Your thoughts...

[Autech]

So I sat my restricted today, passed :Punk:.
The lady who tested me made a comment which I believe is nit picking...
While executing my U-turn I left my feet hanging out rather than lifting them onto the pegs. I always do this just in case the bike does a bit of a wonky.
Well she in her infinite wisdom is of the opinion that they should be up.
Who's right, and more to the point, does it really matter?

[CookMySock]

They should be up. It's not nit-picking. The wheels, steering, and throttle hold your bike up while you're moving - not your feet - a lesson you are best to learn on your 250 and not a much larger bike.

Steve

[Genie]

Apparently, it does matter, it's all about your control of the bike in a slow manouve....I think it might matter, but then again I am only a learner.

Though I do practice some very slow riding as I know for testing purposes it "matters".

I also think it makes you a far better rider if you have control.

[p.dath]

+1. If the bike is moving, your feet should be on the pegs.

Imagine if your foot got caught on something ...

[steve_t]

Probably doesn't really matter but I'm told you're less likely to 'do a wonky' if you give the tank a squeeze with your thighs :niceone:

[2wheeldrifter]

Imagine if your foot got caught on something ...

like a hedgehogs butt!

All about bike control and your confidence :yes:

[Jonno.]

Try using your rear brake a bit, make it a lot easier to control a u turn and can make a lot tighter.

[Grubber]

Definitely up! The moment my bike moves my feet are up on the pegs. Best ya learn!

[Nasty]

Its your call to treat the advice as shit ... or nit picky ... but truth be told she has probably seen a damn sight more riders than you and actually knows what she is talking about. You can choose to learn from her ... or wait until you learn that she was right on your own.

[CookMySock]

... or wait until you learn that she was right on your own.Usually right after you drop your heavy 650 on the forecourt of some service station.

Tip the bike in to the low-speed turn, and if it rolls in too deep then steer into the turn to pick it up as per usual, or alternatively add throttle to increase the centrifugal(sic) force.

Practice in a wide open space by intentionally rolling the bike in "too far" and firmly powering up to pick the bike up.

Practice also, full steering-lock turns (bars held hard against steering-stop), managing large corrections of balance with your body weight, and small corrections only with tiny variations of the throttle.

Curiously, doing this on a large and heavy bike isn't much more difficult - its just much more intimidating for the uninitiated. You must be able to do this though - if you can't, you are doomed to having a low-speed drop eventually.

Steve

[MSTRS]

Its your call to treat the advice as shit ... or nit picky ... but truth be told she has probably seen a damn sight more riders than you and actually knows what she is talking about. You can choose to learn from her ... or wait until you learn that she was right on your own.

Actually, it's more likely that the tester simply goes by what the book says...
BTW the book is right.

[Autech]

It's not a matter of lack of control, I'm very experienced as a rider (20000ks in my learner period) and have never dropped a bike (touching wood right now). My feet were out and never touched the ground after I'd pulled off, maybe if I'd dragged them along the ground it may have warranted a comment... I agree with all the comments about how it would show rider confidence/competence, but really can't see how it would matter for a license test, there's no danger in your feet being out, even if you hit a hedgehogs butt! Has anyone ever seen a rider drop a bike due to their feet causing the bike to lose control?

Jonno, this is something I've never done, might give it a try and see the result, cheers :D

[The Stranger]

She is and yes.
1) There's a lot of weight in your legs. Having them moving about destabilises the bike.
2) As noted it goes to confidence and competence - I would have failed you on that alone.
3) WEIGHT YOUR OUTSIDE PEG!

[The Stranger]

Has anyone ever seen a rider drop a bike due to their feet causing the bike to lose control?


Yep, last RRRS course, though that was emergency braking.

[Autech]

She is and yes.
1) There's a lot of weight in your legs. Having them moving about destabilises the bike.
2) As noted it goes to confidence and competence - I would have failed you on that alone.
3) WEIGHT YOUR OUTSIDE PEG!

