Key Elements Part VI: Sudden Inputs

Filed in archive Learning on February 14, 2007

There are basically two types of sudden inputs: Those you plan for and those you don't. The sudden inputs you plan for are typically made in the hope of getting you out of some kind of emergency situation. The ability to change your bikes trajectory instantly and precisely can get you out of many emergency situations.

Many things influence the success of those inputs, including grip, assertive predictability, dynamics, and countersteering. Sudden inputs are highly controllable and should be very precise. Therefore they should be practiced in order to perfect them to the point that they become second nature. This is especially true for the countersteering aspect. If you're not intimately familiar with the mechanics of countersteering, you may end up steering straight into what ever it is you're trying to avoid in an emergency.

Countersteering is how motorcycles turn when at speed. It is done by turning the wheel in the opposite direction you want to go, and it works by causing the motorcycle to lean away from the direction you turn the wheel. So if you turn the wheel to the left while at speed, the bike will lean right causing it to turn right. Practicing this will allow you to react to an emergency correctly and naturally, placing the motorcycle exactly where you want it, instead panicking and causing you to steer into the hazard you're trying to avoid.

Introduction
1. Acceleration and Braking
2. Turning
3. Grip
4. Dynamics
5. Assertive Predictability
6. Sudden Inputs
7. Mental Conditioning
8. Education