushing forward at some point (because he's been riding for years and has presumably turned at some point during all that time), but he still doesn't actually know what he's really doing to manipulate the bike, and so he must be doing the proper manipulation by accident while he's trying to do his downward push.
When someone talks about how they countersteer, I tend to assume that they mean they do it intentionally rather than that assuming that they think it's optional.
I really like the way you break things down into steps: great way to learn. Thanks 😊
Sixty year old former pilot working up for A2 licence in Spain. Ride my 125 Shadow, looking forward to getting a Honda CB500X.
I love the series and have subscribed. I can never see me doing wheelies, but even learning about what causes them is invaluable for prevention and cure.
Gyroscopic theory describes counter steering at speed. Still trying to get my head around slow speed stuff. Going to find a parking lot to practice White Belt.
Thank you, man.
Thank you for talking about countersteering as the destabilization moment vs what the tire does through the turn. I have had multiple friends tell me that in up from 30kph the handlebars stay straight in turns when they corner and they only "lean" as if they had a solid assembly on their steering stem... After a while it gets to a point where i stop arguing with stoopid 😂
The one finger on the bar really illustrates it. Most people say, "Here, look! I'm pushing on this side!" They dont understand that they're not showing anyone anything, as no one can see where the pressure is applied in their illustration.
Good show here, you made it obvious.
I think this video gave me my eurika moment! fairly beginner rider here (bought a year or so in) - been feeling less confident on my right turns even with a faily shallow lean angle, but your note on pulling with a left same as pushing to the right to give you more control over throttle might be something to take note of - also the whole explaination of the counter steering aspect at low speed before this video left me confused but for which ever reason i've understodd it clear as day this time. Happy Riding!
The best video on countersteering ever. especially because of the emphasis on the second part of countersteering, relax on the handelbar and allow the wheels to follow the corner.
I tried your tips on bicycle first just to practice. Can't stress enough how helpful this was to me, and how much more confident I feel with my steering control now. Thanks a lot.
i just want to say that if you feel not comfortable with counter steering on a motorcycle, you can do it even on your bicycle ^^ I started using counter steering few years ago when I started my adventure with motorcycles and I was using it even without knowing it's counter steering because since i was a kid i was riding a lot on bicycles and I was just used to it :P
and remember that counter steering saves lifes
You are the leader in my book Dude! Only 4 other guys come close to you and you jibe with them all! But you are a constant and that’s valuable training! Thinking about it every day, even if you are a commuter, your tips should bring joy! Thanks!
FINALLY!!! Someone actually tells you how to “exit” a counter-steer… by pushing the opposite way of the turn.
I know this may seem self explanatory to most, but we never want new riders to assume anything.
Nobody has explained it to me in a simple way as you have. Huge thanks! Greetings from Poland!
Push right, go right goes against everything I have done in a car for the past 29 years. Trust the process and the knowledge you guys are sharing is what I have to counter steer in this brain of mine. Thanks dude. You shared some knowledge I have practiced myself but as a new rider on a motorcycle for the first time it's not that easy to get down in a few days. Even though I have my license I still need more practice before I put myself into the world of stop and go traffic. Thanks again. Liked and following!
Go ride for 30 seconds one handed pushing and pulling and you’ll get it instantly
I guess a lot of riders like me requested further explanation concerning slow speed counter steering. I have been riding a long time and I ride on tracks, dirt bikes, muscle bike drag racing and I guess you are never to old to stop learning, thanks!
as a beginner on a 149cc bike this is awesome advice
This video is as simple as it's important and awesome. IMHO it belongs in a chapter of the ChampU online course, in fact I have requested more information about counter-steering in the forums to which they've replied "we already touch briefly on the subject". This is something riders do intuitively but it's so much more clear to understand it when explained like this, thank you so much.
wow wow wow.. Great explanation. So simple and clear. The last tip was gold too. Steer more with left hand and more throttle and brake control with right hand.
Motojitsu- dudemon...."I rode when I was young." Never heard THAT before. Then marriage, kids, job, life and all of a sudden, no ride. What? Thanks for helping me back to the motor-hood. I was a sport bike, now I'm a cruiser, um I think I want a sport bike too, but.... that's another thread. Because of you I practice a different maneuver every day that I ride (3-4 times a week). I'm u-turning at 20 ft. on an 1100 cc bike, THANKS to you AND it came in handy at a swarming and very packed Walmart gas station on a Saturday afternoon... like Frogger on steroids. (I'm a little older) but thanks to you, I handled it like a pro. No foot ever touched the pavement. Ha! Counter steering, I knew about that in the 80s, BUT again you even helped me in that area too (everybody needs a great coach). I say riding comes easier and is way more fun when you're really good at it. Thanks! Do you have merchandise?
