Originally Posted by chaadster

The problem with this question is always the same: confusion because “countersteering” is a misnomer. It’s not about steering, it’s about weight transfer to achieve balance.

Bikes and motos can be turned without touching the handlebars, i.e. without steering. Sure it’s not fast or immediate turning, but still, they can be turned when ridden no-handed.

Cars are steered to turn until such a time as they are out of balance, i.e. grip is out of balance, like in a slide, at which point they are countersteered to regain balance and get both ends going in the same direction.

Bikes/motos can be turned without being steered because they’re small enough for the rider to effect weight transfer without using the handlebars. Cars cannot because they’re too big and heavy. Rally drivers use a technique called the “Scandanavian flick” to weight shift and unbalance a car to better use throttle to “steer” the car through a turn. And yes, countersteering is required.

So countersteering is really weight shifting, not steering. Anyone who has power-slid a bike/moto knows you have to countersteer to keep the bike upright. But to just turn a bike/moto, no steering is required at all if you’ve got the space and time.