Steering 2-Wheelers here is about bicycles and motorcycles, but also about any single-track vehicle on the ground, water, or snow.
Furthermore, on one hand so many persons ride 2-Wheelers and have done so for so long, that steering seems obvious for most people and they don’t question how it’s done. They simply go and ride them.
But on the other hand, a 2-Wheeler is such an unstable vehicle while incorporating so many intricacies (must move to be stable, fear of falling or not turning where intended… ), that many theories circulate to explain how it can be held up and steered.
1.0 Multitude and Weaknesses of Steering Theories:
1.1 Multitude of theories:
– One of the simplest explanation is that it’s just a question of equilibrium, like standing up and leaning sideways towards where you want to go. So the Body Weight Leaning (BWL) theory may be what most people have personnally felt and experienced someday when riding a bike. It may thus be the most widespread explanation of steering among average persons.
– But the most widespread theory among motorcyclists, rather is the Countersteering (CS) theory. And it’ i’s taught in Europe, America and Asia, by most motorcycling schools.
– And the Torque Steer (TS) theory is what most scholars and PhDs in universities and research institutes consider as the best up-to-date theory, explaning how the human brain controls the handlebar to steer a bicycle or motorcycle.
– Over a dozen other theories and explanations may also be found, as can be seen following the link below titled: “4.0 Other known steering theories and techniques compared to the new Body Leaning Countersteers“
1.2 Weaknesses:
But all the above most important theories have limitations: They all clearly come short of explaining certain experimental facts, easily verified by nearly anyone.
– The Body Weight Leaning (BWL) theory doesn’t explain how a race mountain biker or a race motorcyclist can change course very rapidly to follow a winding trail. Let alone that using only body-weight with no-hands-on-the-handlebar is very difficult on a mountain bike course, if not impossible for most riders.
– The Countersteering (CS) theory doesn’t explain what happens at slow speeds up to about 18-19 km/h (11-12 mph), where mountain bikes live a large portion of their lives. Some websites recommend NOT to use it below such speeds, while others suggest using it for a fraction of a second in order to initiate a lean and start turning. But then, what happens during all the other seconds of turns done during slaloming at slow speeds?
– The Torque Steer (TS) theory holds that a person’s brain adapts to precisely control the torque on the handlebar, in order to steer correctly the front wheel. But this theory doesn’t explain why the same person’s brain cannot adapt to a bicycle with inverted handle-to-front-wheel orientation: It’s almost impossible to ride a bicycle with a set of gears reversing the rotation of the handlebar to the front wheel. You can test it yourself simply crossing your arms-and-hands on the handlebar: It makes the bicycle nearly impossible to ride, no matter how long you try. And this TS theory doesn’t explain why on a torso-blocked-against-a-backrest bicycle or motorcycle, steering is jerky, without the brain being able to adapt and smoothly steer the bicycle or motorcycle. Certain scholars seem to consider these inconsistencies as being non-explainable facts of life to live with, but they still are somewhat mind buggling.
1.3 Body Leaning Countersteers (BLCs)Theory:
This unfamiliar theory supports that the rider’s body leaning sideways does countersteer the handlebar and front wheel, through the Torso-Arms-Handlebar (TAH) mechanism:
This sequence of images shows the mechanism in action:
If the rider leans towards his left side, it’s obvious that he may be pushing on his left arm, while pulling on his right arm, thus turning the handlebar towards his right, and clearly counter–steering the front wheel.
This Torso-Arms-Handlebar (TAH) mechanism is peculiar because we would expect a mechanism to have steel parts, rather than a torso and two arms which are alive. And even alive, these arms are considered as linkages connecting the torso to the handlebar.
Also, we normally consider the rider to turn his handlebar any way he wants while riding. Furthermore, we consider the rider to lean the weight of his body, and we don’t normally expect the body-leaning as something controlling countersteering of the front wheel. But this Body Leaning Countersteers (BLCs) theory does. It rather considers that leaning sideways has little effect in terms of weight of the body being shifted sideways, but a large effect in terms of countersteering the front wheel.
Certainly at first sight, it’s hard to imagine that this Body Leaning Countersteers (BLCs) theory and its Torso-Arms-Handlebar (TAH) mechanism can link, order and complete each of the three other steering theories, and many more. So how can that be?
