Asked my instructors on the second day of the course if we were going to go over countersteering. They said "you're already doing that" and I haven't thought about it since.
it is automatic but that doesn't mean you can't be conscious about it. next time you're riding try pushing the inside bar forward and you'll realize just how quickly you can get the bike tipped over compared to just leaning and letting the bike tip itself over. unless you're doing some hazard avoidance it's rarely useful on the street but on the track it's impossible to set good lap times without it.@@Bolensgoldrush
@@Bolensgoldrush Eh. Its automatic, yes. But just watch the short again and think about it. To really make full use of the bike and turn quickly you actively have to counter steer and that doesnt happen automatically.
Hey bro, think of it instead as pushing the left handlebar forward will cause the bike to go left. After you've reach your desired lean angle for the turn, relax on the handlebars Then let them turn in the direction of the turn to stabilize itself and allow the motorcycle to stay on the line you put it on. Youre only there to guide it in the direction it needs to go while managing your speed and available traction. @@kiddfpv
@@cisium1184 On modern MTB's they really are and even a full suspension enduro or a downhill bike behaves pretty much like a modern day motorcycle with decent suspension. But of course these MTB's do cost a decent chunk of change.
Thousands of motorbike riders have accidents because they do not knowingly use counter steering and think there is no time to turn into a tight corner, when in fact there is plenty of time. They just do not know how to turn fast. No matter how many times people like Ryan repeat this, some people do not listen.
@@michaelhoward142 Of course, that's why Keith Code is a "crazy old man" who decided to find out why some profesional racers were quicker than others and who happened to write a few books and founded the most well know racing school in the world. And surprisingly, for you, is making a living teaching something that is, for you, common knowledge. Delusional old man that Mr Code, wasting his time. Go tell him.
@@rafalobo5308 You misunderstood my comment (and missed the "eye roll" emoticon). I was making fun of the same people you commented about not knowing how to use counter steering in corners. Those people THINK they automatically "just know" how to ride and THINK they don't need to learn anything. By the way, I have several of Mr. Code's books and have read and re-read them numerous times since they were published. A Twist of the Wrist Vols I & II are within arms reach as I type this, along with the rest of my stack of moto-related books. Ride Safe. Ride Well. Ride Smart.
I swear to god, I have to fight the urge not to leave this Hudson hornet line of gold under every single video I see talking about counter steering on a bike 😂
First time I rode a 600cc sport bike my mate gave me the solid advice "you're really going to need to push on the bar to get it to turn", coming off a dirt bike he knew I wouldn't be expecting the force involved!
Exactly the same for me, except nobody told me, I had to work it out for myself. Had bought a 400cc road bike and was at first puzzled how to make it lean into turns at speed.
@@mateusseer5353 As long as you didn't blow through too many turns... Watching learners panic and wobble their way straight through a turn is always horrifying.
@@krazed0451 No; i had couuntless hours experience on bicycles, and hours on trailbikes, so i knew what I I shoukd be albe to do, and took it very easy knowing I didn't have the control over it that I wnated. No doubt some with less time on two wheels get into horrific situations.
This makes SOOOOO much more sense, im always on a dirtbike so I've never really known what they meant by countersyeering because the fastest I've ever gone on the road is 80kph.
@@OmegaWalnutChug For sure, you need such small inputs on the wide dirt bike bars. Pushing on the inside bar to tip the bike in is weird at first, but you quickly adapt and the amount of grip on road is confidence inspiring if you're used to sliding about in the dirt :-D
I "learned" to countersteer from Keith Code's book, "A Twist of the Wrist" in 1984. That led me to superbike school at Laguna Seca that same year sharing the track with Jeff Haney and Doug Chandler. Consciously knowing what you are already doing is a game changer and 40 years later I'm still dragging a knee.
@@robertbutler5615That’s a hard fear to conquer, you just have to trust your tires and feel the limit based off your skill level. Try taking some corners slow and gradually up the speed until you meet a safe limit. Just trust your tires.
🎉as a kid in the late sixties I recieved a book for Christmas on the Isle of Mann. The next spring I was perfecting counter steering on my 10 speed bike.
@@2Fast4You-636 that was over 50 years ago. I wish I could remember. I can see the cover in my mind. Was an illustration of a '60's full fairing race bike with the rider all in white, half helmet, goggles and all, gritting his teeth, crouching behind the fairing, the vertical lines in the drawing representing great speed. I remember " The Isle of Mann" being present in the title.
Love how he demonstrated this to others that don't quite understand what he's meaning. To explain... you're essentially making your bike fall over but with enough speed it will keep from fully falling over. You turn left to lean right, or turn right to lean left then control the handle bars to keep the bike where you want in that lean.
It actually has to do with gyroscopic precision. The force applied to a rotating object, the front tire in this case, takes effect 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation. So in a left turn the back side of the tire has a force applied to the left, and 90 degrees later is the top of the tire, which pulls the rest of the bike to the left.
First ever go on a motorbike was a taster course, and my instructor (Gordon Kemp from Taunton in Somerset) said push the bar left and tell me what happens ... wow you push left you go left ... harder you push .... look at me, day 1 Mr K had me doing this thing. He later told me his degree thesis was on this very subject. What a legend Gordon is, thank you Mr Kemp, and you Ryan for bringing this up. Happy memories, i loved learning to ride, still do love the learning it happens every time i ride.
That’s excellent to hear because the minute you think you’ve learned everything about motorcycling, it’s time to stop. Because that’s when you get hurt. I’ve been riding since the early 1980s and I’m still learning.
It's not magical, you're just making the front wheel go slightly out from under the center of the bike, so of course it falls over the other way. Wait until you figure out that the wheel has to point back in the direction you're turning to keep the bike stable in the corner, it'll blow your mind. Once you stop fighting the bars you'll really get somewhere.
So my instructor pulls me and the other student aside after u turn practise and asks "how do you turn a motorcycle?" I'd been riding on my "Ls" for about a year and become obsessed by technique and physics of riding, so i waited for the other student to suggest something, she didnt so i chimed in with "countersteering". The instructor gave me a old fashioned look and responded "thats for advanced riders only" and went on to talk about peg and bar weighting. I gave up listening to him at that point and just used his bike to pass the test.
