How can a motorcycle lean so much, yet still stays up?

Question

I see MotoGP riders lean so much that their shoulders can touch the ground. How is this possible?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Moto GP bike tires are engineered such that the contact area of the tires with the ground kind of remains the same while the bike is upright vs while the bike is leaning. Hence it is easier for the biker and in fact more efficient to lean during turns.