Click on any of the following links numbered 2.0 to 6.0, to know more about it.
2.0 New Body Leaning Countersteers (BLCs) theory:
More about: The Torso-Arms-Handlebar mechanism and how it can be fouled. Slow speed stability. Three steps when going into a curve. The hidden 2-Wheeler steering servomechanism…
3.0 Evidence supporting the new steering theory:
It’s hard to factually negate what this new theory explains:
– The easily replicated and observable countersteering that is done fully automatically at slow speeds, without knowing it or doing it intentionally.
– The reduced Minimum stable speed, as soon as you put your hands on the handlebar, without doing any jiggling of the handlebar.
– The prediction that the 2-Wheeler (orange line) leans more than the rider (yellow line) in a steady curve, as can be observed in nearly all motorcycle magazines, when looking carefully:
– The ease riding the 2-Skate, which has:
NO gyroscopic effect of a turning wheel, and
NO front wheel geometry:
4.0 Other known steering theories and techniques compared to the new Body Leaning Countersteers:
There are many other 2-Wheeler steering theories around, but it may readily be agreed that:
– The Countersteering theory (a) does not explain why you don’t consciously, voluntarily and actively countersteer below 20 KMH (12 MPH), on a Cross-Country mountain bicycle or on a slow going motorcycle, and (b) does not explain why nearly everybody doing Cross-Country mountain biking ignores countersteering, and rather identifies a curved line where to go, and follows it.
– The Target fixation theory warns to avoid looking at an object, in order to avoid hitting it, but it fails to explain why or explain why it’s different from a 3 or 4-Wheeler, where you simply turn the steering handlebar or wheel to go where intended.
– The Gyroscopic reaction theory and the Front fork geometry theory, (a) totally fail to explain the immediate stability gained when the hands are put on the handlebar of any 2-Wheeler, (b) fail to explain the stability at slow speeds like 5 KMH (3 MPH), of bicycles with super light-weight wheels having nearly no gyroscopic reaction effect, and (c) also totally fail to explain the stability and the riding smoothness of the 2-Skate.
Inversely, the new Body Leaning Countersteers (BLCs) theory easily explains all these pnenomena.
5.0 Recommendations to increase driving precision and safety:
– At standstill before starting on a motorcycle or bicycle: Lean your torso to the right or left in order to make sure that the handlebar and front wheel are oriented in the opposite direction, as expected by the Torso-Arms-Handlebar mechanism.
– During normal riding: Don’t steer by turning the handlebar. Keep elbows slightly flexed and steer by leaning your torso sideways and forwardly towards where you want to go. The Torso-Arms-Handlebar mechanism will automatically control the handlebar orientation.
– Occasionally when riding: Practice a Slalom Drill consisting of stiffening up the arms and rapidly leaning right or left in order to do a tight slalom on the road.
– Do take motorcycle and cross-country bicycle steering courses, to refresh or gain unexpected skills.
6.0 Recommendations for New Motorcycle Concept development and use of a New Interface Concept (NIC):
– Get a good understanding of the Body Leaning Countersteers theory, to avoid thinking that a new 2-Wheeler concept can be driven as such, with the torso blocked by seat belts against a backrest.
– Use the Body Leaning Countersteers theory to understand how the New Interface Concept (NIC) allows development of new 2-Wheeler concepts having the torso held by seat belts against a backrest.
– Create a media buzz with the Body Leaning Countersteers theory and the NIC, in order to create a wave of interest towards electric 2-Wheelers capable of beating the competition, in being more energy efficient, while being swifter in trafic, lower in cost and still safe and comfortable.
Take your time exploring this site dedicated to better understanding of bicycle and motorcycle steering.
Then, you may have fun rediscovering your 2-Wheeler following your back instantly and precisely, when riding.
Please note that on this site, bicycles and motorcycles are both considered as being 2-Wheelers that ride similarly, even if one has an engine. So motorcycles are simply considered as being more powerful, faster and heavier, except in a few cases: For instance, downhill bicycles equipped with large travel front and rear suspensions can weight more, use more ‘gravitational’ power and go faster than small motorcycles.