Btw, I left FB 2 years ago. Great enterprises existed long before Social Media did!
Probably the best explanation of counter-steering technique I ever heard.
Wow, this is amazingly clear. No other videos I’ve seen so far, even the MSF online course, explained this as well as you did. Thank you for making us all better riders. So blessed.
thanks
instagram.com/motojitsuclub/
That's brilliant. The best description I've seen
Hey I just came across this and I appreciate it mostly because I was out watching people riding bicycles today and saw that they all just did it instinctively and had never thought that they were turning the "wrong" way to turn in the right way. Inescapable physics we just never noticed. So cool, thanks for pointing this out, it's fun to watch.
welcome!
Omgosh... You just explained what I am doing wrong... no one told me I needed to stop pushing once in the desired angle to let the wheel turn the right way. They just said, push more to lean the bike. 🤯 I am totally flabbergasted!!!! It is a big detail for beginners!!! I'll probably be less scared next time I ride in curves!!!!! Thanks man.
Well in my some 40 years experience you don’t stop pushing during a bend. You initially push the inside grip to get the bike to lean. Once the angle has bee acquired you maintain a neutral force on the grip. That’s to say if you want to lean more then you physically push forward a little more on the grip. If you want to lean less then you ease pressure off the inside grip, but once you’ve found the lean angle that you want you neither push more or less, you just maintain a neutral pressure. So effectively you do stop pushing (more), nonetheless a pressure is still maintained. When the bend is complete, ease the pressure off the inside grip and the bike will stand up and ride straight. I hope I haven’t made this sound to complicated and I hope it helps.
@softailfun Thank you so much. I understand what you mean. I will try that next time I practice. Thanks again!
Your short vlogs on motorcycle control really hit the spot . I have gone out and put your advise into practice and yes it’s certainly helped me improve , keep these coming . Many thanks .
Paul
Thank you so much for all the content. This is probably the best explanation I've seen for counter steering. As a new rider I've found your content absolutely invaluable
You drop a vid and i am watching. Most of the stuff you go over I have been doing for year on my dirt bikes. 42 years I have been riding but 3 years ago I bought my first street bike. I have been street bikes since I was 10. My Uncle had a KZ 1000 in 86 and I would ride he would sit on the back. Everything I have learned over the years had made my learning curve very small. For me it was trusting that the tires would grip on the road. But I’m not a track guy I am more of a Road Racer! I know the road is way more dangerous but it is more fun to me. Stay safe Bruddah!
Wow your videos are amazing quality. I bought my first bike, CFMOTO 650NK, today and it is a BLAST! I've been re-watching many technique videos to help improve my riding skills more quickly. Thanks!
That may explain my difficulty in getting into a tight slow speed turn. I go to push the outside hand to turn the wheel, but end up in hesitation because the bike doesn’t lean in so I end up slowing down to get the wheel around. I’ll give it a try to push on the inside hand momentarily and see if that initiates the slow speed turn better.
slow turn counter balance not steer. tip the bike inside bring your shoulder butt cheek and hips to the outside
Push forward instead of down
This is mostly determined by your hand position, less force down, more forward
If you tilt the bike away from the turn and lean your body in, you can comfortably turn on the stocks (at walking speed).
Before I started riding, the concept of counter steering sketched me out. But when you get on a bike and actually counter steer, you find out it feels very natural and intuitive it is, despite how strange it sounds on paper.
This is so brilliant, thanks! The way I've often heard people describe turning didn't quite make sense to me because it seemed to imply that you continued to apply that initial pressure through the turn. Now I completely get it. When I was a kid I was obsessed with being able to ride a bicycle as precisely as possible, even when going extremely slowly. While doing that, I realised that when you turn on two wheels, you're doing what I called slightly rounding into the turn to absorb some of that forward momentum into the arc. That was kind of just a less accurate way of describing what you're talking about, I think. Cheers!
Thanks for this, I knew I was right that I have learned to counter steer since my early teens. Just got really confused on so many explanations. IT IS ABSOLUTELY possible at very slow speed.
Transfer of weight is a part of this as well.
I like the part when he does the slow motion turn to his right and you can see he is looking ahead where he wants to go. Probably the most easiest difficult thing to do.
