This is by far the best tutorial for counter steering. I've been watching and reading everything I could find on this topic and your video is the best. Perfect timing as well, I just brought home a new Ducati SCRAMBLER Desert Sled today.😎
@@MotologyFilmsToday I practiced your techniques on my new SCRAMBLER. I never knew anything about counter steering and it was a real leap of faith to push the right grip to turn right and push the left grip to turn left; but I knew you knew what you were doing. I practiced larger turns at first, then smaller and tighter turns after about 15 minutes. I made it a point to consciously think about push left to go left. Push more left to turn more, in a tighter arc. In less than 30 minutes it felt comfortable, controllable, predictable, and safe. Now just another 999 times to perfect it.....🤣
If you ever come to the US, Arizona has some of the best single track riding in the country. I'll be happy to be a guide and take you to the lesser known, more challenging trails. We have hundreds and hundreds of miles of trails.
@@briangc1972 Every time you ride, pick a point you want to go, look there & practice countersteering to end up there. While road riding, I will use a shadow, oil spot or leaf and let my subconscious move the handle bars. It must reside in your muscle memory, you can't ever think about the maneuver in real time. After 999 more times, it will be natural.
@@savage22bolt32 It is important to consciously perform the actions while practicing. I teach high speed driving and auto racing skills. No matter what your skill level may be, it is imperative to consciously perform the maneuvers and strive for perfection. Only then do you gain the reflexes and proper muscle memory to perform it subconsciously and automatically in an emergency. Other than an emergency situation, every time you perform the maneuver, that is a practice. Every turn and corner should be a conscious effort to do it perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect reflexes.
I think I speak for thousands off off road riders when I say we trust and appreciate your tutorials mate. Thank you for the passion, time and effort you put in to help us all.
It was your warhorse story that made me come back on top of a bike, for the first time, after nearly getting killed in a traffic accident about 14 years ago... In more or less a month I bought a new adv bike, and if all goes well, in three years I should upgrade to a t700. Been recalling a lotta stuff and getting a new understanding and new stuff in these videos. Things that weren't available to me in my youth. I'll never be at the level of a guy like you but since I got back and refound myself and a sort of joy that was long forgotten, I stopped smoking and I just get out every time I can. It's like if I'm a bit of an old warhorse myself. Thanks mate. Cheers.
I love this comment. Welcome back to motorcycling ... it sounds like the best replacement for cigarettes you could have hoped for. Putting some joy back into an old Warhorse. Haha, so good ... we are the same year model (1975) and perhaps I am an old Warhorse too.
Just went spent 2 days practising the weightless chassis technique, I must say I went from being terrified of the throttle to loving it I had so much fun shifting my weight back an forward to find the perfect spot for that back end to drift as it pleases I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to ride offroad it is perfect.
As a teenager, riding my 125 two stroke suzuki on the dirt and gravel back roads of northern Arkansas. I used that exact technique. It just felt right and much more in control to me. No one taught me as I rode mainly by myself. I used it on the muddy fields as well. No one has ever explained how it works like you did. I've tried to explain it and teach it with some success but you nailed it.
I've just started with offroading with nobody around to teach me all the stuff i need. This man is the cool off-road encyclopedia helping me out with everything i need to know
You got a great natural feeling for motorcycle riding. Alot of people can do this technique but not many will feel and understand what the bike is actually doing, relaxing the chassis and let it choose it own path.
Hi, I watched this yesterday and the extra understanding from this video just saved my life today. I was practicing faster exiting turns on asphalt moutain roads. I was being mindful of this video, feeling the chassis relax, as car came at me the wrong way at the exit of a blind corner. I had both tires drifting with the back out, but managed to squeeze out of the corner whilst full braking. (ABS off). it just kept swinging in the right direction as i got up and leaned forward. Tried and tested, even on road. Scary encounter, but definitely got a new skill :) Thanks for saving my sorry ass. Much love.
It's now locked in as your instinct. I did the same thing on a DR650 about 15-years ago. Come in a little over-cooked into a asphalt turn and backed it in to try stay out of the opposite lane ... car came around the corner as DR assumed a full supermoto slide. Slid past inside of car in my lane and rode out like I completely meant to do it. So lucky.
After being able to do all this automatically as a kid it’s surprising how at 53 I no I can do this stuff & much more. Over 30yrs without a bike it comes back far easier when you can watch others with more experience explain in detail. Great videos.
Will, practice countersteering until it becomes automatic. Every time I ride I practice looking where I want to go, and let the subconscious take over.
What I see is: it starts with the classical counter steering combined with rear wheel braking, in order to help the motorcycle into the corner by slowing it down; because of the speed and the gravel, you get into (back wheel) drifting, which one can control like in the case of the cars, by keeping the steering wheel (in our case the handle bar) in the same direction in which the back slides. By counter steering and back wheel drifting, the bike inclines, so we compensate that and remain in control by applying weight to the outside leg and lifting the inside one. By this whole commotion, the bike gets more and more aligned with the exit of the corner and also with the straight line after that, so now we (can) transition from braking to accelerating more and more, because we are more and more on the right track (aka aligned with the next part of the road). Voila!
Definitely the most practical lessen I've ever seen. Brilliant demonstration. I just practiced on my 390 and suddenly I was nailing it. What a buzz. thanks mate.
Once I realised this simple cornering style on the road my cornering became so mush more sure and solid and easy, it utilises the gyroscopic effect of the front wheel, in that the force applied to the gyro acts at 90 degrees to that force so in effect the front wheel pulls you around the corner by the gyro effect and not just road grip. Great content cheers.
You are so much fun to watch and it reminds me of my youth when I could ride my RM125 anywhere and no one cared. Today, here in Germany, it just pisses me off that I'm not even allowed to ride on a farm track without running the risk of a heavy fine or always being afraid that someone will report me. Still, I often give a shit about it. After all, I want to build on my previous skills again. You are so blessed in Australia.
Yes we are lucky because there is so much land available to ride licensed bikes. I filmed all of this on my property, which is in a rural area so there is no issue with noise.
