former motor officer here. i've been off bikes for over a decade. i just resumed riding again at age 70. i've been practicing some of the old drills at a parking lot, albeit without the cones. it's always good to revisit the principles of slow speed riding. you do a good job explaining them.
I’ve got a busted body. I’m 52 now. I bought a 97 hugger, then put another chunk of change into it. Invested over 10k into it. After converting it to a 1200, I’d only put about 5k miles on it when I parked it in 2012.. Damn thing is immaculate, or at least it was. When I parked it in my shed back then I had no idea I’d not ride it since. I got remarried back then, and became a dad to 2 teenage daughters. THEY FINALLY MOVED OUT! Both are based, and amazing women now. My poor bike is covered in a thick layer of dirt now, but I bet a good wash, and a few hundred bucks would get me back on it. I’m seriously contemplating it. Yea, this dudes channel is awesome. Great tips for beginners, and old broken riders who haven’t ridden in over a decade. 😝. How is it riding at 70?
I bet you could get her going again! Be sure to change out your tires. I see so many people riding on dangerously expired tires just because they have tread and hold air. 😰🫣
@@BarkersBikes What do you class as an Old Tyre ie: maximum age.....Just discussed this yesterday getting whilst tyre fitted here in Australia....Great videos to watch ....Thanks
I'm 64, bought my first 2 wheels at 63. I opted for something small to start with so I purchased a 2024 Honda ADV 160 MAXI Scooter. It's an automatic, chose that due to arthritis in hands. I'm still struggling not as bad as a year ago though. I have a fear of dropping since I dropped it twice while practicing, then once on the road turning into a gas station and lost front end on gravel. I learned from that. Come in from position two and stay of front brake. No broken bones but did sprain the shoulder coming down on forearm. That took 3 - 4 months to feel better. First time viewer and now subscriber.
Glad to have you! I’m glad you’re okay! Check with MSF “ motorcycle safety foundation” and see if they offer any kind of course in your area. I became a rider coach with them a couple years ago but didn’t continue due to work/time restrictions. I believe I remember them saying a person could bring their own bike/scooter to the basic class. I’m almost sure of it. You might want to start there. My local traffic safety center host the basic class and provides the Honda Grom as a training bike. Those have VERY easy clutch pull. Just check and see what your options are! Stay safe out there my friend!
@@leerepass9312 Hi. I’m with you on that with the arthritis in my left hand. Had a Kawasaki 450 motorcycle, now I to ride a Suzuki Burgman 400 Maxiscooter. Much easier to handle and no problems due to arthritis. Glad I’m not alone on this brother.👍
that's a cool bike, I'm 30something and want to get back into riding. All the sportbike and streetfighter stuff I've done already, no need to speed or jerk around traffic. Seriously considering a custom or something that's comfy, not too heavy, and good for just riding. Even a Grom would have it's own charm :) Ride safe!
@@aatee5840 I own 2 Honda Groms. Those are really fun in their own way. I bought one to train my kids how to ride. Once they learned, they were always fighting over who was going to ride it. I really didn’t expect them to be so fun and so capable. I’ve ridden it 100 miles one way and it cost almost nothing to fill it up. Shows I’m getting 135 miles per gallon. It’s just good cheap fun.
@@jayfurness6695 Thanks for the nice comments. I ride a 1984 Yamaha 650 XS and just bought a Yamaha MT-07. Both are relatively light bikes. I do enjoy short rides with frequent stops (for coffee) because of back and knee problems. I don't work out at a lot but so far I enjoy riding and hope to do this as long as possible. PS: Last time I went to the gym I couldn't find the entrance anymore - so I gave up on this😊.
@@jayfurness6695 I ride a Harley Road Glide and I am 63. I do go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, Not because I like to work out but to ride my motorcycle as long as possible. And it works! Next year my wife and I will rent a bike in California for a 3 week road trip. Therefore I need to go to the gym😄
Besides a video I saw that Doodle on a Motorcycle posted a while back, this is the only other time that I recall hearing anyone talk about posture while doing slow speed maneuvers. Great instruction once again!
Excellent video. At 69 and after 40+ years of riding, I am trying to get better at slow speed maneuvers, particularly u-turns and your tutorial is very helpful. Thank you.
