If you are a new rider or a rider who wants to continue to grow (That should be all of us ;) ) and you are not a Member at MCrider you are missing out on the best part of MCrider. Go to www.MCrider.com/Member and get access to the Forums and Field Guide. - The Forum is an active, friendly place where riders share riding tips, ideas, travel photos, and show off their new motorcycles. Riders and instructors from all over the world are active on the forums and ready to share in the adventure with you. - The Field Guide is a section of the forums that have very specific training exercises that you can work on in any open parking lot to develop your riding skills. In addition to these resources, you can discuss every MCrider video, suggest future training videos, read and share gear reviews, and more. By becoming a member you help support MCrider and keep the weekly videos coming but you also get access to a world of riders who share tips and techniques to help us all enjoy the ride and increase our skills. www.MCrider.com/Member
Hey Kevin, I got out today and practiced the dreaded U turn. Again and again in a nice vacant parking lot. Left, right, large circle and smaller circles keeping my head turning towards and into the turn. It felt good to have success in this area and tons more confidence. I need to practice more, and will. (Rear brake, never the front!!) Thanks again for the basics and the confidence to go out and do this.
Riding the rear brake, while maintaining some throttle and feathering the clutch in the friction allows the rotation of the motorcycle's crankshaft acts like a gyroscope and keeps the bike upright. It works like a charm. 👌
That is a nice idea how it works. But in reality it is not what happens. The moment of inertia depends on the mass that you have at a high distance from the axis of the rotation. This is why spinning tops have a large diameter and are relatively short. If you try to use a pencil as spinning top, it will just fly away. Ignore the gyroscopic effect from the crankshaft, it isn't relevant. I have another idea how it works. But I haven't done any research on it, so don't trust me. I think if you have the rear brake and the clutch on their friction zones, you will take all the slack out of the powertrain and this results in much finer control of the power-delivery. There is no jump in the amount of power that is delivered to rear wheel that would upset the balance and everything just feels smoother. At least that is what I think what happens.
@@zvpunry1971 your very right. Having the throttle up is like having power (money in the bank) ready for delivery with the fine motor skills (dexterity) of your fingers in the brake to manipulate and control the release of said bank of power when you need it. You wouldn't want to release a rubber band instantly by just letting go. It'll snap back with no control. Instead pulling on the rubber band and bringing it back to slack slowly keeps you in control of how quick or slowly the rubber band returns to a resting manor. It makes sense if you don't think about it.
After driving a car, I found that looking where you want to go vs where you're going is counter intuitive, but that's how they taught me in the MSF course I was so surprised when I tried it the first time and it worked. Thanks for the demo.
Hey, Kevin, Since I began watching your video's, I recommend them to fellow bikers. Further more, you are one of the rare persons that really intend to teach, rather than "showing off" how good they are. Thank you.
At the start of each season I go to an empty parking lot and practise riding at very low speeds and turning tight radius circles without putting my feet down. Being able to ride slow is every bit as good as being able to ride fast.
I've been riding for some 35 odd years and i realize that I still need to practice somme tachniques,,your vids are very helpfull,well made, well done!!thank you!
I have a 1200lb Harley and I can U-Turn that better than the 250cc learner bikes. "Seat time" as mentioned in the video makes a HUGE difference as you learn to balance the bike better throughout your entire ride and build up confidence. I wish my basic instructor had taught us the techniques found here. I didn't learn the 3-part (friction zone, throttle, and rear brake) technique until I did TH-cam searches. I was taught to counter balance, but that's not enough; need that rear brake too.
Wow! Excellent video(s). After years away from motorcycling, I got a BMW R1200RT. I thought my driving skills would come right back. Wrong. U-turns are a challenge. (Among other things). I am going to take these techniques to the empty parking lot, and get it right! Thanks, I am now a subscriber
In order to achieve a pro u-turn handling of your bike, practice on level ground, then, on unlevel ground. Try the u-turn on unlevel ground (up-down, down-up, right-left, left-right) only when you master the level ground u-turn. There are no u-turn unlevel ground videos on TH-cam, as far as i know. Ride safe. Cheers from Portugal.
When I ride to work, usually during my lunch break I'll go out and just do some figure eight motions and u-turn practice in the big empty lot. The other thing I practice at the same time is accelerating to about 30-40mph and then emergency braking as fast/hard as I can a few times. This way, every single day I get some practice in those two very challenging (but critical!) skills. If you can make it happen I strongly recommend it!
Kevin, Like you I am proud to have served in the military-(U.S. Navy Vietnam Vet) and I have been a "safe biker" for 55 years now. I learned from both experiences that it is so important to always keep your head on a swivel with defensive concentration in mind. Love your work and keep it going strong 'bro!
Love your videos I'm in Connecticut ride up to train me better. I just started riding less than 3 months and before I even started going on a bike I practiced turning along with stopping before I hit the road. Love your videos great!!!!
Thanks Kevin, this is very helpful! I have a question, I’m 5’ 10”, new rider (less than one year), I own a Harley 883, I’m putting forward controls on it, I’m also considering putting taller handle bars on it somewhere between 10” and 12” high. My coworker has the same bike as mine but he has 10” ape hangers on his, I notice it’s a more comfortable ride going straight but turning is challenging, his bars are also very narrow (less than 30” wide). Do you have any advice for a newer rider such as myself? I’d like to get away from leaning forward while riding but at the same time I fear I’ll have less control turning the bike with taller handle bars, thank you, Kevin.
Currently saving for my motorcycle license (planning a year ahead). Your videos help me so much understanding which are the most important areas for riding safe. The most important thing you have taught me is: if you train and ride safe, you’ll ride long and happy. I watch your videos weekly! A big thank you from Hamburg, Germany.
