Countersteering. What is it?

The term counter-steering means different things to different people.  Before I started to ride motorcycles, it meant turning the wheel the the same way the rear of the car was going in order to recover from a skid.  On a motorcycle, the term is used to describe how to initiate a turn.

I am not going to bore you with all the details of how and why it works, but I will try to give you a high level understand of what is happening.  A simple way to understand counter steering is to say that if you want to turn right, turn you front wheel to the left by pushing the right handle bar forward.  Of course, the opposite rings true if you want to turn left.  Push the left bar forward.

If we go back to your high school days, you will remember the old adage that your physics teacher told you.  “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  When turning a motorcycle using countersteering, you are looking to achieve the “opposite reaction” of the equation.

The Basic Premise of Counter-Steering on a Motorcycle

At speeds above 20km/hr (roughly 12mph) it’s no longer feasible to turn the handlebars and expect to remain upright.  This is the premise of leaning in to a turn: the shift in weight causes the bike to turn in the direction you lean.  This is also called “push steering” or “lean turning”.

This is very important!
One of the reasons for crashing is because the rider did not lean enough into the turn.  The basic forces at work will ensure that the motorcycle remains upright, so don’t be afraid to lean.  Can you cause the motorcycle to slide by leaning too much?  Yes, but the angle would have to be severe (deeper than the lean-in you see from motorcycle racers).

In other words: lean the bike over while turning!

The forces at work (gyroscopic forces) will always ensure that your motorcycle remains upright, as it takes more force for you to dump the bike over than it does to keep it upright.  If you’re still unsure, click to read more about motorcycle gyroscopic forces.

The Three Step Guide to Effective Counter-Steering

• Step One: Push Down On the Handlebars in the Direction You Want to Turn – This will cause the motorcycle to lean in that direction, upsetting it’s physical balance and hence causing it to turn.

• Step Two: Turn Your Head in the Direction You Want to Go - Keep your eyesight focused on where you want to be.  Ensure that you do this all throughout the turn.

• Step Three: Exit the Turn Smoothly and Apply Throttle if Necessary - After you have made the turn, apply throttle and exit!

That’s all there is to it!  It’s best to try this in a relatively safe area before you hit the streets, so try it in an empty parking lot (or similar).  Once you get over your initial apprehension it becomes a smooth, natural movement.

Ride safe!

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Category: Motorcycle Articles