In the uk you have a two stage license. They also have restricted and unrestricted licences. Stage one is to undertake "compulsory basic training" CBT. You can do this on your learners' licence at 16 or in addition to an existing license. The CBT is valid for two years, after which you either have to redo it, or take your test for either restricted or unrestricted. You can't get an unrestricted licence under the age of 21, however i think after 2 years your unrestricted license upgrades to full. I never investigated that fully as i was 23. Back to the CBT: while riding on your CBT you are limited to 125cc, you must display an L plate front and rear, you can't take a pillion and you can't go on the motorway (i think thats a function of the vehicle size though). You DO NOT have to be accompanied though, so a lot of people just get the cbt to get mobile. This is 'Riding on your "Ls"'. As i wrote, i spent over a year on my L plates, riding everyday, through all weather, and also studying everything motorcycle. I was a student so except for one insurance follow up, i did all my own maintenance, rode everything from busted up lanes to the biggest trunk roads i could find that weren't motorways, took a few sneaky rides with pillions, and yep crashed a bit. Best and worst year ever and only made it out alive because of having that lil bike (Suzuki GN125, glossy black with blue pinstripes). By the time i sold it i'd put another 7000 miles on it, which equalled what it had done since 1994. So after all that when that instructor told me that countersteering was only for advanced riders... i was pretty pissed off, but bottled it up cas i really wanted that full license and already had my eye on a mates NC27 Honda CB-1.
Training wheels on childres bikes are outdated. Give them a small 2-wheeled bike with no pedals as a start. Then they learn balance and countersteering by themself.
I mean, you can't not?? The only way to turn a motorcycle is by counter steering. Or at least to turn tighter than a football field. The only other way is by only leaning, and that is incredibly slow
@@blackwing1362 You have clearly never been to India. Leaning is how we steer. Yes, it is less efficient than counter steering, but that's the only way we know how.
@ultramondal but he's right, LITERALLY the ONLY WAY to lean/steer a motorcycle/bicycle is to countersteer. Countersteering is just less obvious at super slow speeds but it still takes effect. It's much more apparent when traveling fast, but even at 1mph, countersteering happens.
You can't ride a bike without knowing counter steering (subconsciously), you've been doing it the whole time bud. You've just learned how to use it to your advantage and be conscious of it.
@@Gobbbbb Actually, I’m not sure I have been doing it? Only been riding a few months. I agree though, experienced riders who’ve not heard the term before are doing it anyway.
@@StagvanHeuten You've certainly been doing it. The fundamental way to move while at speed is with counter steer and body lean. You've only consciously noticed cause you're taking turns at daring speeds now, making you put emphasis on the counter steer
@@salmon4o4 ah ok! I’m certainly turning a lot easier now than a few months back. In the beginning I couldn’t understand why I’d swing out on bends, then my son told me to turn my head in the direction I wanted to go.. this helped. Then recently I saw a video on counter steering, went out and tried it, and within minutes I was doing it and turning much easier and better - even at slow speeds, like on roundabouts for example.
I think the first week of riding a motorcycle. I rode bicycles a lot throughout my childhood, but given the weight difference, first time i had a long empty straight road doing about 50mph , I recall gently wobbling the handlebars to not only get a feel for that, but also for continuing straight if i hit unexpected things on the road.
Hey hey ....Thankyou my friend for bringing this to the masses ....when I was doing my basic training, direct access and passed my test ....counter steering was NOT mentioned once .... counter steering was something that I found out about myself in the year after I qualified ....IT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO WHEN CONTROLLING A BIKE THROUGH THE TWISTIES ...THANKS AGAIN ...this should be part of the basic training programme
I had a very similar experience; first road bike, couldn't make it turn through bends at speed. After a few weeks, I stumbled on the idea of countersteering. What a revelation! ow!!!
My 2 cents of doing it is, when I wanna turn left I turn my handlebar slightly to the right, then the bike will "fall" to the left. From then on, it's more of the leaning and weight transfer that makes the turn. But will not work if the bike is super slow like maybe less than 5kph.
As others have stated just started doing it long before I knew it was a thing so can't even say when I started, Love all the Fort Nine Videos the Humor thrown in really helps also please keep doing what you do many thanks for all your time and effort
Ryan provides the best explanation of countersteering I’ve seen or heard, but there’s no need to overthink it; just ride, and you’ll countersteer intuitively. It’s the only way that works. If you’ve ever ridden a bicycle, you already know how.
I figured out the phenomenon back when I was a kid on my first bike. I noticed that my front tire marks in the dirt swayed to the left before I turned right and vice-versa. Didn't know what the word for it was for a long time, though.
Found out about it after dropping my bike going into cornering. Kept trying to figure out why I had failed on a corner I had taken multiple times before. I target fixated and didn’t counter-steer. Watched videos on TH-cam of people lowsiding and reading comments, strangely enough.
I had this bike one time. The fuel filled up the cylinder and hydrolock. The engine so removed only one of the 2 spare plugs then turned it over to expel the fuel. The other spark plug ignited the fuel and send. A very impressive ferocious fireball up between my legs and over my head. It was pretty awesome because I didn't get hurt
We want videos of the almighty, not shorts of him, Ryan deserves the 13 minutes more than this 39 second montage stuff you’re falling into, but I do still enjoy seeing new content from yall, much love
@@jaredlancaster4137 yes, I understand you, but I am acting like a baby about them posting shorts because funny. I am always on top of their posts and have been for the last while, thanks.
This brings back memories of my beginner days making super wide, slow turns. Thanks to videos like this, I learned so much about how to properly ride. 👍
I'm not a biker, I don't intend to ride one and this is the first time I see this channel in my feed. I'm just leaving this comment to let you know that I love the camera work. Great job!
In Denmark while getting your licence we were taught countersteering immediately after learning setting off and stopping, they sort off whip it into you from the start.
Same in Finland. We have a standardized handling test as part of the license requirements. It includes an hazard evasion test which you probably wont pass if you dont actively countersteer.
I watched twist of the wrist in my late 30s. From that day on when riding I concentrated on countersteering in every turn. I'm a daily rider living in Southern California. In about 3 months it became automatic. 6 months good at it. In one year, I was riding better than ever. Friends I rode with for years ,all of a sudden cou l d not keep up with me in the mountains! I still continue to improve. But the thing that stands out the most, is I have never once gone wide in a turn since the day I started countersteering. I strongly believe my life has been saved. I used to go wide every once in a while. You will only get away with going wide for so long. I think it's the single most important skill a rider needs.
