Question for the pro's

[Big D]

Morning all - got a question our treasurer for the SC 1-50 recently got a Vulcan S - and she is doing awesome on it but needs help in one area - U turns on bike. Anyone have any tips/suggestions/links to forward to her? Thanks in advance!

[TopCat]

Re: Question for the pro's

Look over your shoulder as far into the u turn as you can.
Do not look straight ahead as you will go in that direction.

[Voyager_PWS]

Re: Question for the pro's

There are some great videos on YouTube for u-turns. Not home so can't share links. But search there and should find them.

[BBAZEN]

Re: Question for the pro's

I have watched most of his series at one time or another. CaptainCrashIdaho
He can be a little silly but he explains most everything very clearly.
Here is one of his U-turn clips. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHwd7cV3bm4

Most important thing to tell her is to LOOK where you want to go. If you get distracted and fixate on the curb, that is were you are going to steer toward!!

[DaBull]

Re: Question for the pro's

what they said - imma fan of Crash

[Kickstand1]

Re: Question for the pro's

Funny you should ask the question that way... Jerry Palladino has some good videos on line from "ridelikeapro.com".

[dsmspickdad]

Another Crash fan here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Chuck A.]

Re: Question for the pro's

I just spearheaded a Gymkhana 3 weeks ago. Had some great instructors there! If you and some others would get together and practice with her it would help her build confidence. I'm 300lbs and the bike 800lbs and I do 4 or 5 circles in a row on 2 lane roads just to stay in practice. Below worked for me.

We require each riders to do the "circle of trust" before entering the main course. Easily built.

First thing is to find you a parking lot with clean asphalt and limited to traffic flow. The circle is the size of a standard 2 lane road which is 24 feet in diameter. Get you 2 dozen tennis balls and cut them in half. It will not wreck you if you run over them. Get a 12feet long piece of sting and tie it to a piece of broom handle, short pipe, something that someone can hold one end to the asphalt and other end in hand, while someone walks around in a circle with the string pulled tight making a 24 feet diameter circle. Set the half tennis balls down every 2 feet until a circle is made( green side up). 2 balls should be gapped to 3 feet to make an entrance into the circle. Start by driving around the outside of the circle (balls) until you can do it with the front tire within a foot of the balls holding at a steady speed. Do both directions. Once this is being done, move to the inside and drive with in the circle. This will teach you throttle/clutch/brake low speed control. That is what it takes to do the U-turn. This WILL teach you to do a U-turn with ease. Best control is keep small amount of throttle on at all times, slip the clutch, and use the brake to control the speed. Speed is control better using this method where as the throttle and clutch control is limited while turning the bars.

Watch this video. Hear the rpms and watch the brake light stay on. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9j2W9WgOhQ

Once the above is done CORRECTLY, we set a traffic cone in the middle of the circle and teach yourself to do the circle by looking at the cone only,, while staying with the balls. Once you do that you can whip the bike around with out a thought of the edge of the road way.

We had new women riders doing 2 lane u-turns in an hour using to technic.

[Chuck A.]

Re: Question for the pro's

Picture of the "circle of trust".

[Voyager_PWS]

Re: Question for the pro's



Here is another good one.

[Easy Rider]

Re: Question for the pro's

The turn your head is one key, another that Capt'n Crash talks about is "keep your speed up"......or don't slow down too much.

Most riders I see that have U turn trouble are going too slow; some WAY too slow.
Sometimes this is even ME.

It takes practice......a lot.....over a long period of time, with occasional refreshers.

[twowheeladdict]

Re: Question for the pro's

When I get a new bike I go to an empty parking lot and practice in the parking spaces. Like they taught in the MSF class, you look where you want to go and lean the bike over by countersteering.

[tlmccune]

Re: Question for the pro's

Thanks everyone for the good advice. I will check out the videos. I am lucky enough where I took the safety course they have the test course painted out and I can use that when they aren't teaching the course to practice on. I think I'm too slow and I turn head sometime and sometimes not. Confidence is a factor as well. I will continue to try and keep trying until I get it.

[Easy Rider]

Re: Question for the pro's

Like they taught in the MSF class, you look where you want to go and lean the bike over by countersteering.

The problem with that statement is that it's incomplete.
YOu can't "countersteer" below about 6 MPH.
If you go too slow AND still try to countersteer.......that screws you all up.

[TopCat]

Re: Question for the pro's

The problem with that statement is that it's incomplete.
YOu can't "countersteer" below about 6 MPH.
If you go too slow AND still try to countersteer.......that screws you all up.