I ride a Honda ST 1300 which is a fairly heavy bike. I'm 5'8" and 165 pounds so I'm a little on the small side and sometimes feel I have too much bike. I attended an advanced riders course when I had 750 V twin cruiser and learned the friction zone technique. I practiced and got pretty good at making tight u turns. Recently while riding the 1300 I needed to make a u turn on a narrow road. No problem, got "in the zone", turned the steering to the lock and made a nice turn. A few minutes later I attempted to repeat the process but allowed the bike to come out of the friction zone. Had the bike gotten any further over I wouldn't have been able to keep from dropping it in the middle of a rural road with no help. Now I'm a little spooked at having to make another u turn. I have to make myself practice and get comfortable with it again. Everything you've talked about is exactly what was taught in the course.
I agree. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could manage to stay on a bike at all without being practised at finesse on the clutch. The friction zone really is the key to riding. When I first started, I was leery of "riding the clutch." I approached the bike the way I had always driven a stick in a car. The safety course set me straight on that.
Excellent video. Having ridden for over 40 years and not dropping any bikes in U-turns, I recently did just that. While I performed the U-turn successfully on my Triumph Rocket III Touring in a narrow street, I made the error of watching for traffic in my rear view mirror(after the turn), and took my concentration away from MY motorcycling, found a curb with the front wheel, and over I went. Lucky to have only a broken ankle and twisted knee to show for it!! This re-establishes my own need to concentrate on the fundamentals and not be overly confident nor complacent. Will be back up soon with more of an appreciation for the basics!! Thanks for these vids.
I was finding it hard to do u turns at slow speed with my new bmw GS 1200 adventure. I applied the technique of controlling the power with the clutch while applying brake in the turn and it works amazingly well. I can now turn at a slow speed at maximum deflection with complete control. Thanks very much!
U-Turns, even wider ones, such has making a left turn, from the turn lane, to change from northbound to southbound on a typical city road have always left me unsure, wider than I'd like, unstable, etc. Though we did the tight turn part of the basic MSF course (Chesapeake, VA), it was never explained like you did in this video (especially the counter-weight). To be honest, I never even considered parking lot practice, until I started watching your vids; just practicing on the road to gain confidence, which is NOT a good technique - esp in the bay area in Cali (the moto death camp)). Your simple suggestion made me think, "duh, of course you should practice" (esp since I recently went down, probably from not practicing)! I really appreciate the videos, and will become a patron. Ride safe, my man! And, thanks again. Love the vids.
Great videos brother, good editing and over all awesome content. I build Cafe Racers on my channel but I love all bikes and the bike community are some of the most friendly supportive people I’ve ever met. Love what you are doing. Keep the vids coming brother. 👍
Thank you, I am a new rider. I took the rider course and had a great experience. I spent the last season riding locally with a few friends and was able to clock 1,500 miles with very little mishaps! But I'm still very nervous about riding, I am planning on taking an advanced course this Spring to ease my nerves. But I get a lot of negativity as it relates to riding from my family, friends and even my doctor. This doesn't help build confidence, any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly appreciated. On a separate note; this website is awesome and I enjoy the content tremendously, thank you and keep up the great work!
Precisely why this video was made; it takes a lot of practice I'll admit and I still am far from getting this down especially on a sports bike where a little input on the bars makes the bike drip really quickly compared to a standard motorcycle with wider bars.
In order to achieve a pro u-turn handling of your bike, practice on level ground, then, on unlevel ground. Try the u-turn on unlevel ground (up-down, down-up, right-left, left-right) only when you master the level ground u-turn. There are no u-turn unlevel ground videos on TH-cam, as far as i know. Ride safe. Cheers from Portugal.
Remember to keep your eyes on the horizon / where you are headed prawn balls. Riders that struggle are generally looking at the ground, and just ahead of them. Look all the way around at where you are headed, eyes on the horizon and body relaxed, upright counterweighting the bike. You'll get it in no time with a little practice. :)
I practice this all the time on a Bandit 1200S and the way I do it ( at first) is while on the move. Even just doing circles and figure 8's. The key (to me) is getting my clutch in that "friction zone " he's talking about: it's right at the point where the clutch engages. The next thing is applying pressure on the rear brake; just enough for the pads to touch the rotor. Then the next thing is the throttle. just enough to make the bike move. Now, all 3 things happen at the same time and the bike will want to stand up. Another thing to practice is when coming to a red light:. try not to put your feet down at that light. You can do this by: Gearing down early, lightly apply the back brake and lightly apply throttle. the bike will want to stand up. There's' a sweet spot Same thing in the U-turn.
I’ve been riding for over 15 years and still have anxiety over u-turns. I bought a brand new bike and it’s worse. I’m afraid that if I take it out to practice I might drop it. My problem is that I lose confidence mid turn 😩
Kevin, I feel better now. Last week I passed, barely, the MSF course. They put me on a 550 Harley. I sold my 1100 Honda Shadow 10 years ago, AND I had a new GoldWing DCT in my garage when I took the course. I failed their drill every time. I could not do it. I did most everything else correctly, but fully expected not to pass. I barely passed and was thinking what have I gotten into. There were people who had never been on a motorcycle before and they passed this drill with flying colors, on Honda Rebel 250s, and sport bikes and dual sports. I was embarrassed and humbled, but the trainers were great. I have been on a few parking lots since and feel much better on my GW. With lots to learn, and that is where you come in. I am not sure but but I think a lot has to do with the bike, not blaming the bike, I think I was rusty, and an overly heavy bike for my rusty skill level.