The concept and the “science” of counter steering are quite clear for me (no doubt about it), but i have one big dilemma: how much should i practice “CONSCIOUS counter steering” in everyday riding and in every turn?
(in my rides i never or very rarely apply it consciously...)
Thanks for your video
When you are going very slow, like in a parking lot, you don't counter steer. As you increase speed, you hit a threshold at which the bike counter steers. So at low speeds, you turn the handlebars in the direction you want to go, but at higher speeds you now have to turn the handlebars in the other direction to make the turn. The most important thing to remember is counter steering is not optional. Its the only way the motorcycle turns. Even if you aren't aware of it, you are counter steering. Below is a copy of some comments I made in another thread, it goes into more details. Its a lot to type out so if some of the comments sound odd, remember this was from another post.
"Both bikes and motorcycles turn by counter steering. Its not optional. That's how they work. The only exception is at very slow speeds. Friction forces a bike to counter steer, and it increases with speed. Anyone who has ridden a bike or motorcycle knows you can just turn the handlebars in the direction your want to go at low speeds, but there is a speed where enough friction builds up and forces you to counter steer. In the video its true that most people are not aware that this is happening.
Here's how counter steering works. Its not about balance and turning right first, then left. People come to conclusions like that based on how they feel the bike is working. From this point on, I'm assuming the bike or motorcycle is going fast enough where counter steering is necessary. Also, bikes and motorcycles steer exactly the same way, so everything I say applies to both. To make a bike turn, 2 things need to happen. It has to lean in the direction you want to turn, and the handlebars have to move as well. Most people don't feel the handlebars move because they only move a tiny amount.
Unlike cars, motorcycle tires are curved, not flat. When a bike leans into a turn, it rides on a different part of the tire. And because bike tires are curved, the effective diameter of the tire decreases the more you lean the bike. This also changes the speed at which the tire rotates. To visualize this, imagine you are driving a motorcycle in a straight line at 40mph. If you come to a turn in the road and want to keep the bike moving at the same rate of 40mph, the wheels have to spin faster in the turn then when going straight.
The other factor to making a turn is counter steering. This is what initiates the bike to lean and enter the turn. The reason you counter steer, is because in order to turn the bike, you need to not only lean, but decrease the effective diameter of the of the tires, otherwise it can't happen. Since the front tire is the one that steers, you turn it in the opposite direction you're traveling, and that forces the bike to lean more and ride on a part of the tire that keeps getting smaller. And friction forces the turn. If you take pressure off the handlebars, less friction will force the bike to go back to an upright position. "
I taught myself countersteering naturally by the pulling method. I later learnt that the pushing method sets your body up into a much better position for taking corners quicker and smoother.
I was confused about the concept of counter steering as I prepared for my learner's course. I watched several videos, but it wasn't until I saw this one that I really understood the maneuver. Thanks, great video!
I'm left-handed and do most steering input with my left hand. This reduces the dexterity demands on my non-dominant hand which is already busy with the throttle. I became aware of this somewhat recently and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one pulling the outside bar rather than pushing the inside one.
Loved the explanation of using your left hand to pull in order to leave your right hand to focus on throttle and brake! Never heard that before and I have that problem pushing on the right bar, this is perfect
Counter steering; probably the most over explained, and unnecessarily complicated subject in single track riding. This is probably the most concise explanation/demonstration.👌🏽✌🏽
You know what's funny, I think a LOT of us did this as kids on our bicycles without ever even knowing it. As a kid, did you ever swerve a bike back and forth and then cut it real hard to one side or the other? Well then you just counter steered. Lol.
Thank you for this, I've been reading this part in Ohio Motorcycle Operator's manual, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. You explained it in a way that's so easy to understand.
BROTHER! You just got rid of my fear of leaning. I haven't even taken my driver's license test because of my fear of leaning or going into a corner.
Thank you.
I love the beginning with the I-15 corridor as a safe ( mostly ) place to demonstrate counter-steering. Sometimes it's like you're in an isolated, walled off test track that's all yours.
Expert level: Using left hand for counter-steering to take pressure off throttle hand - great tip!!
Yep, been watching a lot on this subject and you have just nailed it for me. Got it. Thank you !
The 'Castor Effect of Trail'. That's a great little insight to why counter steering behaves the way it does. Great video.