I was 5 years old, so 1979, on a dirt bike part of the practice track had an old bit of paved service road. I came off the dirt and tried to steer left but went right. Did that several times until i crashed into a chain link fence. I somehow ripped my toe open and had to go to the emergency room. While waiting to get stitches by father who used to race street bikes explained counter steer, a lesson i never forgot!
Best to learn this at slower speeds but tighter places, then increase the pace. Helps grasp the concept better of you practice it one something with handlebars that isn't a bike
We were taught the technique in our MSF, and I try to use it a few times when I'm out riding. Still newish, so it still feels foreign to me, but I'm getting there.
I watched so many of yours and yammie's videos for the longest time that once I got comfortable within the first week of riding I was already focusing on countersteering
Just started riding last month and started doing the curvy roads last week. I started doing this yesterday wondering if I'd been doing it wrong until then, and saw this today! The difference is night and day and it's so much more fun. In the MSF I took they focused more on body position in turns and didn't really talk as much about counter steering, so we didn't perceive it being as important as body position.
I put a 125cc on the pegs thru a corner durring my course, the one guy said "bro how long you been riding for?!" I said, "today." Bought a 750cc the next day.
@@pb4920 my 750 is a girls bike? It does 331kmh, not sure too many girls, Actually Gunna ride it, I weigh 128lb so yea it's a girls bike Hahaha catch me.
Here in europe you learn that all in driving school, you have to visit to get a license. 12 theory lessons and 12 practical lassons is minimum. So everyone here learned this. But most don't do it, cause if you have small wheels, for example on a scooter, or if you are to slow, or its shitty weather, counter steer will bring most drivers to fall.
When I first rode twisties with some more experienced riders, the body lean just wasn't cutting it on my cruiser when the speed picked up. Thought I needed a sportier bike, but realized I just had to learn to countersteer.
then i raced on track with my Yamaha R6 in some tight turns i put my elbow against the fuel tank to make sure it did not counter steer to less. cuz some corners it´s was really hard due to the speed and gyro effect in the front wheel.
Well I guess the answer is I first countersteered when I first rode a bicycle in about 1960. However, I first consciously did it in about 1984 after buying and pouring over "A twist ot the wrist."
I remember when I first started getting into motorcycles as a kid and learning about countersteering. I proceeded to try it pretty aggressively on my friends pedal bike. I chickened out in the middle of the turn and stopped committing to the lean and the bike threw me off high side immediately. I went flying off the trail and tumbled in the dirt and rocks on the side, but was ok 😅. Anyway, I learned that day that if you worry you’re going to scrape a peg hard or low side the bike in a turn because you’re leaned in too hard…. Just low side it and let the bike slide away. Do not make some hasty decision to try to over correct the lean angle at some speed and get kicked off the other direction with you in the air and the motorcycle following the same line shortly behind you.
I didn't think about it until I learned what it was then I realized that I wasn't pulling the right bar to turn right, instead I was slightly pushing it. Hasn't changed my riding, now it's just a fun quirk to think about in curves
Finally someone that gets it! People usually fight their bikes leaning and stealing wrong! Most of them crash because of this. Counter steering = steering in the direction opposite the corner with your bars.
Up until yesterday I hadn’t ridden anything other than my 1000cc sport bike with a steering dampener (my first and only bike, never took msf course) and hopping on my friends xt225 was hilariously terrifying. The amount of force needed to counter steer is mind blowingly light I felt like I could blow on the handlebars and they would turn. I nearly died a dozen times riding the corners too tight😂
When my dad gave me my first motorcycle, when I was 14, my first ride and lesson, theoretical and practical. The practical part was in the forest, with bikers friends of my dad, who was not. They had a trial Bultaco and one Montesa while mine was a road Kreidler Florett RS. So it was on my first day, 67 years ago... 😉 I'll never forget. The question: when you pull the handlebars to the left, where do the bike go? Then try it. The first thing before getting on my bike for the first time. 😀
I started using counter steering back in the late seventies. That's when I learned about it. We all do it without knowing about it. I rode for around ten years before finding out how it worked. Once I learned how to apply the knowledge, a huge door opened in front of me. I think I'm one of the lucky ones as I didn't end my !ife before finding out about it.
I think all of the confusion comes into play because different people mean different things when they say or hear "counter steering". There's full on 'backing it in" when you're counter steering a power slide like a drift car driver or dirt track track racer. There's basic MSF course "push your left grip to lean left and turn left" steering to go around the corners at speed. There's the "the only steering is counter steering" argument that can be backed up with physics but we all know at low speeds with the bike strait up and down you can turn your bars left to turn left even though maybe science says that didn't happen. It's more like slowing down enough to almost come to a stop, point the bike in a new direction then go again in a new direction. It works but it's not even really steering a moving motorcycle or useful in riding beyond a 7 year old learning to trail ride. Counter steering is an overused term and pointless to think about beyond push left will make you lean left and turn left if that's not already ingrained in your psyche.
My older cousin who always rode motorbikes told me about it in the 80s and I tested it out on my mag burner BMX. Works the same but better on a motorbike… Been doing it ever since 👍
Here is the problem with counter steering: You do it without thinking when you ride. Everyone does it whether they know it or not. It's when you get into an emergency situation, you are a little hot into a turn or you are drifting off the line then you wrench the bars trying to turn and the bike stands up and makes the situation worse. If you do not practice counter steering you will not act right in an emergency.
I was getting ready to get my M1 by watching motorcycle accident videos to see what not to do. The video of the guy riding right into a firetruck on a curve made me extremely aware of counter steering
This is something some people naturally understand as a kid riding a bike. I never thought about it. I just did it to shift weight quickly. Until I went to get my motorcycle permit and was reading up on how to ride better, did I realize I had been doing this same thing since i was a kid. Little push from the hand on the same side I'm trying to turn would get a quick dump into a hard angle to then get your weight centered, and you can make pretty abrupt changes in direction with little effort. I watched this channel years ago when I was looking up road bike tips. BMX and dirt bikes growing up helps but the road is a different animal.
Instructions unclear, I have a road railing inside my abdominal cavity right now and my motorcycle is currently accelerating at the rate of 9.8m/s down a cliff.
