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Re: Motorcycle steering



I think we should be extremely careful here. Discussion is very
appropriate, but I would caution the readers to not attempt this
experiment.

I was a motorcycle police officer for a few years, and took my training at
the California Highway Patrol Motorcycle Academy in Sacramento. We never
attempted the maneuver mentioned, though I tried it myself a time or two
while *on the road*.

At speed, one hardly notices handlebars being turned, but they do. When
one *pushes* on the right handlebar, the motorcycle begins falling to the
right, and will continue to fall unless the rider shifts weight over center
of mass or turns the handlebars back to the right...though it may seem
imperceptible.

I realize the previous writer rode off with the handlebars mistakenly
locked, but I would strongly caution any reader from attempting to
duplicate such a maneuver.

Larry



What happened next was a surprise to me. I rode the motorcycle for
about three miles, down two step hills, made three 90 degree right turns
and two 90 degree LEFT turns without ever realizing that the handle bars
could not be turned at all to the left. It was only when I was doing
some low-speed weaving between some stopped cars that I found that I
couldn't turn the handle bars to the left.

That's when I realized that turning a motorcycle at typical driving
speeds has very little to do with turning the handle bars.

Larry Holland
Ilwaco Jr/Sr High School
Ilwaco, WA
lholland@potlatch.esd112.wednet.edu