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Originally Posted by Mashuri
After reading all this I'm leaning (pun intended) toward the gyroscope camp. Question, PSk: Why would I, at parking lot speeds, need to steer my bars into the corner to get the bike to lean and turn that direction while, as speeds begin to get above 10-15 mph or so, I now have to countersteer to get the same results? What has caused the forces against the headstock to completely reverse direction?
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I think AZ Scott has already answered this but I have some points to discuss.
I can feel the inward push of the head stock standing still, thus it is there at all speeds.
I think we choose not to use it at low speeds because we are insecure about our balance. Now we should talk to those m/c freaks that do that jumping logs, etc. on those trail bikes, cause their low speed ability is brilliant. I'm pretty sure that in the few cases where I have actually seen TV footage of this, they move the handle bar all over the place while they do the same to their body to maintain balance.
On my way home tonight I am going to do some tests
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I will lean my bike WITHOUT allowing the handle bars to move. What will happen, will the bike try to turn?
If it does turn then this proves that the lean does produce the turn and the only reason counter steering works is it produces the lean (hence why front wheel direction does not matter).
I've sort of already done this test this morning coming to work, and I proved to myself that counter steering does just (?) produce this inwards force, because I reproduced it with my knee/leg and yep the bike leaned and turned. I though did not rigidly hold the handle bar ... without welding the thing this part of the test will be contentious.
I will also move my weight to oneside and NOT balance the bike by leaning it the other way.
Thus I expect the bike to lean in and turn. Thus proving that the bike and rider CoG does/can produce a turn by causing the bike to lean. An earlier post stated that weight position on a bike has little impact on initiating a turn ...
I think this is a fascinating subject, and if I had a spare bike and some $'s I'd be making a zero rake bike. Man that would be interesting.
Pete