Countersteer or tricycle?

[canyncarvr]

It just occurred to me recently that my streetbiking may be fouling up my dirtbiking.

On the street you steer a bike via countersteering..you push (or pull, your choice) the bars the opposite way you want to turn. That forces the mass of the bike off centerline and you will drop fast.

I found myself doing that in the dirt. Not right, 'eh? Isn't it more effective to steer in the direction you want to go? I'm referring to single track woods tracks, 3rd gear stuff with 90º turns on a 3' or so radius.

Is countersteering ever right in the dirt?

Thanks, folks!

 

[Rob1111]

I usually countersteer. Or what works is laying off the throttle as your comin through the corner. The bike will lay over. Then as your comin out of the corner just roll on the throttle :) . You might just try turning through the corner if your goin pretty slow. I prefer counter steering though. For 90 degree turns (at lower speeds about 25-30mph) I'd just hit the back break and slide through the corner and then get hard on the gas. Since your on a 2 stroke you should be "feathering" the clutch when ur comin through a corner that tight.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Countersteering in the dirt you ask....yes man, yes. Think about it....

You are exiting a turn and you lay on the throttle. The rear begins to slide outside the turn. You now have a choice: 1) reduce throttle to keep the rear tire from sliding further, thereby bringing the bike into "alignment", or 2) keep the power up and continue the turn allowing the increased slip angle, correcting the trajectory via countersteering.

That's one example. I'm on a conference call right now, so I'll think of more later

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Countersteering works on any bike above 5 mph or so.

My biggest problem is that I can't seem to make myself get off the inside of the street bike when going into a turn. I try to lay the bike down and stay up on the high side.

I find myself consciously countersteering on the street, but everything seems more automatic and natural when riding MX.

 

[canyncarvr]

No, YOU lay down and keep the bike UP. Well, you hope, anyway.

I'm not referring to a countersteer OUT of a corner to, well, counter in that case a rear tire that is itself sliding out of a turn on acceleration.

It's setting up for a turn..the initial front wheel movement is WITH the turn, not COUNTER to the turn.

On a streetbike, the initial movement IS counter. That's what drops the bike into the turn. But, you likely have traction on that streetbike front tire, too. In the dirt on a sharp 90º I can see a countersteer action putting you well into the weeds.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Coming fast into a turn on the dirt or the street, you can't lay it down without countersteering to initiate the turn. On the dirt, once you get into a turn more factors come into play (like sliding, spinning, a raised berm, etc), but as you lay the bike down you pull back and down on the outside grip and push down and forward with the inside.