@@clukait You young whippersnapper! RM 125, Ha! I had a TM125, so there! 😆 But seriously; here in New England, USA. Not many places to ride, and they won't even register a two stroke for street use.
@@savage22bolt32 , and I always thought America was the land of freedom. Well, New England, with its 14 million inhabitants, is only half as populated as Germany in terms of area. The more people live in one place, the greater the risk of regulation. By the way, the time I had that in 1986 the RM 125 was a really great MX bike.😉
That Acro sounds awesome! I remember Mick Doohan once tried to explain to a reporter how he steered a motogp bike with the pegs, the reporter was suitably perplexed, as was I, it took a few years of trial and crashing before the fundamentals of counter steering and weighting the pegs switched the lightbulb on in my brain. Thanks AR, for a clear and illustrated understanding of this technique.
Like Mick Doohan, look for the Gypsy Tales podcast interview with Casey Stoner. Casey talks about going into Turn 3 at Phillip Island just like Adam does here. With the back end sliding and the front end cocked to the right in the left-hander, there's much less chance of losing the front.
@@robmatthewswoodturning4988 Casey is freak, I mean that in the the most appreciative way. An absolute master, and his disregard for physics astounds me. The slow mo vision of Casey backing into sweepers make my hair stand on end. Gary McCoy, Casey, Mick Doohan, Adam Riemann and Toby (among others) confirm my theory that extraterrestrials exist.
@@robmatthewswoodturning4988 You're comment created a "light-bulb moment" for me, that helped me "get" AR's video lesson here. It's the same exact concept as applying "opposite lock" in a powerslide, with a car. Thank you.
Between yourself and another biker named Motojitsu many people can learn some awesome riding skills. I've been riding for just over 40 years and still pickup fantastic tips and even validation and a better explanation of things i already do but dont quite do properly. Great work 👍
I've heard a lot about counter-steering, but nobody ever really does a good job of explaining the reason, or even how much you should be counter-steering. You both explained and visually showed it very well, thank you!
We used to call it counter steering, turning the front wheel in the opposite direction of the turn utilizing the outer radius of the tire to facilitate the turn. Great video as always. Top notch. I posted this then saw Brian CG’ post. 😁
After many years of riding on dirt, and not at a high level by any means, you do learn a lot, mainly through accident but rear wheel steering is something you just end up doing sub consciously after a while, even at my pedestrian pace. The one thing that curbs my enthusiasm mostly on dirt roads is the threat of a FWD bull bar coming the other way, blind right hand corners where the camber drops to the left and all the gravel builds up to make traction very up predictable in the front. Love to see some riding tips on real riding scenarios where vision is limited by trees and hills and where there are actually other road users, Victorian high country for example, the idea of traffic coming the other way is ever present. 👍👍👍👍👍
I've never heard it described this way. I'm newish to dirt, and this definitely will help me out. I've had the scary moments with off camber or bump just before an unexpected tight corner. I knew I was watching better riders 2 wheel drifting but making the corners that I was struggling with at my much slower speeds. You've just explained what they were doing different in a way I can begin to try out and learn.
Great tips mate, So so easy to get into trouble on a 200+ kg bike, I’ve always said anybody can ride fast in a line, those down hill off camber corner’s definitely take commitment.
I’ve been wondering why I couldn’t attack dirt roads and power slide the entire way through corners like I’ve seen others do. As soon as I watched this tutorial, I went and tried it on my Norden 901. Massive difference! You can ride faster into the corners and with more confidence. Power slide the whole way through rather than just the exits.
Thank you very much friend! I'm practicing your teachings seriously. Gaining control on my 450 throttle is the most important skill for me. I dream with buying my tenere, but my wr450f still intimidates me so I'm training as much as possible every day.
Thanks so much for this, I spent many a day as a kid skidding my mountain bike like this and naturally did this on a dirt bike too. I guess muscle memory helped there. I would never be able to articulate it like you have here. Please keep making these videos, you are a great teacher
Your videos are excellent. I learned a lot of these techniques in the early to mid 80’s on 3-wheelers in the dirt. They were demonized as dangerous simply because people weren’t learning the techniques to control them based on terrain.
I'm not able to run like AR, I can't do air time etc., but this vid allows me to learn some practical skills on gravel parking places or other, because we don.t have free ground to do so. AR says in another video, that it will take years of practice, to learn this. But of course it improves already the whole riding after the first tries. The whole thing is changing now (for me) - and it requires a bit more lard in the legs! 😅 Thanx Adam for this lessons!
I'm glad you don't add too much technique in one lesson. It's typically a few days before I can get out on my bike to practice these techniques right now I'm couchsurfing!!! I do very much appreciate these lessons. I've picked up on quite a bit and I'm enjoying riding the beast a little bit more 😃
Reminds me of a game we played as kids on pedal bikes, transitioning a high speed skid on gravel to a side skid with balance alone, the front counter steering feels natural after awhile
Nice trick. I realized I’ve been doing this since when I first learn to ride motorcycles. It’s the natural instinct, but cool to see someone with the knowledge to explain it.
You are obviously a good rider, and you have a real knack for teaching. Many teachers fill my ears with mud, you are very clear and make sense in my cranium. I assume you're are AU or NZ. I don't know your background or experience, but I'm really hoping you run a successful school. If not, you might be missing an opportunity! ❤from 🇺🇸
Love your channel. Makes me want to get a Tenere 700 for my next bike. One way to explain "relaxing the chassis" is is this: the bike does this because it wants to stand up. Same reason why a moving motorcycle (or bicycle) will keep moving even without a rider until it loses momentum.
love they way you do it . hard to beleive that riders dont know this .something i practice regularly even riding adv bike on tar .needs to be instinctive off road ,, and if the rear is spinning that means the front has 100 percent more grip allowing you to turn and control the bike in the desired direction . nice to see someone explain it so nice
It is neat that you are putting into words what a person learns instinctually from riding. Maybe if a newer rider can heed this advice they can avoid some wrecks. It seems like I had the harder learning lessons when I was a kid and wrecks didn't hurt as bad!
Love this clip and been watching it several times now! Been trying to "relaxing the chassis" on gravel roads and it's building up my confidence on the bike. Very grateful!