Haha, have you SEEN my legs?! But all of this I will take into account, cheers :D

[The Stranger]

Haha, have you SEEN my legs?! But all of this I will take into account, cheers :D

No, but I'm hard now in anticipation of the photos.
They better be good.

[Usarka]

Some countries would fail you for taking feet off pegs in a u-turn.

You don't know how lucky you are. :whistle:

[Ender EnZed]

It's not a matter of lack of control, I'm very experienced as a rider (20000ks in my learner period) and have never dropped a bike (touching wood right now).

Do you always leave your feet hanging while riding at low speed? Try keeping them on the pegs, it might be against a fairly strong habit by now but I'd be very surprised if you didn't discover you had more control after a few feet-up U-turns and a bit more confidence that you're not going to drop it.

Plus you won't get other bikers thinking you're a tosser when you have a bigger bike and still hang your feet turning around at the rest stop. Seriously, there is nothing less cool.

[crazyhorse]

Congratulations on passing your restricted :niceone:

[Spearfish]

Your a bit early with the feet off the pegs at the restricted test, you should have saved it for the full licence test...kicking chasing dogs is a whole 10 minutes of the full test, you fail if you wobble, swerve, or run the fecker over, you need to develop a full rotating hip joint (both sides if your brave)and an account, with good bulk discounts, at your local chiropractor.

[bogan]

Practice also, full steering-lock turns (bars held hard against steering-stop), managing large corrections of balance with your body weight, and small corrections only with tiny variations of the throttle.

Just remember not to put it in neutral eh steve :shifty:

[The Stranger]

Just remember not to put it in neutral eh steve :shifty:

Or hit a cats eye. Man those things a fooken dangerous (apparently).

[CookMySock]

Just remember not to put it in neutral eh steve :shifty:Yeah mate, that was a bad fright. The biggest contributor to that little crunch, was the quite experienced pillion on the back who (quite rightly so) threw her weight into the turn, fully expecting me (quite rightly so) to pick it up with the throttle.

Steve

[Slyer]

I think they only time you should be sticking your feet out is when you are turning on gravel or loose ground. On smooth road surfaces there is no reason.
I've saved myself a few times with a quick kick to the ground after losing traction due to some metal on the road on a tight low-speed turn. But I only put my feet out when I felt it coming though, no need to leave them hanging out.

Admittedly I was going too fast for the conditions. :bleh:

[bogan]

Yeah mate, that was a bad fright. The biggest contributor to that little crunch, was the quite experienced pillion on the back who (quite rightly so) threw her weight into the turn, fully expecting me (quite rightly so) to pick it up with the throttle.

Steve

yeh, probly a good idea to shift into first and use engine braking to slow to u-turn speed first i spose, just to make sure.


I think they only time you should be sticking your feet out is when you are turning on gravel or loose ground. On smooth road surfaces there is no reason.
I've saved myself a few times with a quick kick to the ground after losing traction due to some metal on the road on a tight low-speed turn. But I only put my feet out when I felt it coming though, no need to leave them hanging out.

Admittedly I was going too fast for the conditions. :bleh:

You only need to chuck the inside foot out, leave outside on the peg for extra control. Sometimes preparing for a slide is the cause of the slide!

[Slyer]

Ah, yes. I meant foot.

[kevfromcoro]

Leave your feet on the pegs at all times....
Bloke went down my driveway with both feet out... he was waddling like a duck... the bike was all over the place.......

The only time you take them off... is to boot a a varmint.... or a fast moving doberman.......................

[CookMySock]

yeh, probly a good idea to shift into first and use engine braking to slow to u-turn speed first i spose, just to make sure.Well that was the plan, but circumstances conspired against me to wreck that.

I was already in 2nd, and it went for 1st and got neutral (not hard to do), and I was running out of space on front of me quickly - I have to stop, or turn, so I decided to just roll around the turn using my momentum. In hindsight, I should have stopped. I didn't have the extra brainpower available to start hunting for first gear (newbie.)

Steve