The rider turning the bars causes gyroscopic precession. The precession causes countersteer. The countersteer set the lean. Then cone effect comes in. And that's it until the throttle/brakes/geometry changes/rider causes input to the bars again and it starts again.
Apart from the fact there is no brakes on the grasstrack and speedway bikes.....the only braking is done by the engine.... Yes, violent countersteering is used to throw the bike into the bend and it is used throughout the curve to control rear wheel drift as you say.... However, on a track day before track days were invented, I was on track on a Practice Day at Snetterton when Whitham and Foggy were there with the Hondas...............I was fascinated by the way they both, but particularly Foggy, threw the bikes into a bend and I suspected at the time they were using countersteering to do the same thing as the speedway riders...... .......After all, it worked when we were kids with cowhorn handlebars on our bikes at low speeds, so I'm not surprised it works for motorcycles at higher speeds....
If counter steering is needed for a bike to turn, then speedway has to work the same, in fact it may be a good example of how they use the front input and balance the throttle to lift up and drop into the corner to keep going forward rather than sideways
In effect, speedway riding is only an example of sustained rear wheel steering..........or a controlled rear wheel slide........if that rear wheel got a real grip, you can imagine the result.........flip, one highside.
In my case, I doubt it. But at least I might have a better understanding as to why not. But seriously, I have often heard folk say that they don't bother with all the analysis and just get on and ride the thing instinctively.....a point of view with which I have a deal of empathy. The thing that interests me greatly is exactly where this "instinct" comes from. The countersteering for instance....its not instinct, its physics, but we all use it in a kind of instinctive fashion, by learning from our earlier attempts. It amazes me that this leads to a great many riders not even realising that they are actually steering in the opposite direction to what they think they are. I wonder how much else is shrouded in this kind of tangled web of knowledge and instinct. And if I can clarify some of it, I think its ultimately bound to lead to some kind of improvement in my riding. Last year I spent a lot of time trying to analyse the difference in my riding style on my hack Honda Dominator compared to my monster. I reckon that I do a lot more aggressive countersteering on the Dommie, possibly because I do a lot more slow turns on that, whereas the monster seems to be better suited to using more body movement. In fact, on the Dommie I regularly shift my body weight to the outside of the turn, rather than the inside. I reckon this has sunk deeply into my subconscious as a way of maximising grip on the exit of muddy turns off road, from my days playing around on a trials bike. Its also a better position for sticking your foot out, motocross style.......though I don't actually do that, but I can feel the instinctive temptation.
Most people lift not drop their body weight, its instinctive to keep yourself as high as possible Its your instincts that put you in the hedge rather than the gap between that one and the next..
As a trials rider, the more you lean the bike over, the less you need to turn the bars, so tighter turns are achieved by leaning the bike further over!!!?
And you also have lots of side grip and dig in. Mick Extence explained it, I just cant rememebr what he said..
I look where I want to go and magic takes care of the rest. Conversely I find the Ducati steers very slowly if I consciously counter steer it, although this has been less true of other bikes I've owned, however, it still feels un natural to me. If I need to tighten line I dip a shoulder into the turn and the bike tightens up immediately