Great videos , I went out and practised on my gs doing the slalom drills etc and practise makes perfect I feel much more confident off road thank you 🙏
"It's about being able to go fast safely" Great stuff again Adam, and we'll explained. I live in Thailand now, and most of the local riders here have no idea how to corner fast, or safely. Dirt or road.
You are actually making it look easy on the terrain you are doing these moves where there are plenty of uneven ground and invisible ruts, also, the notion of a relaxed suspension may not work on bikes with ESA, doing so with this speed on a BMW GSA1250 can be challenging. Great videos as always. Thanks Riemann.
Great video m8 I'm sure you've used this technique that I used to use quite often smoother to track or fire Rhodes When attacking a chicane but I could confidently see through to the end of it Instead of letting off the gas go hard on it power slide into it as if it wasn't a chicane then it's correct time Yank the bars and power slide on out and it all happens so smoothly it's like magic The key is outside peg weight and at the same time as the elbow elbow up outside and do not let off the throttle When do this is on a pretty slight chicane and it was a pretty much upright motorcycle
I watched MC Rider and grew to become a multiple superbike championship winning racer in Kenya. Now I am watching this guys videos as a returning rider after surviving a head on collision with a VW Tuareg on my T7 and getting the feeling that I have just landed on the exact person I needed to learn from yet again. May Allah SWT bless you in abundance mate. You're awesome 🎉❤
Its all good stuff, entertaining to watch and starts to make sense when we remember to apply each of these techniques when riding. The temptation when you get the chance to ride if to just ride and not spend the time to practice.
Hi Adam, Mountain bikes and motorcycles have been my passion for at least 35 years. I bought a T7 last year and found your posts on RUclips. I'm really impressed with them and so I'd like to thank you. You have a lot of experience, desire, calmness and a remarkable sense of explaining the different feelings that we experience during the performance of a certain skill. When you talked about “relieving the chassis”, you really hit the spot. An unusual term, but that's exactly what you feel when driving. Or when explaining how to changing the inner tube and said that you need to calm down first, and then start working. Exactly that. But we don't usually talk about these things and in this way. Therefore, congratulations for the work you are doing. I know it's a business too, but stay authentic. And finally, a question. Based on your driving style, do you use OEM suspension? I have the rear spring preload set to 20 clicks (4 clicks to maximum) and I still notice that the shock goes all the way down pretty regularly. I'm 75 kg, ride slow to medium fast, mostly off road, bumpy roads, single tracks, no big jumps.
I agree those downward sloping bends are the trickiest. A fair few times I’ve just target fixated and run off the track but like you seat time is the most crucial part of the equation.
Ehi, thanks for the teaching! I'm exercising this cornering technique and I have to say that, little by little, it's getting better. I'm very happy cause I can feel it's coming... Greetings 👋
Thanks for this. It's what has been missing. Plenty of hard enduro riders showing technique, but far fewer showing how to ride fast with bigger bikes. Cornering is the one skill that would make my riding better. I'd love to see a similar one with tighter corners or rocky surface thrown in.
Awesome video! Crazy thing - I was watching this, trying to take it in, and I thought I'd slow down the play speed in order to better see your movements. Magic! The slow video speed magnifies the body and steering movements really well. I had it at half speed. It definitely works, thanks for this video mate.
This is a really solid series. It's really helping me identify all the stuff I already know and practice in downhill and enduro mountain biking and applying it to the bike with an engine! "Like a shot buffalo" LOL!!!
Watched 1/2 /3 went for a ride and applied some of the techniques what a difference it make I’ll keep working on the basics and build on that for starters Keep up the great work it really dose make a difference
Ah man these are the videos I need for some of my pals, you explain what we do as dirt riders without thinking. These skills also pay when on sports bikes, I've taken slides which I've instinctively turned into a power slide. Dirt really is the best teacher.
Just went and tried a bit of this just while goofing off in the back yard. Was honestly kind of stunned how easy it was to manage the bike in that position, even found myself using quite a hefty amount of throttle, powering out of the corner, which up till now I wouldve been just too afraid of loosing the bike to try. A big part of the change for me is before this I was riding a very street biased bike, and while it survived off road with the 80/20 tires I had mounted, it just never felt happy to be there. I've got myself an ex500 turned adv, and even though it wasnt initially built for it, the previous owner did something right because, this bike absolutely loves the dirt!
while at speed letting off the throttle is usually enough to get into this stance I find that in tighter single track a tiny tap on the front break gives you that relaxed bike feel and gets you forward on the bike and ready for the next turn.
Thank you Adam, Enjoyed the videos. You mentioned you changed springs front and rear. Which springs do you have? Could you talk about setup and geometry for riding deep sand and tyre pressures. Doing a 30 day Kalahari ride through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia on fully loaded T7 September/October with a lot of deep sand.
Thank You so much for this! I am eager and excited to get on my bike and practice! One in particular that gets me....that downhill into a tight corner or switchback on loose gravel and/or dirt! I just get stiff and take these at less than 10 mph! Meanwhile my friends are pulling far ahead and it's a pucker moment for me... I have a spot close to my house where I can practice this and am sooo ready to get on my bike tomorrow. I'll probably watch this a couple of more times...
Great explanations on cornering, thanks! I wonder if you have a video that discusses what to do or not do if you find yourself entering a corner to hot! Especially ADV on loose dirt or gravel. How to mitigate damage… or when to give up and hit the brakes!
emmh, quick notice, this video really made a huge difference today, i was still fixing the bike the last days and i randomly saw this video, today i finished fixing it ,went out for a ride and dude, huge difference in my riding while applying your technique
It helped me a fair bit mate! Telling you this as a mountain biker... I always have problems with front end traction, especially going into a corner. Hoping this will make a diffeence!
Nice stuff, thank you. I think it would be valuable to see those a couple of time at half the speed of your current slo-mos or even slower, so that we can see the detail of what your are doing better.
