Years ago, circa 1980, published in the BMWMOA was an article explaining the geometry of a motorcycle and how it tracked on the one hand, and how the principle of countersteering worked.
About 1-1/2 years ago, someone wrote in a letter to the editor with his explanation. He was correct on high speed steering, but was totally wrong when considering what happens at slow speed steering. I then wrote a letter to the editor with a correct explanation, which went unpublished for some reason (I think I know why). I also contacted the writer of the letter to the editor by phone, who, after listening to my explanation argued with me, and then hung up.
Since then, I have found a video explaining what ACTUALLY happens both at high speed AND at slow speed. Please check it out.
The key to understanding what is going on at ANY speed is Newton's principle of motion: that an object will stay in motion until it is acted upon by another force. This is what happens when one steers. When you rotate the handlebars to the left (CCW), the bike where it touches the ground (tire patch) will go left, but the mass of weight will stay going straight forward. The longer this happens will action will force the bike into a lean where gravity is forcing the mass of weight to fall over. When the centrifugal force matches the falling gravity force, this will create a manageable lean - at that time the rider will have to modify his steering to keep that equilibrium. Then, when wanting to go straight again, the rider will have to steer the "tire patch" back under the mass of weight to then get upright and go in a straight line.
Please watch this YouTube video which explains why this happens at ANY speed, not as the letter-to-the-editor author mistakenly wrote in his letter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C848R9xWrjc
Thanks,
About 1-1/2 years ago, someone wrote in a letter to the editor with his explanation. He was correct on high speed steering, but was totally wrong when considering what happens at slow speed steering. I then wrote a letter to the editor with a correct explanation, which went unpublished for some reason (I think I know why). I also contacted the writer of the letter to the editor by phone, who, after listening to my explanation argued with me, and then hung up.
Since then, I have found a video explaining what ACTUALLY happens both at high speed AND at slow speed. Please check it out.
The key to understanding what is going on at ANY speed is Newton's principle of motion: that an object will stay in motion until it is acted upon by another force. This is what happens when one steers. When you rotate the handlebars to the left (CCW), the bike where it touches the ground (tire patch) will go left, but the mass of weight will stay going straight forward. The longer this happens will action will force the bike into a lean where gravity is forcing the mass of weight to fall over. When the centrifugal force matches the falling gravity force, this will create a manageable lean - at that time the rider will have to modify his steering to keep that equilibrium. Then, when wanting to go straight again, the rider will have to steer the "tire patch" back under the mass of weight to then get upright and go in a straight line.
Please watch this YouTube video which explains why this happens at ANY speed, not as the letter-to-the-editor author mistakenly wrote in his letter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C848R9xWrjc
Thanks,