In American Top Gun or police rodeo competition, I usually see the guys leaning OUT (counter leaning) in the tight stuff, but these fine ladies are leading IN-to the curves. Which way to YOU lean?
To Counter Lean or NOT to Counter Lean?
CruiseControl
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In American Top Gun or police rodeo competition, I usually see the guys leaning OUT (counter leaning) in the tight stuff, but these fine ladies are leading IN-to the curves. Which way to YOU lean?
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Through the tight cones, they counter lean when the speed is slow, through the curve at the end, they hang off the inside to increase ground clearance.
At anything over about 15mph, you can hang off the inside because you have enough momentum and load on your tires, below that speed, you could do it, but you would have a hard time picking the bike up again to go straight. You would probably end up in a quickly decreasing radius curve and eventually fall off the inside. This happens sometimes in racing, where the rider hangs off the inside and actually falls off.
At slow speeds, counter leaning keeps a more vertical load on the tires and maintains balance where there is less lateral load.
The situation where this feels more natural, to counter lean, is pulling out of a side street where you have to make a relatively sharp turn at low'ish speeds. You probably could avoid counter leaning in this situation, but you would have to be reasonably hard on the gas and committed, with a lot of lean, and there is a good chance you would lose traction on the rear wheel.
So you use both techniques, just at different speeds and maneuvers.
At anything over about 15mph, you can hang off the inside because you have enough momentum and load on your tires, below that speed, you could do it, but you would have a hard time picking the bike up again to go straight. You would probably end up in a quickly decreasing radius curve and eventually fall off the inside. This happens sometimes in racing, where the rider hangs off the inside and actually falls off.
At slow speeds, counter leaning keeps a more vertical load on the tires and maintains balance where there is less lateral load.
The situation where this feels more natural, to counter lean, is pulling out of a side street where you have to make a relatively sharp turn at low'ish speeds. You probably could avoid counter leaning in this situation, but you would have to be reasonably hard on the gas and committed, with a lot of lean, and there is a good chance you would lose traction on the rear wheel.
So you use both techniques, just at different speeds and maneuvers.
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VG explanation!!
Chris E explained it very well. They were doing both.
I am not smart enough to explain the physics part of it, but the reason you counter lean in slow, tight turns is to maximize the bike's lean. When a bike leans, its rake changes. With the steering fully locked, it can turn in a much tighter radius in a full lean than it can with the bike standing straight up.
Try it some time in a parking lot. Set up some cones. Make a turn with your body leaned into the turn with the bike up as straight as possible. Then do it counter leaning, making the bike do all the leaning. You will notice a huge difference in the amount you have to turn the handlebars.
I am not smart enough to explain the physics part of it, but the reason you counter lean in slow, tight turns is to maximize the bike's lean. When a bike leans, its rake changes. With the steering fully locked, it can turn in a much tighter radius in a full lean than it can with the bike standing straight up.
Try it some time in a parking lot. Set up some cones. Make a turn with your body leaned into the turn with the bike up as straight as possible. Then do it counter leaning, making the bike do all the leaning. You will notice a huge difference in the amount you have to turn the handlebars.
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Very good explanation! One other note would be to point out the big difference in weight and wheel base between the Police bikes and these little machines. The smaller machines are more flick able and forgiving running through at a higher speed.
To me it sure looks like they're having a lot of fun! I'd love to be doing it with them.
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