When negotiating a turn, what does PRESS mean?

When negotiating a turn, what does PRESS mean?

• A. In order to turn, you must lean the motorcycle by counter steering. You must press on the handgrip in order to go the direction you want to go
• B. Press the brakes to slow down sharply
• C. Press your knee against the tank
• D. Press the handlebar ends to the inside of the turn

Answer: (A)

The key idea is countersteering: to begin a turn you momentarily push the handgrip on the side opposite the direction you want to go. That pressure makes the bike lean toward the turn, and once it’s leaned, you steer through the curve. Pressing on the handgrip is how you initiate that lean, so the motorcycle can follow the bend safely. The other ideas don’t describe how to start the turn: braking hard in a turn can upset balance, pressing your knee against the tank is a body-position detail, and pushing the handlebar ends toward the inside doesn’t create the necessary initial lean.

The key idea is countersteering: to begin a turn you momentarily push the handgrip on the side opposite the direction you want to go. That pressure makes the bike lean toward the turn, and once it’s leaned, you steer through the curve. Pressing on the handgrip is how you initiate that lean, so the motorcycle can follow the bend safely. The other ideas don’t describe how to start the turn: braking hard in a turn can upset balance, pressing your knee against the tank is a body-position detail, and pushing the handlebar ends toward the inside doesn’t create the necessary initial lean.