Can someone explain the theory of motorcycle counter-steering in 50 words or less?

Answer 1

You can actually turn without hands on the bars at all but the bike wants to be upright due to the gyroscopic effect on both wheels so you will not be able to turn much at all without applying some force through the bars to lean the bike into the corner.

No magic, but the theory in 50 words.

Applying a twisting force to a spinning front wheel creates a reactive force as the wheel tries to correct its gyroscopic balance. Force the wheel to the right and it reacts by falling a bit to the left and the tyre pulls the bike into a corner.

Answer 2

I'm always a hands-on person, and this helped me more than anything.

Get a bicycle wheel/tire - put a dowel or axle through the center (something you can grab on both sides), now roll the tire and turn left.

Try turning the tire left without leaning it. Now lean it. Much easier.

Now, roll the tire slowly, then push forward on the stick with your left hand. The tire will automatically LEAN and start turning left.

You can steer a bike left and right by just leaning. However, leaning your body takes more effort and time than just pushing with one hand. The push MAKES thebike (and rider) lean, and makes the turn happen.

Counter steer and lean can both make a bike turn - counter-steer just allows you to do it with quicker response time (really good if you're avoiding a deer or shiny metal box).

The physics have to do with a few different things - but one answer was absolutely right - get Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist. Very cool book. Tons of excellent info!

Answer 3

The front wheel acts as a gyroscope. At high enough speed the centripedal forces overcome the frictional steering forces. Pushing the bars left causes the wheel to lean to the left, causing "inward" acceleration. The speed of the motorcycle causes the turning motion.

Answer 4

Countersteering occurs at speeds above approximately 25 mph. Turning the front wheel out causes the bike to fall inward.

Answer 5

To turn, a motorcycle MUST lean. To lean, you must move the front wheel away from the center of balance to start the lean, which requires countersteering. The rounded profile of the tires is what actually turns the bike, like a Dixie cup on its side (try it).

Answer 6

For right turn, push slightly on right handle bar, left turn push left. this causes bike to lean and you will instinctively steer into the lean, ( with practice) and around the corner you go. most riders do this without thinking.

Answer 7

When riding a motorcycle in a straight line and you want to change direction to the right you push gently forward with your right hand. I know this sounds wrong, but it works on any two wheeled machine. Naturally to straighten, or go left, you push forward with your left hand.

Answer 8

The rear wheel is the driving force that moves the bike.
Turn the front wheel to the right.
The rear wheel wants to continue moving forward and pushes the front wheel to lay over to it's left side. (think of it as a wheel standing up in front of you, pointing left & right. You push it away from you and it will fall over).
The front wheel starts to lean to it's left, because the rear wheel is pushing it and the bike forward.
The front wheel can't just fall over, because the weight of the bike keeps the rear wheel on the ground.
The front wheel would rather continue rolling in it's previous forward motion (which is now pointing to the right, because of you turning the handlebars) rather than folding in half.
And since the front wheel is falling over to it's left, the bike leans over to the left.

It's more than 50 words, but that's the best I can do without the physichs involved written in front of me.

Answer 9

Push bars left, go right. Push bars right, go left. For theory, buy, borrow, rent or steal the book, A Twist of The Wrist.

Answer 10

Go to the link below it will show you