Try and use an empty parking lot as seen in his videos. Grab some half tennis balls or just use those parking space lines. Start with 6 parking spaces making left and rights turns. As your muscle memory starts to expand, tighten up those turns and use just 4 spaces (using the middle line) as a focal point. Or, place a cone or 1/2 tennis ball in the center of 2 intersecting lines and trying to focus on the fundamentals. Just remember, “if you look down, you’ll go down.” Lift your chin up a wee bit higher and focus. 1) Clutch 2) Throttle 3) Brake 4) Head and Eyes
I just started riding again after 20 or so years of not riding as I had too much fear on the freeways and in traffic when I was a teenager/young adult and never had any instruction beforehand so I stopped riding. Took the MSF beginning class a few months ago to start fresh before buying a bike again (I now ride a Triumph Tiger 800 adventure bike - a beast!). Discovered your channel and so glad I found it. You explain things I never knew in a clear way that gives me lots to practice at my local high school driving range and empty parking lots. Please keep making these instruction videos from the basic to the advanced stuff! Thank you kindly officer Barker!
It’s a pleasure to read encouraging comments like this! You, and others like yourself, are exactly who I’m trying to help. Glad you’re here! Thanks for sharing!
Always good to listen to experts riders. So easy to just get out there and ride long distances but the most useful part to riding is the slow speed skills
Nice job😊. I’ve been watching a lot of slow speed, U turn tutorial’s lately and have enjoyed most. Yours has been the best and easiest to watch so far. Much appreciated
Officer Barker, brother, thank you so much for taking the time to present this desperately needed training. God Bless you my brother. I'm a 69 year old retired Police Sgt. From Georgia. When my department added motorcycles, i was frankly too old. There were too many young officers better physically capable to fill those roles. Much respect to them for their superior service. I am seriiusly wanting to get back on my 1974, model 74, FLH Harley and enjoy the rest of my days. I want to get a new Harley Breakout and drive to California and fulfil my greatest dream. I thank you so much for the knowledge you shared. You brought back all my memories of riding. I just have never heard it explained so very well. I am gojng to practice what you shared before I make my journey. Stay safe my brother and remember that you have friends that you have yet to meet face to face. Thank you for your service!
It was a pleasure to read your words here, sir! I’m so glad to have people like you in this growing community. The thought of that journey to California sounds like a grand adventure! I want to do the same one day. Thank you for sharing! Stay safe!
Head and eyes is huge! Most students I work with tend to understand friction zone and a little rear brake rather quickly, but head and eyes is tougher. I tell them that, on the tighter stuff, they should be looking for their tour pack and seem to notice a marked difference in their head turn. Solid video with solid advice!
Good sir, you've just answered all my questions regarding the clutch and the throttle. I've been practicing this a lot and mostly the problem I'm having is that I usually stall due to not having enough throttle(where I'm at I could only practice on a tight and slighly hilly area) Thank you very much
I have been following Jerry Palladino Ride Like A Pro and he is very good. Nothing you say here disagrees with anything I've heard him say, so when I hear you, I'm getting this info for a second time. Maybe that's why I think I'm getting a better understanding of the need to coordinate the clutch (friction zone), throttle, and brake. Both of you are saying the same thing, but I think the way you explained these, and the order you explained them, has put things in a different light for me. Especially your emphasis about using the clutch to move within the friction zone and control force going to the rear tire while keeping engine rpm (throttle) constant. I know Jerry says the same thing, but somehow your explanation helped me understand it better. Nice job. BTW, I'm 73 years old, have enjoyed riding since I started when I was 48, and I will be taking the Ride Like a Pro course with Jerry in November. You are both helping me become a better rider. Thank you!
Thank you very much! This reminds me of a story from my rookie days in training… When I was a rookie motor officer, I was fortunate to train under a motor instructor who is a local legend. He has won dozens of awards and is highly respected in the profession. He’s been on a police motorcycle almost daily since 1998! You can only imagine how talented this guy is. At any rate, during training, I was having trouble with a particular exercise. He had already given me expert advice, but it still wasn’t clicking. Later that day, a younger guy showed up, saw me struggling, and gave me a little bit of coaching. What he said somehow made sense, and it clicked. I was able to complete the exercise and continue building my skills. They were both teaching the same thing, but his approach and demeanor were different. That made all the difference for me. Your comment here reminds me of that day. Honored to have you here! Thanks for sharing!