Counter steering is now (i dont know if it was or wasn't before) part of getting your lisence for motorcycles where i'm from. Even got some questions about it on the theory test
You could not be more correct. I still remember the first time counter. Steering concept was fully realized in my monkey brain and it revolutionize the way I ride motorcycles. Now granted, I was counter steering all the time because that’s the only way to control a motorcycle. However, I didn’t know I was doing it. Once I learned what I was doing, it really did change everything.
I've been riding bycicles since i was 3 or somthing. And I only just realized yesterday after watching your video on it thay you have to counter steer... 16 years of riding and didn't know I was doing it
if you bend your handlebars while steering on the road, you either have pretty magnificent roads over there or are doing a little over the speed limit :D
It is completely unheard of for a racer to bend their bars counter steering. 😂 When I first started racing one of the first things I was taught was “don’t counter steer”
On my bicycle when someone explained what I was in fact actually doing when turning. Then I went out on my bicycle and confirmed it. My mind was blown.
I learned counter steering and trail braking instantly the day i accidentally came up on a unexpected sharp S turn going close to triple digits back in the day as a newer rider and didn’t even think I just did. Scary shit if you don’t have experience.
Countersteering is the thing that we do automatically when turning. We just kean into it and it happens. However, it is important to know in emergency situations. There was a poor guy that attempted to corner right by turning his handle bar at high speeds to avoid a collision. This action left him bouncing left straight into the oncoming vehicle. Unsurprisingly, he crashed. It's good to know, but don't think about it too much. Practice your knowledge when the thought occurs and you'll be on your way to safely avoiding disaster.
I’m still mad at a guy who said I was wrong talking about counter steering after a couple of weeks on the bike.. lots of youtube videos before riding a bike in vietnam served me well!
Read about counter steering in either Cycle or Cycle World back in the 70s, big discussion about it among a bunch of riders on the same work crew. End result, a few more articles and some practice and implementation of said system. Turns out many of us were already doing most of that to some extent while riding already. Knowing though made it better in riding going forward. 😎🍺☮️
Counter steering saved my life a couple times The most impressive was when I was just cruising on the left lane when I began hearing a far away car honking and flashing his lights behind me, I counter steered so hard to get out of the way I even lost traction for a fraction of a second (I think, the tires made a brief high pitched noise) I was already above the speed limit, doing 130kmh where the limit was 100, but that car was probably going above 200
ive talked to a couple older harley riders who have rode almost their entire life and they say they dont counter steer. its crazy people dont understand it, despite doing it since the beginning
It depends on the geometry of the bike. On my Honda VF750F it was very noticeable. When making a turn the bike practically countersteered by itself as soon as you start leaning into the curve
![เบิ้ล ปทุมราช - อ้ายกินดอง น้องลาบงัว ft. สแน็ก อัจฉรีย์ [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-OK--KaSPcI/mqdefault.jpg)
Asked my instructors on the second day of the course if we were going to go over countersteering. They said "you're already doing that" and I haven't thought about it since.
I don't really get why so many people talk about counter steering. It's kind of automatic.
it is automatic but that doesn't mean you can't be conscious about it. next time you're riding try pushing the inside bar forward and you'll realize just how quickly you can get the bike tipped over compared to just leaning and letting the bike tip itself over. unless you're doing some hazard avoidance it's rarely useful on the street but on the track it's impossible to set good lap times without it.@@Bolensgoldrush
@@Bolensgoldrush Eh. Its automatic, yes. But just watch the short again and think about it. To really make full use of the bike and turn quickly you actively have to counter steer and that doesnt happen automatically.
Even though i do it myself i can’t wrap my brain around “left makes bike go right”😂 EVEN THOUGH IM LITERALLY COUNTER STEERING
Hey bro, think of it instead as pushing the left handlebar forward will cause the bike to go left. After you've reach your desired lean angle for the turn, relax on the handlebars
Then let them turn in the direction of the turn to stabilize itself and allow the motorcycle to stay on the line you put it on. Youre only there to guide it in the direction it needs to go while managing your speed and available traction. @@kiddfpv
The day I subconsciously "figured out" how to balance my bicycle when I first learned how to ride as a child.
Literally😂
Same
Yup. Learning how the brakes worked was the part I had to focus on, bc they are not quite the same.
Absolutely
@@cisium1184 On modern MTB's they really are and even a full suspension enduro or a downhill bike behaves pretty much like a modern day motorcycle with decent suspension.
But of course these MTB's do cost a decent chunk of change.
Thousands of motorbike riders have accidents because they do not knowingly use counter steering and think there is no time to turn into a tight corner, when in fact there is plenty of time. They just do not know how to turn fast. No matter how many times people like Ryan repeat this, some people do not listen.
Those people "just know" how to ride. 🙄
The best fix for target fixation!
@@michaelhoward142 Of course, that's why Keith Code is a "crazy old man" who decided to find out why some profesional racers were quicker than others and who happened to write a few books and founded the most well know racing school in the world. And surprisingly, for you, is making a living teaching something that is, for you, common knowledge. Delusional old man that Mr Code, wasting his time. Go tell him.
@@rafalobo5308 You misunderstood my comment (and missed the "eye roll" emoticon). I was making fun of the same people you commented about not knowing how to use counter steering in corners. Those people THINK they automatically "just know" how to ride and THINK they don't need to learn anything.
By the way, I have several of Mr. Code's books and have read and re-read them numerous times since they were published. A Twist of the Wrist Vols I & II are within arms reach as I type this, along with the rest of my stack of moto-related books.
Ride Safe. Ride Well. Ride Smart.
@@michaelhoward142 My most sincere apologies, completely misunderstood your comment. Ride safe mate.
"Turn RIGHT to go LEFT!!!"
-The Hudson Hornet
He did what in his cup???
Shit, time to rewatch the movie!
My son approves of this comment
Was gonna type this lmfao 🤣
I swear to god, I have to fight the urge not to leave this Hudson hornet line of gold under every single video I see talking about counter steering on a bike 😂
First time I rode a 600cc sport bike my mate gave me the solid advice "you're really going to need to push on the bar to get it to turn", coming off a dirt bike he knew I wouldn't be expecting the force involved!
Exactly the same for me, except nobody told me, I had to work it out for myself. Had bought a 400cc road bike and was at first puzzled how to make it lean into turns at speed.
@@mateusseer5353 As long as you didn't blow through too many turns... Watching learners panic and wobble their way straight through a turn is always horrifying.
