Discussion
Slip the clutch and use that as your means of power delivery, rather than the throttle, dont commit to your turn until you are certain you have clutch slipping as you need it. Remember your lifesaver before you turn, increase power slightly as you complete the turn (as the bike will obviously slow down a little as you lean it over) and NEVER look at the curb - you will hit it.
You *must* look where you want to go (by far the most important thing), keep the engine spinning to keep you upright, use your clutch to feed power in and out as required and not the throttle as Dave suggested, use your back brake to control the speed and keep relaxed and your arms bent.
Mark
Mark
Can I just act all smug and say it's the U-turns I'm not having difficulty with!? The first few times I was following the instructor and thought he was lost so was turning round a lot, when he came over the radio saying 'Well done!' I twigged we were practicing U-turns 
Seriously, I found just looking where you want to go and slipping the clutch works fine, but bear in mind I've only ridden a 500 for about 2 hours!
Seriously, I found just looking where you want to go and slipping the clutch works fine, but bear in mind I've only ridden a 500 for about 2 hours!
Mate of mine failed three times on the U-turn.
My tips are
1. Try to keep the throttle constant. Just moderate your speed using the clutch, working against the back brake.
2. Make a U rather than just turning on the spot. On other words, move off in a straight line to gain your balance, do your lifesaver and then turn in the road.
3. Don't panic. I was crap at them on the morning of my test but I passed first time.
My tips are
1. Try to keep the throttle constant. Just moderate your speed using the clutch, working against the back brake.
2. Make a U rather than just turning on the spot. On other words, move off in a straight line to gain your balance, do your lifesaver and then turn in the road.
3. Don't panic. I was crap at them on the morning of my test but I passed first time.
He's probably gone now so I can admit that I was sh*te at them when I did my test. I did my test on a 125 and my knees kept hitting the bars on U-turns and I lacked confidence big time. Come the day of the test I was so nervous I misheard 2 lots of directions and went the wrong way so he made me u-turn both times to get back on the route. The first time I misheard him he was cool about it and the second time he seemed a bit p*ssed off which made me even more nervous. Then the b*gger made me do the planned u-turn as well. I was very relieved when he told me I'd passed
Mark
Mark
Listen to the bike. Move away from the kerb and set up your slow control (throttle busy, clutch slipping to control power to rear, back brake on slightly to control speed). Once it's right, use your ears to help maintain those control settings. If the gas starts to increase/decrease you'll hear it.
dern said:
Come the day of the test I was so nervous I misheard 2 lots of directions and went the wrong way so he made me u-turn both times to get back on the route.
Sound similar to mine. He told me to stop on the left so I did so, further down the road than he intended. He just went silent and the bugger didn't move down the road to catch up with me. So I pulled off two perfect U turns to pull up just in front of him. 'I won't ask you to do that again' he said.
And after his direction, I turned right into the first available turning - which was a car park! Even he admitted he found the funny afterwards. He could have said '..at the lights'
Still, I passed with only about 4 minors.
for U turns on my lessons I found slipping the clutch as others have said the only way I could do it.
I used loads of revs slipped clutch and used back brake. And I do mean loads
Sounded terrible but who cares I was in control and thats the point. after a while doing it that way i was able to use less revs and good do very good controled u turns.
of course forgot all that now I just keep going until I find a good place to turn around )
I used loads of revs slipped clutch and used back brake. And I do mean loads
Sounded terrible but who cares I was in control and thats the point. after a while doing it that way i was able to use less revs and good do very good controled u turns.
of course forgot all that now I just keep going until I find a good place to turn around )
How NOT to do a U turn:
a)Let your mate have a go on your sportsbike - ride his Suzuki Bandit in return.
b)Upon reaching destination, re-acquire aforementioned sportsbike and return Suzuki Bandit.
c)Begin U turn on sportsbike
d)Forget that sportsbikes have FAR, FAR less lock than a Suzuki Bandit
e)Drop your sportsbike on its right hand side at walking pace, damaging the right hand lower fairing and scraping the mirror.
f)Pick it up again, whilst swearing like a Docker and secretly fretting about what damage you may find.
g)Wait, red-faced and angry, for 5 minutes whilst your flooded bike punishes you by refusing to start.
