U Turns - help!
Discussion
Doing my test tomorrow morning and had no problems with turns at all until yesterday when, like a pratt, I fell off the bike!
No damage to either me or the bike - just a lot of embarrassment from me.
Problem is that I just can't seem to get back into the u-turns again.
Any last minute tips please?
No damage to either me or the bike - just a lot of embarrassment from me.
Problem is that I just can't seem to get back into the u-turns again.
Any last minute tips please?
Start with a big radius turn and work down to tighter stuff, to build your confidence back up. Chances are you'll get to practice some with your instructor before the test anyway, so there's still time. The most important thing is to relax and look where you want to go, i.e. look over your shoulder as you turn.
Cheers,
Steve
Cheers,
Steve
I hated them, still cant even after I passed!!
when the guy sends you off for the emergency stop, the chances are he will send you round the block for the emergency stop test.
these no time control on how long it takes you.
when out of sight have a practice or 3..
also relax, concentrate on the biting point of the clutch during the test, get a good feel for it, and use plenty of revs, and just control the slip during the turn. dont try using revs the engine reaction is too slow.
good luck! PS I think you can pass even with a foot down, as long as the rest of the test is OK.
ie. you are allowed fail points, some minor, 15 minors is a fail, 1 or majors is a fail.
(depends on the test centre)
I got 6 I recall. failed to cancel indicator, needed a reminder. not doing proper checks etc.
when the guy sends you off for the emergency stop, the chances are he will send you round the block for the emergency stop test.
these no time control on how long it takes you.
when out of sight have a practice or 3..
also relax, concentrate on the biting point of the clutch during the test, get a good feel for it, and use plenty of revs, and just control the slip during the turn. dont try using revs the engine reaction is too slow.
good luck! PS I think you can pass even with a foot down, as long as the rest of the test is OK.
ie. you are allowed fail points, some minor, 15 minors is a fail, 1 or majors is a fail.
(depends on the test centre)
I got 6 I recall. failed to cancel indicator, needed a reminder. not doing proper checks etc.
Look where you want to go and counter-lean, both will help you to maintain a tight line. I find that reminding myself to keep shifting my point of focus helps, i.e. at the start, look over my shoulder at the opposite kerb, and as I come round keep looking further and further up the kerb and finally back up the road in the direction I want to go. If you're speeding up too much, don't throttle off or brake, instead use the clutch to feather the power in and out as you need it.
s2ooz said:
good luck! PS I think you can pass even with a foot down, as long as the rest of the test is OK.
foot down is a fail, no matter how well you ride. I did three tests (passing third time) and got 4 minor's in total - but also put my foot down on the first tests
Everyone hates u-turns, but they gotta be done. (Just hope you don't get an examiner like my second who had me on a road so narrow my SV would only go round from gutter to gutter with full lock on when I pushed it! B*%tard!) I do them now at every opportunity just for the ironic perversity!
It is easier to explain verbally than it is to write down but I will give it a go.
Think of the crankshaft in your engine as a spinning top, the faster it rotates the faster the engine will spin so the more balanced and stable the bike will become. Now the trouble with a fast spinning engine is that it will produce speed, which in the case of the U turn is the last thing you want, but you do want the balance and stability that is produced as a result, so to counteract and compliment this, apply the back brake as you apply the revs.
If you use a fairly high number of revs (using some clutch slip if appropriate) adjust the speed of the bike with the back brake, so the slower you want to go the more brake you apply and the faster you want to go the less brake with appropriate clutch slip as required. What you will find is that the bike is stable, balanced and under control and quite often you will be able to turn in a fraction of the distance the examiner wants or gives you.
Now the reason it is related to a spinning top (or Gyroscope) is that when a top is spinning, regardless of how many times it is knocked it will always return back to its upright position providing the speed is constant which is exactly the same as a spinning engine.
Now if you look at where you want to go rather than looking at the road in sections, you will find that the bike will turn in a fraction of the turning circle available and hopefully it will be a successfull turn.
See, I told you it was easier to explain then it is to write.
Dabbing a foot down should not in itself be a failure unless it is to prevent the rider falling off, however, 99% of examiners do fail candidates because they consider it a control fault which in my opinion is somewhat unfair as it is unlikely that this particular skill will never be used again through choice, but it is the only way along with the slow ride that the examiner can measure your slow riding ability and control.
Think of the crankshaft in your engine as a spinning top, the faster it rotates the faster the engine will spin so the more balanced and stable the bike will become. Now the trouble with a fast spinning engine is that it will produce speed, which in the case of the U turn is the last thing you want, but you do want the balance and stability that is produced as a result, so to counteract and compliment this, apply the back brake as you apply the revs.