When I bought my large Harley, I quickly figured out that turning it around was a bit more problematic. A few years ago, I saw videos of people doing U-turns on 2-lane city streets, so I worked on it for awhile and got where I could do a U-turn on the 2-lane subdivision street in front of my house. That's a bit more than 2 lanes in width though since it does allow room for cars to be parked on both sides and there is still enough room for another care to drive between them. So, I guess it's probably closer to an actual 3 lanes in width. Since then, I've seen videos of people doing U-turns within 2 parking spots, so I went up to the local high school when no one was around and decided to give it a try. It's a bit of work, but I eventually got to the point where I could do it, although not as effortless as it appears to be done in this video.
In order to achieve a pro u-turn handling of your bike, practice on level ground, then, on unlevel ground. Try the u-turn on unlevel ground (up-down, down-up, right-left, left-right) only when you master the level ground u-turn. There are no u-turn unlevel ground videos on TH-cam, as far as i know. Ride safe. Cheers from Portugal.
Just traded for a really big yamaha, did not realize how much my skills needed work until now. Practicing as often as I can and making big improvements. Thank you for these excellent videos.
You helped me get back into riding with total success. I resumed (after 15 year hiatus) on a 950 cruiser and followed your guidance. I was able to move up to a road king with confidence after 7 months of fundamentals. I would not have even attempted it without the instruction you provide.
Yes you have helped me Yes when you said dirt bike riders and return bikers are most likely to get in a crash. I thank you for your honest and true want to help. And you may have saved a life (me). I took the riders safety test,thought l would just go get my license till I saw your web page.l am 47 years old and have a lot to learn though l have been riding all my life in the dirt and some street riding.
I'm so impressed with your videos. I've been riding for many years but am reminded of how much I need to revisit certain techniques and practise them as often as possible -- always room for improvement. Thank you!
I love your videos they’re very incisive just help me to go from not knowing how to ride to have to ride I am getting better not as fast as I would like but it is something I’m taking slow
A few years ago I was at the Las Vegas court house and I parked next to some cop bikes. When I was leaving , a motor cop was leaving too, and I watched in awe as he whipped out of the spot and u turned out the gate...I watched and learned, I copied his motion and pulled it off! It was life changing! I never knew how much joy something like that could bring.
Thanks for the video. This makes me an lot more comfortable. As a rookie who dropped his bike turning left from a stopsign, I need all the coaching I can get.
Just passed my Motorcycle Safety Course and got my MC endorsement. Struggled with the "Box" exercise early on, however thanks to your video ...I nailed it. Still practicing ....Thanks
Having completed successfully the MSF basic rider course last month, I wish I had the benefit of this video beforehand. I lost points on only one aspect of the skills test: u-turns. This makes the technique far more transparent. Very nicely done!
Great video! I'm just back to riding after 39 years and have been viewing all of your videos. Just need some warm weather so I can head to the parking lot and practice. I used to be pretty good with my 350 Honda but I need the instruction for my HD Sportster Superlow. Keep up the good work...also thanks for the video about your eye!! I don't even notice it now.
Thanks for the video Kevin ! I'm going to put sand bags in my BMW's luggage and practice U-turns to be better prepared for fall touring. Better now than on the road. ☺
Or, do like me & use your motorcycle for grocery shopping. My Concours can handle $75 in groceries. A 25 lb bag of dog food will rest on the passenger seat well.
I like the gentle rear brake usage. I haven’t been doing this. And then I end up panic jamming the front brake n we all going all over the place. Something to work on tomorrow :) and I liked your emergency braking video n trying to shift to first gear n being prepared for a vehicle behind me that won’t stop fully. Thank you. My dad told me to watch your videos. He’s always helped me out by pointing me in the right direction silently all my life. Haha. I ride a ktm duke 390. Johny
A very excellent video for me, returning to the ride after 30 years hiatus, I realize there are increasing levels of skill, but this is a great vid for all of us; after all, how often do we actually U-turn, anyway? Thanks for reminding me what a U-turn is!
This vid is so helpful to me ..I feel more confident and I don't need to put my foot down anymore... the shifting of weight made all the difference. Thankx
Hey Kevin, Been watching your videos for a while now. Bought a new motorcycle about 2 months ago (Triumph 900cc). Really loving the channel. Taking your advice about trying to learn something new each time I ride. Today I went to a empty parking lot and practiced my U-turns. Was definitely different than the little 250s during the class. Kept doing them til I was able to perform several back to back. Best advice I took from your video was looking ahead at where you are going. Sounds simple, but makes all the difference. Thanks for all your effort to do the videos!
I can sometimes pull off a u-turn on an Ultra Classic, but a friend of mine who is a motorcycle officer in CA gave me some advice: “Don’t be afraid to use your leg to stab, better to put a leg down and keep the bike up than to drop the bike.” I did that on the MSF course and passed the course. I can do a u-turn on my friends Shadow with no problem, counterbalance is the key.
I got the same model a couple of years ago. Got decent at 16-20' U-turns and figure 8's...then found out on a 4K mile ride fully loaded even more skill involved, and that u-turns on a hill require differing technique depending on uphill or downhill. : )
First thing I did was find my bike slow speed which is 6.5 - 7.5. I did this in a parking lot. Let out the clutch an see where you can maintain the lowest speed with no clutch. Use this speed as a key to your turns. I started, again in a parking lot, and did circles to the left and then to the right. Using that slow speed you found. You continue the circles as many times as you want or feel comfortable with. You will eventually find that without fooling with the clutch you can make those circles pretty small and that tells you that you are ready for U-turns. Good practice to do until you are free of fear. Fear is what causes most of the problems in biking.