I remember being taught those tips when I went for my motorbike license 30 years ago. Thanks for the reminder, because I'm looking at buying my first bike in a couple of months.
Excellent point a no out your bike going in the direction that you are looking. I made that mistake and had a slight mishap that potentially could have been a serious accident. Making a “U” turn in tight spaces is my biggest challenge. Working on the slow speed technique.
Oh, I’m glad you’re okay 🙏🏻! That can be scary to have close calls like that. Just keep working in empty parking lots. You can use the parking space as your measuring stick. Each space is normally 9’ wide. Making a U-turn in two spaces or a figure 8 in four spaces is the goal. Don’t worry if you can’t right now! Just try to use the techniques you learn and get a little better each time. Try a u-turn in four spots (4 in a row), then three and eventually two. You got this! Stay safe out there!
The tip about "nuts to the tank" is a good one, I ride a Street Glide and when I had the stock handle bars on it I found the u turns fine, but with 12" aftermarket bars I've been struggling, you've just made me realise I'm probably sitting too far back and my arms are at their limit of reach, I need to shift forward on the seat to gain back that control. Cheers for that.
Thank you for the very good, detailed instructions. Like some of the other commenters, I am old and I appreciate the clear, precise advice. Now I have a better understanding of the dynamics of riding. To look all the way back to see the rear seat when making the U-turn - I never would have thought of that.
Thank you for this perspective changing video Officer Barker. Was on a motorcycle trip recently with my wife, and dropped the bike twice while doing the slowest of U turns. Fortunately my wife was unscathed (thanks riding gear), and the bike is totally fine, but I gotta say my confidence was bruised. I have been wondering ever since what could I have done differently, and your tip number 3 (using the rear brakes) is where I was going wrong. I'm going to go an practice these tips diligently and hopefully never have to put my wife in harms way again and never have to risk damaging the bike.
I’m glad everyone’s okay! I know it’s embarrassing but it happens! As a matter of fact, this same thing happened to my dad with my mom as the passenger. She already wasn’t a big fan of motorcycles. 😬
Thanks > The Friction zone Yes but that was the best explanation of when to pull clutch in to dip into an U turn & then Release feathering clutch to make bike stand back up Thanks been doing this for year head eyes friction zone & dragging rear breaks
Just came across your channel really like your content. In your top five motorcycle u-turn mistakes..... You describe keeping the throttle and clutch / friction zone consistent and use the rear brake to control the movement of the bike.... I have never heard anyone describe it that way, but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! You just solved all of my slow speed issues....
Excellent video. The one thing I’ve never heard before is “nuts to the tank”. That positioning over the central mass (engine) makes a lot of sense. Thanks 😊
@@BarkersBikes There is a recent video with Doodle, she took a class from PD motors that's what they thought her to move and get on the tank. I am going out to practice that now.
This was great! I’m a new rider and just yesterday I dropped my Harley on a slow U-turn. Luckily I was practicing but I was wondering what I did wrong. Thank you!
Fantastic information. I have taken a shorten motor officer first day course and do pretty good at slow riding, but posture was never covers. Great job, great video. I'm a subscriber now!!
Great instruction video with a clear explanation and not a demonstration of how good you are, which by the way I'm sure you are. Thanks from a 73 year old rider in the Netherlands.
Very helpful. Presenter goes into the various ways riders using bad technique cause the bike to drop. A BIG plus, I don't detect any of the ego-tripping "drill sergeant" so obvious in the lessons of another well-known motor officer. This makes it easier for me to absorb the details of the techniques. 5*
Nice video! It is interesting that there are seemingly opposing videos concerning how much the head should be turned when doing u-turns. A popular TH-camr has videos concerning u-turns where her earlier trainers taught her "head and eyes" but later she trained with a police group that said "look where you are going now, not where you are going to go". I am 75 and ride a fairly tall 2020 V-Strom 650 and your technique works better for me.