@@krazed0451 No; i had couuntless hours experience on bicycles, and hours on trailbikes, so i knew what I I shoukd be albe to do, and took it very easy knowing I didn't have the control over it that I wnated.
No doubt some with less time on two wheels get into horrific situations.
This makes SOOOOO much more sense, im always on a dirtbike so I've never really known what they meant by countersyeering because the fastest I've ever gone on the road is 80kph.
@@OmegaWalnutChug For sure, you need such small inputs on the wide dirt bike bars. Pushing on the inside bar to tip the bike in is weird at first, but you quickly adapt and the amount of grip on road is confidence inspiring if you're used to sliding about in the dirt :-D
I "learned" to countersteer from Keith Code's book, "A Twist of the Wrist" in 1984. That led me to superbike school at Laguna Seca that same year sharing the track with Jeff Haney and Doug Chandler. Consciously knowing what you are already doing is a game changer and 40 years later I'm still dragging a knee.
A twist of the wrist is a fantastic book, so is the second one but I can't remember the name of it.
I'm just scared of the tires losing grip but idk how to get over that 🤷♀️
@@robertbutler5615 Go to the track and see how low you can go. It's amazing what kind of grip you have.
@@robertbutler5615That’s a hard fear to conquer, you just have to trust your tires and feel the limit based off your skill level. Try taking some corners slow and gradually up the speed until you meet a safe limit. Just trust your tires.
@@robertbutler5615trust the bike
🎉as a kid in the late sixties I recieved a book for Christmas on the Isle of Mann. The next spring I was perfecting counter steering on my 10 speed bike.
Best beginner bike is a bicycle
"10 speed" let me know you’re as old as I am. 🤣
What's the name of the book pls?
@@2Fast4You-636 that was over 50 years ago. I wish I could remember. I can see the cover in my mind. Was an illustration of a '60's full fairing race bike with the rider all in white, half helmet, goggles and all, gritting his teeth, crouching behind the fairing, the vertical lines in the drawing representing great speed. I remember " The Isle of Mann" being present in the title.
P.S., sorry for the misspelling. Old habit. It is of course spelled with only one n.
Love how he demonstrated this to others that don't quite understand what he's meaning. To explain... you're essentially making your bike fall over but with enough speed it will keep from fully falling over. You turn left to lean right, or turn right to lean left then control the handle bars to keep the bike where you want in that lean.
That’s not even what counter steering is
It actually has to do with gyroscopic precision. The force applied to a rotating object, the front tire in this case, takes effect 90 degrees later in the direction of rotation. So in a left turn the back side of the tire has a force applied to the left, and 90 degrees later is the top of the tire, which pulls the rest of the bike to the left.
@@dakotalorber Noop. Gyroscopic effects are minor when it comes to controlling a bike.
He die explain it in great detail, you just have to watch the full video.
Trust me, it's very much worth it!
Counter steering means pushing left to go left, and pushing right to go right...
First ever go on a motorbike was a taster course, and my instructor (Gordon Kemp from Taunton in Somerset) said push the bar left and tell me what happens ... wow you push left you go left ... harder you push .... look at me, day 1 Mr K had me doing this thing. He later told me his degree thesis was on this very subject. What a legend Gordon is, thank you Mr Kemp, and you Ryan for bringing this up. Happy memories, i loved learning to ride, still do love the learning it happens every time i ride.
That’s excellent to hear because the minute you think you’ve learned everything about motorcycling, it’s time to stop. Because that’s when you get hurt. I’ve been riding since the early 1980s and I’m still learning.
Push the bar left or push the left bar?
@@thromboidpush the left bar forward to steer left 👍🍺🇬🇧
A big "oo arr Zummerzet" from Thailand
I still remember the first time I ever counter steered consciously, it was magical pointing the handle bar one way and going the other haha
It's like walking into a different dimension.
It's not magical, you're just making the front wheel go slightly out from under the center of the bike, so of course it falls over the other way.
Wait until you figure out that the wheel has to point back in the direction you're turning to keep the bike stable in the corner, it'll blow your mind. Once you stop fighting the bars you'll really get somewhere.
So my instructor pulls me and the other student aside after u turn practise and asks "how do you turn a motorcycle?" I'd been riding on my "Ls" for about a year and become obsessed by technique and physics of riding, so i waited for the other student to suggest something, she didnt so i chimed in with "countersteering". The instructor gave me a old fashioned look and responded "thats for advanced riders only" and went on to talk about peg and bar weighting. I gave up listening to him at that point and just used his bike to pass the test.
💯
Wtf is riding on your “Ls” I’ve ridden for years and don’t know what you’re talking about
In the uk you have a two stage license. They also have restricted and unrestricted licences.
Stage one is to undertake "compulsory basic training" CBT. You can do this on your learners' licence at 16 or in addition to an existing license. The CBT is valid for two years, after which you either have to redo it, or take your test for either restricted or unrestricted.
You can't get an unrestricted licence under the age of 21, however i think after 2 years your unrestricted license upgrades to full. I never investigated that fully as i was 23.
Back to the CBT: while riding on your CBT you are limited to 125cc, you must display an L plate front and rear, you can't take a pillion and you can't go on the motorway (i think thats a function of the vehicle size though). You DO NOT have to be accompanied though, so a lot of people just get the cbt to get mobile. This is 'Riding on your "Ls"'.
As i wrote, i spent over a year on my L plates, riding everyday, through all weather, and also studying everything motorcycle. I was a student so except for one insurance follow up, i did all my own maintenance, rode everything from busted up lanes to the biggest trunk roads i could find that weren't motorways, took a few sneaky rides with pillions, and yep crashed a bit. Best and worst year ever and only made it out alive because of having that lil bike (Suzuki GN125, glossy black with blue pinstripes). By the time i sold it i'd put another 7000 miles on it, which equalled what it had done since 1994.
So after all that when that instructor told me that countersteering was only for advanced riders... i was pretty pissed off, but bottled it up cas i really wanted that full license and already had my eye on a mates NC27 Honda CB-1.
So that instructor would consider a six year old that just learned how to steer a bicycle an “advanced” rider. Okay…😊
@@mikescarborough9196To be fair a toddler can learn to walk but try getting him to explain how…
Be sure to do that on a patch of sand too. Helps with the lean 😂
Yep, you get ALL the lean instantly.