If you use a fairly high number of revs (using some clutch slip if appropriate) adjust the speed of the bike with the back brake, so the slower you want to go the more brake you apply and the faster you want to go the less brake with appropriate clutch slip as required. What you will find is that the bike is stable, balanced and under control and quite often you will be able to turn in a fraction of the distance the examiner wants or gives you.
Now the reason it is related to a spinning top (or Gyroscope) is that when a top is spinning, regardless of how many times it is knocked it will always return back to its upright position providing the speed is constant which is exactly the same as a spinning engine.
Now if you look at where you want to go rather than looking at the road in sections, you will find that the bike will turn in a fraction of the turning circle available and hopefully it will be a successfull turn.
See, I told you it was easier to explain then it is to write.
Dabbing a foot down should not in itself be a failure unless it is to prevent the rider falling off, however, 99% of examiners do fail candidates because they consider it a control fault which in my opinion is somewhat unfair as it is unlikely that this particular skill will never be used again through choice, but it is the only way along with the slow ride that the examiner can measure your slow riding ability and control.
Something not to worry about. I had a wonderful day of dropping the bike with the u-turn, yes you do feel a pr*ck but my trainer said it was a very common occurance. I'm waiting for a retest (long story, failed by an idiot, literally every rider I've spoken to agreed I did the right thing and the examiner was an @rsehole) anyway back on topic...
I found the u-turn was better when you don't give a sh*t, get tense means gets worse. Rev the bike and slip the clutch and use the back brake as control and most important look up the road as far as possible not just in front.
I hate the u-turn was dead nervous before the test but it went fine. I had no chance to practice on the test so I went straight in and did it. My thoughts were "here we go I'll either drop it or do it...." and I did it.
Can anyone tell me why we have to push the thing though? Seems completely pointless.
I found the u-turn was better when you don't give a sh*t, get tense means gets worse. Rev the bike and slip the clutch and use the back brake as control and most important look up the road as far as possible not just in front.
I hate the u-turn was dead nervous before the test but it went fine. I had no chance to practice on the test so I went straight in and did it. My thoughts were "here we go I'll either drop it or do it...." and I did it.
Can anyone tell me why we have to push the thing though? Seems completely pointless.
I was fine going u-turns until the afternon before my test, although I didn't drop the bike it was pretty bloody close.
I can only repeat the tips already given. i.e.
Look at the opposite curb 20 yards down the road.
Keep the revs up and use the back brake to keep the speed done in conjunction with having the clutch marginally part the biting point.
The reason I was messing up was that the road we were doing them on ( a favourite with the examiner ) had a very steep camber near the gutter. So pulling away I was in fact doing a hill start (although a slight one). The way I got round it was not to apply the back brake until I was a quarter of the way across the road and past the bad camber.
edit to say: I thought that they asked you to push it round so that you knew it was possible to do the turn in the space available, i.e. you couldn't complain afterwards that the road was too narrow
>> Edited by ledger on Thursday 10th July 15:50
I can only repeat the tips already given. i.e.
Look at the opposite curb 20 yards down the road.
Keep the revs up and use the back brake to keep the speed done in conjunction with having the clutch marginally part the biting point.
The reason I was messing up was that the road we were doing them on ( a favourite with the examiner ) had a very steep camber near the gutter. So pulling away I was in fact doing a hill start (although a slight one). The way I got round it was not to apply the back brake until I was a quarter of the way across the road and past the bad camber.
edit to say: I thought that they asked you to push it round so that you knew it was possible to do the turn in the space available, i.e. you couldn't complain afterwards that the road was too narrow
>> Edited by ledger on Thursday 10th July 15:50
smeagol said:
Can anyone tell me why we have to push the thing though? Seems completely pointless.
As already mentioned, it is to ensure that there is sufficient turning circle to carry out the U turn as the turning circle will vary depending on the type of bike. If you can push it around you can ride it around.
It also avoids the examiner having to do a U turn and making a right tit of himself when he drops it
>> Edited by t-c on Thursday 10th July 16:23
that seems the most likely answer!!Only use the back brake, if you grab the front, the forks will dive and it'll screw it all up. As has been said before, look where you want to go, not at the kerb opposite. Use some revs and slip the clutch, grip the tank with your knees (you should be doing that anyway) and balance revs against the back brake to go into a slow, gentle turn.
I was petrified I was going to mess up my u-turn in my L test, having made a mess of it the day before. I think that got it out of my system 'cos the test went just fine. I'm sure your's will too.
I was petrified I was going to mess up my u-turn in my L test, having made a mess of it the day before. I think that got it out of my system 'cos the test went just fine. I'm sure your's will too.
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