- A moving motorcycle doesn't need a rider to stay upright. Physics handles it.
- In practice you don't want those 260 kilos going down, even if physics says they can stay upright.
- The laws of nature demand humility: a rider or cyclist is actually superfluous.
- Riding a bike or motorcycle is always a little bit falling and getting back up.
It doesn't even need to be a moving motorcycle. A stationary one can stay upright without support, as long as the centre of gravity sits exactly above the support point.
Theory and practice
In practice you don't want those 260 kilos going down, even if physics says they can stay upright. In theory, Newton's laws make it perfectly possible, as long as the centre of gravity is perfectly centred, the weight on and of the machine is perfectly distributed, and no external forces act on your Harley.
A little speed does wonders for stability.
Movement and balance
When the two-wheeler is in motion, it stays upright more easily. You don't even need two wheels and an engine for this. Egyptian hieroglyphs show that 3,000 years ago people were already playing with hoops rolled along the ground and kept in motion with a stick.
The laws of nature demand humility: a rider or cyclist is actually superfluous. Riding a bike or motorcycle is always a little bit falling and getting back up.
Cornering
How far you lean into a corner is not your decision. The laws of physics impose it based on trajectory and speed. Tall or short, heavy or light: everyone leans the same angle in the same corner at the same speed.
With thanks to Charles Dauwe, emeritus lecturer, Ghent University.