RT and the U-turn

[jfixit]

I've been practicing u-turns on an 03 RT, yea linked and servoed. The only way I can do it with confidence is to drag the brakes using the foot pedal, keep the revs up and slip the clutch for control. Good or bad? comments please.

[Francois_Dumas]

Any way you do it without dropping the thing is good in my book

 

I don't use the brake if I don't need to.... slipping the clutch a little can't hurt as long as you don't do it for prolongued periods of time.

 

I am also not ashamed to put a foot on the ground if need be, especially with Nina on the pillion it is harder to counter-balance the bike as much as I would like to.

 

We did a few (forced) U-turns this weekend... excercise DOES help and paid off

[eddd]

Sounds like you have a good plan that works for you. As you practice you might like to add some really tight turns. I've found that occasionally the turn ends up needing to be tighter that I first expected due to a slope or very loose gravel/mud at the edge of the road. With these types of conditions, once committed, you can find yourself in an uncomfortable situation.

[CousinEddie]

Tight u-turns can be done without using any brake - all about clutch and throttle control. Bike needs to LEAN to turn sharply - COUNTERLEAN by getting that butt off the seat and shifting weight to the outside. Head over the shoulder looking behind you where you want to go (not the edge of the road you are worried about running off - look at it and you will go there!) This is how the NC highway patrol does it. For a great one day course on slow speed maneuvers taken directly from the NC highway patrol training manual, checkout www.motomark1.com. This course will greatly increase your confidence in slow speed maneuvers - by the end of the day you will be able to do the police cone courses whether on an RT, sportbike, or cruiser. Most classes are in NC however with enough people from your local area interested, they might come to you.

[jmseattle]

You're doing it right -- feather clutch and be gentle/smooth on throttle. Second gear can help to avoid the more abrupt on/off of first. Use R brake only to fine tune control at the margins

[motorbob]

Great advice.

[AlanBrown]

An observation I made once before, when watching the "pros", is how fast they were doing the tight turns. I believe that this is not simply them displaying their capability, but rather an indication that the turn can be performed more easily if you take it at a higher speed than you might otherwise think appropriate.

 

Worked for me when I was preparing for my test.

[Laura]

I've been practicing u-turns on an 03 RT, yea linked and servoed. The only way I can do it with confidence is to drag the brakes using the foot pedal, keep the revs up and slip the clutch for control. Good or bad? comments please.

That's the way I do it, exactly. Works for me.

[k75duck]

Leaning the bike into the turn a bit more and moving your butt to the outside edge of the seat can help too as it shortens the turning radius.

 

Getting myself to look all of the way over my shoulder to where I wanted to end up was a HUGE help when i was working on this.

[Orpheum]

I just finished the MSF course and having done slow turn drills this past weekend I can tell you that an over accentuated head turn to where you want to go combined with body counter balance will turn that bike in a pretty small area.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Keep in mind that the throttle is your friend, not your enemy in U-turns. Too often I see folks struggling with a U-turn and they are slowing the whole time. As the bike leans, it wants to fall into the turn a bit, and the natural reaction is to either put out a foot (bad idea) or to straighten up and brake. A U-turn is no different from any other, enter at a speed that is comfortable for you and maintain sufficient throttle so that you are either accelerating slightly or at least, maintaining speed. You do have to learn to commit yourself to the lean angle sufficient to get you around your chosen radius at your chosen speed and for many, that is more than they are comfortable dealing with. Start out wide and practice with that till you are comfortable with a slight acceleration throughout the turn. Tighten things up and add a little more lean as your skills increase, keeping in mind that more lean=smaller tire radius so you need more throttle to maintain speed.

[Tony_K]

I did ERC last summer and was hailed by other riders and only slightly scolded by the instructor when doing the tight box figure 8.

 

The other riders couldn't believe how tight I could do the figure 8 in such a confined area with a large bike.

The instructor said I needed to slow it down a bit because I was doing too fast!