Thank you for your instructions. Very thorough, I just got back into riding again after 10 yrs, you definitely forget your basics. This is a great thing you got going on here.
Thanks Kevin. I’ll be using this technique to better my skills. In the MFA course, we were only able to practice this a couple of times before being tested on it. This was the only part of the test that i incurred any points. Every other skill i passed without issue. Appreciate your videos. Keep them coming!
If I may, an "experienced" rider has no problem with u-turns (or anything else involved in normal riding). Piling up hours or miles in a straight line does not make a rider experienced. ;)
Indeed. The slow speed stuff is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to riding. Any idiot can ride fast, only the skilled can execute graceful slow speed maneuvers.
Totally agree. I was really impressed watching a motorcycle cop leading a motorcade into an intersection. He entered the intersection, stopped the bike and remained motionless, upright, without needing to correct at all, and then moved on when the rest of the motorcade was satisfied that the intersection was clear.
Kevin I've watched a lot of videos on how us beginners should operate our bikes and I'm soon to be the owner of a brand new Indian motorcycle I rode a Honda street bike around my neighborhood as a kid and I'm 39 now so I'm a little weary about the timeline sense then but you and your videos help a lot thanks.
Just subscribed, Kevin. I watched a few videos and liked what I saw. One little technique I used when learning tight turns was to make my own "friction lock" for steady throttle by extending my index finger, sliding my hand toward the inboard end of the grip as far as possible, then bringing my index finger back around the grip. This gave me friction between my index finger and the fixed component just inboard of the throttle and helped me keep the throttle steady when turning the bars.
Hey I ride with the Denton Del Fuegos. Real cone heads. I have a Connie and they put me through the paces. My street riding has improved 100%. Though I can't come close to what they do. Anyway, you never know how bad you ride until you get ot there and mix it up with the pro's.
Kevin love your vids .... well spoken and easy to follow ...Im signing up today...and you have a vid for any issues a new or experienced rider could need...thx bud
Hey Kevin I have been riding for about 59 years ,I am 71,and last Saturday I made the classic drop ,while making a left u turn ,my left foot slid off the foot peg ,I didn't want to break my ankle so I tapped the front brake ,and I went down like a rock,and caught my leg under the bike ,I had a hard time trying to get my leg free ,my foot and ankle were bruised. It's always doing something stupid that I gets you in trouble .Thanks for your videos
I live in north dallas (frisco) area and u turns are used all the time and it can be really dangerous because traffic is so dang heavy, your video was helpful and I'll practice your tips, thanx for the cause brother looking forward for future videos
I learn a lot from your videos - plus it's always gratifying when I learn that I've instinctively been going about things the right way (which is the case more often than I would've expected; it goes to show that a lot of what is riding wisdom is there, all along, underneath it all). And it's good to be reminded that even experienced riders struggle with things that I was ashamed to admit gave me trouble when I was first starting out.
This is awesome. I will become a supporter and encourage all my riding brothers, and sisters to do the same!!!! Buy the way nice hat. Do you sell them on your website?
If you are a new rider or a rider who wants to continue to grow (That should be all of us ;) ) and you are not a Member at MCrider you are missing out on the best part of MCrider. Go to www.MCrider.com/Member and get access to the Forums and Field Guide.
- The Forum is an active, friendly place where riders share riding tips, ideas, travel photos, and show off their new motorcycles. Riders and instructors from all over the world are active on the forums and ready to share in the adventure with you.
- The Field Guide is a section of the forums that have very specific training exercises that you can work on in any open parking lot to develop your riding skills.
In addition to these resources, you can discuss every MCrider video, suggest future training videos, read and share gear reviews, and more.
By becoming a member you help support MCrider and keep the weekly videos coming but you also get access to a world of riders who share tips and techniques to help us all enjoy the ride and increase our skills.
www.MCrider.com/Member
Hey Kevin, I got out today and practiced the dreaded U turn. Again and again in a nice vacant parking lot. Left, right, large circle and smaller circles keeping my head turning towards and into the turn. It felt good to have success in this area and tons more confidence. I need to practice more, and will. (Rear brake, never the front!!) Thanks again for the basics and the confidence to go out and do this.
Riding the rear brake, while maintaining some throttle and feathering the clutch in the friction allows the rotation of the motorcycle's crankshaft acts like a gyroscope and keeps the bike upright. It works like a charm. 👌
That is a nice idea how it works. But in reality it is not what happens. The moment of inertia depends on the mass that you have at a high distance from the axis of the rotation. This is why spinning tops have a large diameter and are relatively short. If you try to use a pencil as spinning top, it will just fly away. Ignore the gyroscopic effect from the crankshaft, it isn't relevant.
I have another idea how it works. But I haven't done any research on it, so don't trust me. I think if you have the rear brake and the clutch on their friction zones, you will take all the slack out of the powertrain and this results in much finer control of the power-delivery. There is no jump in the amount of power that is delivered to rear wheel that would upset the balance and everything just feels smoother. At least that is what I think what happens.
@@zvpunry1971 your very right. Having the throttle up is like having power (money in the bank) ready for delivery with the fine motor skills (dexterity) of your fingers in the brake to manipulate and control the release of said bank of power when you need it. You wouldn't want to release a rubber band instantly by just letting go. It'll snap back with no control. Instead pulling on the rubber band and bringing it back to slack slowly keeps you in control of how quick or slowly the rubber band returns to a resting manor. It makes sense if you don't think about it.
Thanks,
After driving a car, I found that looking where you want to go vs where you're going is counter intuitive, but that's how they taught me in the MSF course I was so surprised when I tried it the first time and it worked. Thanks for the demo.
