[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by fine69

Is this counter-steering similar to what drivers do in cars when they drift?

Completely different. It is simple centripetal force at play. If you enter a right hander fast in a car, all your nick knacks inside, will slide to the outside/left side of the car, even your body will be pushed to the left but in a car you've got wheels on the other side that prevent it from tipping over. However you will notice body roll where the body leans over to the left. In a bike however, with just 2 wheels, you need to use the centripetal force to your advantage. Countersteering helps to tip the bike into a lean quicker.

Oh and in reference to your doubts about a veteran biker knowing this technique, a veteran biker is still a noob if he/she does not know how to counter-steer.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Very true. For non-riders who don't understand "start wide, finish tight", here is an example from one of my videos. Please check out the curve at 0:32.

During start- field of vision is clear and you know what's ahead, after the curve you don't know what's ahead, so you can go wide at the beginning of the curve confidently(knowing no one is ahead in opposing lane), while your exit will be tight to save you from erratic users of the opposing lane, which will otherwise be a blindspot.

Forgive my ignorance for i don't ride a bike, but if you slowed down enough would you then need to go wide while you enter the curve so that you can exit on the inner line of the curve? If you slow down, won't you be able to stick to the inner line throughout the curve?

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

If you slow down, won't you be able to stick to the inner line throughout the curve?

That is a good question mate. Even when you do a smooth turn around the curve like illustrated above, the speed will be only around 20-30 kmph around the curve.

As you said, if you slow down (say 10kmph) around the curve, you will stick in your lane. But riding at 10 kmph around a hairpin is a lot more stressful(personally) and would need minor adjustments to the handlebar all through the curve. It takes away the pleasure of leaning down and enjoying the curve (from a motorcycle enthusiast's point of view).

[arun_josie]

This guy tried doing a illegal "U" turn and got stuck in between. This was on the NICE road, Bangalore.

[ARAY]

My friends and family members have disapproved of night drive and in several states its a strict NO.
However I feel driving around 11pm-5am is the best time, the probability of jar heads on the road is relatively less.
It goes without saying we need to be careful while driving on the highway but 5pm-9pm is the time when drunk bike drivers and pedestrians are high on any given highway, specially near villages and small towns. Again 5am-7am is the time when there is great chance of half asleep drivers and riders.

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

That is a good question mate. Even when you do a smooth turn around the curve like illustrated above, the speed will be only around 20-30 kmph around the curve.

As you said, if you slow down (say 10kmph) around the curve, you will stick in your lane. But riding at 10 kmph around a hairpin is a lot more stressful(personally) and would need minor adjustments to the handlebar all through the curve. It takes away the pleasure of leaning down and enjoying the curve (from a motorcycle enthusiast's point of view).

No offence but highlighted part is best done in a circuit and not on public roads IMHO. One has to know that public roads there are people who (i) are not aware of all these subtleties in riding (ii) are taken by surprise and try some last minute maneuvers which may end up being fatal.

I was once a victim of a similar incident. Happened to me on the drive to Nandi hills around 2010 I guess. Was on my way up the hills when suddenly I see spirited riders come back and taking curves just like you mentioned. Was taken by surprise and had few anxiety filled moments during the drive. Fun for them but it sure was nightmare for us.

[speedmiester]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

This guy tried doing a illegal "U" turn and got stuck in between. This was on the NICE road, Bangalore.

Look at name of the logistics company the truck belong to "Instant".
What an irony!
All the driver got for his antics is "Instant Karma".

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

No offence but highlighted part is best done in a circuit and not on public roads IMHO. One has to know that public roads there are people who (i) are not aware of all these subtleties in riding (ii) are taken by surprise and try some last minute maneuvers which may end up being fatal.

Agreed. But on the track, we push it hard to shave off seconds from the lap time. While on a leisurely ghats ride, we don't push the bike/our limits as we are sure that there will be unsuspecting road users on the other side.

The point is to have fun, connect with the motorcycle while at the same time not posing a threat to the safety of other road users. A well skilled rider will always be in his designated space, at the right speeds that can help him execute an evasive manoeuvre even when other road users lose control.

But if you ask me how many % of riders on hills are well skilled, the answer will be minority. :(

[VW2010]

No offence but highlighted part is best done in a circuit and not on public roads IMHO.

Depends on roads and knowledge of roads. Guindy kathipara flyover towards Saidapet is the most fun section in entire chennai. Love it for there is no oncoming traffic, 2- you simply stick to the inner most lane and still enjoy trying to go as log as you can and usually can find a sweet spot with no traffic in front or behind.

But on ghat roads i would definitely stick to some common sense over unknown danger.

[prithm]

Originally Posted by VW2010

Depends on roads and knowledge of roads. Guindy kathipara flyover towards Saidapet is the most fun section in entire chennai. Love it for there is no oncoming traffic, 2- you simply stick to the inner most lane and still enjoy trying to go as log as you can and usually can find a sweet spot with no traffic in front or behind.