Doodle has some good content and she is very knowledgeable. She has put herself through all kinds of advanced training. Try different techniques and use what works best for you. There are a lot of… options on TH-cam. I try to relay what works for us that we (motor officers) use on a daily basis. I’m trying to relay information that seems to be held from the public. However, not intentionally held. I think many others just don’t believe the public is interested. I seem to disagree.
I can’t think of any right off. I’ve not ridden a bike with buckhorns but I’m familiar with what you’re referring to. If you notice any particular issues, let me know and we can think through them. Thanks for watching.
@@BarkersBikes I have a 2000 XLH 1200. It came with buckthorn bars I didn't change them because it would go into all the other stuff that needs to be changed to accommodate the bars. I find it clumsy. Maybe in part due to the odd firing order which is very noticeable at low speeds. So I became determined to learn to ride with these bars. I know they are not good for performance riding. It slow speed turning especially u turns that are "weird" to me. Difficult to make the turns in a smaller radius.
Kawi 900rs that your on has such a low 1st gear, half of the guys on the forum go up to a 16 tooth engine sprocket as their first mod. I found myself shifting before I got through a 90° turn or cleared an intersection. Yet that motor was tuned for even torque thru out the range. Ideal for low speed control. Polor opposite to my GSX-S1000GT, which has given me a challenge getting used to. Great video. 👍
Dude, I’ve literally been researching the gearing on the 900 this week! I’m definitely looking into it. I’ve got to figure out how much the speedometer will be off. Thanks for watching!
This was helpful! I’m a longtime rider but just got a really tall, heavy bike and kept dropping it- I was making mistake #1! Thought I was familiar w the friction zone, but not familiar enough! Just being reminded how to use it has fixed the issue. Thank you!
I’m lucky with my bike zx4rr. No throttle needed to take off, rolls at 5mph in 1st idling, lets me ride the rear brake without stalling with no gas. The geometry isn’t the best for slow speed but those other factors are nice
Great video! I’m getting ready to purchase my first bike and have been looking at beginner videos for what feels like months. This is the first one I’ve left feeling like I’ve got a bunch really solid pieces of information I can use immediately as I learn to ride. Sharing this expertise is incredible and appreciated.
Thank you so much for your comment! Welcome to the motorcycle community! Be sure to get some basic training first (such as MSF basic rider course) and continue to learn and improve. Motorcycling should be viewed like a martial art. You never truly arrive. You must always strive to improve. Top 3 things to learn. 1. Friction Zone: This is where your stability comes from at slow speeds. Emergency Braking: Proper braking matters. This is obviously important. Counter steering: This can be counterintuitive for some people but important to know. I’m going to make a video about these for you. It’ll be sometime in the future.
I’ve not long failed my MOD 1 test (off road manoeuvres UK) on the U turn. Fixated on the line and crossed it. Strange I knew I was doing it and the probable outcome but didn’t look where I should have been going 🥴🥴. Did it correctly immediately after but unfortunately it’s the first go that counts. Hopefully lesson learned for the re-test in a couple of weeks. 👍👍
Just a week ago I told exactly the part about the friction zone, to manage the speed to y young guy, making his first experiences in motorbike riding 😎 Greetings - also from Switzerland
That’s great! I literally just had this conversation with someone at the local motorsports shop that was buying his first bike. I love to see the worldwide motorcycle community helping each other ! Thanks for sharing!
@@BarkersBikes Absolutely - in Switzerland, we have a rental-platform for private motorbikes (like AirBNB with Motorbikes). The young guy asked to rent my bike, and was wondering if I would rent to him, even if he doesn't have any experience. I told him to surely give him the bike, but first we will have a driving lesson. I gave the first riding lesson to quite a few people and love to do so. Actually I ride a HD CVO Street Glide 2021 and for winter a BMW F700 GS. Earlier I had a HD Road King Classic for 20 Years and did 202'722 km with it.
cheers for the video. I hear a lot of people saying something like I have "30 years experience". I do to! (+ more), however in reality its 30 x 1 years experience. Its good to be humble when riding a bike
I just stumbled upon your videos, and new subscriber. I do a lot of slow speed training. These are all really great tips that I will try when I go out on the course thank you.
