Motorcycles.... When you change lanes on a freeway at High Speeds, do you countersteer or just turn the bars ?

Question

I was going 90 something the other day and I didn't realize what I did on the freeway.... so help....

Answer 1

The countersteer is intuitive, it is very slight at high speeds changing lanes. It does feel like you just lean, until you have a heavy bike, then it is more pronounced.

Being concious of countersteering will make the intuitive lane change make more sense.

Next time you want to run that fast, go to the track! Your'e going to kill someone, probably yourself.

The track is fun, I like running fast!

Answer 2

You ALWAYS countersteer when turning at speed.

Try to find a copy of "The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Guide to Motorcycling Excellence". There is a three-page layman's description of countersteering included.

Most people countersteer automatically without realising they are doing it. Some even deny they do it, but if the bike's motions were tracked while they were riding, it would be evident they do.

Answer 3

If anybody above advised you to turn the bars ignore them. They'll get you killed. I'm a sportbike rider with years of experience. At 90 MPH you should never turn your handlebars. Just lean. at 90 it only take a small lean to change lanes in most conditions. If you need to do a swift lane change it takes a deeper lean but the counter steering should come naturally. You have to apply some pressure or else the bike won't stand back up but again it's not so much that you need to make a conscience decision to do it. It's a natural reflex kind of thing. I never even heard of counter steering until I already had a year of experience in. It just like on a bicycle. If you have to focus on counter steering, that takes too much attention away from balence, road conditions, and other vehicles. Don't go 90. You sound like a beginner who hasn't learned to respect his bike. If you don't respec your bike, you'll respect that concreete. It can and will peel all the skinn off your body in 11 seconds. (if your lucky)

Answer 4

Andrew has no idea what he is talking about. Like the others have said you did countersteer wheather you realize it or not. You always countersteer above 10-15 MPH even when you make smal changes.

As one above said try turning the handlebars at 35MPH or higher and see what happens. Also try leaning only (Take your hands off the bars) and you will see you will still go straight.

Answer 5

Your always countersteering. On a motorcycle even at race speeds, if you put input into your left hand into the handlebars, the bike will go left....but the wheel is actully going right. You didnt relize it at the time, but as a kid you were countersteering on your pedal bike. Try it, go get on your pedal bike, and push on your left hand, you will go left, but the wheel will actully go right....and the same ting with the right side, you push right you will go right, but the wheel turns left. And another thing, if your pondering this...this means you dont have enough knowledge of a motorcycle to be doing 90mph on the freeway!!!

Answer 6

Unless you're crawling along in a parking lot, you ALWAYS countersteer. You better have that down solid in your skull when someone puls out in front of you at 90mph! Leaning one way and steering in the other will just send you straight into that Suburban.

They didn't make that obvious in your MSF classes?

Answer 7

So you're on the freeway doing 90 and you don't know how to steer ? Take a riding class or start writing your will.

Answer 8

you sort of counter steer every time you turn you have to to turn the bike for half a secod you push left to go right its what makes the bike lean at lower speeds you dont but the fastr you go the more it happens and its not dangerous because all the ama/moto gp guys do it watch a race you'll see them do it. it's what everyone does.

Answer 9

try turning the bars and see what happens lol

2 things you would either fly over the bars and see bike following you

or you would go in the wrong direction to the one you thourght you would and crash

on a freeway called motorways over here i just have to lean my head in the direction i want to go and i'd move in that direction

Answer 10

I'm with guardrail on this one.
"Everything takes care of it's own" covers a lot.
Thinking about things is good, but if you had done wrong, you would feel it.

I have yet to become "One" with my bike,
but it moves with me. I don't "tell" it what to do, we do it together.