Counter steering is a very simple concept...yet well-meaning, knowledgeable riders have created massive confusion and doubt about this simple topic. Spoiler alert - steering left doesn't make the motorcycle turn right. Steering to the left makes the motorcycle lean to the right and leaning right, makes the motorcycle turn to the right. Second spoiler alert - there are several other ways to get a motorcycle to turn other than counter steering. Some more appropriate for certain situations than others - speed, type of motorcycle, radius of the turn, and more.
I'll go out on a limb and state that much of the narrative that counter steering is the only way is talking about the race track where the speeds are so high and the need to turn quickly is substantial. Yet there are people who use other approaches to turning. It’s beyond the scope of this post but I will tackle along very accomplished riders who so we can have a solid debate and get to the nuance. If you ride bikes with a lot of leverage in the bars, dual sports, some cruisers, or naked bikes, etc, it is worth learning some other techniques. It can really help you become a smoother rider.
There are definitely times you shouldn’t use countersteering and times when it can be fun and also times that it lacks the precision for what is called for.
See more information here: Performance Riding Skills Course
Countersteering Explained