page_title: Countersteering
section_title: How it works
hierarchical_section_title: Countersteering / How it works
caption_attribution_description: English: This montage of four images shows what happens when a two wheeled vehicle (in this case a scooter) is countersteered. Image 1: The bike is going straight Image 2: The front wheel is turned to the right. The bike begins to move to the right. Image 3: The mass of the driver and scooter stays in roughly the same place while the bottom of the scooter moves out. This causes the scooter and rider to lean to the left. Image 4: The driver and/or steering dynamics of the scooter makes the front wheel to turn in the same direction as the lean. The scooter now both turns and leans to the left. தமிழ்: எதிர்திசை செலுத்தலின் பல கட்டங்களைகாட்டும் காட்சித் தொகுப்பு. இங்கு ஒரு வண்டி இடதுபுறம் திரும்ப எதிர்திசைசெலுத்தப்படுகிறது.
context_page_description: Countersteering is used by single-track vehicle operators, such as cyclists and motorcyclists, to initiate a turn toward a given direction by momentarily steering counter to the desired direction. To negotiate a turn successfully, the combined center of mass of the rider and the single-track vehicle must first be leaned in the direction of the turn, and steering briefly in the opposite direction causes that lean. The rider's action of countersteering is sometimes referred to as "giving a steering command".
  The scientific literature does not provide a clear and comprehensive definition of countersteering. In fact, "a proper distinction between steer torque and steer angle ... is not always made."
context_section_description: When countersteering to turn left, the following is performed:
  A torque on the handlebars to the right is applied.
  The front wheel will then rotate about the steering axis to the right and the tire will generate forces in the contact patch to the right.
  The machine as a whole steers to the right
  Because the forces in the contact patch are at ground level, this pulls the wheels "out from under" the bike to the right and causes it to lean to the left.
  The rider, or in most cases the inherent stability of the bike, provides the steering torque necessary to rotate the front wheel back to the left and in the direction of the desired turn.
  The bike begins a turn to the left.
  While this appears to be a complex sequence of motions, it is performed by every child who rides a bicycle. The entire sequence goes largely unnoticed by most riders, which is why some assert that they do not do it.
  It is also important to distinguish the steering torque necessary to initiate the lean required for a given turn from the sustained steering torque and steering angle necessary to maintain a constant radius and lean angle until it is time to exit the turn.
  The initial steer torque and angle are both opposite the desired turn direction.
  The sustained steer angle is in the same direction as the turn.
  The sustained steer torque required to maintain that steer angle is either with or opposite the turn direction depending on forward speed, bike geometry, and combined bike and rider mass distribution.
caption: Image montage showing different stages of countersteering. Here, a scooter is countersteered to turn left.
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