That's why racers bend their bars on a turn
@Cheesusrice69222 😂😂😂 that must be what he is talking about!! 😂😂
I still wonder how to handle a patch of sand on asphalt while leaning.
@@NghiaHoang-nt4ib don’t hit it, or stand the bike up for a split second if you have to!
Front brake to counter steer sharper, throttle out to lift the bike back up. Learning to trail brake is essential.
When the stabilisers came off my bike as a child. I just didn't know I was doing it!
Training wheels on childres bikes are outdated. Give them a small 2-wheeled bike with no pedals as a start. Then they learn balance and countersteering by themself.
I have been riding for 14 years, and I 'wasn't already doing that'. Thanks man, tried it. Took away so much fatigue. 😊
I mean, you can't not?? The only way to turn a motorcycle is by counter steering. Or at least to turn tighter than a football field. The only other way is by only leaning, and that is incredibly slow
@@blackwing1362 You have clearly never been to India. Leaning is how we steer. Yes, it is less efficient than counter steering, but that's the only way we know how.
@ultramondal but he's right, LITERALLY the ONLY WAY to lean/steer a motorcycle/bicycle is to countersteer. Countersteering is just less obvious at super slow speeds but it still takes effect. It's much more apparent when traveling fast, but even at 1mph, countersteering happens.
Counter steering was a game changer for me when I learnt it. So simple but boy what a difference when cornering!
You can't ride a bike without knowing counter steering (subconsciously), you've been doing it the whole time bud. You've just learned how to use it to your advantage and be conscious of it.
@@Gobbbbb Actually, I’m not sure I have been doing it? Only been riding a few months. I agree though, experienced riders who’ve not heard the term before are doing it anyway.
@@StagvanHeuten You've certainly been doing it. The fundamental way to move while at speed is with counter steer and body lean. You've only consciously noticed cause you're taking turns at daring speeds now, making you put emphasis on the counter steer
@@salmon4o4 ah ok! I’m certainly turning a lot easier now than a few months back. In the beginning I couldn’t understand why I’d swing out on bends, then my son told me to turn my head in the direction I wanted to go.. this helped. Then recently I saw a video on counter steering, went out and tried it, and within minutes I was doing it and turning much easier and better - even at slow speeds, like on roundabouts for example.
@@StagvanHeutenwatch his entire video on the matter. It will answer all of your questions. Last video he did
I think the first week of riding a motorcycle. I rode bicycles a lot throughout my childhood, but given the weight difference, first time i had a long empty straight road doing about 50mph , I recall gently wobbling the handlebars to not only get a feel for that, but also for continuing straight if i hit unexpected things on the road.
Hey hey ....Thankyou my friend for bringing this to the masses ....when I was doing my basic training, direct access and passed my test ....counter steering was NOT mentioned once .... counter steering was something that I found out about myself in the year after I qualified ....IT IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO WHEN CONTROLLING A BIKE THROUGH THE TWISTIES ...THANKS AGAIN ...this should be part of the basic training programme
I had a very similar experience; first road bike, couldn't make it turn through bends at speed. After a few weeks, I stumbled on the idea of countersteering. What a revelation! ow!!!
Been counter steering since day 1 on the bike, grew up riding, had plenty of experienced riders telling me tips as well
My 2 cents of doing it is, when I wanna turn left I turn my handlebar slightly to the right, then the bike will "fall" to the left. From then on, it's more of the leaning and weight transfer that makes the turn. But will not work if the bike is super slow like maybe less than 5kph.
As others have stated just started doing it long before I knew it was a thing so can't even say when I started, Love all the Fort Nine Videos the Humor thrown in really helps also please keep doing what you do many thanks for all your time and effort
Ryan provides the best explanation of countersteering I’ve seen or heard, but there’s no need to overthink it; just ride, and you’ll countersteer intuitively. It’s the only way that works. If you’ve ever ridden a bicycle, you already know how.
I figured out the phenomenon back when I was a kid on my first bike. I noticed that my front tire marks in the dirt swayed to the left before I turned right and vice-versa. Didn't know what the word for it was for a long time, though.
Found out about it after dropping my bike going into cornering. Kept trying to figure out why I had failed on a corner I had taken multiple times before.
I target fixated and didn’t counter-steer. Watched videos on TH-cam of people lowsiding and reading comments, strangely enough.
Counter steering is a necessity on a 900 lb couch. Because if you dont that big bertha will put you in to a closed casket
Countersteering is a necessity on all bicycles and motorcycles, regardless of size or weight.
What the heck is that totally cool looking bike? Never seen one before.
Now, that you've said it! 🤔
From down below: Suzuki rv
Suzuki van van
OK as a first bike but tbh they're shit. I own a 125, it's way underpowered even for a 125.
I had this bike one time. The fuel filled up the cylinder and hydrolock. The engine so removed only one of the 2 spare plugs then turned it over to expel the fuel. The other spark plug ignited the fuel and send. A very impressive ferocious fireball up between my legs and over my head. It was pretty awesome because I didn't get hurt
Uh, cool.
We want videos of the almighty, not shorts of him, Ryan deserves the 13 minutes more than this 39 second montage stuff you’re falling into, but I do still enjoy seeing new content from yall, much love
It's part of a longer video
It's too grab the attention of new people. (I think)
This is literally a part cut from the 13 minute video you're asking for. You can go and watch it, it exists.
@@jaredlancaster4137 yes, I understand you, but I am acting like a baby about them posting shorts because funny. I am always on top of their posts and have been for the last while, thanks.
This brings back memories of my beginner days making super wide, slow turns. Thanks to videos like this, I learned so much about how to properly ride. 👍
I'm not a biker, I don't intend to ride one and this is the first time I see this channel in my feed. I'm just leaving this comment to let you know that I love the camera work. Great job!
In Denmark while getting your licence we were taught countersteering immediately after learning setting off and stopping, they sort off whip it into you from the start.
Same in Finland. We have a standardized handling test as part of the license requirements. It includes an hazard evasion test which you probably wont pass if you dont actively countersteer.
Similar to Australia
“Body steering” doesn’t work as well as using the bars. Keith Code built the “no bs” bike to prove it.
Nothing left on the table. I use it a lot and hard. Keeps the body nimble so you can add lean as you need
Dirt drifting long before I got a drivers license. I don't know when I learned, but I always have on the road.
