One more thing about the Slow, tight turns

[rwjw77]

Are you telling me that you have to turn the wheel to make a turn at low speeds? You are the John Madden motorcycle riding.

[viggoM35]

That's funny I never have problems turning when drag racing. ;)

[cyclopse50]

cleared this right up for me. Thanks! Ill go try it now, hopefully i dont drop my bike :P

[buzincarl]

usually when I look where I am going the bike goes with me :), its like a natural thing to do, you dont think about it.

I dont mean just turning ur eyes, i mean moving ur head over shoulder or w/e

[SocalTones805]

It's terrible the way the motorcycle community on YouTube gets caught up arguing on semantics rather than writing out what they mean in simple English.. All these BS made up terms like counter steering don't help anyone if you don't explain specifically what it is you mean.

[ragebowhunter93]

the correct way to do it is push the handlebars the way you wanna go while turning your head, not looking down. its wayyyy easier

[Brainiac83]

LOOOOL what ive just seen. Om FG

[sahcnam1]

omg your bike is so silent I love it! I keep looking for youtube videos of motorcycles to see how they actually sound without modifications, but all the videos are of people showing off their modifications to make it louder v.v it's frustrating... but anyways did you do anything to your bike to make it more silent or was it like that out of the factory?

[cfirehock]

Most MSF instructors only know what they know, that which the MSF has taught them. I think it is wonderful that you made reference to “learning more”. Here what I am teaching is very similar to what the MSF shows, but having taught for 25 consecutive years now, I let my student’s questions guide my verbiage. “Leaning with the hips” gets them to do what we are both saying. My credentials would fill the page, but it is not about me, it is about what works for “them” at this stage. Thanks



[stevereimon]

@cfirehock Hi, i want to ask you about the "lessons" that someone has to take (how many times he/she must come to you)and about the practice location(if it is a parking lot or you will take him/her to a real road with other users during the courses). I am not a US citizen so thats why i ask.

-Thank you.

[andyvh1959]

I can't agree with the "you lean the bike in with your hips". Making a bike lean is done most easily with the hands. Yes, in slow tight turns your upper body does move at the hips to lean opposite the bike, but the hips don't do the leaning action. Again, its in the hands at the grips.

Been riding for 40 years and teaching MSF classes for almost 20. What the MSF teaches does work, IF you really understand it, use it, and learn more after it.

[bendystix]

Unless I am subconsciously doing this lean out of the turn, I have never done it before for sharp corners.

[will3482]

Thanks babe, great tips.

[krtchrckt09]

ive almost laid out a few times on super slow turns but not leaning opposite.. you get the bike too low and not turning any sharper

[instagasm]

nice bike :) i have a 2009 250 honda rebel 

[RepublicanDumbAss]

"You've got to lean to the opposite side and steer the motorcycle." Exactly! I can't tell you how many times I have seen Harley Riders(cruiser style) making slow turns and trying to steer without counter-leaning. As you'd expect, the bike leans the opposite way they are trying to turn and they have to steer away from their objective, turn around and try again. It's not a tricycle, folks! These people should not be on public roads!!! They're going to kill themselves and probably someone else.

[salsaconclase1]

thank you good tip

[andyvh1959]

Good tips, BUT for slow speed turns. To make a bike turn in for slow speed tight turns you DO lean opposite the bike. This is for speeds near a slow to fast walking speed.

At riding speeds you lean WITH the bike and you do not "steer" the bike. Instead you press a bit harder against the handgrip in the direction of the turn. Press left, go left. Press right, go right.

[cfirehock]

@andyvh1959 Thank you for watching and comenting...we are all saying the same thing here...I teach to lean oppersite the bike while steering. Watch once more. Please view all my DVD clips as we teach many ways to chage direction...like leaning to the inside of the bikes center line as we get more advanced. Ride safe, Christine

[cfirehock]

@andyvh1959 Thank you.

[ntrudr800]

@andyvh1959 At speeds around 11mph+, pushing on the right handlebar to turn right... it's called counter-steering. Do I get a cookie? :D

[Thundurburd]

Very good. Congrats, finally somebody here gets it right.

[terlisgavwes]

AWESOME TIP! I recall trying to grasp the counter-steer concept during my MSF course and I did the exact mistake you showed in this video - I turned my head way around, leaned like heck and counter-steered, BUT the bike didn't budge. I quickly learned that either I was over thinking the physics or it was being overemphasized by the instructors. Once I relaxed and started to maneuver my weight and handlebars "naturally" like I've always done on a bicycle, my turns became much easier. Simplify.

