you are visiting Old Guy’s Place
Making Those Sharp U-Turns
Adapted from a post by Andy Van Herwynen on the
mc-usa forums
Andy is an MSF instructor.
2. Apply the rear brake slightly, while applying some throttle. In slow maneuvers all cycles move better with the throttle slightly applied to "push" the front tire into the direction you want to go. If you find yourself dabbing your feet down frequently it likely means you are not in the friction zone and you are trying to coast through the path of travel. The bigger/heavier the bike, or the higher the center of gravity (let's say a Top Heavy bike) is all the MORE reason to be applying slight throttle all the way through the U-turn.
3. Keep your feet up on the pegs. Dragging your feet/hanging your legs out there only upset the bike.
4. Push down hard against the outside foot peg of the turn (right foot peg for LH sharp turn, left foot peg for RH sharp turn) and press that same knee/leg into the gas tank. This helps to stabilize you against the bike as you hang (counterweight) your same side cheek off the seat.
5. The smaller you are the more you have to counterweight, shift your body weight to the outside of the turn.
6. Remember that as speed decreases/slows your inputs at the handlebar are much less than at higher speeds. That uncertainty/unevenness you feel is you trying too hard to put too much control input into the bike. It's tough sometimes to stay relaxed, make your inputs lighter at slow speeds.
7. For slow U-turns don't even think about resting your right hand fingers on the front brake lever, all four fingers stay on the throttle for accurate control. If you are in a U-turn and even lightly touch the front brake the bike could go down before you'll be able to react to it.
8. Strong, strong head turn and visual control. Your chin should touch your shoulder in the direction of the turn, and look far back up your new path of travel, this helps to further stabilize you and the bike.
9. If you don't like applying throttle while making the U-turn, stay just out of the friction zone (barely applied in other words) and blip the throttle quickly. This has the effect of stabilizing the bike by quickly spinning the big parts of the engine (flywheel, crankshaft, alternator) which act like a gyroscope.
10. Start big and work your way in to a tighter turn. Master the head turn and friction zone/throttle before you tighten up the turn, those two parts have the most impact on making it work.
Oh, and be carefull about doing this too much. It can make you dizzy (really), overheat your engine, wear out your clutch, and even fry your nerves. As soon as it seems too much, either get off the bike, take a break, or cruise down some nice easy country road to clear your mind again. Enjoy your ride!