Nice Suzuki 👍🏽
I watched twist of the wrist in my late 30s. From that day on when riding I concentrated on countersteering in every turn. I'm a daily rider living in Southern California. In about 3 months it became automatic. 6 months good at it. In one year, I was riding better than ever. Friends I rode with for years ,all of a sudden cou l d not keep up with me in the mountains! I still continue to improve. But the thing that stands out the most, is I have never once gone wide in a turn since the day I started countersteering. I strongly believe my life has been saved. I used to go wide every once in a while. You will only get away with going wide for so long. I think it's the single most important skill a rider needs.
Can be vital in saving you from collisions mid turn, you would be surprised how hard the bike will dip in from hard countersteering 👍
So true... Used to instruct and many riders don't get this (plus not that easy to explain)
I was 5 years old, so 1979, on a dirt bike part of the practice track had an old bit of paved service road. I came off the dirt and tried to steer left but went right. Did that several times until i crashed into a chain link fence. I somehow ripped my toe open and had to go to the emergency room. While waiting to get stitches by father who used to race street bikes explained counter steer, a lesson i never forgot!
I think it was one of your how-to lessons that I binge watched during COVID lockdowns. It was the only REAL news at the time.
Best to learn this at slower speeds but tighter places, then increase the pace. Helps grasp the concept better of you practice it one something with handlebars that isn't a bike
We were taught the technique in our MSF, and I try to use it a few times when I'm out riding. Still newish, so it still feels foreign to me, but I'm getting there.
I watched so many of yours and yammie's videos for the longest time that once I got comfortable within the first week of riding I was already focusing on countersteering
Just started riding last month and started doing the curvy roads last week. I started doing this yesterday wondering if I'd been doing it wrong until then, and saw this today! The difference is night and day and it's so much more fun. In the MSF I took they focused more on body position in turns and didn't really talk as much about counter steering, so we didn't perceive it being as important as body position.
I put a 125cc on the pegs thru a corner durring my course, the one guy said "bro how long you been riding for?!" I said, "today."
Bought a 750cc the next day.
Wow! A baby bike to a girl's bike good job!
@@pb4920baby bike my ass, in Europe we can't ride anything else till 18
@@pb4920 my 750 is a girls bike? It does 331kmh, not sure too many girls, Actually Gunna ride it, I weigh 128lb so yea it's a girls bike Hahaha catch me.
@@reen6904 okay .... teens don't need liter bikes but im sure you can play around with some dirt bikes
@@andrewmasonwerdna dam your feet probably don't even touch the ground. You should be on a smaller bike like a 3 or 2 cylinder or even a grom 😆
In soviet Canada, corner take you
Soviet Canada?
What?
@@donzo4784told tell me you have never heard a Soviet Russia/Soviet whatever joke
@@oyeog77yes soviet russia, sure,
canada?
@@donzo4784 the guy in the video is Canadian 🤦
I learned to counter steer after 2 years by myself in motocross into ruts and it's fun to do when you get the hang of it
Here in europe you learn that all in driving school, you have to visit to get a license. 12 theory lessons and 12 practical lassons is minimum. So everyone here learned this. But most don't do it, cause if you have small wheels, for example on a scooter, or if you are to slow, or its shitty weather, counter steer will bring most drivers to fall.
When I first rode twisties with some more experienced riders, the body lean just wasn't cutting it on my cruiser when the speed picked up. Thought I needed a sportier bike, but realized I just had to learn to countersteer.
If you are cornering, you are countersteering. Period.
It's not complicated, but explaining it is counterintuitive.
‘Ghost ride’ a bicycle and it will automatically countersteer itself to stay upright.
Watch a speed wobble crash. The rider gets tossed off, and then the bike straightens up and rolls away.
then i raced on track with my Yamaha R6 in some tight turns i put my elbow against the fuel tank to make sure it did not counter steer to less. cuz some corners it´s was really hard due to the speed and gyro effect in the front wheel.
Well I guess the answer is I first countersteered when I first rode a bicycle in about 1960. However, I first consciously did it in about 1984 after buying and pouring over "A twist ot the wrist."
I remember when I first started getting into motorcycles as a kid and learning about countersteering. I proceeded to try it pretty aggressively on my friends pedal bike. I chickened out in the middle of the turn and stopped committing to the lean and the bike threw me off high side immediately. I went flying off the trail and tumbled in the dirt and rocks on the side, but was ok 😅. Anyway, I learned that day that if you worry you’re going to scrape a peg hard or low side the bike in a turn because you’re leaned in too hard…. Just low side it and let the bike slide away. Do not make some hasty decision to try to over correct the lean angle at some speed and get kicked off the other direction with you in the air and the motorcycle following the same line shortly behind you.
I didn't think about it until I learned what it was then I realized that I wasn't pulling the right bar to turn right, instead I was slightly pushing it. Hasn't changed my riding, now it's just a fun quirk to think about in curves
I never actually thought ONCE about counter steering, from day one and still many years later 😅
Finally someone that gets it!
People usually fight their bikes leaning and stealing wrong!
Most of them crash because of this.
Counter steering = steering in the direction opposite the corner with your bars.
It was just intuitive. I never thought about in 55+ years of motorcycling.
I know you guys already know how to do it. I been riding for a long time and it is still hard for me to get that confidence to counter steer.
Up until yesterday I hadn’t ridden anything other than my 1000cc sport bike with a steering dampener (my first and only bike, never took msf course) and hopping on my friends xt225 was hilariously terrifying. The amount of force needed to counter steer is mind blowingly light I felt like I could blow on the handlebars and they would turn. I nearly died a dozen times riding the corners too tight😂
I just started doing it a long time ago but never told anyone about it .... wasn't sure I should be doing it, but it worked
When my dad gave me my first motorcycle, when I was 14, my first ride and lesson, theoretical and practical. The practical part was in the forest, with bikers friends of my dad, who was not. They had a trial Bultaco and one Montesa while mine was a road Kreidler Florett RS. So it was on my first day, 67 years ago... 😉
I'll never forget. The question: when you pull the handlebars to the left, where do the bike go? Then try it. The first thing before getting on my bike for the first time. 😀
It’s a trippy feeling. Mechanically makes sense but just the thought of pushing forward instead of back 😅
I started using counter steering back in the late seventies. That's when I learned about it. We all do it without knowing about it. I rode for around ten years before finding out how it worked. Once I learned how to apply the knowledge, a huge door opened in front of me. I think I'm one of the lucky ones as I didn't end my !ife before finding out about it.
