Gyroscopic Stabilization 101

With steering back and forth on the bars being impossible at speed we must do what most call counter steering, push right go right, push left go left, the harder we push the more the lean, the more the lean the smaller the radius, the smaller the radius the tighter we turn. What we are doing is forcing the bike to lean onto the sidewall of the tire where the circumference is less. The handlebar grips become leverage points to control the lean, and therefore, the radius of the turn.

Now we must get past the fear of the lean. When practicing your lean at a slow speed you will become accustom to hearing a few scrapes now and then. This is good, when you hear that metal on concrete out on a two lane at speed it won’t bother you, and you won’t panic yourself right off the road. Many (one rider just recently, R.I.P.) have fought this gyroscopic phenomenon and lost, it’s called rider error in a single vehicle accident. We must learn how to control this gyro beast all the while we are focusing on the road as far ahead as feasible and where we want our scooter to go. Never look down or anyplace you don’t want the bike to go.

 John ‘Hammer’ Hanzlik
ALR Road Captain
Chapter 1 Omaha, Neb.