Yup, did that a couple of weeks ago.
a)Let your mate have a go on your sportsbike - ride his Suzuki Bandit in return.
b)Upon reaching destination, re-acquire aforementioned sportsbike and return Suzuki Bandit.
c)Begin U turn on sportsbike
d)Forget that sportsbikes have FAR, FAR less lock than a Suzuki Bandit
e)Drop your sportsbike on its right hand side at walking pace, damaging the right hand lower fairing and scraping the mirror.
f)Pick it up again, whilst swearing like a Docker and secretly fretting about what damage you may find.
g)Wait, red-faced and angry, for 5 minutes whilst your flooded bike punishes you by refusing to start.
Yup, did that a couple of weeks ago.
I've previously posted a response to a similar thread...
here it is.
When instructed to make the U turn take 20 seconds to compose yourself, ensure the road is absolutely dead before moving off. Relax and remember what you've been taught.
80% of the U turn is where the eyes are looking. Prior to moving off - when you do your all round observations - pick a point 25 to 75 meters down the road as a focus point.
After you've done the lifesaver and committed the bike to turning, get your eyes up on the focus point. The bike will then turn more naturally.
The remaining 20% is machine control and body position.
Get the motor spinning and slipping away on the clutch, as the right handlebar comes closer to the body the tendency is to close the throttle - you must 'drive' through the U turn. Control the progress of the bike with the clutch and drag the back brake to load the transmission.
Momentum is important, stability is gained from the gyroscopic effect of the wheels. Below walking speed and the bike is all wibbly wobbly, get the wheels turning above walking speed and the bike stabilised before commiting to the turn.
Remain loose on the bike, sometimes if you lean forward at the waist by a few degrees stability increases.
If you still can't 'click' with the U turn go and use some mini roundabouts, you'll find that the radius of the curve is very similar to a U turn, however because the eyes are focussing on the appropriate exit getting the bike to turn is not an issue. Thus proving that 80% of the task is where you are looking.
STU
DAS Instructor.
here it is.
When instructed to make the U turn take 20 seconds to compose yourself, ensure the road is absolutely dead before moving off. Relax and remember what you've been taught.
80% of the U turn is where the eyes are looking. Prior to moving off - when you do your all round observations - pick a point 25 to 75 meters down the road as a focus point.
After you've done the lifesaver and committed the bike to turning, get your eyes up on the focus point. The bike will then turn more naturally.
The remaining 20% is machine control and body position.
Get the motor spinning and slipping away on the clutch, as the right handlebar comes closer to the body the tendency is to close the throttle - you must 'drive' through the U turn. Control the progress of the bike with the clutch and drag the back brake to load the transmission.
Momentum is important, stability is gained from the gyroscopic effect of the wheels. Below walking speed and the bike is all wibbly wobbly, get the wheels turning above walking speed and the bike stabilised before commiting to the turn.
Remain loose on the bike, sometimes if you lean forward at the waist by a few degrees stability increases.
If you still can't 'click' with the U turn go and use some mini roundabouts, you'll find that the radius of the curve is very similar to a U turn, however because the eyes are focussing on the appropriate exit getting the bike to turn is not an issue. Thus proving that 80% of the task is where you are looking.
STU
DAS Instructor.
If you put a foot down during the U turn, you fail, and usually you needent (sp?) have done it anyway - so the philosophy I used was to basically swear to myself that if my foot touched down, the rest of my body had preceded it! If you start getting unstable, just let the clutch out a bit to increase speed slightly.
AND DONT LOOK AT THE KERB.
I REPEAT - DO NOT LOOK AT THE KERB.
AND DONT LOOK AT THE KERB.
I REPEAT - DO NOT LOOK AT THE KERB.
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff