Problems with U-turns... Help please

[xwhatsit]

I slip the clutch too, it makes it less important to have ultra-smooth throttle control and you can concentrate on other things. That's for the really tight turns though.

What really helped me, is in slow speed turns in general (but especially U-turns), weight the outside peg. Really stand on the outside peg, the bike seems so much more stable.

The other thing that was recommended to me (but either I don't do it or don't know I'm doing it) is to do tight stuff dirt-bike style -- keep body upright, but tip the bike in underneath you.

I don't know. But weight the outside peg, it takes away that `tippy' feeling at the very least.

[merv]

Try this:

1) With your right foot on the ground, lean the bike over about 30 degress.
2) Turn the steering full lock to the right.
3) Rev the snot out of the engine.
4) Check the mirrors to make sure all is clear.
5) Drop the clutch.
6) Hang on.

Most importantly, remember to indicate.

Now that would have been cool on your CRF on a dirt track but the damn licence tester guys aren't amused by that kind of style more's the pity. Glad you remembered the indicator, most of us forgot that bit eh!

Gee I must like your posts I'm not allowed to give you any more bling until I spread more around. Now who else is deserving?

[The Stranger:Me]

I have never been able to master the art of a U turn...been practicing lately, in anticipation of doing my full. Every one has resulted in a drop! hXc is most distressed with me!
I look in the direction I am going, get part way through the turn, then over she goes.
I cannot pass my full until I can successfully complete a U turn with both feet up.
It is starting to really piss me off! (I feel so bloody incompetent!)
Any advice would be appreciated, particularly if it will help!

Heavily weight your outside peg on low speed turns mate.
Get in a large car park and go in ever decreasing circles adding more and more weight to the outside peg as you do.
Using that method you can (with practice) pull turns tighter than full lock.

[TLMAN]

I had the same problem with dropping the bike half way through the turn when I first started out.
My main problem was I kept pulling in the clutch and putting (or trying to put) down my foot halfway through the manoevre because I wasnt backing myself.
I overcame it by maintaining a constant rpm of about 4000 and when I felt the bike going down, instead of putting my foot down I let the clutch out and the bike whipped itself up and the turn was easily made.
You really have to turn your body around and look in the direction you are heading, even counterlean your body in the opposite direction whilst pushing the bike into a lean in the direction you are going.
Its easy, just back yourself!!!

[The Stranger:Me]

It sounds like you are going too slow on the exit of the turn.

Try giving it a little acceleration as you straighten up. This should bring the bike upright.

Good point. If you feel the bike is going to fall into the turn many people put their foot down. A little throttle instead at that stage will stand the bike up.

[justsomeguy]

Using that method you can (with practice) pull turns tighter than full lock.

How can you pull a turn tighter than full lock?

I'll go practice to try understand what you mean....

[RC1]

i dont think they will test you on a u-turn will they?? they never did for my test,

[canarlee]

Practice, parctice and practice.

thats one word repeated three times not three words!


the u turns? i keep a little throttle on and use the clutch to control the speed (after a while you will be able to rev the nuts {boobs lol} off of it and still find you are crawling at a snail pace), look where you want to go and when you get there stop. then take off again and try and land in the opposite side of the road to where you started from.

start on a wide road, there is one right by the park and its not a busy one (use the side road area to start, that will give you a larger turning circle), and then start from further into the road as you feel you can get it tighter, once a bit more confident then find a slightly narrower road and repeat.


i know, easier said than done. shall i pop round and show you how/where i mean? (i mean the area where the turn is to the right *as you look at the front* of your house) its just an idea.......

[Mystery]

Strangely enough, U turns were the first and probably only thing I got right when I had my first riding lessons.

I was taught to start off going straight to get a bit of speed/motion going, always look to the point on the road where I wanted to end up (under no circumstances was I allowed to look at the kerb) and to put my weight on the outside peg during the turn.

I found weighting the outside peg made me feel more in control of things and less likely to panic and put the inside foot down, which was ok on the light weight bike I ride but would not be so good on a heavier bike that is leaned over.