Hey, Kevin,
Since I began watching your video's, I recommend them to fellow bikers. Further more, you are one of the rare persons that really intend to teach, rather than "showing off" how good they are. Thank you.
At the start of each season I go to an empty parking lot and practise riding at very low speeds and turning tight radius circles without putting my feet down. Being able to ride slow is every bit as good as being able to ride fast.
I've been riding for some 35 odd years and i realize that I still need to practice somme tachniques,,your vids are very helpfull,well made, well done!!thank you!
Nice move u teach me a lot
Brand new rider here. You're videos are extremely educational. Thank you.
I have a 1200lb Harley and I can U-Turn that better than the 250cc learner bikes. "Seat time" as mentioned in the video makes a HUGE difference as you learn to balance the bike better throughout your entire ride and build up confidence. I wish my basic instructor had taught us the techniques found here. I didn't learn the 3-part (friction zone, throttle, and rear brake) technique until I did TH-cam searches. I was taught to counter balance, but that's not enough; need that rear brake too.
1200 lbs? Did it eat a Honda?
Wow! Excellent video(s). After years away from motorcycling, I got a BMW R1200RT. I thought my driving skills would come right back. Wrong. U-turns are a challenge. (Among other things). I am going to take these techniques to the empty parking lot, and get it right! Thanks, I am now a subscriber
In order to achieve a pro u-turn handling of your bike, practice on level ground, then, on unlevel ground. Try the u-turn on unlevel ground (up-down, down-up, right-left, left-right) only when you master the level ground u-turn. There are no u-turn unlevel ground videos on TH-cam, as far as i know. Ride safe. Cheers from Portugal.
Michael MacDonald I was thinking the engine flywheel caused the gyro effect.
Thanks!
When I ride to work, usually during my lunch break I'll go out and just do some figure eight motions and u-turn practice in the big empty lot. The other thing I practice at the same time is accelerating to about 30-40mph and then emergency braking as fast/hard as I can a few times. This way, every single day I get some practice in those two very challenging (but critical!) skills. If you can make it happen I strongly recommend it!
Kevin, Like you I am proud to have served in the military-(U.S. Navy Vietnam Vet) and I have been a "safe biker" for 55 years now. I learned from both experiences that it is so important to always keep your head on a swivel with defensive concentration in mind. Love your work and keep it going strong 'bro!
I like the half-a-cheek movement also. And the dip helps this dip how to maneuver properly. Thanks.
Love your videos I'm in Connecticut ride up to train me better. I just started riding less than 3 months and before I even started going on a bike I practiced turning along with stopping before I hit the road. Love your videos great!!!!
Thanks Kevin, this is very helpful!
I have a question, I’m 5’ 10”, new rider (less than one year), I own a Harley 883, I’m putting forward controls on it, I’m also considering putting taller handle bars on it somewhere between 10” and 12” high. My coworker has the same bike as mine but he has 10” ape hangers on his, I notice it’s a more comfortable ride going straight but turning is challenging, his bars are also very narrow (less than 30” wide).
Do you have any advice for a newer rider such as myself? I’d like to get away from leaning forward while riding but at the same time I fear I’ll have less control turning the bike with taller handle bars, thank you, Kevin.
Currently saving for my motorcycle license (planning a year ahead). Your videos help me so much understanding which are the most important areas for riding safe. The most important thing you have taught me is: if you train and ride safe, you’ll ride long and happy. I watch your videos weekly! A big thank you from Hamburg, Germany.
I really enjoy your style of teaching... it's clear, to the point.. your voice is calm. Thank you Kevin!
Beginner Biker here! Took the MSF course about a month ago and picking up my new bike today! This is awesome info!! Thank you!!!
I ride a Honda ST 1300 which is a fairly heavy bike. I'm 5'8" and 165 pounds so I'm a little on the small side and sometimes feel I have too much bike. I attended an advanced riders course when I had 750 V twin cruiser and learned the friction zone technique. I practiced and got pretty good at making tight u turns. Recently while riding the 1300 I needed to make a u turn on a narrow road. No problem, got "in the zone", turned the steering to the lock and made a nice turn. A few minutes later I attempted to repeat the process but allowed the bike to come out of the friction zone. Had the bike gotten any further over I wouldn't have been able to keep from dropping it in the middle of a rural road with no help. Now I'm a little spooked at having to make another u turn. I have to make myself practice and get comfortable with it again. Everything you've talked about is exactly what was taught in the course.
I agree. Honestly, I don't see how anyone could manage to stay on a bike at all without being practised at finesse on the clutch. The friction zone really is the key to riding. When I first started, I was leery of "riding the clutch." I approached the bike the way I had always driven a stick in a car. The safety course set me straight on that.
Excellent video. Having ridden for over 40 years and not dropping any bikes in U-turns, I recently did just that. While I performed the U-turn successfully on my Triumph Rocket III Touring in a narrow street, I made the error of watching for traffic in my rear view mirror(after the turn), and took my concentration away from MY motorcycling, found a curb with the front wheel, and over I went. Lucky to have only a broken ankle and twisted knee to show for it!! This re-establishes my own need to concentrate on the fundamentals and not be overly confident nor complacent. Will be back up soon with more of an appreciation for the basics!! Thanks for these vids.
I like the way you explained that not to worry about using markers,just get used to the turning and the technique first,that helped a bunch,thank you.
Best video to explain on how to u turn, really helped me, thank you so much
I was finding it hard to do u turns at slow speed with my new bmw GS 1200 adventure. I applied the technique of controlling the power with the clutch while applying brake in the turn and it works amazingly well. I can now turn at a slow speed at maximum deflection with complete control. Thanks very much!
