Go Fast, Turn Left

[GAPS]

I have always felt more comfortable going fast around left hand corners. Bicycle, motorcycle, car, boat...Im best going left. Every form of circle track racing that I can think of goes left.......even my cat turns left when settling down to take a nap...what is with that?

 

[odot]

Are you in the right forum for a question like that? Oh, wait...did you used to own a harley? I always scraped my pipes on my harley when I banked right.

 

[GAPS]

I said 'fast around corner', not Harley

 

[twowheelnut]

Phun with Physics

 

[odot]

I was always going fast on the harley. Not as fast as my feejer. It's just easier to go faster on the feejer. I could push the limits on my harley. I will never come close to pushing the limits of my feejer...I am not that good of a rider. I can say, however, in seventeen years of riding I only laid down a scoot once. Never caused a crash.....never been in one. You know what? I ******* rule!

:****:

 

[GAPS]

Cool..thanks for the link twowheelfun, its just our culture then. My buds and I got to talking about this over a few brews recently, we were leaning towards a primordial turn left instinct having something to do with rotation of the earth, the direction toilets flush, hemisphere, blah blah blah..eh.....stupid beer talk.

 

[madmike2]

You could go the Australia and ride upside down in the other lane....

 

[Scab]

It's like toilets. They only rotate the other way in the souther hemisphere.

 

[GAPS]

I was always going fast...I am not that good of a rider. I only laid down a scoot once. I ******* rule!
:****:

this was taken out of context, because its funny.

 

[Fallen Jim Rides again]

Phun with Physics

After reading it, I think I will not ride with any of the authors of that article. :erm:

 

[JimLor]

I'm with you, although it's pretty close now, I'm still more comfortable going around left hand curves - more comfortable banking left in a aircraft too.

+1 w/Fallen Jim Rides Again

 

[user 1521]

+1 w/Fallen Jim Rides Again again

-1 TWN :assasin:

I remember my senior physics teacher was a genuine motor head. We got to study all sorts of cool stuff, like turbo's, and why cars or bikes turn better in one direction.

Effect of the engine spinning at such high revs acts the same as the wheels, which keeps you upright

So cornering is affected by the orientation of your engine.

Same reason we counter-steer to corner.

Same reason why a sopwith camel had to be steered 90 degrees off of what you actually wanted it to do.

 

[Geezer]

I never noticed that it was easier on the bike to turn left than right. I'll have to see if I can sense a difference if it ever warms up enough to actually take the bike out. :angry:

I have noticed that it is much easier for me to turn left when skiing and I always thought that it had something to do with my right arm and leg being dominant but did not realize it was a common phenomena. Guess it's better to ponder stuff like this in the winter while my bike collecting dust in the garage.

 

[NoCage]

This means that your right arm is probably a bit stronger than your left arm, so pushing the handlebar forward with your right arm might be a bit easier than with your left.

Wrong grasshopper... what happened to counter-steering? Left-handers in the States are easier since the radius is more gradual. I'm not sure why it's easier in a boat though.

 

[Scab]

Torque steer.

 

[Scab]

Most especially with a boat or plane, torque steer is why a machine has a tendency to prefer a directional turn. The torque of the propeller cannot provide forward thrust without also creating a side-ways force. Torque Steer was also a problem when front-wheel-drive automobiles were pushed into large-scale production. When accelerating from a dead-stop, the primary drive wheel would pull the vehicle in that direction. Some cars, to counter this, actually were built with "wheel setback" where one front wheel was forward and one was slightly rearward in relation to each other. On a motorcycle, I am sure the same principles apply. The gyroscopic effect of the wheels, engine, drive shaft, etc., are going to give the machine a tendecy to prefer a direction, especially once the bike has been leaned off center ballance.

 

[twowheelnut]

Most especially with a boat or plane, torque steer is why a machine has a tendency to prefer a directional turn.  The torque of the propeller cannot provide forward thrust without also creating a side-ways force.  Torque Steer was also a problem when front-wheel-drive automobiles were pushed into large-scale production.  When accelerating from a dead-stop, the primary drive wheel would pull the vehicle in that direction.  Some cars, to counter this, actually were built with "wheel setback" where one front wheel was forward and one was slightly rearward in relation to each other.  On a motorcycle, I am sure the same principles apply.  The gyroscopic effect of the wheels, engine, drive shaft, etc., are going to give the machine a tendecy to prefer a direction, especially once the bike has been leaned off center ballance.

Poppycock! Motors, trannies and drive shafts spin all sorts of different directions on all sorts of different bikes, yet the sensation of ease turning left still exists. The only commonality is the direction of rotation of the wheels. 'Splain that, you bunch of loser Einstein wannabes... :bleh:

And someone forgot about counter rotating, dual prop equipped boats... :****:

 

[Just Plain Dave]

It's like toilets.  They only rotate the other way in the souther hemisphere.

If you get the feeling your toilet is rotating either direction when you sit on it, it is probably because you've tipped a couple too many drinks, don't try to blame it on your position on the earth. :drinks:

 

[GAPS]

Torque reaction is a real issue in a prop driven plane, for extreme example look at the GEE BEE racer from the 1930s...800HP radial engine with itty bitty teensy tiny little wings would tie itself in a knot if throttle was not shown respect. Still, that explains nada about GO FAST TURN LEFT.