I hope this helps!

[yungatart]

i dont think they will test you on a u-turn will they?? they never did for my test,

It is in Stage 1 of the full test. Every one I know that has recently done their full here has had to do a u turn.
If you put your foot down, you fail, and cannot progress to Stage 2...hence you stay on restricted.
Besides, I have to master it for myself as much as getting my full, anyway, I'm not going to let a bloody U turn beat me!
I will go off to the local school and put in to practice what you guys have said....report to follow!
Thanks all...(and I do know that it is a confidence thing, and I lack a bit of that at times)

[The Stranger:Me]

How can you pull a turn tighter than full lock?

I'll go practice to try understand what you mean....

Because it allows you to comfortably lean the bike into the turn, as your weight is on the outside of the bike. So if you hit full lock, but with the bike leaned into a turn, you will turn tighter than the bike would at full lock were the bike upright or were you not using this method.
You can easily simulate the effect when manouvering your bike whilst standing along side it.

Note the taller, heavier and longer the bike is the greater the effect. That said, I haven't found a bike yet that doesn't gain at least some advantage from this approach.

[NinjaNanna]

Avoid getting your bike anywhere near its steering head stop because the second it hits that you are going to tip inwards unless you have the bike dead upright.

That's strange my professional riding instructor (also happened to be a bike cop) taught me to actually go full lock - I found this to be a good thing too because you don't end up fitting the bike.

The secret as I was taught it was,

Counter Balance the bike with your weight - you'll need to move in the seat
Ride the Rear Brake and Clutch
Let the handle bars turn full lock - don't fight them (remember counter balance).

I must say this took some practice - but became totally natural soon enough.

[ambler]

Some good suggestions here, the most important being clutch control and sitting more on top of the bike while it turns

Don't be afraid to keep the engine revving high, you might think this makes you look like a noob who doesn't know what they are doing, but that's not the case at all. Controlling the bikes speed with the clutch is important and you need to have the engine turning at a constant (high) rpm to do this. This is easier said than done when you are turning tightly and the angle of the handlebars changes. Perhaps you could practise in a car park like: get up some speed, then pull in the clutch and rev the engine up to say 4-5k, then turn or swerve around a bit while trying to keep the engine rpm at the same steady point. (Use your ears to tell if it's steady, not the rev counter!)

Once you've got the hang of keeping the engine rpm like that, work on clutch control, just in a straight line. Get the engine to your 4-5k mark and keep it there, then use the clutch to ride as slow as you can. Each time you feel like you are too slow and need to put your foot out, let the clutch out a little to get a bit more speed, but don't let it fully engage like you would if you were gonna ride off - just give it enough to stop that 'falling over' feeling.
Next you could try turning as tight as possible while going slow and using the clutch for speed control, but only turn a 45 degree angle maybe, instead of a full 180. Each time try to turn for a bit longer, and sooner or later you will be going around 180 degrees.

As has been mentioned already, keeping your body upright while the bike leans over is the best way to keep control of it. You might be surprised just how far you can lean it. Your lower body should be 'melded' to the bike here - this means get a good knee grip on the tank and keep it! You could also practise this by starting with a shallow angle turn first.

In my experience the steering lock point is nothing to either seek or avoid, the important thing is that it doesn't surprise you. As long as you are aware that you are near the lock point and you are prepared to have the steering suddenly stop, then you should be safe.

About rear-brake, I wouldn't worry about that too much either. If your clutch control is good you shouldn't have too much excess speed. Consider that a bit too much speed means your turn will be wider than you wanted, but a bit too much rear brake means... clunk! I dropped my FJ last week in a tight turn when I inadvertently gave too much rear brake and the engine actually stalled. Not cool.

[quallman1234]

1)Be doing at least 50kmh before attempting this.
2)Clutch in
3)Lock the back
4)Shift your weight to the left or right with your foot down if its a left turn
5)Spin the bike around
6)Pin it
7)Drop the clutch...

Maybe thats just me?

[HungusMaximist]

^haha..

(i need at least 10 characters)