Thank you for the very useful information. I'm going to try that scary u turn myself.
U-Turns, even wider ones, such has making a left turn, from the turn lane, to change from northbound to southbound on a typical city road have always left me unsure, wider than I'd like, unstable, etc. Though we did the tight turn part of the basic MSF course (Chesapeake, VA), it was never explained like you did in this video (especially the counter-weight).
To be honest, I never even considered parking lot practice, until I started watching your vids; just practicing on the road to gain confidence, which is NOT a good technique - esp in the bay area in Cali (the moto death camp)). Your simple suggestion made me think, "duh, of course you should practice" (esp since I recently went down, probably from not practicing)!
I really appreciate the videos, and will become a patron. Ride safe, my man! And, thanks again. Love the vids.
Great videos brother, good editing and over all awesome content. I build Cafe Racers on my channel but I love all bikes and the bike community are some of the most friendly supportive people I’ve ever met. Love what you are doing. Keep the vids coming brother. 👍
Thank you, I am a new rider. I took the rider course and had a great experience. I spent the last season riding locally with a few friends and was able to clock 1,500 miles with very little mishaps! But I'm still very nervous about riding, I am planning on taking an advanced course this Spring to ease my nerves. But I get a lot of negativity as it relates to riding from my family, friends and even my doctor. This doesn't help build confidence, any words of wisdom or advice would be greatly appreciated.
On a separate note; this website is awesome and I enjoy the content tremendously, thank you and keep up the great work!
These vids are great. My wife and I started riding again after years and these vids are serving as great reminders of skills we need to work on.
Well, it looks definitely easier than it acutally is. I struggle with it tremendously...
Precisely why this video was made; it takes a lot of practice I'll admit and I still am far from getting this down especially on a sports bike where a little input on the bars makes the bike drip really quickly compared to a standard motorcycle with wider bars.
In order to achieve a pro u-turn handling of your bike, practice on level ground, then, on unlevel ground. Try the u-turn on unlevel ground (up-down, down-up, right-left, left-right) only when you master the level ground u-turn. There are no u-turn unlevel ground videos on TH-cam, as far as i know. Ride safe. Cheers from Portugal.
Remember to keep your eyes on the horizon / where you are headed prawn balls. Riders that struggle are generally looking at the ground, and just ahead of them. Look all the way around at where you are headed, eyes on the horizon and body relaxed, upright counterweighting the bike. You'll get it in no time with a little practice. :)
I practice this all the time on a Bandit 1200S and the way I do it ( at first) is while on the move. Even just doing circles and figure 8's. The key (to me) is getting my clutch in that "friction zone " he's talking about: it's right at the point where the clutch engages. The next thing is applying pressure on the rear brake; just enough for the pads to touch the rotor. Then the next thing is the throttle. just enough to make the bike move. Now, all 3 things happen at the same time and the bike will want to stand up. Another thing to practice is when coming to a red light:. try not to put your feet down at that light. You can do this by: Gearing down early, lightly apply the back brake and lightly apply throttle. the bike will want to stand up. There's' a sweet spot Same thing in the U-turn.
It takes time you will get it. But the looks of the time of this video I do hope you have down by now!
I’ve been riding for over 15 years and still have anxiety over u-turns. I bought a brand new bike and it’s worse. I’m afraid that if I take it out to practice I might drop it. My problem is that I lose confidence mid turn 😩
Thanks for this video. I’ll get out and practice as soon as the rain clears.
As always, very clear and concise. Thanks
Kevin, I feel better now. Last week I passed, barely, the MSF course. They put me on a 550 Harley. I sold my 1100 Honda Shadow 10 years ago, AND I had a new GoldWing DCT in my garage when I took the course. I failed their drill every time. I could not do it. I did most everything else correctly, but fully expected not to pass. I barely passed and was thinking what have I gotten into. There were people who had never been on a motorcycle before and they passed this drill with flying colors, on Honda Rebel 250s, and sport bikes and dual sports. I was embarrassed and humbled, but the trainers were great. I have been on a few parking lots since and feel much better on my GW. With lots to learn, and that is where you come in. I am not sure but but I think a lot has to do with the bike, not blaming the bike, I think I was rusty, and an overly heavy bike for my rusty skill level.
i thought i was the only one. you make it look so easy thanks
You can do it Tammy, just takes technique and practice. Thanks for watching, Kevin
When I bought my large Harley, I quickly figured out that turning it around was a bit more problematic. A few years ago, I saw videos of people doing U-turns on 2-lane city streets, so I worked on it for awhile and got where I could do a U-turn on the 2-lane subdivision street in front of my house. That's a bit more than 2 lanes in width though since it does allow room for cars to be parked on both sides and there is still enough room for another care to drive between them. So, I guess it's probably closer to an actual 3 lanes in width.
Since then, I've seen videos of people doing U-turns within 2 parking spots, so I went up to the local high school when no one was around and decided to give it a try. It's a bit of work, but I eventually got to the point where I could do it, although not as effortless as it appears to be done in this video.
In order to achieve a pro u-turn handling of your bike, practice on level ground, then, on unlevel ground. Try the u-turn on unlevel ground (up-down, down-up, right-left, left-right) only when you master the level ground u-turn. There are no u-turn unlevel ground videos on TH-cam, as far as i know. Ride safe. Cheers from Portugal.
Just traded for a really big yamaha, did not realize how much my skills needed work until now. Practicing as often as I can and making big improvements. Thank you for these excellent videos.
You helped me get back into riding with total success. I resumed (after 15 year hiatus) on a 950 cruiser and followed your guidance. I was able to move up to a road king with confidence after 7 months of fundamentals. I would not have even attempted it without the instruction you provide.
