Funny you started this topic,because I was instructing a friend of mine who just started riding this teknic and he tried it on a straight empty road and was amazed by it.These are the best topics for newbies and to refresh us old timers.

 

Is this the push right go right technic or something totally different?

 

yes it is

 

This is what I wanted to hear :-) ... this whole thing is to help you guys who have been doing it subconsciously, which is fine until things go pear shaped ... that's when you need to know what's really going on with a bike's handling ... seriously if you haven't been aware of this phenomenon before go and try it somewhere quiet ... most are amazed when they get this handled for the first time, your riding suddenly improves by about 500% :-)

Jules

 

Bike wheels on a axle like that are fun...if you want to experience the effect for yourself take a bike wheel on an axle like that and spin it up pretty fast (you'll probably need a friend to help with this) then sit on a stool that freely rotates. When you hold the wheel vertically then try and move it left or right the stool should turn the opposite direction.

Or if you're into intense mathematics go grab an intermidiate dynamics text; the laws of motion (once expanded to esentially 6 degrees of freedom (external motion (x,y,z)is left as a possibility but is not required in this case and typically you would ignore 2 rotations for practicallity so its really 4 DOF)) show that gyroscopic forces do exist and are significant in this scenario.

 

I was trying this last night and I have to say it works, but takes some time to get use to.

 

Just keep trying Ben ... when it comes together it's awesome ... anyone want to know anymore just ask me :-)

Jules

 

And speaking of gyroscopic effects, there is a worry in the scientific community that as the amount of rotating mass increases on the planet it increases the chances of it affecting the earth's rotation by slowing it. Hard discs are a big worry, but so is the heavy rotating masses that are in the transportation industry.

So for those of you that stare in wonder at your wheel spinning round and round, when the world ends you are partly to blame.

 

just as an additional comment, this is another PRIME reason to take your MSF course....counter-steering was specifically taught to me in my course....

granted they tend to describe it much more dumbed down as the "push" method as referenced above because it's easier to understand...essentially "push right, go right, push left go left".....when i took my DMV test for my license one of things we have to mimic is coming up behind a semi and doing a quick swerve....you have to accelerate to at least 20 miles per hour within a certain distance, and swerve within another shorter distance and come to a complete stop before a third marker....if you don't know how to make your bike swerve on command, there is no way you can do this effectively and stop....in IL...you fail THIS part of the exam and it's an automatic failure for the test, not points, just failure....good idea IMO....

my instructor specifically dealt with what you are describing Jules....that many people learn how to ride and subconsciously counter-steer which is fine in normal situations, but when you have to do it in an emergency, those that don't know how they typically make the bike lean, just that they do, can't do it on command quick enough to avoid an accident....

occasionally i practice counter-steering (as i have been only riding for about a year) when i am on a straight road by myself, and i make the bike swerve hard in an S pattern using it....being able to do it on command reinforces the muscle memory to do it in a bad situation....

it's also helpful if you are ever taking a long sweeping turn because if you are turning and are riding out the curve, if you know how to counter-steer, you can lean the bike more in the turn on command forcing the bike back on line....i have a very long sweeping curve ramp on the highway by my place i take a lot...it's almost a complete 360.....whenever i am in that, i counter-steer occasionally to get use to being able to force the bike into more of a lean in a curve if i need to....by doing that, it takes the fear out of forcing the bike lower and knowing you can do it...

sorry for the rambling post, but this is quite possibly one of the most important things to learn on a bike other than wear your gear !

 

I'll stop spinning in my chair then...lots of mass moving there.