I don’t think it’s possible to explain things better than this channel. Best explanation I’ve found on UA-cam, great
i get my first bike on tuesday. youve been the best youtuber to for me to watch for instructional vods. thanks dog
Yerp. It's awesome for setting up smooth leans on the freeway. Once I learned how to counter steer (consciously) I got stupidly comfortable quickly
First person that explained this totally understandable and practical, toy bike nailed it!
I love how you did talk about your own bike management choices like why you pick to turn with one hand over the other hand
Great explanation, sir! I do it everyday but never realized what "counter steering" really meant until this video. Such a great explanation with the figurine. Mind blown by such a basic concept. Easy to do, but easy to fail (at low speeds) if the concept is not purely understood.
I have been riding for 49 years and never even thought about it. I must admit Many years in Mid life I was working so much I didn't ride at all .. Getting back into it now at age 61 .,.
Stay safe sir
@@smilingcookie1672 If I can lose 20# I would considering getting a custom Tailored Vansen race suit.. and try a track day . Have sort of been running out of Budget for mire motorcycle expenses. I ride snowmobiles too .
Most Motorcycle safety goes to common sense.
I drive 18 wheeler and 40 wheeler trucks too .
It's pain driving an 18 wheeler through the Mountains and thinking how much fun it would be to be in a Motorcycle
Great explanation of counter steer! A lot of people miss that the act of counter steering is ONLY done at the very beginning and very end of the turn. During the turn, a balanced bike should just lock into the lean. Semper Fi!
:)
I have been counter-steering since the 60’s. Quite honestly I learned this on my bicycle and adapted it when I began to ride motorcycles. I found that my pulling muscles were much stronger than my pushing muscles and therefore more steady in a turn. So I always pulled right to go left. Later on in the 70’s my technique evolved to where I used a balance of pull one side and push the other side to keep a balanced tension on the handlebars. This was especially helpful in very rough off-road riding.
Learned counter steering in the dirt as a 10yr old kid, still with me today....thank God !!!
Such a better explanation. I have always hated "push right, go right," or "push left go left." It is only a momentary "push" to destabilize/shift weight of the bike into the direction of the turn. It then requires you to turn in the direction of the turn. As you stated, you would crash if you just continued to countersteer.
Wrong! You don’t steer into the turn after initially counter steering. To attempt to do so would stand the bike up. The front wheel does indeed steer into the bend but this is due to bikes steering geometry and not rider input!!!! After counter steering and the lean angle is achieved, the rider stops pushing forward but maintains a neutral forward pressure on the inside grip.
Example here:
ua-cam.com/video/lzk8oyNO708/v-deo.html
@@softailfun relax... my statement is a reiteration of motojitsu's video...so if you disagree you're disagreeing with his video. Go troll somewhere else.
@@robertdowling8656
Nope, not a reiteration at all. You need to watch the video again. No trolling here fella, just 40 years of riding experience and a short fuse for stupidity! Try 3:10
This istuff that anyone who rides a pedal bicycle knows. 😂.
Who needs these videos .
I recently observed what I was naturally doing going into a corner and Bingo. I was counter steering. What I need to work on is counter steering to swerve. Don’t think I’m doing that naturally and right now I only drive a 500cc KYMCO Scooter (I’m having fun and I’ve owned everything like 3 BMWs and 5 Goldwings. but your vids apply and are very helpful 👍
Thanks much
Thanks. Love your videos. I’m working on the white belt skills right now with my Goldwing. Just the few exercises I’m doing has already improved my riding so much.
great job explaining it in easy to understand language, especially the point to stop pushing on the grip 👍🏻
Re watching this after many months, I’m going to use my left hand fur all steering this week and use my right fit acceleration and braking. Thanks
The way my motorcycle instructor explained counter steering to me during my learners test was: tippy toe on your bike so your bum if off it, then push your steering wheel right - the body of the bike should tip and the weight should fall right and the front tire should turn right as you ease off pushing.
Great video... I've been asking and looking for info about the turn after you've leaned and countersteered... nobody I have watched has explained that once you lean you do then turn into the direction of travel! I always wondered if you kept counter steering to go round a steeper corner! I can't wait to try this. Well explained Sir!
The rider does not turn into the bend. The front wheel does indeed steer into the bend but this is due to the bikes steering geometry…. Not rider input!
The rider does counter steer for the duration of the bend.
We watched the same video… right?
