Failed Test on a U turn.
Failed Test on a U turn.
Author
Discussion

markys

Original Poster:

620 posts

280 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
Whats the secret of U turns then ? If I had done ok would have only have had 1 minor. Instructor and examiner said I had no problem with balance and bike control and neither could understand it.

Vitesse39

731 posts

271 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all

Sorry to hear that - just sounds like really bad luck

how soon can you get a retest date?

PhillVR6

3,785 posts

283 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
Gutting, what went wrong? I think the best advice is stay well away from the front brake and don't look at the kerb.

Phill

Rawwr

22,722 posts

257 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
What exactly do you have to do on a u-turn? Sounds like a silly question, I know, but a lot of people seem to fail on it.

plivesey

56 posts

247 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
The only advice I can give is lots of revs and control your speed with the rear brake (and clutch if you have to). Don't even think about touching the front brake. Balance is everything. If the engine in revving hard the bike will be easier to balance.

Also remember to do your lifesavers before you start and keep it safe.

FunkyNige

9,720 posts

298 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
Rawwr said:
What exactly do you have to do on a u-turn? Sounds like a silly question, I know, but a lot of people seem to fail on it.


Stop on the side of the road, walk your bike orund across to the other side of the road, get back on, pull away, turn the bike round in the space of the road without putting your foot down or hitting a kerb.
Harder than it sounds, believe me.

markys

Original Poster:

620 posts

280 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
Went up the kerb ! looks like I cant do a retest until the end of September, looks like the examiner is on holiday.

pesty

42,655 posts

279 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
loads of revs and clutch is easier to control than trying to be flash showing off your throttle control.

the most important thing is look where you want to go dont look in front of you.

theexcession

11,669 posts

273 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
Didn't we just have a thread on this somewhere?

Leaning your body out of the turn allows you to lean the bike into the turn more, and you gain a tighter turning circle without falling off.

Go pratice doing figure 8s in a car park somewhere.

Not sure about the 'loads of revs' advice, might seem to an examiner that you are not in proper control of the bike.

and2

9 posts

247 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
practice your slow riding technique so you're comfortable upto the stops left and right. draggin the rear brake, slipping the clutch upto approx 3k revs. unfortunately just one of those practice makes perfect things.

pesty

42,655 posts

279 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
theexcession said:


Not sure about the 'loads of revs' advice, might seem to an examiner that you are not in proper control of the bike.



yes practice is the answer but the examiner does not care how many revs you use. it is not part of the test only that you execute a good u turn and dont put your feet down etc.

this is the advice I was given anyway. Personaly speaking I found it a lot easier to maintain a slow speed doing a u turn by slipping the clutch in this way. try it if it works use if not dont each to there own. Being nervous on my test I wanted to make sure I did a good u turn people in teh next street probably heard me I was making that much noise.

now I can do it jsut about on tick over but then I couldnt.

I still maintain the best advice is look at where you want to go that helps with the ballance

S2rr Kitty

11,876 posts

274 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
I agree - look where you want to go realy helps..... keep your head up & avoid looking at the ground, and keep moving! going to slow makes you hesitate & put your foot down.

Good luck!

clapham993

12,034 posts

266 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
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Don't look at the kerb - if you do, you'll hit it

Momentofmadness

2,370 posts

264 months

Wednesday 24th August 2005
quotequote all
markys said:
Went up the kerb !


Bad luck chap - but that definately sounds like target fixation (i.e you go where you look!)

I've said it before, but the expression "Look til it hurts" (geddit?) really helped me

On a positive note, the test has shown your road riding is fine!

theexcession

11,669 posts

273 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
quotequote all
theexcession said:


Not sure about the 'loads of revs' advice, might seem to an examiner that you are not in proper control of the bike.



Certainly slipping the clutch can be necessary to gain control, hust theexpression of 'loads of revs' to me indicated nailing it up to 5 or 6K - probably not to be recommended for a U turn.

Caduceus

6,121 posts

289 months

Thursday 25th August 2005
quotequote all
The dreaded U turn

This is the only thing I nearly failed my test on.
The first one I did I got to about 95% of doing it ok, then put a foor down.
The examiner asked me if I wanted to try that again, and in that instant I remembered the key thing my instructor told me about controlling a u-turn.

Think of an elastic band. Pulling one end you have steady revs (not loads.Same as staying still on a hill in a car using just the clutch) and the other you have your foot brake on. In the centre of the stretched band you have the balance you need to nail a perfect turn.

And I did nail what the examiner called a perfect u-turn afterwards. And consequently passed.

Hope this helps.

Cad