This is great man. The light bulb moment for me was using the rear brake. Absolutely love what you said about you don’t depend on momentum because you want to be in control. 100% agree! I’m going to try the “Big Toe” method for the rear brake. Keep up the great work, you just earned a new subscriber 🤙
Very nice looking bike. What really helped me with u-turns, or any tight turns, was forcing myself to turn my head. In the beginning it feels weird, but you have to tell yourself "turn your head." Once you get into that habit, it's so much easier. There's still some room for improvement.
That is one nice looking bike! On the subject, it's the head and eyes that is most important, at least to me. Where you look is where you will go; just don't fix on a target too much especially on bends!
Awesome! Welcome to the motorcycle community! People like you are why I’m doing this. If you have any questions feel free to drop a comment in any of my videos. I, or someone on the community, will be sure to help you if we can. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Those were all great tips! I just got my first “big” bike recently (Yamaha FJR 1300) and for someone new to riding large bikes, these were some of the issues I’m working on and trying to get better at. Especially confidently doing u-turns without the fear of dropping the bike. You have a new subscriber from Sydney, Australia.
Just remember, the height and lean angle on your Yamaha is a bit different than the police Road Kings or Electra Glides. The center of gravity on that “Yama-hopper” (just kidding I used own one), is higher and your lean angle will be different. Just keep your feet planted on those floorboards/foot pegs while you’re turning. You don’t want to lose your foot or ankle under the rear wheel.
@@BarkersBikes a follow up comment: as I just finished a 400 Km roadtrip and your instructions were engraved in my mind the whole time. Thank you again. You may have helped me arrive safely
Thanks for a good video, some PDs teach without using the rear brake. For me the friction zone and rear brake are my best friends, also in really tight situations it helps to counter balance. But when you look at PD rodeos with having to change direction quickly left to right they don't have time to do this. I think that the low speed skills help even at speed.
Thanks for sharing. We also practice no rear brake. I actually had training today, as a matter of fact, and practiced with no rear brake. Doing so definitely ups the difficulty, especially when the practice area isn’t level. Practicing no rear brake helps you dial in your clutch and throttle control. I counter balance but not to the extreme like I’ve seen some people do. You might not even notice if you were watching me from a distance. Slow speed skills definitely increase your bike bonding / familiarity which helps at speed. We also have some at-speed exercises we practice but we spend most of our time training at the slow stuff because that’s where most struggle. Thanks for sharing!
I initially clicked on this to see if there was anything I could add to my grab bag of limited knowledge of slow speed riding, which I definitely did. But on a side note, that bike is absolutely beautiful. I narrowed down my short list to THAT bike as my next purchase. I bought a brand new 1999 Kawasaki ZXR1100 as my first bike and rode it for only 8 years. There are a lot of similarities between that bike and yours. I just bought my second bike a few months ago, a 2011 BMW R1200 GS Adventure which I absolutely love. But there are a LOT more instances where slow speed maneuvers are required. I need to check if there are PD sponsored riding courses near St. Louis. I just thought of that while typing this, so I'm going to check right now.
Thanks for sharing! It’s definitely a fun bike. It’s a 2024 Kawasaki Z900rs Cafe. Light weight and plenty of power. It’s more of a (naked) sport bike so not very comfortable for longer rides but great in the twisties and mountainous roads. I’m glad to have you! Thanks for watching.
So I just got back from riding around an empty parking lot. Though I've heard a lot of what you said before, there were a couple of points that you stressed that really sunk in. About the rpm range and focusing on the clutch sweet spot. I did fully handlebar locked figure eights for about 45 minutes at about 3 mph. Muscle memory to over in about 30 seconds. Instinctively, I would always pull my clutch lever when doing a slow, tight u-turn when I would feel my bike start to go down and stick my leg out to catch it. The first turn today I let the lever OUT and , whaaa? I was back upright. Awesome and thank you.
Great video and fantastic advice!!! I love nuts on the tank, I’ve never seen that advice before and I’ll certainly be using that from now on!! I WILL DO PERFECT U TURNS!! 🙏 Thanks again for a great video!