Awesome brother! Welcome back to two wheeled life. 👍👍🏍️
this was a massive help - counter balance the weight, little bit of rear brake and clutch just on that friction zone - will help me hugely, thanks!
Yes you have helped me
Yes when you said dirt bike riders and return bikers are most likely to get in a crash. I thank you for your honest and true want to help.
And you may have saved a life (me).
I took the riders safety test,thought l would just go get my license till I saw your web page.l am 47 years old and have a lot to learn though l have been riding all my life in the dirt and some street riding.
I'm so impressed with your videos. I've been riding for many years but am reminded of how much I need to revisit certain techniques and practise them as often as possible -- always room for improvement. Thank you!
I love your videos they’re very incisive just help me to go from not knowing how to ride to have to ride I am getting better not as fast as I would like but it is something I’m taking slow
When my bikes full lock in any turn especially a u turn it just feels wrong like my instincts kick in and telling me your gonna drop the bike lol.
Full lock is tough. I’m still trying to master it.👍🏼🏍
For me, it's especially frightening when turning right for some reason.
@@carolinekido6125 no doubt!
Very straightforward, no nonsense, clear instructions. Just viewing this tutorial makes me feel like a u-turn professional!
A few years ago I was at the Las Vegas court house and I parked next to some cop bikes. When I was leaving , a motor cop was leaving too, and I watched in awe as he whipped out of the spot and u turned out the gate...I watched and learned, I copied his motion and pulled it off! It was life changing! I never knew how much joy something like that could bring.
Thanks for the video. This makes me an lot more comfortable. As a rookie who dropped his bike turning left from a stopsign, I need all the coaching I can get.
Great video! Thanks! Glad i came across your channel! I'm really keen to learn how to ride a bike properly. Your videos are a godsend
+Taran Nijher Good to hear Taran, new videos weekly. Thanks for the comment.
As an experienced rider I have no difficulty to make such turns but I am really thankful to you for these tips
Just passed my Motorcycle Safety Course and got my MC endorsement. Struggled with the "Box" exercise early on, however thanks to your video ...I nailed it. Still practicing ....Thanks
+D. Christopher Merrick Congrats on passing! 👍🏻🏍
Having completed successfully the MSF basic rider course last month, I wish I had the benefit of this video beforehand. I lost points on only one aspect of the skills test: u-turns. This makes the technique far more transparent. Very nicely done!
Just found this, will have to view more , thanks
Great video! I'm just back to riding after 39 years and have been viewing all of your videos. Just need some warm weather so I can head to the parking lot and practice. I used to be pretty good with my 350 Honda but I need the instruction for my HD Sportster Superlow. Keep up the good work...also thanks for the video about your eye!! I don't even notice it now.
Thanks Kevin for your dedication 🌹
Thanks for the video Kevin ! I'm going to put sand bags in my BMW's luggage and practice U-turns to be better prepared for fall touring. Better now than on the road. ☺
Or, do like me & use your motorcycle for grocery shopping. My Concours can handle $75 in groceries. A 25 lb bag of dog food will rest on the passenger seat well.
Put some cooking oil on the ground too, while you are at it.
Sell it while your at it
@@chriscuc1602 LOL
Thank you for all your videos, They help so much
Wow Kevin you made that look and sound very straightforward! Thanks for the tuition, I shall practise what you have taught. All the best
I like those riding lights u put on the handle bars. Does give you a larger.stance for visual safety.
That little “dip” is a little bit of counter steer and it definitely helps. It gets the bike tilting the desired direction quickly.
Thanks for the vid im planning on getting a bobber and wanted to know how that would work thanks
Appreciate this Vlog Kev. Great Instruction and Demo.
GREAT ADVICE KEVIN !!! WE ALL NEED TO PRACTICE THIS & SEEING HOW FAST WE CAN STOP AT CRUISE OR HIGH SPEED OFTEN !!!!!
I like the gentle rear brake usage. I haven’t been doing this. And then I end up panic jamming the front brake n we all going all over the place.
Something to work on tomorrow :) and I liked your emergency braking video n trying to shift to first gear n being prepared for a vehicle behind me that won’t stop fully.
Thank you. My dad told me to watch your videos. He’s always helped me out by pointing me in the right direction silently all my life. Haha. I ride a ktm duke 390. Johny
You always have great explanations. Thank you
As a new rider looking to learn, something keeps me coming back to your channel. You’re a great teacher and the videos are professional. Keep it up!
A very excellent video for me, returning to the ride after 30 years hiatus, I realize there are increasing levels of skill, but this is a great vid for all of us; after all, how often do we actually U-turn, anyway? Thanks for reminding me what a U-turn is!
This vid is so helpful to me ..I feel more confident and I don't need to put my foot down anymore... the shifting of weight made all the difference. Thankx
Hey Kevin, Been watching your videos for a while now. Bought a new motorcycle about 2 months ago (Triumph 900cc). Really loving the channel. Taking your advice about trying to learn something new each time I ride. Today I went to a empty parking lot and practiced my U-turns. Was definitely different than the little 250s during the class. Kept doing them til I was able to perform several back to back. Best advice I took from your video was looking ahead at where you are going. Sounds simple, but makes all the difference. Thanks for all your effort to do the videos!
Good explanation never thought about the mechanics of it .
I can sometimes pull off a u-turn on an Ultra Classic, but a friend of mine who is a motorcycle officer in CA gave me some advice: “Don’t be afraid to use your leg to stab, better to put a leg down and keep the bike up than to drop the bike.” I did that on the MSF course and passed the course. I can do a u-turn on my friends Shadow with no problem, counterbalance is the key.
you sir are awesome teacher. thank you!
