Who knows about this? (...counter-steering)

[Greybeard]

I hear there is a riding technique where you steer towards a pothole which makes the bike avoid it. What is this about?

[RichardL]

It's "about" as silly as I can think of with regard to riding technique, but I only have about 10K riding miles behind me (virtually all on my A10).

Richard L.

[beezermacc]

Woman's Logic?

[lawnmowerman]

I hear there is a riding technique where you steer towards a pothole which makes the bike avoid it. What is this about?

It works - give it a try. You need to give it a firm yank on the bars without leaning the bike. I think what happens is that as you steer the bike it tends to make the bike lean in the opposite direction and turn that way. It happens pretty fast too 

Jim

[RogerSB]

I hear there is a riding technique where you steer towards a pothole which makes the bike avoid it. What is this about?

It's called contra steering. Test it by riding in a straight line, relax and pull very gently on one end of the handlebar, you'll feel the bike turning very slightly in the other direction.    .

(Edit): Read 'Method Two of Four - Approaching the Turn'.
https://m.wikihow.com/Countersteer-(Motorcycle)#Approaching-the-Turn

We used to teach this in the training scheme I was part of as an instructor and examiner.

[RDfella]

Spot on, Roger. been doing it ever since I started riding. Helps to get a bike around a corner if, on approach, you steer AWAY from the bend. Makes the bike fall into the corner.

[Greybeard]

Contra steering, that's it. Thanks. I'll give it a try. If I write my next post from A&E, you"ll know it wasn't a success.

[RDfella]

Not really needed on modern bikes unless you're racing, but I find it very helpful on older bikes that seem allergic to changing direction - like the Velo I had or my M21. The latter is a bit of a wrestle into a corner, but apply a little counter-steer and it positively glides into the bend.

[Black Sheep]

This remids me...On Shackletons it was the custom when dropping practice bombs at a target to aim at the safety launch knowing full well that the bombsight was so inaccurate that you would never hit the launch. This worked well for many years until my old mate Norman, a Shackleton navigator/bomb aimer achieved the impossible. The launch crew were very unimpressed at the hole in the deck and he had a bit of explaining to do...
Norman was also the navigator on the last plane out of Saigon, but that's another story.   

[RogerSB]

Contra steering, that's it. Thanks. I'll give it a try. If I write my next post from A&E, you"ll know it wasn't a success.

Oh Ye of little faith . . . Can I have the salvage?

[worntorn]

You are doing it already without noticing.
It's the only way to go around a corner at anything over about 8 mph.
Same thing on a bicycle except the pressure is much lighter.
One of the biggest causes of fatalities with new motorcyclists, particularly those who start riding late in life, is panic steering away from ( not counter-steering) an oncoming vehicle . This moves the bike right into the path of the oncoming vehicle.
Push left, go left. Push right, go right.

Here is an example of forgetting to countersteer in a panic.

https://youtu.be/GKbmBYKu6ow

Glen

[coater87]

 Yes, your body is already doing it automatically or you would be flying off into the weeds and bramble bushes.

 Completely relax both hands so the bike is using physics to go in a straight line, then gently push straight forward on the bars with one hand or the other- you are going to gently turn in that direction.

 Than forget you ever heard this.

 I think they drill this into peoples heads so much that they start to have to think about it, and once a human has to think about something they will screw it up. Than they will be in the brambles, happens all the time on the open harley rides. They get people going uncomfortably fast trying to keep up, next thing someone goes wide in a corner.

 I would say if you have ever taken a corner at more than 20 MPH you have already done this without thinking about it at all.

 Lee

[Greybeard]

We may already be doing this while riding but I intend to make more use of it to make those last moment pothole avoidances. 

[RogerSB]

I intend to make more use of it to make those last moment pothole avoidances. 

That's the British spirit GB  .

[Minto]

If you’d ever ridden a Harley Vrod you’d know how essential a skill counter steering is.
I use it a lot when I’m on it on the Aprilia, gets it dropping into tight bends quicker than not doing.