...I always admired this bike❤, never had one tho
I think all of the confusion comes into play because different people mean different things when they say or hear "counter steering".
There's full on 'backing it in" when you're counter steering a power slide like a drift car driver or dirt track track racer.
There's basic MSF course "push your left grip to lean left and turn left" steering to go around the corners at speed.
There's the "the only steering is counter steering" argument that can be backed up with physics but we all know at low speeds with the bike strait up and down you can turn your bars left to turn left even though maybe science says that didn't happen. It's more like slowing down enough to almost come to a stop, point the bike in a new direction then go again in a new direction. It works but it's not even really steering a moving motorcycle or useful in riding beyond a 7 year old learning to trail ride.
Counter steering is an overused term and pointless to think about beyond push left will make you lean left and turn left if that's not already ingrained in your psyche.
Its so important that he has two sets of handlebars on this bike.😂❤️
My older cousin who always rode motorbikes told me about it in the 80s and I tested it out on my mag burner BMX. Works the same but better on a motorbike… Been doing it ever since 👍
Here is the problem with counter steering: You do it without thinking when you ride. Everyone does it whether they know it or not. It's when you get into an emergency situation, you are a little hot into a turn or you are drifting off the line then you wrench the bars trying to turn and the bike stands up and makes the situation worse. If you do not practice counter steering you will not act right in an emergency.
I was getting ready to get my M1 by watching motorcycle accident videos to see what not to do. The video of the guy riding right into a firetruck on a curve made me extremely aware of counter steering
Deadset it took me a while to even realise I did this but once I was conscious of it, it made me a better rider.
This is something some people naturally understand as a kid riding a bike. I never thought about it. I just did it to shift weight quickly. Until I went to get my motorcycle permit and was reading up on how to ride better, did I realize I had been doing this same thing since i was a kid. Little push from the hand on the same side I'm trying to turn would get a quick dump into a hard angle to then get your weight centered, and you can make pretty abrupt changes in direction with little effort. I watched this channel years ago when I was looking up road bike tips. BMX and dirt bikes growing up helps but the road is a different animal.
I want a two handlebar setup! Nice ride, my guy 👍
Facts. On my cruiser, I went fast enough my foot pegs scraped in a LOT of situations 😅 it's my "turn limit indicator" 😅
met him at a motorcycle show, nicest guy i’ve ever met, keep up the good content
Instructions unclear, I have a road railing inside my abdominal cavity right now and my motorcycle is currently accelerating at the rate of 9.8m/s down a cliff.
I used to get told a lot “just counter steer” turns out you just do it naturally, I’ve never once thought about counter steer.
Counter steering is now (i dont know if it was or wasn't before) part of getting your lisence for motorcycles where i'm from. Even got some questions about it on the theory test
What bike is this?
Suzuki rv
Thanks! Just what I need to know since I’m a new rider
You could not be more correct. I still remember the first time counter. Steering concept was fully realized in my monkey brain and it revolutionize the way I ride motorcycles.
Now granted, I was counter steering all the time because that’s the only way to control a motorcycle. However, I didn’t know I was doing it. Once I learned what I was doing, it really did change everything.
I've been riding bycicles since i was 3 or somthing. And I only just realized yesterday after watching your video on it thay you have to counter steer... 16 years of riding and didn't know I was doing it
Instructions unclear, went for a ride with my handlebars still on my kitchen table
if you bend your handlebars while steering on the road, you either have pretty magnificent roads over there or are doing a little over the speed limit :D
You can't not countersteer, it's automatic. When you're doing it consciously you're exaggerating an already necessary action.
when you're doing it consciously, you do it effectively. in an emergency situation it's live or die.
It is completely unheard of for a racer to bend their bars counter steering.
😂
When I first started racing one of the first things I was taught was “don’t counter steer”
its true, I figured this out accidently and did actually bend the bards on my Yamie Wr400 one day. Only noticed it when loading her back on the ute.
The art of riding smooth is a fun game to play.
Been doing this for 28 years never let me down it becomes easier the faster you go try doing it at 186 mph love it.
I rode on BMXs and Mountain Bikes where counter steering and trail breaking comes natural. Along with counter steering comes body steering.
On my bicycle when someone explained what I was in fact actually doing when turning. Then I went out on my bicycle and confirmed it.
My mind was blown.
When did you start doing motorcycle videos?
I learned counter steering and trail braking instantly the day i accidentally came up on a unexpected sharp S turn going close to triple digits back in the day as a newer rider and didn’t even think I just did. Scary shit if you don’t have experience.
I still remember the exact moment I realised how counter steering worked going through a roundabout, and my riding was 300% more confident from there.
Countersteering is the thing that we do automatically when turning. We just kean into it and it happens. However, it is important to know in emergency situations. There was a poor guy that attempted to corner right by turning his handle bar at high speeds to avoid a collision. This action left him bouncing left straight into the oncoming vehicle. Unsurprisingly, he crashed. It's good to know, but don't think about it too much. Practice your knowledge when the thought occurs and you'll be on your way to safely avoiding disaster.
I’m still mad at a guy who said I was wrong talking about counter steering after a couple of weeks on the bike.. lots of youtube videos before riding a bike in vietnam served me well!
Read about counter steering in either Cycle or Cycle World back in the 70s, big discussion about it among a bunch of riders on the same work crew. End result, a few more articles and some practice and implementation of said system. Turns out many of us were already doing most of that to some extent while riding already. Knowing though made it better in riding going forward. 😎🍺☮️
Counter steering saved my life a couple times
The most impressive was when I was just cruising on the left lane when I began hearing a far away car honking and flashing his lights behind me, I counter steered so hard to get out of the way I even lost traction for a fraction of a second (I think, the tires made a brief high pitched noise)
I was already above the speed limit, doing 130kmh where the limit was 100, but that car was probably going above 200
ive talked to a couple older harley riders who have rode almost their entire life and they say they dont counter steer. its crazy people dont understand it, despite doing it since the beginning
It depends on the geometry of the bike. On my Honda VF750F it was very noticeable. When making a turn the bike practically countersteered by itself as soon as you start leaning into the curve