I've ridden dirt bikes as a kid was never taught proper techniques etc. I'm 22 now and plan on getting a 300 rally, should be some great fun getting back into it. I've been riding road bikes (and will continue to do so), so this will be interesting! Awesome tutorials, I can't wait to start practicing
Great tutorial as always. I think body position and weight transfer (middle to front) should also be noted. Helps me greatly on really slippery soil to maintain control over the loose rear, Cheers
Love your videos man....thank you for sharing your knowledge with us...I start riding motorcicles only 1 year ago (Im 52 years old) and every advice is useful for me....thank you and greetings from ARGENTINA.
Awesome videos! Thanks for all the work you put on this channel! As a filmmaker, if I could make a suggestion you could add so much more value by shooting 120 or even 240fps on those shots of the turns to show us and run us through and allow better visualization for people. Just a suggestion. Keep up the great work! :)
I’ve always been taught counter-steering only applies to the street, and not dirt. I’ve had training sessions where highly skilled experienced coaches tell me ‘stop counter-steering dude, you aren’t on pavement’. I’ve always wondered why. Curious if anyone else was taught the same, anxious to try Adam’s techniques.
I has always been an argument for helping heavier bikes corner easier, hence you train on this until it becomes natural on the street. Too fast into a corner? Pull that outer bar-handle and drop down faster. Put we have always done this with dirtbikes as well, as a consequence of trailbreaking and early power on to get the back wheel to step out. Seeing it in detail and from these angels it's exactly the same, but here you instigate the power-slide with frame position first.
@@sveinharang6639Yes. I’m wondering why so many off road instructors tell people to stand up the whole time. Sometimes instructions can be wrong. Theory is one thing.
Man! You make me want to ride off-road!! Your videos and the way you share your knowledge are truly inspiring! Question: I have decades of experience on the roads, but very little serious off-road experience. I did a one-day off-road riding school once, and rode a 300XCW a handful of times about 10 years ago. Can I learn the ropes at my own pace on a Tenere 700, using your videos, or is it a recipe for disaster to learn on such a "big'' bike? I'm 5'10'' 230ish lbs. Thanks and ride safe! 🙏
Adam, such a great video, keep doing them as they are top. One thing i'd like to understand on these technique. On left hand corner, the weight is on the inner peg (left). Do you ever change that on the outside leg sometimes during the turn? Or the weight remains on left for the whole time? Thank you!
Great video! after so many years of MTB, under breaking and coasting the t700 feels just like a very very heavy bike, its when laying down power that I still fear the beast.
Hi Adam, thanks for another great video. I’ve used some of these techniques riding enduro bikes but I find it hard to picture myself riding a bigger bike off road with anything near your ability or confidence.
It's actually pretty easy because the big bikes have momentum and don't get upset by small bumps like dual sport and Enduro bikes do at speed. Typically you can hit the front brake to lighten the rear, then initiate that turn in and relax the chassis. Then you give throttle to slide that rear around and you're off. Again, big bikes = more momentum, so it's even easier to carry speed around turns if you have good tires and stand up.
You'll be surprised if you ride a big bike with good suspension, they act very similar to small bikes except you need to allow extra distance for braking and wash off more speed before hitting big bumps etc.
Really enjoyed this video as a beginner. Practiced some of this yesterday and felt so more confident around corners on the DRZ. Should you be putting the front inside leg out every time you are sitting when cornering?
I commend you, your videos are regularly terrific. Your an awesome leader & great Instructor. Your commentary is tremendous. I hope your channel & your ambitious are a total success.
The hardest part is cutting / editing it back to try keep viewers attention. I explain a lot more but viewers attention span drops too quickly and the view count / reach suffers.
Man I love this!!! You're such a good teacher. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. Can't wait to take the bike out and practice practice practice!
Cool but as a dude who race MX, endures, desert races and speedway bikes you mentioned and sort of missed a major point in my mind.. you generally control a bike through your ankles. turns have two corners, entry and exit in one corner. An example is a speedway way track has two turns but four corners on an oval track. Holding a bike wide open and laying in over waiting the outside leg on that rear spinning disc called the rear wheel and dancing the front to where you would like to go while pitching and waiting for drive or slide with both feet on the pegs is a feeling I will never forget..the best feeling.
As an outsider, the best way to describe the technique is, picture the front as a unicycle, keeping it pointed and leaned where you want to go, and just let the rest of the bike swing out where it wants, to push you along. Committing to it is key, as otherwise, you're setting yourself up for a potential high side.
This is by far the best tutorial for counter steering. I've been watching and reading everything I could find on this topic and your video is the best. Perfect timing as well, I just brought home a new Ducati SCRAMBLER Desert Sled today.😎
That sounds like a fun bike !
@@MotologyFilmsToday I practiced your techniques on my new SCRAMBLER. I never knew anything about counter steering and it was a real leap of faith to push the right grip to turn right and push the left grip to turn left; but I knew you knew what you were doing. I practiced larger turns at first, then smaller and tighter turns after about 15 minutes. I made it a point to consciously think about push left to go left. Push more left to turn more, in a tighter arc. In less than 30 minutes it felt comfortable, controllable, predictable, and safe. Now just another 999 times to perfect it.....🤣
If you ever come to the US, Arizona has some of the best single track riding in the country. I'll be happy to be a guide and take you to the lesser known, more challenging trails. We have hundreds and hundreds of miles of trails.
@@briangc1972 Every time you ride, pick a point you want to go, look there & practice countersteering to end up there.
While road riding, I will use a shadow, oil spot or leaf and let my subconscious move the handle bars.
It must reside in your muscle memory, you can't ever think about the maneuver in real time.
After 999 more times, it will be natural.
@@savage22bolt32 It is important to consciously perform the actions while practicing. I teach high speed driving and auto racing skills. No matter what your skill level may be, it is imperative to consciously perform the maneuvers and strive for perfection. Only then do you gain the reflexes and proper muscle memory to perform it subconsciously and automatically in an emergency. Other than an emergency situation, every time you perform the maneuver, that is a practice. Every turn and corner should be a conscious effort to do it perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect reflexes.
you are the best teacher in this field.
Agreed, nobody addresses these techniques. You're pushing these bikes to their limit.
Yes, I agree.... and so well spoken without being condescending.
Amen to that. Very grateful for this clear instruction, taking it down to basic principles.
