When I sold my (light) KTM Duke 390 and bought a heavy Peugeot Metropolis, I suddenly found I was having trouble keeping in my lane on the motorway (on a slight curve). I then found out about countersteering (after riding for 40 years!) and practiced it. Wow, awesome! Night and day. An absolutely vital skill!

I just don't understand why people talk about counter steering like there is an alternative. It won't improve your riding..... it is a physical necessity if you want to get around the corner! If you ride a bike you already do it. Period.

Something alot of new riders may not know is that the bike always wants to stand straight up. So when you push in to do counter steer, simply removing hte pressure on the bar will make the bike straighten itself up. You dont have to push on the other side of the bar. The bike does this naturally.

After riding a bicycle for many years, I realize I’ve been doing it all the time

I was doing this without noticing. But now my turns are much more controllable. Great video!

I saw that rider going around that corner all super wide and awkward going "THAT"S ME!!!" lol

Absolutely the best counter-steering video on KZfaq

all riders have to countersteer . the problem with this video is that the speaker acts like there is a choice .

Best training I ever had was to Consciously counter steer every time I turn my bike. We all have those times when we’ve misjudged a corner or need to swerve away from a car. More control means a safer ride.......👍

One of the most detailed and mature videos on KZfaq, pertaining to this topic. Thank you!

Lots of confusion here.... Everyone countersteers ,whether they are aware of it or not. What this guy is talking about is using the technique consciously when cornering, especially at speed. Most times when a bike on the road fails to take a bend, it is because the rider didn't know how, rather than lack of ability of the bike to make it round. Countersteering is counter-intuitive, and unless you have programmed your brain to do it instinctively, when you push it beyond your normal ability you will try to steer round the corner, not look where you want to go, target fixate, and crash. One of the best ways to program yourself to counter steer properly is "cone weaving" at a good speed, above 50km/hr (30mph). You can use cut-in-half tennis balls as "cones", cheap and very portable. Also, when negotiating a long bend on a quiet road, go in at a good speed for your ability, and practice just pushing gently on the inside bar, and see how your line changes; inwards with the pressure and back out again when you take it off. Most of the time, it's a matter of a few ounces of pressure, no more. Practice this, make it a habit, and in emergencies the ability of your bike and tyres to change direction will amaze you, and probably save your ass. Keep the rubber on the bottom y'all... xo

Great Vid guys, thanks. Countersteering works every time, whether doing a U turn in a car park or narrow street, or out on the open road through fast sweepers. I had a blast this afternoon practicing and can't believe how much lower I am able to lean the bike. Also how much more stable the bike is through the corner. One thing though, not mentioned in this Vid, when you push, you push forward. Someone told me to push down, but that does not work. And remember to lean with the bike. Shiny side up

Ok, speaking as a complete novice to motorcycling I can tell you this video is excellent. A lot of you are having a go saying everything he says is obvious. Clearly then, the video is not aimed at you. I have been a car, van, lorry and even bus driver for many years and had never heard of counter-steering.

I have been steering my bikes using contersteering for about 30 years. as long as you go more then 10km/h is a true life saver. we still have to steer "normally" below that speed. it's hard to explain to a newbie that going slow you need to use the inverse technics you use going more then about 10km/h. Below that you steer to the side you want to go, and your body should out its weight on the opposite side of the bike curve intend. above that it the absolute opposite. You steer opposite to the curve intent and your body should lean to the inside of the corner, to the side of the curve intent. Weird but true and essential. Great video.

Countersteering works as long as you are moving. I've seen it demonstrated at creeping speeds. There IS a transition point, though - a transition point between where moving your bodyweight from side to side to initiate a lean overwhelms the tiny almost undetectable effect of very slow speed countersteering, and the point where the effect of countersteering at high speed overwhelms the tiny almost undetectable effect of shifting your bodyweight.

I'm thoroughly convinced at this point that every video on counter-steering is made specifically so people can say they "sucked at turning until they saw the video". they're a meme at this point.

Best vid ive come across explaining this, every other youtube vid ive came across was way too confusing and over complicated it for us newbies. thanks man

Some how I taught myself to do this subconsciously but now that I'm actually aware my cornering had improved.

this is the most definitive and instructive vid about countersteering so far on youtube!

One of the best explanations of Counter steering I have come across. Well done guys.

10 years ago this guy had awesome camera, motorcycles and editing technology. Wow fantastic this man maybe is a time traveler he was ahead of time.

i do the zigzag thing for fun to warm up my tires in the morning... look forward to my commute every morning :)

great tutorial. I'm getting my first bike this weekend. I've ridden a little with my friend, but this is very helpful. thanks for posting.

