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A motorcycle is too heavy to do this so you you counter-steer to overcome the gyroscopic stability and change the angle of the bike. Essentially you are attemp

by mulmen 4y ago

A motorcycle is too heavy to do this so you you counter-steer to overcome the gyroscopic stability and change the angle of the bike. Essentially you are attempting to destabilize the bike, in a controlled manner. The same physics apply to a bicycle.

andrewflnr 4y ago
FWIW I think that's only mostly true. I'm told there are some situations where you really do just shove the bike over into a lean. Of course even if that's true, it's very much a case of (as I like to put it) the exception that highlights the common case. :)
- engineer_22 4y ago
  Swerving around an obstacle in the road you might do this
  - andrewflnr 4y ago
    Not what I had in mind to say the least. That's definitely one of the premier cases where you either countersteer (hard) or crash.
  - mulmen 4y ago
    Not if you want to avoid the obstacle.
- barrkel 4y ago
  It's possible on a scooter, which has a lower speed, low centre of gravity (so you have more relative leverage) and small wheels (i.e. the amount of spinning mass is less, and closer to the axis of spin). On a big bike with big wheels at high speed, you can only make very gentle adjustments in the lean angle.
- mulmen 4y ago
  As a motorcycle rider I’m not sure what those situations are. Maybe dirt bikes work that way? My street bike is very light by motorcycle standards and it still weighs 400lb wet. It’s not something you can really push around, even at low speeds. Body positioning is critical but that’s different.
  - andrewflnr 4y ago
    I think it was one of David Hough's books, talking about riding on gravel or something relatively niche like that.
    - mulmen 4y ago
      Makes sense, I don’t ride offroad.
the_gipsy 4y ago
You can totally ride hands free on any motorcycle. It's just harder/a wider turn on bigger bikes.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- mulmen 4y ago
  Yes, and you do that with a lean which counter-steers because of front suspension geometry.

by mulmen 4y ago

andrewflnr 4y ago

FWIW I think that's only mostly true. I'm told there are some situations where you really do just shove the bike over into a lean. Of course even if that's true, it's very much a case of (as I like to put it) the exception that highlights the common case. :)

engineer_22 4y ago
Swerving around an obstacle in the road you might do this
- andrewflnr 4y ago
  Not what I had in mind to say the least. That's definitely one of the premier cases where you either countersteer (hard) or crash.
- mulmen 4y ago
  Not if you want to avoid the obstacle.
barrkel 4y ago
It's possible on a scooter, which has a lower speed, low centre of gravity (so you have more relative leverage) and small wheels (i.e. the amount of spinning mass is less, and closer to the axis of spin). On a big bike with big wheels at high speed, you can only make very gentle adjustments in the lean angle.
mulmen 4y ago
As a motorcycle rider I’m not sure what those situations are. Maybe dirt bikes work that way? My street bike is very light by motorcycle standards and it still weighs 400lb wet. It’s not something you can really push around, even at low speeds. Body positioning is critical but that’s different.
- andrewflnr 4y ago
  I think it was one of David Hough's books, talking about riding on gravel or something relatively niche like that.
  - mulmen 4y ago
    Makes sense, I don’t ride offroad.

the_gipsy 4y ago

You can totally ride hands free on any motorcycle. It's just harder/a wider turn on bigger bikes.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
mulmen 4y ago
Yes, and you do that with a lean which counter-steers because of front suspension geometry.