Agreed 100%
100% agree
I think I speak for thousands off off road riders when I say we trust and appreciate your tutorials mate.
Thank you for the passion, time and effort you put in to help us all.
You dont need to.... most of us can speak for ourselves.....
🙄 dockingtroll6801 what a sad douchebag 👍
@@dockingtroll6801 what a wanker comment
Your style in both riding and presenting is awesome. Down to earth, funny and informative.
It was your warhorse story that made me come back on top of a bike, for the first time, after nearly getting killed in a traffic accident about 14 years ago...
In more or less a month I bought a new adv bike, and if all goes well, in three years I should upgrade to a t700.
Been recalling a lotta stuff and getting a new understanding and new stuff in these videos. Things that weren't available to me in my youth.
I'll never be at the level of a guy like you but since I got back and refound myself and a sort of joy that was long forgotten, I stopped smoking and I just get out every time I can.
It's like if I'm a bit of an old warhorse myself.
Thanks mate.
Cheers.
I love this comment. Welcome back to motorcycling ... it sounds like the best replacement for cigarettes you could have hoped for. Putting some joy back into an old Warhorse. Haha, so good ... we are the same year model (1975) and perhaps I am an old Warhorse too.
Just went spent 2 days practising the weightless chassis technique, I must say I went from being terrified of the throttle to loving it I had so much fun shifting my weight back an forward to find the perfect spot for that back end to drift as it pleases I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to ride offroad it is perfect.
As a teenager, riding my 125 two stroke suzuki on the dirt and gravel back roads of northern Arkansas. I used that exact technique. It just felt right and much more in control to me. No one taught me as I rode mainly by myself. I used it on the muddy fields as well.
No one has ever explained how it works like you did.
I've tried to explain it and teach it with some success but you nailed it.
I've just started with offroading with nobody around to teach me all the stuff i need. This man is the cool off-road encyclopedia helping me out with everything i need to know
You got a great natural feeling for motorcycle riding.
Alot of people can do this technique but not many will feel and understand what the bike is actually doing, relaxing the chassis and let it choose it own path.
Hi,
I watched this yesterday and the extra understanding from this video just saved my life today.
I was practicing faster exiting turns on asphalt moutain roads. I was being mindful of this video, feeling the chassis relax, as car came at me the wrong way at the exit of a blind corner. I had both tires drifting with the back out, but managed to squeeze out of the corner whilst full braking. (ABS off).
it just kept swinging in the right direction as i got up and leaned forward.
Tried and tested, even on road.
Scary encounter, but definitely got a new skill :)
Thanks for saving my sorry ass.
Much love.
It's now locked in as your instinct. I did the same thing on a DR650 about 15-years ago. Come in a little over-cooked into a asphalt turn and backed it in to try stay out of the opposite lane ... car came around the corner as DR assumed a full supermoto slide. Slid past inside of car in my lane and rode out like I completely meant to do it. So lucky.
After being able to do all this automatically as a kid it’s surprising how at 53 I no I can do this stuff & much more. Over 30yrs without a bike it comes back far easier when you can watch others with more experience explain in detail. Great videos.
Will, practice countersteering until it becomes automatic.
Every time I ride I practice looking where I want to go, and let the subconscious take over.
What I see is: it starts with the classical counter steering combined with rear wheel braking, in order to help the motorcycle into the corner by slowing it down; because of the speed and the gravel, you get into (back wheel) drifting, which one can control like in the case of the cars, by keeping the steering wheel (in our case the handle bar) in the same direction in which the back slides. By counter steering and back wheel drifting, the bike inclines, so we compensate that and remain in control by applying weight to the outside leg and lifting the inside one. By this whole commotion, the bike gets more and more aligned with the exit of the corner and also with the straight line after that, so now we (can) transition from braking to accelerating more and more, because we are more and more on the right track (aka aligned with the next part of the road). Voila!
Definitely the most practical lessen I've ever seen. Brilliant demonstration. I just practiced on my 390 and suddenly I was nailing it. What a buzz. thanks mate.
Once I realised this simple cornering style on the road my cornering became so mush more sure and solid and easy, it utilises the gyroscopic effect of the front wheel, in that the force applied to the gyro acts at 90 degrees to that force so in effect the front wheel pulls you around the corner by the gyro effect and not just road grip. Great content cheers.
You are so much fun to watch and it reminds me of my youth when I could ride my RM125 anywhere and no one cared. Today, here in Germany, it just pisses me off that I'm not even allowed to ride on a farm track without running the risk of a heavy fine or always being afraid that someone will report me. Still, I often give a shit about it. After all, I want to build on my previous skills again. You are so blessed in Australia.
Then you need to do your best to escape the fourth reich which is the EU.
Yes we are lucky because there is so much land available to ride licensed bikes. I filmed all of this on my property, which is in a rural area so there is no issue with noise.
@@MotologyFilms , really amazing! You lucky person! And thanks for the good tutorials. I can still learn something from you.
@@clukait You young whippersnapper! RM 125, Ha! I had a TM125, so there! 😆
But seriously; here in New England, USA. Not many places to ride, and they won't even register a two stroke for street use.
@@savage22bolt32 , and I always thought America was the land of freedom. Well, New England, with its 14 million inhabitants, is only half as populated as Germany in terms of area. The more people live in one place, the greater the risk of regulation.
By the way, the time I had that in 1986 the RM 125 was a really great MX bike.😉
That Acro sounds awesome! I remember Mick Doohan once tried to explain to a reporter how he steered a motogp bike with the pegs, the reporter was suitably perplexed, as was I, it took a few years of trial and crashing before the fundamentals of counter steering and weighting the pegs switched the lightbulb on in my brain. Thanks AR, for a clear and illustrated understanding of this technique.
Like Mick Doohan, look for the Gypsy Tales podcast interview with Casey Stoner. Casey talks about going into Turn 3 at Phillip Island just like Adam does here. With the back end sliding and the front end cocked to the right in the left-hander, there's much less chance of losing the front.