My instructor taught me this and its brilliant!! Great post!

I have a medium sized bike and i'm newbie and didn't know counter steering at all but without realizing I was doing it already.until i saw this video and now I know what its called....the counter steering.tnx!

I would like to complement you, for been the first one that truly made me understand how countersteering is been done, both visually by showing this video and by explaining it so clearly, that even a newbie like me, could understand now. I always thought that when other explained countersteering, what are they talking about? Don't you steer by turning the handlebar left or right? Then when I found out about counter steering and after watching many KZfaq movie clips? I never could clearly understand the inner working of their way of explaining counter steering. Thank you.

I don't think the producers are suggesting there's another way to steer, as much as they're pointing out that *consciously* counter-steering, as opposed to the many that do it out of instinct, simply because it's never been pointed out to them, and therefore don't use it to the best advantage, will yield much better riding results. It's amazing how many riders have not been introduced to the actual concept, which is why legends like Keith Code point it out along with throttle control.

FINALLY, a video that actually SHOWS techniques & ways to do it, and not just talking about it riding around...

After getting back on a bike after 28yrs off I always wondered why cornering was so difficult without running off. Nuts I now know. After buying my lastest Ducati Monster stead and buying a decent book on riding techniques I learnt this technique. What a difference, I now enjoy giving the bike some welly and hanging off the side too. This simple technique has made me a safer and quicker rider.

2:42 That's exactly why I slow down a lot before such turns! Guess I need loads of practice..

For countersteering you have to apply a horizontal force on the bars (push forward). Some riders think they should put their weight in the side of the turn. What they do is to apply an oblique force on the bars which can be analyzed into two components: one that is facing towards the ground, which does nothing and causes waste of energy, and a horizontal which actually steers the bike

I think pushing where you wanna go makes more sense than pulling the opposite handle bars. Turning left = pushing the left handle, or turning left = pulling the right hand bar.

There's so many arguments about counter steering in a bicycle being made unconciosly when you are a kid . But I remember we used to take wider turns in order to lean the bicycle in the street corners .

Great video and explanation.

Great vid. I am still learning the right side of the road, let alone driving on the left!

so true, once I started my ride improved a lot..

At minute 2:45 the narrator says that front braking while steering makes the bike want to go wide. You can brake through out a turn; you simply must not grab a fistful of front brake; you have to trail brake.

Redline - Its good to understand because if you were steering a bike and never knew you were acutally using countersteering, it would be that much harder to keep a bike committed to a line if you started to panic. If you know EXACTLY what makes the bike tighten its line you are more likely to be able to keep it there

Really has revolutionised my riding, thanks peeps!!

thank you for posting this!

I'm a beginner and i find this very helpful,thanks :) Great video.

You are correct that it is required for turning a two-wheeled vehicle. However, a large number of riders aren't conscious of it and, particularly when panicked, they try to turn the bike by leaning their body, which doesn't do anything.

the key here is understanding it and consciously working with it some. Yes, we all did it naturally to one extent or another, but you can watch video on here every day, where under pressure, natural reactions don't cut it for some. Gaining a conscious working knowledge of counter steer can make a big difference in a tight.

Excellent!

The slight turn toward the outside of the turn creates a slight lean toward the inside. When this occurs, the contact between the bike tires and the road surface begins to transfer toward the side of the tires that is toward the inside. This is why a bike turns by leaning. It is also why bike tires are rounded, with tread on the side. When the tire leans, it does not travel in a straight line, but rather an arc, taking the bike with it. A Frisbee does this when it rolls on the ground.

Great vids guys Keep it up!

Good video, very clear. Well done.

I glad you said that, thought I was going mad, it's something you do naturally, even on a push bike!!!!

these are the sort of things they should teach you when learning to ride counter steering weight distribution, positive and negative road camber tyre temperature and grip.

Oh!!! I have been doing this all these years!

great stuff!

Im loving this technique

I agree being a native NYC, I learned how to counter steer comes pretty natural. However they do explain but not in depth of when you don't counter steer.

Countersteering was discovered by the Wright Brothers when they made bicycles. So if it applies to bicycles at slow speeds, then why would it not apply to a motorcycle at low speeds? Countersteering applies to any speed, even to balancing a bike when completely stopped.

if you look very closely at the bars in the example at 0:49 you can actually see him giving a small nudge on the right hand side bar, which initiates the turn... should've filmed that up close with a highspeed camera so you can see the bars first turning to the left, the bike starting to lean over to the right & then the bars turning over to the right to stabilize the bike in the current angle... it's a fantastic phenomenon

I re-read your original comment I think my reply was actually intended for someone else O_o But yeah, I find a lot of these "why you should countersteer" videos are like the blind leading the blind. They always make it sound like there is another way to turn the bike, when there isn't. All there is are ways to induce countersteer.