But on ghat roads i would definitely stick to some common sense over unknown danger.

True, but as soon as you reach the top you will have the most harrowing experience as a biker. Vehicles entering the exit circle of Vadapalani, or Saidapet or the those entering the flyover will cross without any indication and constant look into the rear view makes it tough section.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Forgive my ignorance for i don't ride a bike, but if you slowed down enough would you then need to go wide while you enter the curve so that you can exit on the inner line of the curve? If you slow down, won't you be able to stick to the inner line throughout the curve?

I'm ignorant of bikes too, but a general comment...

Many of the accidents we see here are due to lack of lane discipline and driving on the wrong side of the road. Sometimes, on the road and on the forum, one really wants to scream: In this country, the rule is to drive on the left, morons.

And this is the rule. It is the strict truth. But real driving is not necessarily like that. On a snaky-curve country road, for instance, I was taught to "straighten the road." Cut every corner. As long as you have 100% clear view. If you do not, you stick to the left like glue.

The same goes for cutting corners on urban right turns. If you can see, and are in nobody's way, nothing wrong with it. But if I am turning left from a side road, and find my way blocked by a driver turning right into the road, my diagnosis is quick and easy: ignorant moron.

There is nothing hard about this stuff. It only requires that people get taught it in the first place, and, (perhaps harder) that they think about others when driving.

[venuraja]

According to a psychiatrist 30 percent people on road are either mad or slightly mad and hence you have to take care of yourself!!
In my experience I found upstarts or neo-rich people who own a car and also drive them are the worst drivers because they care very less for other drivers or riders and suffer from too much ego problems. New found wealth is the problem.

If you see some car trying to overtake yours ,while there is another car or truck is right in front of you , it is better to slowdown a little and allow that stupid to overtake you because he/she would not be able to overtake another car ( which is ahead of you) and finally try to sandwich in between or with sudden braking he might even collide with you. So it is better to slowdown and let him go.
Truck drivers are better drivers ,please remember that because in national level survey it was found that truck drivers are the most victims while the cause of most of accidents are cars ,where they were driven by owners !!
Lacking experience and professionalism is the major cause of accidents !! . Generally I depend on truck ahead of me to indicate me if I could overtake or not. And most of them times they indicate if it is safe to overtake , over a curve for example.
Night driving is more safe and easy than day time driving and most difficult time is evening time.
You must know that your attention span can not be more than one hour or at most one and half hour. You must stop the car , take your eyes off the road ,drink water or tea , take a few minutes and drive again. In this manner you would avoid road hypnosis,aggression,absent mindedness etc., and it is highly advised to break the journey and start again , after every one hour while remembering that India is a big village and you rich guys and your cars and your national highways came in to their villages later on as they were there before while people like us interrupted them !!
The blind rule is to slow down to 50 k mph while crossing a village.
Accelerate faster on an empty road because slow movers are cause of accidents !!!

[srinih75]

I agree to venuraja. Many people are compulsive honkers. There is nothing anyone can do. Their fingers must be on the horn switch and they need to press it every now and then like how we breath. It is involuntary for them. Let those in a hurry be given a chance to pass. But I am sure they will slow down in front of you. If you now pass them they will get agitated and will again honk and try to pass. Well, what can we do - ignore. During rains I have seen people suddenly assume/presume they are on 4WD and will start showing off their talent/skills etc. Best is to keep a good distance from them as many even start putting their hazard lights on and drive 80-90 kmph. We may feel its insane or foolish as now with the hazard light we cannot even say if they are going to change lanes or not.

Originally Posted by Shanksta

Did not even bother to check mirrors before changing lanes.

I dont think he could see anything in the mirrors as it was pointing somewhere else. Anyway at least he had mirrors on the bike. Many in Bangalore I have seen dont even retain them. Dont know what they are thinking. No helmets, no mirrors, no shame.

On another note, what traffic cops should do is take a picture of all these people and publish on a wall of shame every week and some newspaper to publish it.

[harsh79]

I know I'm Nevertheless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZAB7sWJvFI

[prithm]

Originally Posted by venuraja

The blind rule is to slow down to 50 k mph while crossing a village.
Accelerate faster on an empty road because slow movers are cause of accidents !!!

In India nothing above 80 kmph makes sense, no matter how smooth or empty the road is. We may never know who dug up the newly laid road and what may come in our way.

Anything at or below 40 kmph in villages is always better.

Especially the ones with lot of agriculture work around them. Tractors, ACE's have no discipline and those APE auto's, the farther and softer you are on them, lesser harm to us.

I have seen APE auto fully laden with ladies standing on the rear door climb NHAI median and climb down the other side. Mind you, the median was not broken, it was fully intact.