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[Midnight Rider]

Found a couple of interesting articles on something I'm sure everyone is familiar with, with some interesting links for calculating max lean angles, etc.  This article helps explain the benefits of good suspension as well:  http://www.msgroup.org/TIP048.html

This article is also good:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Countersteering

Most of us do this stuff without even thinking about it, but sometimes it helps to be concious of it and practice it a bit, particularly for swerving to miss objects in the road.

[rednectum]

absolutely! you cant len a bike, nor steer it.

[pokerpig]

Its interesting how the Wiki article talks about having the center of gravity of bike + rider shift to the left or right of the wheels to make the bike turn. This can be accomplished by leaning the bike or shifting the riders weight. It’s the offset center of gravity and not the lean than makes the bike turn.

When I first learned to ride, my MSF instructor focused on the need to lean the bike to make turns, and that to make the bike turn more you need to lean more. The bad thing about this is that I learned to lean the bike even to the extent of shifting my weight in the opposite direction in order to lean more! Its especially important on a big touring bike with not much lean clearance to make sure that you are not pushing the bike over too far. In tight turns, you need to shift your body weight so you can keep the bike as upright as possible.

When I watch Harley riders ride the canyons around here, I notice that a lot of them ride in a dangerous way  – butt firmly in the seat, pushing their bikes over with the handlebars until the pipes are scraping.

[nidan]

I started out riding sport bikes in the early 80's and with clip-ons countersteering was the only way to get them into a turn.

Even going through Deals Gap , I don't scrape on my bagger and I'm running a 1" drop on the rear, although I've been through with folks that were grinding floorboards all the time.

 Knowledge is power, the more you know the better and safer the ride gets.

[Midnight Rider]

I started out riding sport bikes in the early 80's and with clip-ons countersteering was the only way to get them into a turn.

Even going through Deals Gap , I don't scrape on my bagger and I'm running a 1" drop on the rear, although I've been through with folks that were grinding floorboards all the time.

 Knowledge is power, the more you know the better and safer the ride gets.

N...same here.  Once you are concious of countersteering, it makes all the difference in the world in handling the bike, avoiding obstacles, etc.  To get a bit tighter radius, it is surprising what just hanging your upper body out to the inside of the turn, bascially looking over the mirror, or around the windshield, will do for lean angle needed to get through the turn without scraping anything.

[Twolanerider]

I thought counter steering was what you did to get past the end of the bar at closing time ?

[Midnight Rider]

I thought counter steering was what you did to get past the end of the bar at closing time ?

The other night, I needed it just to get from the driveway into the basement...I only hit the wall a couple of times on the way in.  Whew...I was high as a kite.  Thank goodness Diva was able to get me home.  Been a really long time since I was dangerously f'd up.

[Twolanerider]

The other night, I needed it just to get from the driveway into the basement...I only hit the wall a couple of times on the way in.  Whew...I was high as a kite.  Thank goodness Diva was able to get me home.  Been a really long time since I was dangerously f'd up.

Listening to Freebird and then stumbling inside to put in a DVD of "The Wall."   

[Midnight Rider]

Listening to Freebird and then stumbling inside to put in a DVD of "The Wall."   

Ran into my buddy, Bo Bice...you can guess the rest....