Have a think about this. This is a series of videos that, I reckon, are designed to make riders think about their riding. It's not supposed to be absolute. It's not 'how to ride' or 'what you must do'. Little bits that encourage riders to practice and learn, develop different skills for use at different times and situations. And if you think that counter steering is the only thing you need to steer a bike, you've been misled or a mistaken. Countersteering is only part of the whole game.

thank you for sharing some safety riding knowledge. 12,300 subscriber

agreed. people assume counter steering is done with a huge counter steer, but its very slight. its really more about body positioning, leaning, and weight shifting than dramatic turns of the wheel, just like with a bicycle

Yeah that's exactly right, countersteering, once you get it you never go back, in fact I would say you can not even go back once you get it, at first you learn it at high speed ,at that moment in time you think there is a magical speed in which countersteering comes into effect, later you find out countering steering works at any speed, a link is established in your brain between the forward pressure on the handle bar and how much the bike steers, then you start countersteering your bicycle, your e-bike the same way. But it is still better to also lean a bit into the corner, you don't have to, countersteering does the job on its own just fine, but when you also lean into the corner, the bike has a bit less lean angle, so that means a bit less risk. For me it also feels better when I also lean into the corner

Good video mate, yep it works well, cheers.

So if you ride straight in the left wheel track and push on the right side of the bars the wheels move left relative to the mass of the bike ie the mass of the bike stays put and the wheels start to move left out from under the bike initiating the natural lean but you centralise the bars and maintain that lean until you neutralise the turn buy reverse actions, pushing on the left side of the bar which moves the wheels back under the bike and you ride straight. remember this is very subtle.

Newbs, remember it will feel uncomfortable and strange at first, and will take some time to get used to, don't resist the urge to go back to the wrong way of turning, even though it feels correct from a newbs perspective. I've noticed the heavy the bike the more counter steer you need. My Honda rune 1600cc really needed a lot of counter steer. Light bikes were rather minor counter..... cheers.

You mentioned several things which are consequences of the way in which a motorcycle steers, not causes of it. Simply put, counter-steering is the act of running the wheels out from under the center of mass. Push on the left bar, the front wheel points right, the wheels then track to right, moving the wheels out from under the center of mass, resulting in a lean to the left. The front wheel then returns to a slight leftward turn in order to keep the bike balanced at the desired rate of turn.

Thank you !

Great comment. I was gonna bring up the same thing until I see you did a fine job already. "The best way to steer a motorcycle" lol

Whether unconscious or not, ALL bike steering above about 6 miles per hour is always with counter steering. There is no other method. Even at very slow speeds before the full gyroscopic forces start building, you still countersteer which makes the bike lean in the opposite direction and the lean will produce a swing in the bars towards the turn. At speeds roughly 10 mph to infinity countersteering still produces an automatic lean in the OPPOSITE direction and this sets up the turn, but the faster you go the less obvious the turning moment of the bars. As your speed increases more countersteering is needed to overcome the bike's gyroscopic stability. You do not need to lean your body as the bike leans by itself as a reaction to the countersteer.

Love the part about the rider turning into the side street. The deliberate mistake the was the complete lack of a "Life Saver". The danger is not coming from the side streets, its coming from behind you.

Thank you!!

AWESOME!

A balanced and pleasant presented video. The speaker is perfect for the task. Why or why does the RTA not include this sort of thing on a CD/DVD or even offer it as a download, not just for new riders but anyone who is interested.

You've git it. Pushing on the bars simply countersteers to initiate the lean, and adds weight to that side of the bike which of course makes it lean also.

Just finished biker school in norway, and one of the first things we learnd, was "push-pull" steering.. (pull is cuz it may feel as if your pulling the other bar to you!) So this is something that is learnd al over in norway, and I guess, the rest of EU.. Ps: sorry of a spell bad, I´m drinking ;) hehe

It does work on a bicycle but it is very slight and most people who don't also ride motorcycles will never notice it. The faster you go, the more obvious it becomes. It's just that most bicyclists will never go fast enough to really feel it.