Smart 👨 man I like your videos,just bought a bran new 2020 for low rider.
You have given me something to practice on with my R1200RT. I have never been able to u-turn on any roads.
I got the same model a couple of years ago. Got decent at 16-20' U-turns and figure 8's...then found out on a 4K mile ride fully loaded even more skill involved, and that u-turns on a hill require differing technique depending on uphill or downhill. : )
First thing I did was find my bike slow speed which is 6.5 - 7.5. I did this in a parking lot. Let out the clutch an see where you can maintain the lowest speed with no clutch. Use this speed as a key to your turns. I started, again in a parking lot, and did circles to the left and then to the right. Using that slow speed you found. You continue the circles as many times as you want or feel comfortable with. You will eventually find that without fooling with the clutch you can make those circles pretty small and that tells you that you are ready for U-turns. Good practice to do until you are free of fear. Fear is what causes most of the problems in biking.
Thank you for your instructions. Very thorough, I just got back into riding again after 10 yrs, you definitely forget your basics. This is a great thing you got going on here.
Thanks Kevin. I’ll be using this technique to better my skills. In the MFA course, we were only able to practice this a couple of times before being tested on it. This was the only part of the test that i incurred any points. Every other skill i passed without issue. Appreciate your videos. Keep them coming!
If I may, an "experienced" rider has no problem with u-turns (or anything else involved in normal riding). Piling up hours or miles in a straight line does not make a rider experienced. ;)
Indeed. The slow speed stuff is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to riding. Any idiot can ride fast, only the skilled can execute graceful slow speed maneuvers.
Totally agree. I was really impressed watching a motorcycle cop leading a motorcade into an intersection. He entered the intersection, stopped the bike and remained motionless, upright, without needing to correct at all, and then moved on when the rest of the motorcade was satisfied that the intersection was clear.
That's definitely true. You have to get out of the "comfort zone" to learn.
There are riders piling up hours riding in a straight line? Do tell. Where does this occur?
Mark - I agree
Kevin I've watched a lot of videos on how us beginners should operate our bikes and I'm soon to be the owner of a brand new Indian motorcycle I rode a Honda street bike around my neighborhood as a kid and I'm 39 now so I'm a little weary about the timeline sense then but you and your videos help a lot thanks.
This was explained very well. Thank you!
Wow how good are you! You make it look so easy, so i better make a move and find an empty parking lot and start practising
You made that look easy and I plan on getting a Harley Road glide and wanting to get better at my u turns.
Just subscribed, Kevin. I watched a few videos and liked what I saw. One little technique I used when learning tight turns was to make my own "friction lock" for steady throttle by extending my index finger, sliding my hand toward the inboard end of the grip as far as possible, then bringing my index finger back around the grip. This gave me friction between my index finger and the fixed component just inboard of the throttle and helped me keep the throttle steady when turning the bars.
Took me a minute to get what you're saying, but I like it. It's an issue I've noticed as well -- varying the throttle accidentally. Thanks.
That was explained fantastically. Thanks 👍🏻🛵
You are welcome DervMan...thanks for the comment!
fantastic
Hey I ride with the Denton Del Fuegos. Real cone heads. I have a Connie and they put me through the paces. My street riding has improved 100%. Though I can't come close to what they do. Anyway, you never know how bad you ride until you get ot there and mix it up with the pro's.
So jealous, one of the big skills i have to master asap!
This summer is 40 years since I bought my first bike. I still try to avoid doing U-turns...lol. This should help a bit.👍🏾. Thanks Kevin.
Dan🇨🇦
Excellent tutorial
Kevin love your vids .... well spoken and easy to follow ...Im signing up today...and you have a vid for any issues a new or experienced rider could need...thx bud
Hey Kevin I have been riding for about 59 years ,I am 71,and last Saturday I made the classic drop ,while making a left u turn ,my left foot slid off the foot peg ,I didn't want to break my ankle so I tapped the front brake ,and I went down like a rock,and caught my leg under the bike ,I had a hard time trying to get my leg free ,my foot and ankle were bruised. It's always doing something stupid that I gets you in trouble .Thanks for your videos
Can you make a video doing these maneuvers on the Road King? I have a street glide, so the lighter bike doesn’t do much for me.
Look at ride like a pro web site for all on Harley. Police instructor. Much detail.
I live in north dallas (frisco) area and u turns are used all the time and it can be really dangerous because traffic is so dang heavy, your video was helpful and I'll practice your tips, thanx for the cause brother looking forward for future videos
I learn a lot from your videos - plus it's always gratifying when I learn that I've instinctively been going about things the right way (which is the case more often than I would've expected; it goes to show that a lot of what is riding wisdom is there, all along, underneath it all). And it's good to be reminded that even experienced riders struggle with things that I was ashamed to admit gave me trouble when I was first starting out.
Thanks Sir!! Sory I am not english speaker so I didn't understand what is "dip" that you say also apply in the u turn. Thanks
This is awesome. I will become a supporter and encourage all my riding brothers, and sisters to do the same!!!!
Buy the way nice hat. Do you sell them on your website?
Man you have come a long way. This is still great stuff. Really appreciate the calm and thoughtful instruction.
Nicely done - became a patron this week!
A diagram of where your focus point is would be a huge help.
Best tutorial I have seen for U turn.
Many many thanks sir❤❤❤
Kevin, thanks for the great video...you’re awesome...and a very good rider!
Very thorough and professional tutorial for safety and survival. Thanks! I'm subscribed and a patron.
Great video as usual!
By the way, what kind of helmet/jacket holders are you using I’m your garage?