@@robmatthewswoodturning4988 Casey is freak, I mean that in the the most appreciative way. An absolute master, and his disregard for physics astounds me. The slow mo vision of Casey backing into sweepers make my hair stand on end. Gary McCoy, Casey, Mick Doohan, Adam Riemann and Toby (among others) confirm my theory that extraterrestrials exist.
@@robmatthewswoodturning4988 You're comment created a "light-bulb moment" for me, that helped me "get" AR's video lesson here. It's the same exact concept as applying "opposite lock" in a powerslide, with a car. Thank you.
Between yourself and another biker named Motojitsu many people can learn some awesome riding skills.
I've been riding for just over 40 years and still pickup fantastic tips and even validation and a better explanation of things i already do but dont quite do properly. Great work 👍
So many people can ride like this, so few can explain how its done. Great work mate.
I've heard a lot about counter-steering, but nobody ever really does a good job of explaining the reason, or even how much you should be counter-steering. You both explained and visually showed it very well, thank you!
We used to call it counter steering, turning the front wheel in the opposite direction of the turn utilizing the outer radius of the tire to facilitate the turn. Great video as always. Top notch. I posted this then saw Brian CG’ post. 😁
You sound so much like my dad its wild. 😅 Cheers. Hope you have a great day
I ride ride, not dirt, but can confirm it is still referred to as counter steering.
After many years of riding on dirt, and not at a high level by any means, you do learn a lot, mainly through accident but rear wheel steering is something you just end up doing sub consciously after a while, even at my pedestrian pace.
The one thing that curbs my enthusiasm mostly on dirt roads is the threat of a FWD bull bar coming the other way, blind right hand corners where the camber drops to the left and all the gravel builds up to make traction very up predictable in the front.
Love to see some riding tips on real riding scenarios where vision is limited by trees and hills and where there are actually other road users,
Victorian high country for example, the idea of traffic coming the other way is ever present.
👍👍👍👍👍
I've never heard it described this way. I'm newish to dirt, and this definitely will help me out.
I've had the scary moments with off camber or bump just before an unexpected tight corner. I knew I was watching better riders 2 wheel drifting but making the corners that I was struggling with at my much slower speeds. You've just explained what they were doing different in a way I can begin to try out and learn.
Great tips mate, So so easy to get into trouble on a 200+ kg bike, I’ve always said anybody can ride fast in a line, those down hill off camber corner’s definitely take commitment.
I’ve been wondering why I couldn’t attack dirt roads and power slide the entire way through corners like I’ve seen others do. As soon as I watched this tutorial, I went and tried it on my Norden 901. Massive difference! You can ride faster into the corners and with more confidence. Power slide the whole way through rather than just the exits.
Thank you very much friend! I'm practicing your teachings seriously. Gaining control on my 450 throttle is the most important skill for me. I dream with buying my tenere, but my wr450f still intimidates me so I'm training as much as possible every day.
Thanks so much for this, I spent many a day as a kid skidding my mountain bike like this and naturally did this on a dirt bike too. I guess muscle memory helped there. I would never be able to articulate it like you have here. Please keep making these videos, you are a great teacher
Your videos are excellent.
I learned a lot of these techniques in the early to mid 80’s on 3-wheelers in the dirt. They were demonized as dangerous simply because people weren’t learning the techniques to control them based on terrain.
Yes!! Finally! I've been looking for a high-speed gravel/dirt cornering technique for an adventure-bike for a long time! Thank you!
I'm not able to run like AR, I can't do air time etc., but this vid allows me to learn some practical skills on gravel parking places or other, because we don.t have free ground to do so. AR says in another video, that it will take years of practice, to learn this. But of course it improves already the whole riding after the first tries. The whole thing is changing now (for me) - and it requires a bit more lard in the legs! 😅
Thanx Adam for this lessons!
I'm glad you don't add too much technique in one lesson.
It's typically a few days before I can get out on my bike to practice these techniques right now I'm couchsurfing!!!
I do very much appreciate these lessons. I've picked up on quite a bit and I'm enjoying riding the beast a little bit more 😃
I've been riding on and off for 15 years, this video instantly made me a better rider. thanks!
Totally agree, I watch a lot of these techniques regularly before I go out for a ride and try a few that I remember. I helps and all adds up. 👍
Reminds me of a game we played as kids on pedal bikes, transitioning a high speed skid on gravel to a side skid with balance alone, the front counter steering feels natural after awhile
Ph.D. level instructional videos. I learn more by watching your videos than I ever could spending hours riding on my own. Thank you for sharing!!!
Nice trick. I realized I’ve been doing this since when I first learn to ride motorcycles. It’s the natural instinct, but cool to see someone with the knowledge to explain it.
You are obviously a good rider, and you have a real knack for teaching. Many teachers fill my ears with mud, you are very clear and make sense in my cranium.
I assume you're are AU or NZ. I don't know your background or experience, but I'm really hoping you run a successful school. If not, you might be missing an opportunity! ❤from 🇺🇸
Love your channel. Makes me want to get a Tenere 700 for my next bike.
One way to explain "relaxing the chassis" is is this: the bike does this because it wants to stand up. Same reason why a moving motorcycle (or bicycle) will keep moving even without a rider until it loses momentum.
As an experienced dirt bike rider, I still find these videos helpful 👍
Great to hear!
love they way you do it . hard to beleive that riders dont know this .something i practice regularly even riding adv bike on tar .needs to be instinctive off road ,, and if the rear is spinning that means the front has 100 percent more grip allowing you to turn and control the bike in the desired direction . nice to see someone explain it so nice
It is neat that you are putting into words what a person learns instinctually from riding. Maybe if a newer rider can heed this advice they can avoid some wrecks. It seems like I had the harder learning lessons when I was a kid and wrecks didn't hurt as bad!
Love this clip and been watching it several times now! Been trying to "relaxing the chassis" on gravel roads and it's building up my confidence on the bike. Very grateful!
Great videos , I went out and practised on my gs doing the slalom drills etc and practise makes perfect I feel much more confident off road thank you 🙏
All your videos are extremely helpful. First adv bike and having a blast!
"It's about being able to go fast safely" Great stuff again Adam, and we'll explained. I live in Thailand now, and most of the local riders here have no idea how to corner fast, or safely. Dirt or road.
