How to do tight U-Turns

[dantama]

I moved this over from the main board from last month in hopes that it makes more sense to find it here.

I found out how to do tight turns by stumbling onto a motorcycle cop practicing in a parking lot by himself. I pulled in and watched and was amazed. He was very approachable and taught me how to do tight turns.

I went home to practice, and couldn't drag the floor boards all the way around, I decided it was my bike. Saw him again and told him how it went and he got on my bike and did just fine (I rode his police road king and dumped it, but that's another story).

Once I knew that the bike would do it, it gave me the courage to go further.

The way you do it is a combination of using the friction zone of the clutch to moderate speed, and a little bit of rpm, and perhaps some rear brake. I go through a row of parking lot spaces (two rows that face each other), and I zig zag down it turning on every other line. Essentially a full Uturn using two spots.

As I start to move into the first one I pull in the clutch, rev the engine perhaps double idle rpm, then use the clutch to moderate how fast I go. I lean it way over for each turn and hold it there. The key is this; every time you feel like your going down and have the instinct to jab your foot down to hold you up, let a little more clutch out (throttle is held steady). The little bit of forward drive will pull you back up enough to lose the I'm going down feeling. Do that each time the reflex to jab a foot down happens.

Eventually you can do a whole row of parking lot stalls hitting every other painted line no problem.

I can turn my 1600 Nomad doing a 180 degree turn inside two lines that are 17 feet apart. It took me 19 feet on my 1500 nomad, don't know if I got better, or if there is a difference in the bikes.

Sometimes when learning it is a little easier if you drag the rear brake a little, once you learn and are comfortable, it's not needed.

I find being able to do tight turns very useful. For instance, going down a country or canyon road that isn't very wide and wanting to do a uturn. If you do the turn, back up, turn.....you are exposed to a possible car coming around the corner longer. If you can slow down, whip around and be gone all in one motion, you're not exposed to the danger of an oncoming car as long.

[coacha]

That is the way Motorman shows it on his video. The practice is good and you have to have some faith that you won't dump it...which I'm not to that stage yet, but I am working on it.

[dantama]

That is the way Motorman shows it on his video. The practice is good and you have to have some faith that you won't dump it...which I'm not to that stage yet, but I am working on it.

For me, the difference between being told that my bike can do it vs the motor officer getting on my bike and showing me that it can do it, made all the difference.

I remember going home before he got on my bike and practicing and practicing, but not getting low enough to scape the boards all the way around. I just couldn't do it, and thought that it was the bike.

Once he proved to me that it was the operator, not the bike, I was able to do it that same day after more practice.

Where exactly are you looking as you turn Dan?

[dantama]

Where exactly are you looking as you turn Dan?

Thanks for bringing that up Nico.

You need to look way over your shoulder the direction you are turning. Way over like having your chin at your shoulder.

Here's a diagram of some of my parking lot practice.

When I do a whole row, it's the top left where I go down a row turning on every other line.

When I'm just practicing a tight circle I choose two spots side by side to practice on. I sometime pick up a small rock or piece of litter to put in the center just to make it easier to not get lost on which one I'm pivoting on. When I'm turning I look over my shoulder at that point (circled in yellow).

[coacha]

I did some practicing today on U-turns. Didn't do too bad, starting to get the hang of it. I go just a little outside the line, so I have to work on getting the bike over more.

[rcmedic]

This is good information and I thank you. I have by myself tried some things and had some experiences that I could not quite explain or understand. Now I can and do. Once I get my bike back out of the shop, I will try some again.

[dui546]

Good info. You've NOW motivated a good portion of us to find a vacant parking lot to do a self-test of our skills.

[dantama]

I did some practicing today on U-turns. Didn't do too bad, starting to get the hang of it. I go just a little outside the line, so I have to work on getting the bike over more.

For me to make a 17 foot circle I have to drag the floor boards.

The key for some people that I've helped in person was to overcome the instinct to put your foot down, especially if you used to ride dirt bikes.

Just remember, every time you want to dab your foot down, let a little more clutch out instead.

If you let a little clutch out and straighten the bars a bit, you'll come right up. If you keep the bars turned, you'll just finish your turn and depending on how much clutch you let out you might go a little wide.

Either way, you won't go down and you will eventually get over the instinct to put your foot down.

[jussmatt]

Dan... you are the Man!!! I'm going to get a little more time under the seat before I find the empty parking lot, but I do look foward to trying it.

[ianicky]

Good information, next dry day I'm out to practice :)

[flightdoc]

sometimes it helps if you start with a wider area, say 20 feet. The BIG trick is to turn your head. That is a move you should always make when making any turn. The technique Dan is speaking off is a combination of head turn throttle and a light pressure on the rear brake.
NEVER USE YOUR FRONT BRAKE IN A SLOW TIGHT TURN.
Another suggestion, when you practice this for the first time, remove your bags and putt some old garden hose sections over your engine and bag guards. Chances are you will drop your bike.

[coacha]

If you watch the Motorman DVD, his people have hose insulation on their bars just for that purpose.

[dantama]

NEVER USE YOUR FRONT BRAKE IN A SLOW TIGHT TURN.

Just want to agree and reiterate, NEVER, NEVER, use your front brake in a slow tight turn.
You've all probably figured that out pulling into a parking stall and using the front brake and felt how unstable the bike all of a sudden became.

Only rear brake when leaned over in a slow turn.

[ianicky]

Maybe i wont try this then :-/ dont fancy dropping my pride and joy :-[