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Am I the only person around here who keeps
hearing all this talk about ‘counter-steering’?
It seems to me that this buzz-phrase has
grown in notoriety in recent months in certain 2-wheeler communities, which is
hardly surprising given the direct reference it pays to the entire
steering-on-two-wheels debate.
It’s no secret that theory behind what it
takes for us to turn effectively on our respective scooters/motorcycles is very
complicated. After all, it hardly takes the mind of a prodigy to figure out
that it extends far beyond the style and weight of our
chosen jackets and motorcycle
helmets.
Whether or not you’re a rider who has been
just as perplexed with the arrival of this term, or one who has, up until now
at least, been enjoying life just fine without knowledge of it- it is the
intention of this post to get us all to grips with exactly what it means.
Before we delve into the finer details of things however, let’s clear one thing up right now: counter-steering is not a myth! If you’re turning your 2-wheeled automobile at any speed which surpasses a snail’s pace, then you are counter-steering.
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Image Credit : http://www.wikihow.com/Countersteer-(Motorcycle)
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Cone Effect
To get into the mind frame for this next
part I have a rather specific request for you all. Try to imagine, if you will,
a cone. Yes, a typical, unexciting cone. If you were to push the cone as it lay
flat on the ground, it would go round and round in circles, yes?
This is the same as when you lean your
weight from one side to another when atop your scooter or motorcycle, the
direction of the tyre moves from circular and therefore perpetually straight-
to cone shaped and angled. My loose grasp on disciplines of this ilk may not
make it sound so, but this is rather basic physics!
While ‘in’ the turn, we don’t fall as a
result of the gravity pulling us downwards being counteracted by the deviating
force being produced by the very turn we’re partaking in- which is acting to
push us outwards.
During this motion, it is the balance
between the two forces (gravity and the centrifugal repercussions of the turn)
that keep us balanced and upright- not to mention our leather jackets largely un-scuffed. If speed is increased, the
aforementioned ‘deviating force’ (that’s a pretty cool term, isn’t it?) would
ensure the vehicle continues its journey forwards and increasingly upright,
though if it is decreased- gravity will see we soon meet the surface of the
road!
This ‘cone effect’ is what allows us to
steer by increasing or decreasing throttle pressure. If we find a curve in the
road is tightening, we can ease off the gas and the scooter will lean. On the
contrary, if the road is straightening out, more gas will widen the trajectory
of the vehicle.
Counter-Steering
Most of us will have at some point been met
with the immense challenge of biting our tongues as a newbie scooter or
motorcycle rider comes out with: “when you turn left, you actually need to turn
the handlebars right”, or a statement to similar effect.
While this may be a vivid generalization of
the actual case, it is also
technically far from being an untrue statement.
In relation to our centre of gravity as we
ride up-right, our wheels are to the opposite side of the direction we are
riding in. This makes sense due to the fact, as previously covered, that a
scooter or motorcycle turns a certain direction by leaning in that direction.
But when we think about how it is we are able to make a two-wheeled vehicle
lean in the first place- things change. Those newbies in their untouched patch-less vests and dirt-free heeled
motorcycle boots speak the truth,
kind of.
Yes, it’s painful to admit it, but in order
to lean right- one must momentarily and ever so slightly steer left. Making
sense? I hope so, as I’m about to tie things up and suggest why the essence of
the last 600 words matter to us all as scooter riders…
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Image Credit: http://www.wikihow.com/Countersteer-(Motorcycle)
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Counter-steering, above anything else, is
by far the best way to make an unexpected and lightning fast turn in the event
of an emergency situation on the road. Putting this theory into practice is
blissfully simple- you’ll undoubtedly be pleased to know after all of that
mildly complex talk!
Next time you’re out for a ride, get
yourself as straight as possible and gently (I can’t stress how important the
term ‘gently’ is within all of this!) put some forward pressure on the right
side of your handlebars. Unless you’re rocking some pretty far out hard saddlebags then you should find
that you’ll lean left and start to turn left too.
Of course, this how you have always been
turning regardless of any previous obliviousness to the fact- though paying
attention to counter-steering, and furthermore
becoming acutely sensitive to it will enable you to make the quick alterations
to your direction necessary for accident avoidance in the future- and ultimately
help you to become a more capable rider!
