Birdie put the time in on the bike. Ride by yourself, at your pace. I bought my bike at the beginning of this month. Getting close to 3000 mls. on it and just getting the fill of the bike. Just the past couple of rides I fiqure out the counter steering they are talking about. Man what a difference. I took the MSF course and everything these guys are saying was covered in the course. All good advice. Take it slow and ride safe.

 

Have to put my two cents in since my Hubby used to love picking on me about how he'd hafe to stop and wait for me after curves!
Counter steering Press left - Leans right is great because it allows you to have a more controled lean. Look beyond the curve- look where you want to go, NOT where you are afraid you'll go !
Go Inside-Outside-Inside of the curve to " straighten " it.
Other than that - just ride- you'll get it - promise

 

Well, whether you want it or not, here's a lesson in why a motorcycle leans/countersteers. It's called gyroscopic precession, and it applies to any spinning disc, wheels included. I'm a flight instructor, and an intimate knowledge of teaching this concept was needed when explaining spinning propellors, and instruments. This is straight out of the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.

PRECESSION
Precession is the tilting or turning of a gyro in response
to a deflective force. The reaction to this force does not
occur at the point where it was applied; rather, it occurs
at a point that is 90° later in the direction of rotation. The rate at which the gyro
precesses is inversely proportional to the speed of the
rotor and proportional to the deflective force.

Let me break it down:
Precession is the tilting or turning of a gyro in response
to a deflective force.

When you force a spinning object out of its plane of rotation (a wheel) it responds according to gyroscopic principles.

The reaction to this force does not
occur at the point where it was applied; rather, it occurs
at a point that is 90° later in the direction of rotation.

If you force the disc (wheel) at one point, in the case of steering, the front and back part of the wheel, in a direction, the disc/wheel acts differently. Take a 'wheel' in your hands and pretend it is you bike's front wheel. Turn it to the right. To do so you apply a force from the right to the left on the back part of the wheel. Move 90 degrees in the plane the wheel rotates. The wheel (and bike) act as if you applied that force at the TOP of the wheel, leaning it over to the LEFT. A LEFT turn results from the RIGHT turning pressure.

The rate at which the gyro
precesses is inversely proportional to the speed of the
rotor and proportional to the deflective force.

The faster you are going, the more the precession (countersteering) is felt. If you've ever ridden a motorcycle you know what I mean. 10 MPH requires normal steering. 30 MPH a bit of both. 60 MPH countersteering.

Not to be a bore, it's just the instructor in me! Feel free to ask any questions, otherwise file the knowledge in your brains as you see fit!

Barry

 

Just keep doing it your confidence should build.You just have to know the bikes limits.My bikes limit is the metal contact,the tires are not a concern other than bad weather.

 

"Go Inside-Outside-Inside of the curve to " straighten " it."


Ummmm........Think you meant outside, inside , outside.

EZ

 

Yes, Denim, I certainly did! It's a very valuable piece of information!
Didn't know anything about you going down. Guess I'll try to find the thread. May have to PM you!

 

In the Introduction to "More" author Hough states that "More" is a continuation of his first book. "More" includes many of the same subjects but digs deeper and adds new subjects. He says it isn't necessary to read "Proficient Motorcycling" first, but you'll probably find that "More" is easier to understand if you read the two books in sequence. I didn't read his first book, just his second which I thought was terrific. I still pick it up and read it over every once in a while.

 

Try this it helped me. I live in Leesburg, Va. There is a road Rt. 704 that runs between Rt. 15 and old Rt. 7. This road has left and right hand turns some uphill some downhill. Some of the turns are blind some not. Find thistype of road in your area.When I started riding again I was having some trouble with turns, I was fighting the bike not riding itin turns. My problem was more with sweaping left turns (no idea why). I road it in my jeep and noted my exit speed in the turns. Then I rode it on my bike an again noted my speed out of each turn. I just rode 704 ever day or so and one day it just happened, no more fights with sweaping left turns. I also got better on all the other turns. Just remember why you started this don't go crazy and try to go 65 on a 35 mph turn. You can also get a riding buddy to do the road with you and get a feel for how fast is safe for each turn and work your way to that.
Hope it helps.

Gary

 

This is often overlooked although it was mentioned many times as "set your line" in other posts. Keep your eyes up at where you want to exit the turn...you will be amazed at how easy the bike responds to that visual input...the bike will go where you are looking and if you are looking where you don't want to go....like off the shoulder or over a bank....yikes. Add the countersteer and you can really lean over more than you might imagine.

 

i've used the countersteer method as well as "straightening out" a curve with the proper line as has been thoroughly covered .....i just hate the footboard scrapeing on the really sharp curves, really unnerving