Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Car Tire on a Motorcycle, vtx 1300, dirt bikes

Question
Hi Pat -

I read your answer to the fellow with the GW that had a CT on the rear.  I am thinking of putting one on my VTX 1300.  Those that I've talked to that have done this mod have really liked it.  They say that they have better traction and are now more confident in corners and in wet/slick conditions.

My question is: how does a motorcycle steer with the rear tire?  I'm a new street rider (only 6 mos) but have ridden a lot of dirt bikes growing up.

I like the idea of the CT on the bike & all of the feed-back from those that have actually tried this is positive.  The only negative I have heard is that you have to counter-steer to stay in the corner.  Maybe that is what you were referring to when you said "steer constantly with the handlebars & fight the bike all the way through every turn".

Thanks for your time, Pat!

Dave~

Answer
Please forgive my late reply. Holidays!

Rear-wheel steering is done with the throttle. It is more of a perceived control or "default" steering control than what its name (steering) actually implies.

The simplest use of this is in any well-executed corner:

1. The ideal speed through the corner is one that allows you to accelerate all the way through the corner.

2. When done properly (and this takes years of practice to get it right 90% of the time!), each corner only requires one input into the handlebars. The input into the bars also needs to take into account the acceleration you plan to give the bike through the corner.

3. Once the bike is at the correct speed and leaned/turned the exact amount for the amount of gas you're going to give it, no other input is needed other than the throttle. The perfect throttle will give you the perfect line and the perfect cornering and exit speed.

4. Unfortunately, few corners are ever executed perfectly. There are always minor adjustments you'll need (or want) to make to keep your line and your exit point exactly how you want it. Thus, use rear-wheel (throttle) steering. Giving it more gas will widen the line, giving it less gas will tighten the line.

5. In extreme examples, such as those you'll see on a race track, riders steer so skillfully (they see the exact same corner over and over) and their throttle control and judgment of traction is so acute, that they use lots of throttle and spin the rear tire to point the bike further into the turn (tightening the line), so sort of opposite of rear wheel steering. The rear tire slides out--a controlled slide.

Hope that helps answer your question. Good luck with your new tire, if you go that route.

Pat