[stevevox1]

counter steer is when you push the bar the side you want to turn, eg left turn, push left bar the bike drops to the left and hey presto your turning left

[trentlot1]

You don't counter-steer at slow speeds. You have to turn the handlebars.. Maybe I misunderstood what u were trying to say.

[alan838]

you are right,, at slow speeds you don't counter-steer, you counter-weight.

[new2bike]

this's the hotest MSF professor I've seen. Officer, please handcup me. pls pls pls

[EddyHil]

WOW, good point!

[nash09876]

HAHAHAH FUNY !!

[adrian84vj]

all that this lady is trying to do is to show what she knows. and you ignorant ppl. post youre hating comments like get a real bike? how lame can you be...bunch of lame haters.

[pugsty]

word!

[BluePhoenixBoy]

@adrian84vj Agreed... There are way too many ungrateful people on the internet.

[zx6rtt]

pretty lady :]

[thedougman92]

Try a heavier bike tho sure the 250 is nice for demoonstration but get somethin REAL.

[moonlitphantasm]

Ok, here is a question from a newbie. I'm taking the course in 2 weeks. Cycling is a hobby of mine and I've been doing it for years. Aside from the obvious (having an engine, a clutch, throttle, a heavier body, positioning of brake controls) How are the mechanics of riding a motorcycle any different from a regular bicycle? I see so many questions about manuevering the bike and to me it's just common sense. Am I missing something here? Thanks in advance for any replies.

[sparks777]

Its really not that different.

Only difference is at about 40 Km/h+ (I'm Canadian) the front is much heavier than a bicycle. When going really fast down a hill or on a straight on a bike, it can feel very easy to just turn the handle bar and swirve around a hole or something.

On a motorcycle its a little more tricky to deal with the weight when your riding on something 300lb's +

[Manawski]

You'll find that bicycle skills will translate VERY well into motorcycle skills, especially the whole concept of 'counter-steer'. I had never rode a motorcycle before the MSF class, and I had leaning in the corners and swerving down pretty quick. However, I definitely had to learn to lean harder than I would on a bicycle, though. You've got way more room to 'get low' in a turn on a motorcycle since you don't have those pesky pedals to deal with.

[julianppp]

what motorcycle is that?

[cfirehock]

2000 Honda Rebel 250

[cfirehock]

There are 4 basic ways, and then combinations of all four depending on your riding style, skill level, road conditions, path of travel and so on.

[r3yrey]

i dont think you're suppose to lean to the opposite side?! if i'm not mistaken, you're suppose to keep your upper body straight and as perpendicular to the ground as much as you can and the push the bar down to the direction you want to turn.. am i wrong?

[cfirehock]

Well yes and no. In a slow turn, it is best and easier to lean in the opposite direction. I know that the MSF BRC teaches only two ways to change direction on a motorcycle 1. lean with the bike 2. the bike leans independently. That is because it is a beginner group course, there's no time to teach you more. As you master those 2 ways, you are ready to learn ALL the ways there are to change direction.

[r3yrey]

yeah kinda noticed that... i'm a squid and only been riding my cbrf4 for 3 weeks, these things make more sense when you actually do it! and i definetly need to practice my slow turns cuz i'm vertically challenged (i'm 5'3) so whenever the bike leans a little too much to one side it keeps wanting to drop(havent dropped it yet)thanks for the response though

[cfirehock]

For all my friends on the shorter side...it is best to reach the ground with both feet...BUT it is better to have one foot firm on the ground, than to be on the tip-toe of both feet...so use your hips to lean the bike to the left at stops (rt foot on the brake)

[gwbay]

Thanks much.

[xrm1996]

Really... what you're doing is pushing the bike to the inside with your hips. Not leaning to the outside. For the tightest turns, try to keep your spine vertical as you make your turns (hinging).

[jamesattard]

isn't leaning to the opposite side when steering the bike less stable?

[Daytonaman675]

THIS is the key to sportbike riders and the MSF U-turn.

[kjk3000]

Thanks for these videos Christine, there's some really interesting stuff on there that should come in handy when I eventually learn to ride!

[tinkey2]

I am sure glad to see this video on You Tube. I have this dvd and it is great for all motorcycle riders but, especially new riders. I recommend it to anyone who rides or is thinking about learning to ride. Thanks Christine for all your help.