Steering?

[Storm]

My MSF Beginners class is end of May.. But I've been out around the neighborhood and few times down the road to Wal-Mart.. Kinda getting a feel for the whole ride deal.. I understand the countersteer principal. Push left handle to go right, push right handle to go left.. But my question is low speed turning.. When I find myself 20mph or lower, come to stop, turning in my neighborhood.. I tend to just lean the bike a bit into the turn and point my front wheel the direction I want to go.. This is normal right? Counter Steering is generally for high speed maneuvering right? I don't need to counter steering when slowing down to make a 15mph turn onto my street?

[Dee Dub]

First off you got it wrong, push left turn left, push right go right. This is the only way to steer a bike, at any speed (unless your talking about the slower than walking speed)

[albuKat]

My MSF Beginners class is end of May.. But I've been out around the neighborhood and few times down the road to Wal-Mart.. Kinda getting a feel for the whole ride deal.. I understand the countersteer principal. Push left handle to go right, push right handle to go left.. But my question is low speed turning.. When I find myself 20mph or lower, come to stop, turning in my neighborhood.. I tend to just lean the bike a bit into the turn and point my front wheel the direction I want to go.. This is normal right? Counter Steering is generally for high speed maneuvering right? I don't need to counter steering when slowing down to make a 15mph turn onto my street?

Push Right to go right, left to go left. in actuality, you are turning the bars the opposite direction of the turn, but you are still pushing in the direction you want to go at higher speeds. High speed turning, lean WITH the bike. Very slow speed turning is much like turning your bicycle, leaning the bike only. Your body leans against the bike lean angle to counterbalance it.

check this site out... I did alot of reading here and it helped alot.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/dl-8.pdf

[Storm]

First off you got it wrong, push left turn left, push right go right. This is the only way to steer a bike, at any speed (unless your talking about the slower than walking speed)

Sorry I had it backwards.. My bad.. It is push left go left, push right go right which steers the front wheel opposite of the direction I want to go..

But what I'm asking is.. At stop signs, turns in neighborhoods where I find myself at 20mph or below.. I dont' countersteer.. I'm finding myself leaning and turning the wheel toward the turn.. So pointing the wheel left if I'm wanting ot go left.. However on the open road when I'm cruising I do counter steer lol.

Push Right to go right, left to go left. in actuality, you are turning the bars the opposite direction of the turn, but you are still pushing in the direction you want to go at higher speeds. High speed turning, lean WITH the bike. Very slow speed turning is much like turning your bicycle, leaning the bike only. Your body leans against the bike lean angle to counterbalance it.

check this site out... I did alot of reading here and it helped alot.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/dl-8.pdf

I got now.. Slow turning lean just the bike not your body.. Nice.. Ah I can't wait for MSF class

[Spud]

Oh Oh Can I be the first to suggest:

Sport Riding Techniques.

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209788284&sr=8-1

I'm on my third reading of this book...so NO! you can't borrow mine, but you can buy your own!

[Storm]

Oh Oh Can I be the first to suggest:

Sport Riding Techniques.

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-Riding-Techniques-Develop-Confidence/dp/1893618072/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209788284&sr=8-1

I'm on my third reading of this book...so NO! you can't borrow mine, but you can buy your own!

Hhaha.. I got some books coming

Just wanted advice from fellow KatRiders

[reconstyle]

It slow speeds you don't want to lean with the turn, you want to shift your weight to the outside of the radius, shifting weight and leaning are TOTALLY different. It's pretty much physically impossible to have the bike leaning right while you are turning left.

[Storm]

It slow speeds you don't want to lean with the turn, you want to shift your weight to the outside of the radius, shifting weight and leaning are TOTALLY different. It's pretty much physically impossible to have the bike leaning right while you are turning left.

I'm confused lol.. I know thats impossible.. I don't attempt that..

When I'm at high speed, I counter steer and lean with the bike.. But slow speed I was doing the same, except I was pointing the wheel where I wanted to go. Now what I've read and been told.. I point/lean the bike where I want to go but I keep my body up, I don't lean with the bike.. That was my problem.. I was leaning with the bike on slow speed turning. Which is probably why I can't turn around worth a crap in a cul-de-sac LOL

[trojanftbl52]

I'm confused lol.. I know thats impossible.. I don't attempt that..

When I'm at high speed, I counter steer and lean with the bike.. But slow speed I was doing the same, except I was pointing the wheel where I wanted to go. Now what I've read and been told.. I point/lean the bike where I want to go but I keep my body up, I don't lean with the bike.. That was my problem.. I was leaning with the bike on slow speed turning. Which is probably why I can't turn around worth a crap in a cul-de-sac LOL

Slow speed cornering you want to place your butt on the outside of the seat. If turning left, scoot your butt to the right. When the bike turns, it will lean a little bit to the left, you will stay vertical. Much easier to control the bike this way. Make sure you are feathering the clutch while doing really slow speed manuvers, as it is easier to control engine power this way as opposed to feathering the throttle. They'll tell you about all of this stuff in the MSF class.

BTW, it's nice to do the slow speed cornering on a Nighthawk 250 that most MSF courses use. It's nice the learn the skills on a tiny bike and then apply what you have learned to a bigger bike.

[painlesspics]

After riding for 4+ years... I still had trouble with low speed stuff (under 10) But the MSF basic riders course really set me strait there. Now I can bang a uturn on any street w/out putting my feet down...

[gennabirman600]

.

Im a new rider too, under a year..but im comfortable with all sorts of riding in any enviornment because i practiced practiced practiced, the biggest things for me when i first started riding was LOOK TO WHERE YOUR GOING, and COUNTER STEER..when going at a good 35-40 mph+ pace all it takes is a slight push left to go left and right to go right, its important to lean through the turn as well but i found that to be more natural, just keep it in mind. slow manuevers..15mph or less, maybe like 12mph or less, i mostly just steer turning the handle bars to where i want to go, not push, but actually steer, really no need for lean at such a slow speed but a little lean is helpful especially when you get closer to that 15mph marker out of the turn, if your new and it sounds like you are dont stress, things will come naturally for ya. I was freaking out about u-turns recently but after a few solid days of probably too much practice im fairly confident. no worries mate, have fun be safe.

[fsand03]

I took the MSF to start out and then read A Twist of the Wrist and have been practicing for about 9K miles now. Finally starting to get it. Have fun.