First, I’d like to thank everyone who commented here. I found this forum after I dumped my bike in a turn and couldn’t figure out what happened. Background: I have been riding motorcycles for 30 years, but not a lot of miles. I only get out for short local rides a few times a year, so I don’t consider myself an expert. But, I learned something new this summer; Counter Steering.
Somebody here said that if you have been riding for any length of time, you already are counter steering. I don’t think that is true. Here is what I learned after reading this forum, researching the topic, and then actually trying it: I was not counter steering when I was riding. What I did, and what other guy’s I’ve talked to are doing, is to start leaning into the turn early and then steer into the turn. What I realize now, is that this works, but it is a very unstable turn because the bike is trying to go one way and your are leaning extra hard the other way to fight it. In this situation, breaking or accelerating upsets the balance and causes you to become very unstable, but more importantly, if you are on a turn with a decreasing radius, and you try to turn harder into it, you are going to head right in the other direction. That is what happened to me, and why I ran off of the road.
Now, that I have learned how to counter steer, riding is a whole new, (and better) experience. As you push on the handlebar on the same side as the direction you want to turn, an amazing thing happens. You feel yourself pushing the bike into the lean instead of leaning your body and fighting it with the steering. The turn ends up being very stable; push harder, and you turn harder, ease up, and the comes back up out of the turn all by itself. Plus, you can brake or accelerate at any time without affecting the stability of the turn. It is as controlled as steering a car, just backwards.
It takes some getting used to, and the first time you hit a turn that gets tighter as you go around it, you will get a funny feeling in your gut when you push the handle in the opposite direction, but the bike will amaze you and tighten that turn right up.
The difference between the two methods may seem minor, but it was huge for me; I lucky enough to be invited to ride Big Sur and the Pacific coast for several hundred miles this summer. The first half I rode my old way. Then I returned on the same route after I discovered how to counter steer. The first half of the trip, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time; I would slow way down for the turns and then accelerate to catch up before slowing way down for the next turn. The second half of the ride, I was enjoying the scenery and pushing the bike into the twisties like I was driving a car. It really was a revelation to me.
So, at this point, I say; If you think you are counter steering, you’re not. If you are counter steering, you know it! And, if you are not counter steering, you need to learn it. Not only could it save your life, but it will certainly make riding a whole new experience for you. Take it from me; I have been riding all of my life, and I feel I just LEARNED how to ride this summer.

Norm

Norm

Many riders have no clue what counter-steering is!

Norm

This was a hit-and-run crash. “Legal limit” for blood alcohol in all states is 0.00%. The RV gang was drinking, which is why they didn’t stop, despite a side road on the left when the driver said “there’s no where to park”.

Tennessee Code §55-8-123. Driving on roadways laned for traffic: “Where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow-moving vehicle, including a passenger vehicle, behind which five (5) or more vehicles are formed in line, shall turn or pull off the roadway wherever sufficient area exists to do so safely, in order to permit vehicles following it to proceed.”

Tennessee Code §55-10-103. Duty to give information and render aid: The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury or death shall render assistance, to include the carrying of such a person to a hospital.”

VIDEO: “CHOPPERS ON THE DRAGON”
Do a search at Google Video or youtube, for another example last week of failure to countersteer on the Dragon.

“Steering happens backwards. Many riders have learned to steer a motorcycle without understanding the process. Steering is simple enough—you push the bars in the opposite direction of the direction you wish to travel. That begins the turn, and the bike leans as it turns. Deliberately turning the bars in the opposite direction of travel is known as counter steering. To go right you must turn the bars to the left—to go left, turn the bars to the right. Counter steering is the only way you can direct a motorcycle to steer accurately. In essence, motorcycle steering is backwards from most other forms of transportation. An automobile goes in the direction you turn the wheel, as do most other forms of transportation. One problem we have in learning to ride stems from a cruel trick played on us by our parents. They gave us a tricycle to pedal around. A tricycle turns in the direction you steer it. When we rode a bicycle for the first time, we fell down, and everyone said it was because we didn’t have good balance. Actually, it was because bicycles also counter steer. Balance had nothing to do with it! The confusion is caused because the child expects the bike to go right when he turns to the right. Eventually, out of sheer survival instincts, he goes through the steering motions without understanding them and winds up on a motorcycle 15 years later not knowing what he has been doing to go around turns. Most riders, in an emergency, try to turn the bike in the direction they want to go. I have known people who who have ridden for 30 years without having to face an emergency situation. Then, one day a car pulls out in front of them. They try to avoid it but the bike won’t do what they want it to. So they get scared and quit riding. They realize that the control they thought was there—wasn’t.”
—Keith Code, California Superbike School, A Twist of the Wrist, 1983
superbikeschool.com

I agree with everything you have said. It is good to see comments posted by an MSF instructor on this subject.

There are too many motorcyclist out there these days who buy a motorcycle and never go through any formal training. There are also too many older motorcyclist out there who go out and purchase a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years and think that they do not need refresher training or re-training on the new high performance motorcycles. I not only recommend the MSF Basic course, but I also recommend the MSF advanced course.

Norm

To pass on that road is a dicey deal and he chose a bad place to do it with improper technique. You where dead on when you recommended the MSF Basic Rider course. I recommended it to everyrider I meet. I also teach it.

Thanks,

Bob

Is it possible to sue for hit-and-run when there is no actual contact between two vehicles? This is common for fatal bike crashes, since bikers take avoiding action, crash, and the driver who pulled in front of them flees the scene.