You are actually making it look easy on the terrain you are doing these moves where there are plenty of uneven ground and invisible ruts, also, the notion of a relaxed suspension may not work on bikes with ESA, doing so with this speed on a BMW GSA1250 can be challenging. Great videos as always. Thanks Riemann.
This vid was super helpful! Learning this technique has dramatically changed my cornering speed and confidence!
Great video m8
I'm sure you've used this technique that I used to use quite often smoother to track or fire Rhodes
When attacking a chicane but I could confidently see through to the end of it
Instead of letting off the gas go hard on it power slide into it as if it wasn't a chicane then it's correct time Yank the bars and power slide on out and it all happens so smoothly it's like magic
The key is outside peg weight and at the same time as the elbow elbow up outside and do not let off the throttle
When do this is on a pretty slight chicane and it was a pretty much upright motorcycle
I watched MC Rider and grew to become a multiple superbike championship winning racer in Kenya. Now I am watching this guys videos as a returning rider after surviving a head on collision with a VW Tuareg on my T7 and getting the feeling that I have just landed on the exact person I needed to learn from yet again. May Allah SWT bless you in abundance mate. You're awesome 🎉❤
Its all good stuff, entertaining to watch and starts to make sense when we remember to apply each of these techniques when riding. The temptation when you get the chance to ride if to just ride and not spend the time to practice.
I'd love to hear you go through these scenarios with the breaking... thank you! I just got myself a 2008 F800GS and am trying to tame it... ;-)
Hi Adam, Mountain bikes and motorcycles have been my passion for at least 35 years. I bought a T7 last year and found your posts on RUclips. I'm really impressed with them and so I'd like to thank you. You have a lot of experience, desire, calmness and a remarkable sense of explaining the different feelings that we experience during the performance of a certain skill. When you talked about “relieving the chassis”, you really hit the spot. An unusual term, but that's exactly what you feel when driving. Or when explaining how to changing the inner tube and said that you need to calm down first, and then start working. Exactly that. But we don't usually talk about these things and in this way. Therefore, congratulations for the work you are doing. I know it's a business too, but stay authentic.
And finally, a question. Based on your driving style, do you use OEM suspension? I have the rear spring preload set to 20 clicks (4 clicks to maximum) and I still notice that the shock goes all the way down pretty regularly. I'm 75 kg, ride slow to medium fast, mostly off road, bumpy roads, single tracks, no big jumps.
I agree those downward sloping bends are the trickiest. A fair few times I’ve just target fixated and run off the track but like you seat time is the most crucial part of the equation.
Ehi, thanks for the teaching! I'm exercising this cornering technique and I have to say that, little by little, it's getting better.
I'm very happy cause I can feel it's coming...
Greetings 👋
Thanks for this. It's what has been missing. Plenty of hard enduro riders showing technique, but far fewer showing how to ride fast with bigger bikes. Cornering is the one skill that would make my riding better. I'd love to see a similar one with tighter corners or rocky surface thrown in.
Awesome video! Crazy thing - I was watching this, trying to take it in, and I thought I'd slow down the play speed in order to better see your movements. Magic! The slow video speed magnifies the body and steering movements really well. I had it at half speed. It definitely works, thanks for this video mate.
Thanks for the tip. Your explanation is fascinating. You show so much respect to the bike.
This is a really solid series. It's really helping me identify all the stuff I already know and practice in downhill and enduro mountain biking and applying it to the bike with an engine! "Like a shot buffalo" LOL!!!
I've had years of offroad riding and had to figure it all on my own your videos are the best tool ever . thank you
Watched 1/2 /3 went for a ride and applied some of the techniques what a difference it make
I’ll keep working on the basics and build on that for starters
Keep up the great work it really dose make a difference
Ah man these are the videos I need for some of my pals, you explain what we do as dirt riders without thinking.
These skills also pay when on sports bikes, I've taken slides which I've instinctively turned into a power slide. Dirt really is the best teacher.
Just went and tried a bit of this just while goofing off in the back yard. Was honestly kind of stunned how easy it was to manage the bike in that position, even found myself using quite a hefty amount of throttle, powering out of the corner, which up till now I wouldve been just too afraid of loosing the bike to try. A big part of the change for me is before this I was riding a very street biased bike, and while it survived off road with the 80/20 tires I had mounted, it just never felt happy to be there. I've got myself an ex500 turned adv, and even though it wasnt initially built for it, the previous owner did something right because, this bike absolutely loves the dirt!
while at speed letting off the throttle is usually enough to get into this stance I find that in tighter single track a tiny tap on the front break gives you that relaxed bike feel and gets you forward on the bike and ready for the next turn.
Thank you Adam, Enjoyed the videos.
You mentioned you changed springs front and rear.
Which springs do you have?
Could you talk about setup and geometry for riding deep sand and tyre pressures.
Doing a 30 day Kalahari ride through South Africa, Botswana and Namibia on fully loaded T7 September/October with a lot of deep sand.
Thank You so much for this! I am eager and excited to get on my bike and practice! One in particular that gets me....that downhill into a tight corner or switchback on loose gravel and/or dirt! I just get stiff and take these at less than 10 mph! Meanwhile my friends are pulling far ahead and it's a pucker moment for me... I have a spot close to my house where I can practice this and am sooo ready to get on my bike tomorrow. I'll probably watch this a couple of more times...
Great explanations on cornering, thanks! I wonder if you have a video that discusses what to do or not do if you find yourself entering a corner to hot! Especially ADV on loose dirt or gravel. How to mitigate damage… or when to give up and hit the brakes!
emmh, quick notice, this video really made a huge difference today, i was still fixing the bike the last days and i randomly saw this video, today i finished fixing it ,went out for a ride and dude, huge difference in my riding while applying your technique
Showing a cornering trick is one thing but explaining it clearly with carefully chosen precise words is an art. Good job.
It helped me a fair bit mate! Telling you this as a mountain biker... I always have problems with front end traction, especially going into a corner. Hoping this will make a diffeence!
Great job. Thank you for helping us "normals". This German, living in NYC, loves your series of "how to"!
