U-Turn Q&A, Tips and Tricks

[jrandom]

NC24's sound so nice. I'd get soooo lost on a Gymkhana course and if I did get it wrong I reckon I'd just ride off and not return. The shame.

Nonsense. You just whip back around to the end of the queue and have another go a few minutes later. Everyone else is worrying about exactly the same thing. It's like how fast you go at a trackday. Nobody but you cares about it. The point is to enjoy yourself.

[misterO]

The OP says: I can do them on the wider roads but the tighter roads prove difficult. This is what the "teardrop" shaped u-turn makes so much easier/better: it significantly reduces the amount of room you need to make the turn. At crawling speeds, if you want to turn hard to the right, first do a little turn to the left. If you want to turn left, first do a little flick to the right. It is a simple technique I've been taught in every advanced riding class I've attended, so I'm a little surprised that no one else has mentioned it (but only a little). Give it a try- see for yourself. It's not hard to do and it really does work.

[zique]

Hi there guys,I bought my bike some time ago and I have been taking it out as much as I can,which now is once a fortnight

Anyway I was just wondering,are there any tips the more advanced riders can give for someone who's still trying to perfect doing small turns and U-turns?

I have been practicing a bit and while trying to maintain a smooth turn,I find myself doing rather sharp turns with a sharp twist of the handle-bars,usually towards the inside of turning angle.
Bike is a VT250,so its a sport tourer,I believe.
I was told to exercise more control over my turning to rectify the problem and also that bikes tend to turn themselves more towards the direction I am turning to.
And do I keep a stiff arm as I am turning or relax them a bit?Would a more upright seating postion or lower lean towards the front help with the turning? I was trying that tonight and still couldn't get it properly right.

Any little tip or details or ideas,explanations might help.

Thanks.

[McFatty1000]

I'm not even close to an advanced rider but I know that I find using a big empty car park doing figure 8's works well for me - start out big and lazy like to start off smoothly and tighten it up as you feel more confident.

Oh, and remember to look at where you want to go, makes a huge difference to smoothness and you pretty much do it naturally without over thinking

[liljegren]

Here's a tip- put your bum slightly to the outside of the seat, keep a little drag on the rear brake, and feather the clutch a bit, not fully engaged. Try to stay smooth. Doing a really slow U-turn is one of the hardest things to master, so dont stress it. Hope it helps!

[Maha]

Use your head.
It dictates where your bike will go.
Do what liljegren said above, but turn your head in the direction you want the bike to go, looking at the bars will make it difficult.

A good place to practice is at a round-a-bout (just make sure your indicators are on)..do a loop, go up the road, a couple of side streets, come back and do it again, it will be in a different direction thatn first also, try it, it works.

[awayatc]

you can practice u turn in front of oncoming bike in a commodore............

is what the Police do, and their only interest is our safety.....

[schrodingers cat]

Depending on you ability to balance, there will a (slow) speed below which you'll struggle even in a straight line.
Often your U turn practice will be under that speed making things twice as hard for you.
Keeping your head up helps a lot and as the poster above says, where you look is where you go. If you look down your body will try to take you down

[Akzle]

noone posted the japanese guy on *CBR600RR on the kart track eh?
youtube that shit.

you should never have a stiff (arm) on a bike.
look where you are going.
smooth motion is better than jerky motion.
look where you are going.
if you're turning hard (you're not) wrap yourself around the bike, stand on the pegs and lean hard.
look where you are going.
if yer just pootling (you are) sitting upright is fine

you should probably (always) look where you're going. worry less about what you're doing. relax. practice.

[nzspokes]

Its simple and hard at the same time, the key is where you are looking. Find a carpark with a pole in it. Ride around the pole looking at the pole, not in front of the bike.

You can go to Sass, http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...highlight=sass

Tell Jane what you want to know and she will get you on track.

[Tigadee]

Any little tip or details or ideas,explanations might help.

Good tips for you here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H084S...ure=plpp_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlwHx...ure=plpp_video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zluO...ure=plpp_video

http://www.youtube.com/user/motorman857
http://www.youtube.com/user/RoadcraftNottingham

[sinfull]

Are you saying the bike seems to tip over as your turning, or that you panic and turn too sharp !

A well set up bike should be able to be controlled with no hands and you should be able to do (larger) U turns with just clamping ya legs on the bike, becoming one (so to speak) and with slight leans in each direction have the bike turning !
If your bike would fall over in a slight u turn when you took ya hands off the bars, it aint you that's the problem here !

[bogan]

Hi there guys,I bought my bike some time ago and I have been taking it out as much as I can,which now is once a fortnight

Anyway I was just wondering,are there any tips the more advanced riders can give for someone who's still trying to perfect doing small turns and U-turns?

I have been practicing a bit and while trying to maintain a smooth turn,I find myself doing rather sharp turns with a sharp twist of the handle-bars,usually towards the inside of turning angle.
Bike is a VT250,so its a sport tourer,I believe.
I was told to exercise more control over my turning to rectify the problem and also that bikes tend to turn themselves more towards the direction I am turning to.
And do I keep a stiff arm as I am turning or relax them a bit?Would a more upright seating postion or lower lean towards the front help with the turning? I was trying that tonight and still couldn't get it properly right.

Any little tip or details or ideas,explanations might help.

Thanks.

A VT250 is one of the best bikes to learn on, so don't worry about that aspect.
Yes most bikes will 'dip' into the turn.
Try and relax the outside arm so it is not applying any steering force at all, and you might find the inside arm (shouldn't be stiff either) has a much easier job of controlling it; actually for tight u-turns it might be the other way around as the rider is on the opposite side of the bike as usual higher speed cornering. Just whichever arms feels like you have the most control.
The tightest U-turn can be done with the bike leant under you (dirtbike style), the bars at full lock, and the bike controlled with the throttle/clutch. Find a nice car park and just get a feel for things, it'll probably be a while before you get to the really tight u-turns, but practice makes perfect!

[Tigadee]

Tight U-turns?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mS2n...eature=related

[zique]

Hi guys,thanks soooo much for the replies.I have read all of them and watched the videos and given it some thought.
Half my problem is not turning my head enough as I do the turn and looking at the ground slightly ahead of the bike.Hopefully tonight I can try that.I have done more than a dozen U-turns sucessfully and without using the rear brake to slow things down.I usually use the front brakes or let the bike slow down to a slow enough speed to do the turn.How many of you use the rear brake when turning?Just wondering.

Ooo trying on a roundabout is risky,I am not confident enough even though I know,especially for me,the fastest way for me to learn is pushing myself to the limit.Not something I'd want to do on my bike and the closest roundabout is a dangerous one with many lanes near Sylvia Park.

At night I go to a basketball court,which is nicely lighted and there is a hoop post in the middle so I ride around that.I guess I also need to practice more!Once a fortnight is not enough.

Yes Bogan,thats the word "dip" the bike wants to dip,I was warned about that,I'll try all the techniques if I go out tonight or later on.I've been slowing trying to perfect my basic skills and not leave things up to chance and luck,like the guy in the vid says.

NZspokes,thanks for that..Sass has been on my mind for a while,well ever since I bought my bike and I have contemplated going to that,along with my mate who's in the same boat as I.With a bit more confidence and basic skills,I'll make a booking for it.Can't wait to learn more on it and meet other bikers.

Thanks again guys