Great video, I saw this effect of first getting the bike to lean by counter steering and after follow through with the "normal way" or "expected way" of turning. There is a video of you showing how to swerve and the camera is right in front with the bike coming towards the camera, and I was able to see exactly what you explained here and finally got it that time. But with this one is much clear of how counter steering works. As you said the only thing to do now is to practice to take advantage of it.
Basically everything I subconsciously learned while riding a bicycle is applicable to steering a motorcycle
Excellent videos. I come here before and after I practice in the parking lot. I can’t say I have ever been in a do or die situation but why wait for that to start practicing. Thanks.
Thanks, yes, great info. I find that on my Indian Scout that I was hesitant to push hard enough in a higher speed turn as it takes a good amount of pressure. So I started pushing as usual AND pulling some with the other hand too. Much better results.
Best explanation I’ve seen yet. Thanks for what you do.
On the track, at the exit of the turn, you counter-steer (by pulling the arm on the inside of the turn) so that the bike straightens faster and you can go full throttle. It is also possible on the road, but you rarely need to raise the bike quickly.
Regards, 40tude
Just add gas, it will straighten the bike.
best explanation on youtube, thanks 👍🏻
Thank you so much for making this video. I do have one question.
When I was at Champ School in January. I was struggling to add more lean angle after tip-in when the handlebars were already starting to steer into the turn. In a left hand turn for example, I was trying to lean more by pushing on the left handlebar and it felt like I had to push very hard and nothing seemed to be happening. When I spoke with the instructors, they said to just relax the inside hand. When I did that, the bike was able to navigate the corner way better (I was amazed), but it didn't lean more. I was struggling to add lean angle the whole weekend. From what I remember, the instructors were also talking about using body position and putting more weight on the inside of the gyro to get it to lean more, but sometimes you have to rely more on counter steering than body position (they said that before the 2-up rides or for on the street).
What is the relationship between adding more lean through the handlebars with counter steering vs body position (weighting the inside of the gyro)? Also do you think the difficulty I had with pushing the handlebar is simply that I need to push harder and try to push the bar more forward rather than down? I think I may have been trying to push but my arms were not in the best position to push forward, and I was instead pushing down on the bar which obviously doesn't do anything. I was on a racing Yamaha R3, so maybe I was riding it a little too "upright" to be able to push forward on the bar easily.
I suppose the question is, to lean more after the steering head has turned into the corner, I can always use counter steering to gently add more lean no matter how hard it is to push the bar? Just push harder and in the right "vector" (forward not down) then relax again once you are at the new desired lean angle?
Thank you for your time reading this and helping me out. I am very thankful for your help and all your videos. You are the reason I went to Champ School and try to be as safe and proficient as possible. I am also trying to spread the word and help my friends to be safe as well and always wear gear.
Blessings,
Amadeus
Really great question, Amadeus! I'd love to read the answer too. I'm not sure if you watch all of FE's live videos like me, but he's mentioned that he doesn't have time anymore to go through all of the comments on UA-cam. He's suggested that people send him personal message on IG instead. I did that yesterday, and had an answer back from him in 10 minutes or less. ;) Maybe consider giving that a try.
If you were navigating the corner fine the adding more lean would have made you turn too much into the corner. If you want to add more lean you have to go into the corner with more speed. If you add body lean while also leaning the bike you need even more speed to keep the same radius. That's why motogp riders lean and hang off so much because they want to go at the highest speed. If you lean that much while going at a low speed you'll just go in a circle(very tight radius). Bike lean vs body lean is basically the same, they add up together. Body lean + bike lean = 2x as much radius decreasing. But you can do either one individually too.
Thank you all for the replies. It was really helpful.
The slo-mo you showed was pure gold in understanding how the bike behaves.
Beautiful camera angles and use of slow motion. I get hype when a new video comes out. You taught me how to shift gears better and now I look forward to learning something new
Tried it last night on a turn while cruising the neighborhood and it was very smooth. Game changer
Best video on counter steering so far.
Beautifully explained! I’ve learnt a lot!
Thank you!
It's a funny thing. You don't think about it but you do it. It's really counterintuitive to what you think should happen but it just does. Great work moto!.
Thanks for this explanation! This is of great help to me, your videos and explanations have helped me a lot, I have improved my technique and my handling has been improved on trips with my groups.
I just spent 5 hours in a motorcycle training course and it was never explained like this. They were just like "push in the direction you want to go!" Of course this made no sense to a newbie like myself. This however makes so much more sense... Not sure why they couldn't explain it like this. Thanks!
Cause it’s basic course, this is way beyond the basics
Best explanation i see