Swerving around obstacle

[heytc]

Fairly new rider here.
I had my first near miss yesterday and was hoping to get thoughts on how I could have reacted better.
I was travelling around a corner and halfway around it I spotted a large lump of dried mud, maybe two or three inches high that I was heading straight for. My instinctive reaction was to turn the handle bars to try swerve around. I didn't manage to avoid it and my front wheel bounced over the mud. My front wheel went into a bit of a wobble I think because I'd given the handlebars a twist.
I regained control of the bike ok but went closer to the verge than I'd have wanted to and was breathing hard for the rest of the journey.
So the most important advice I'm sure is to slow down, but is there any other advice for swerving halfway around a corner when you're banked over ?

[Paxovasa]

Sounds like you had a little bit of a tank slapper.

Counter steer around the obstacle, if it was a right hand corner then push on the left hand side of the handlebar and you will turn into the corner harder, if a left hand corner than push on the right hand side of the handlebar.

Not advisable, but if you use the front brake it will straighten you up and you could then miss the obstacle then continue going around the corner.


Edit: Tank slapper is due to the front end getting light. Usually happens when you open up the throttle.
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Suzuki GSF600 K3 (in the fastest colour, black).

[Mags]

Sometimes its unavoidable just be smooth and close your eyes

Mags!

[That_Hornet]

As Paxovasa said, Counter-steering will turn into the corner more, tightening the angle and hopefully missing said obstacle.

Other than that, don't stare at it, look where you want to go rather than what you want to miss.

[heytc]

Thanks for the replies.
Hadn't heard of tank slapper but it sounds like it. Certainly got this L-plater cacking himself. Hadn't heard of countersteering either - that sounds like the thing to learn - looks like there's some good youtube videos explaining. That and closing eyes lol

[supZ]

[heytc]

I'm looking forward to giving it a try next time I'm out. I'm a car driver so my instinctive reaction was to positive steer around the obstacle. Looking where you want to go sounds like good advice too - the mud on the road was pretty small so I would have had problems hitting it if I'd tried. Guessing it was me staring at it that took me straight over it.
Thanks for replies

[jimspeed]

i had the same experance. i think you get fixated with the object somehow.. a mate told me about countersteering and its well strange the first time you try it.. just get up to 30 or so and try to turn the bars gently right and the bike will drop down to the left and turn .. and yea look at where you want to go not at whats on the road
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Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
,"Alpha-9: Is there any correlation between dyno rod and dyno kits?"

[metalangel]

Watch this video which will help you understand countersteering on a basic level (basically, the guy rides straight at the camera and then swerves around it - it shows in slow motion the countersteering action)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C848R9xWrjc

While you have to be doing it on some level in order to be successfully riding, once you understand what's involved you can start trying it while riding.

I used to do an exagerrated countersteer on my bicycles as a kid for fun.
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Previous: 2002 Honda CB500 (sold), 2007 Suzuki SV650SK6 (crashed), 2005 Yamaha FZ6 Fazer (sold). Currently bikeless
"A faired bike will get you 10x more clunge than a unfaired one." -Marlboro Matt