A 3rd person lookout will help us understand it way more clear I guess. Thank you for your time sir🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Nice stuff, thank you. I think it would be valuable to see those a couple of time at half the speed of your current slo-mos or even slower, so that we can see the detail of what your are doing better.
I've ridden dirt bikes as a kid was never taught proper techniques etc. I'm 22 now and plan on getting a 300 rally, should be some great fun getting back into it. I've been riding road bikes (and will continue to do so), so this will be interesting! Awesome tutorials, I can't wait to start practicing
Great tutorial as always.
I think body position and weight transfer (middle to front) should also be noted. Helps me greatly on really slippery soil to maintain control over the loose rear,
Cheers
You don’t win races by riding the safest
true. only thing I win is not paying for ER when going abroad on solo trips :)
These videos are awesome🤙 I'm 52 and new to off road and I'm struggling through your how to videos on my crf300. 😂😂
Love your videos man....thank you for sharing your knowledge with us...I start riding motorcicles only 1 year ago (Im 52 years old) and every advice is useful for me....thank you and greetings from ARGENTINA.
Tried this technic after watching The video and its amazing , ables to go much faster in a safe way
Awesome videos! Thanks for all the work you put on this channel! As a filmmaker, if I could make a suggestion you could add so much more value by shooting 120 or even 240fps on those shots of the turns to show us and run us through and allow better visualization for people. Just a suggestion. Keep up the great work! :)
That first time you crack a power side, WOW. The back of Jillaby MX track 40 years ago and I still get goosebumps.
I’ve always been taught counter-steering only applies to the street, and not dirt. I’ve had training sessions where highly skilled experienced coaches tell me ‘stop counter-steering dude, you aren’t on pavement’. I’ve always wondered why. Curious if anyone else was taught the same, anxious to try Adam’s techniques.
I has always been an argument for helping heavier bikes corner easier, hence you train on this until it becomes natural on the street. Too fast into a corner? Pull that outer bar-handle and drop down faster. Put we have always done this with dirtbikes as well, as a consequence of trailbreaking and early power on to get the back wheel to step out. Seeing it in detail and from these angels it's exactly the same, but here you instigate the power-slide with frame position first.
@@sveinharang6639Yes. I’m wondering why so many off road instructors tell people to stand up the whole time. Sometimes instructions can be wrong. Theory is one thing.
Man! You make me want to ride off-road!! Your videos and the way you share your knowledge are truly inspiring!
Question: I have decades of experience on the roads, but very little serious off-road experience. I did a one-day off-road riding school once, and rode a 300XCW a handful of times about 10 years ago. Can I learn the ropes at my own pace on a Tenere 700, using your videos, or is it a recipe for disaster to learn on such a "big'' bike? I'm 5'10'' 230ish lbs. Thanks and ride safe! 🙏
Adam, such a great video, keep doing them as they are top.
One thing i'd like to understand on these technique. On left hand corner, the weight is on the inner peg (left). Do you ever change that on the outside leg sometimes during the turn? Or the weight remains on left for the whole time? Thank you!
Very cool breakdown of cornering. You are fun to watch ride and the advice is appreciated. I'm gonna enjoy relaxing the chassis.
"relax the chassis" - needs to be a Motology t-shirt! Now happily learning to powerslide the t7; THANK YOU. The key to the door 👍
Your teaching skills is superb
Great video! after so many years of MTB, under breaking and coasting the t700 feels just like a very very heavy bike, its when laying down power that I still fear the beast.
Hi Adam, thanks for another great video. I’ve used some of these techniques riding enduro bikes but I find it hard to picture myself riding a bigger bike off road with anything near your ability or confidence.
It's actually pretty easy because the big bikes have momentum and don't get upset by small bumps like dual sport and Enduro bikes do at speed.
Typically you can hit the front brake to lighten the rear, then initiate that turn in and relax the chassis.
Then you give throttle to slide that rear around and you're off.
Again, big bikes = more momentum, so it's even easier to carry speed around turns if you have good tires and stand up.
You'll be surprised if you ride a big bike with good suspension, they act very similar to small bikes except you need to allow extra distance for braking and wash off more speed before hitting big bumps etc.
Man your videos are really good considering they are free
Really enjoyed this video as a beginner. Practiced some of this yesterday and felt so more confident around corners on the DRZ. Should you be putting the front inside leg out every time you are sitting when cornering?
this makes me a way better rider than what i am currently......thanks a lot Ariemann.....more such videos please.
I commend you, your videos are regularly terrific.
Your an awesome leader & great Instructor. Your commentary is tremendous. I hope your channel & your ambitious are a total success.
I comment so more people could see this video because the words he choose have been very helpful for my understanding off what’s going on on a bike .
Well said, well shown, explaining the unexplainable! Your awesome AR!
The hardest part is cutting / editing it back to try keep viewers attention. I explain a lot more but viewers attention span drops too quickly and the view count / reach suffers.
@@MotologyFilms With todays trend and RUclips/TicToc shorts I can see that happening for sure.
Great lesson mate. Really clear explanations and excellent demonstrations. Nice one!
Man I love this!!! You're such a good teacher. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. Can't wait to take the bike out and practice practice practice!
sensible teaching. I feel I learned more about cornering in dirt and gnarly stuff
Cool but as a dude who race MX, endures, desert races and speedway bikes you mentioned and sort of missed a major point in my mind.. you generally control a bike through your ankles. turns have two corners, entry and exit in one corner. An example is a speedway way track has two turns but four corners on an oval track.
Holding a bike wide open and laying in over waiting the outside leg on that rear spinning disc called the rear wheel and dancing the front to where you would like to go while pitching and waiting for drive or slide with both feet on the pegs is a feeling I will never forget..the best feeling.
"I fairly Nailed that ! " Luv it ! !
As an outsider, the best way to describe the technique is, picture the front as a unicycle, keeping it pointed and leaned where you want to go, and just let the rest of the bike swing out where it wants, to push you along.
Committing to it is key, as otherwise, you're setting yourself up for a potential high side.
From riding road sportsbikes, these trips are excellent, the are also standard practice for good cornering
Playing with lines, carving the curve on the tarmac. Thanks AR.