While I get what you're saying, I think the point is to help teach proper technique for the effective use of counter-steering. Like they illustrated in the video, at higher speed riding, it's not enough to just counter-steer -- you have to combine that with proper body and foot positioning. It's the combination of these three that make the counter-steering technique more effective in navigating curves at higher rates of speed.

finally a demonstration I understand

The bike will still turn by counter steering. If you look at the handlebars while leaning hands free you will notice that the bars are actually slightly turning in the opposite direction of the lean. Look up the video "twist of the wrist 2" (by Keith Code) here in youtube. It has an excellent video where they try to turn the bike by body leaning only that clearly explains everything. Cheers.

@AlexRyteuBart ..Everyone does it without thinking but when it's pointed out to a student it often saves them if they mess up a corner because they consciously know what to do. I've had very positive feedback from my students after pointing this out to them.

I took the license in norway:) You have to ride in 4-6 km/h around some cones too. And braking fast, best MC test in the world

I never have to think about it it all comes to me natural 40 plus years riding no crashes.

hey thanks so much, very pleasant video, unlike many which they cuss and swear more than anything. God bless you and everyone around you wherever life may lead you.

that's about right. the scientifique explenation of it is that by pushing on the right handlebar you move the center of gravity to the right side of the bike, this will make the bike lean to the right and therefor go right. HOWEVER this will only work at higher speeds (30 km/h and up). if you try this at lower speeds, your front wheel will turn left and causes enough friction (grip) on the road to "compensate" the center of gravity which is now les far to the right because of the slow speed.

Nothing will surpass quality instruction from suitably qualified instructor's. Especially when you can get good one on one instruction, identifying problems before they become bad habits.

Nice!!

finally a good video about this

What's funny is that i've been riding bicycles since I was 4. When I heard the term "Countersteer" I panicked, thinking "Oh no, I have to learn an extra skill to ride a motorcycle?" When in reality, it wasn't a skill that I had to learn. I knew it all along! Riding on 2 wheels is so natural to me that I don't even know the techniques i'm using to ride it! I just get on it and go!

Counter steering pushes the wheels of the bike into an outside curved path, with the top of your head on an inside curved path. It's quite natural if you see the curved path like the rim of a pie tin. Of course you want the wheels to track on the wider circle!

When I first rode a bike I used to turn with body position and lean only. Using this method at high speed I found the bike didn't want to turn and it felt scary! You gotta counter steer.

@MaGicMik3z Countersteering or momentarily turning the front wheel in the opposite direction or to the outside of the intended arc forces the motorcycle to fall to the inside of your intended arc. The wheel is then turned to follow the arc of the curve. If you just countersteered and kept that pressure on the bar the bike would continue to fall until it was on the ground. If you don't believe me, go try it. Then you will be a believer.

Wow good video really making me want to get a bike

great to hear that man, i'm also a beginning rider, i have some experience (2years) on a 50cc sportbike, but that's nothing compared to the real thing, got my first 6hours of lessons on 5& 6 sept. after that i'll have to do 2 more to be able to take the exam which will grant me my full license... i'm not gonna start on a 250 as we learn with 650's, so i'm looking for something like a 600 or a 750 to start with, maybe sportbike, maybe nakedbike, not sure yet, however, i'm gonna do vlogs ;-)

Great Bro

Once you get comfortable, it's called trail braking into the corner, you brake till the apex then you're back on the throttle. But see, most people will do their braking while the bike is still up, and not on a angle, because they're scared they'll crash.

It’s a great video. A lot of folks reckon they do it naturally, I find that hard to believe! I don’t mean they are being dishonest but I wonder if they are doing it correctly. Look at video at 1.10 and when the rider gets ‘normal’ cornering wrong! I have ridden motorcycles for many years and take good lines through bends but counter steering you have to consciously do. It is like windsurfing, there are techniques that just aren’t ‘natural’ until you learn them. I hope this helps. Keep safe one and all.

nice work

I’d don’t understand this video when it speaks about counter steering being the best way and once you learn you will never go back. Is there another way? Can you really turn without it? Whether you know about it or not all riders do it to turn. You can’t turn without doing it. I heard people say you turn by leaning your body. I saw a video showing that really doesn’t do much. He showed how he took his entire weight and stood on one side of his bike and it barely turned.

Yamaha MT01. Great sound and cool bike

As for huma-powered bikes, countersteering still applies (compare a childs reaction when helping wheels are raised from flat with rear wheel). It's just that nobody notices as they are very small because of many factors: 1. geometry 2. weight of wheel 3. speed of wheel Even at low speed, countersteering is done on any 2-wheeler.

Okay haha. I've looked at a few and when I have been out on a push bike I feel like I'm already doing this. I've been on the back of my dads Fireblade as well so I have been watching how he does it, looks easy enough.

good video. subscribed 😇