 

Cluch, throttle and commitment to lean just Like Ed said. It's fun to pratice too!

[CousinEddie]

The more the bike leans, the sharper it turns - we all know this. There are two ways to keep from falling over, go faster and use centrifugal force <or> counterlean. Yes, going a little faster is easier and looks cool but what happens when your u-turn isn't on dry pavement and you find yourself on wet/slick roads, gravel, dirt, etc or there is another rider directly in front of and/or behind you? This is where you want to be familiar with how to counterlean and manuever that bike at a snails pace like it was your first tricycle. Going slow also requires more mastery of smooth clutch and throttle (no rear brake dragging needed - trust me...) Going fast works, but not in all situations. Give it a try...

[leikam]

what happens when your u-turn isn't on dry pavement and you find yourself on wet/slick roads, gravel, dirt, etc or there is another rider directly in front of and/or behind you?

 

There's no shame in giving up on executing the u-turn and putting your feet down for a 3 (or more) point turn.

[Sidmariner]

I am more confident with my clutch control and ability to adjust the power band than I am with small throttle adjustments at low speed. For this reason, when I am faced with a tight U-turn I pull up on the idle(choke) adjustment to keep the RPM up and then roll into the turn. I have no fear of jerking the throttle or stalling out and I have no need for braking. I don't know if this is unorthodox or not, but it sure works for me.

[Francois_Dumas]

It does sound unorthodox

Also, pulling out the choke on a warm engine MAY make it STALL !

[ShovelStrokeEd]

Not with our motors, Francois, it isn't a choke, just a fast idle lever.

 

Naturally, the situation dictates the method/technique. Wet pavement really isn't an issue, gravel/sand certainly is but, lacking very much centripetal force, you would be surprised at the traction available.

 

Throttle control is quite important and the subtle transitions require some real work to master. Keeping your bike in a good state of tune helps a bunch as well. A healthy BMW motor should have no trouble running smoothly, in gear, at idle speed or just above. My Blackbird, which has pretty tall gearing and is a 4 cylinder to boot, will happily run down to 6 mph in first gear.

[Francois_Dumas]

Oh... gosh, I learn something new every day !

[VinnyR11]

If you're willing to spend a little time practicing slow riding and U-turns, I found this DVD to be excellent and well worth the investment.

Ride Like a Pro IV

 

Vinny

[jfixit]

Thanks for all the advice, brainstorming like this always points out areas that need work, I have to stop looking at the edge of the road for sure and maybe move my weight to the outside. Don't know if I can give up that brake though.

[marcopolo]

Thanks for all the advice, brainstorming like this always points out areas that need work, I have to stop looking at the edge of the road for sure and maybe move my weight to the outside. Don't know if I can give up that brake though.

 

The Ride Like A Pro DVD (mentioned above) emphasizes (among other things) using the rear brake in slow speed stuff, like u-turns. Works for me.

[motorman587]

Been a motor cop for 15 years. Either or. Whatever works. If you drag those brakes on a beemer just remember, dry clutch, dry clutch. Meaning do it for short while and then cool that clutch. Also remember, turn your head. The motor will go where the nose goes. You will hear "NO" and you will "Yes", about dragging or not I have been a couple of rodeos and to go fast in a rodeo you got slip, drap, feather, or whatever. Just remember if you are on a beemer clutch just go cool it off.

[dwightm]

Spead, balance and counter wighting are all componets of the skill

 

Head turn, you go where your nose is pointed as motorman has stated is what realy makes it happen.

 

You need a head turn like the girl in the exorcist.

[Mark K]

You're doing it right -- feather clutch and be gentle/smooth on throttle. Second gear can help to avoid the more abrupt on/off of first. Use R brake only to fine tune control at the margins

 

I agree, with the addition of shifting your "rear" to the outside edge of the seat. Warning...could result in frighteningly tight turns the first few attempts.