Problems with U-turns... Help please

[klingon]

Hi Janet,

Best of luck with your full. I remember doing my basic handling with John Wright. He would stand in the centre of the turn and demand eye contact - in essence making you look over your right shoulder, not just to the right of the front wheel.

Without knowing any technical shit this worked for me - so when turning right look as far to your right as feels comfortable then add another 5 degrees. Your bike will go where you look.

Hope this is helpful too. Not as technical as other replies though.

Hiya, Tart!

I know you said you already look where you want to go, so maybe this is too simplistic for you. But seriously, I just want to re-emphasise what McJim said. Once I mastered that basic rule, I have never had problems with U-turns again.

So get one of those helpful men in your life to stand directly behind your bike. Ride away from him for 10 or 20 metres, turn to look back at him, and keep eye contact all the way through the turn. It doesn't matter how big a circle you make in your turn, as long as you don't break eye contact.

Good luck girl, I know exactly how frustrating this feels!

[duckonin]

Hi Youngtart don't lean into your slow turns even remotely, by looking to much into a tight arc your body will want to follow don't look at the ground if at all pos as your eyes will take your head and with that it means a weight shift down and to the inside ( fall over) keep your head in line with your bike and load a little weight to the outside of your bike hip or shoulders it doesn't matter to much, as other have said feather the clutch if you feel you are going to fall into your circle do as above and remember to load a little weight onto your left bar for the right or right for left that should help keep your bike up where you want it in slow turns..cheers

[limbimtimwim]

Like others have said, it is important to be able to go slow.

Real slow.

Slower than walking.

Slower than slow walking.

[limbimtimwim]

www.rrrs.org.nz
would be perfect for you.

OH MY GOD A PLANE IS GOING TO CRASH INTO THOSE N00BS!!!!!!!!!!

[Big Dave]

OH MY GOD A PLANE IS GOING TO CRASH INTO THOSE N00BS!!!!!!!!!!

Excellent - do you realise the odds of another plane ever...- Garp.

[scracha]

This is a fraction of what us Brit types spend a day or two doing before we're even allowed near the road.

Practise slow riding, then using 3 cones do tight figures of 8 and then attempt U turns.

1) Practise going between running speed, almost coming almost to a stop and walking speed without putting your feet down, without using the front brake and by keeping the throttle in exactly the same position. Slow speed control should be done only via the clutch lever and rear brake. Common noob mistakes are grabbing handful's of front brake or leaving feet off pegs for too long. Feet ON pegs is much more stable.
2) Get competent doing nice big figure of 8's. Look where your going (not at front wheel). Don't let bike run away from you. Bring cones closer together until figures of 8 are nice n' tight.
3) Should now be a piece of p!ss actually doing the U-turn manouvere. What's more important is that you're checking over your (right) shoulder and using them indicator things that most kiwi's think are optional accessories. Start practising between painted/chalk lines. Pull away from "pretend" side of road as normal (shoulder check, indicate, shoulder check, move off, cancel indicator, check mirror), get up to a stable speed before starting the U-turn manouvere. Most beginner mistakes are made by trying to turn before bike is at a stable speed. Mirror, indicate, shoulder check, TURN, check mirror, cancel indicator.

If it's a wee moped then it's harder and you have to do your speed control via the rear brake. It's much harder to do on a light little bike than on a bigger one and I sometimes used to get a red face when I jumped on some learner's 125 to demonstrate and ended up putting a foot down.

[Shiny side up]

I will try starting off with bigger turns and gradually get smaller. Funny thing is I don't much like roundabouts either...
I do look at the horizon, not the road.

Been thinking about this one....... I noticed (because I was thinking about it) that when I do really tight low speed turns I tend to lean the bike over but not my body. It make the bike peel round and still have my body to throw the other way to bring it back up again.

[Oakie]

Which bike are you doing this on? If it's the EL250, well Mrs Oakie has had problems on her's too. In fact she has just mentioned that this weekend was the first time she's done a U turn on her's without having a foot down. Come to think of it, I've found it a bit cumbersome too, compared to my bike. I know her's has a much wider turning circle than mine.

[smudge]

Practice riding as slow as you can in a straight (more or less) line without putting your foot down. Time yourself so you know if you're going slower, you cant do a slow U turn if you cant go slow in a straight line.

When you start practicing doing a U turn, try keeping your speed up a little. It is my bet that the motor is stalling, the handle bars are tucking in and you end up on your ear. Keep some weight on the outside peg - just a little and always always always look where you want to go. That applies at all speeds, look at a tree when you're in a hell tank slapper and you will hit the tree.

Keeping the revs up and slipping the clutch will probably have too much happening at once for it to work for you, but it depends a bit on the bike.

[yungatart]

Which bike are you doing this on? If it's the EL250, well Mrs Oakie has had problems on her's too. In fact she has just mentioned that this weekend was the first time she's done a U turn on her's without having a foot down. Come to think of it, I've found it a bit cumbersome too, compared to my bike. I know her's has a much wider turning circle than mine.

The last attempt was on hXc's Spada....never did master the art of U turning the EL...it is those long cruiser style forks I reckon, but I have successfully u turned the Ninja...was a while ago tho, and the last couple of times I have dropped it.
I kinda think it is silly that you have to do this with both feet up tho, because I can't think of a situation where you wouldn't be able to put at least one foot on the ground doing a u turn, in real life. I guess it proves something, but not sure what!
I will be using the Spada for my full (if he will let me......)

[MSTRS:Me]

I kinda think it is silly that you have to do this with both feet up tho, because I can't think of a situation where you wouldn't be able to put at least one foot on the ground doing a u turn, in real life. I guess it proves something, but not sure what!

It proves competency of bike control (at least, it does to the tester). If you can't do it, you don't pass.
However, in real terms, I agree that having a foot down in a U-turn is not a hanging offence.

[tri boy]

I think the EL would be a very difficult bike to master tight "U" turns on.(I understand riding instructors have noted that cruiser riders do struggle with this).
Kannys little Volty is a breeze at said maneuver.

[bandit_girl]

Hey there.
I'm no expert but .....
I did a defensive riding course a while ago and i don't know if you have been taught to counter steer and balance yet?. But learning to counter steer and balance on your motor bike will benefit you greatly when it comes to u turns and just about everything else you do while riding.
I really don't want to be babbling on about it in here if you already know how to do it.
But if you want to learn i'm happy to give you an explanation on it. PM me if you want help.

[zeocen]

I'm not sure if this is of any help for you, but thinking about U-turns reminds me of a video I did recently, and someone mentioned to me that seeing me do a u-turn from my field of vision helped them understand a little better (not that I do anything special in it, I just turn around).

http://www.livevideo.com/video/zeoce...orieeeees.aspx

About 1:25 left of the video I do a u-turn, just a run of the mill u-turn due to missing a road, and I'm by no means a good rider, still a newbie myself! So I'm not sure if this will help but I thought I would post it here incase where I look/what I do helps you in any way, and good luck for your full!!

[Spyke]

hey
why don't you take a ride out to one of the great hb farmer boys, and use one of the old farm bikes to practice all of your slow riding. i would offer mine but it isn't running (argh). im sure they wouldn't mind and it would make you improve so much in under and hour.