Good video, 75 now, that's about 58 years riding but good to be reminded of necessary skills. I stl practise a dozen U turns in the parking lot every week...it's s perishable skill The one suggestion for new riders, drop the shoulders, 10:50 loosen your grip..the bike like a horse doesn't want to fall so don't go all rigid, they sense your fear🐴🏍️
Hey brother. Retired FF/Paramedic here. Don't do the drop (if it applies). Anyhow, I'm 6 ft 2 and 300 lb. I'm about to take my motorcycle course, after my tenure, which included a jurisdiction that cover a long stretch of the Florida turnpike, and Interstate 75, I look back and I don't remember too many motorcycle accidents. But the ones I did respond to, they were not good. Can we say pretzel. Anyhow, I'm taking my basic motorcycle class the first week of november, and I have my eyes slated on a 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan for 5 grand. Is this a good beginner bike for my height and weight? Is there anything else that you would recommend me to look out for for less than 5 grand. Thanks and keep safe brother. - Norm. MIAMI, FL 🌴
Im a retired LEO who learned to ride at 60 after a fellow LEO motocop convinced me I could. Everything you have said is so applicable. The key is practice, practice, practice. Find an empty parking lot and apply these techniques. Ensuring your bike is protected by drop guards or even foam noodles reduces fear of dropping. Thank you brother for your service and you have a new subscriber.
Honored to have you! Thanks for sharing! In addition to what @monkeyman41333 said about drop guards and foam noodles: If you ride a sport bike, consider frame sliders or search for drop protection specific to your model. If you ride a cruiser or touring bike like a Harley, hopefully, you have engine guards and saddlebag guards. I know some of you have the fancy blacked-out versions-these show scratches easily but can be touched up pretty easily as well. Besides pool noodles and duct tape, another option is using rubber radiator hose wrapped around the engine guards (aka crash bars). The fairing is the most delicate part, in my opinion. It’s not often that the bike tips over onto the fairing, but when it does, it usually isn’t pretty. Some people wrap the ends of the fairing with a towel and then secure it with duct tape, using most of the tape on the towel and just a little to attach it to the bike. Lastly, there are companies that sell additional protection for engine guards.
Just did the State of Ohio Basic Riders Course and dropped my foot on the left u-turn so this was a valuable video for me. If I remember correctly it felt like I lost balance and had no power. In fact, surprised I didn't stall it as I was stalling throughout the entire course. haha
We drive on the left side of the road so do all our u-turns to the right. I often wonder if the weight transfer makes any difference regarding the clutch and rear brake management.
My counterbalancing is pretty minimal, but there’s a little bit there. When the bike leans to the left or right, I feel my glute press into the opposite side of the seat. I keep an upright position as the bike leans underneath me. It helps a little.
I'm a 71 year old rider with 153k miles on my 2003 Road King. I am revisiting the U-Turn practice after I went riding on a back country road enjoying the day when I decided to turn around. Well the bike went down, I could not pick it back up by myself so there it laid until a mail truck came by after 15 mins and the person helped me pick it back up. I was very disappointed in myself (I used to be able to pick it back up but age has weakened by legs so I need to workout more). Been practicing the techniques you have described as well as Jerry P. and Doodle but I have a hard time holding the throttle steady while rotating the handle bar to the left for a left U-turn. Is there any special technique to keep from rotating the throttle while pushing the grip away from the body? I don't have a tach on the bike, only use sound.
Thanks for sharing your story-sounds like you’ve put a lot of miles and dedication into your riding! You’re definitely not alone; holding the throttle steady during a U-turn is tricky. Many people have problems with this. One technique that might help is to grip the throttle closer to the inside edge. This can make it easier to push the bars away without rotating the throttle accidentally. Also, keeping your wrist low and relaxed can improve control as you turn. It sounds like you’re on the right path already with all the practice and dedication you’re putting in, and with time, it’ll start to feel more natural. Keep at it-you’ve got this!
I’ve only been riding for a few days, never had a stick, but I had to get over my fear of dropping the bike. Leaning more and going a bit faster helped me successfully u-turn without putting a foot down. All in a parking lot 🤓
Yes yes. Use that friction zone... hug the tank. Lite back brake n always put ur eyes on the target . Energy flows where attention goes. Stay safe folks
former motor officer here. i've been off bikes for over a decade. i just resumed riding again at age 70. i've been practicing some of the old drills at a parking lot, albeit without the cones. it's always good to revisit the principles of slow speed riding. you do a good job explaining them.
Thank you! Glad to have you!
I’ve got a busted body. I’m 52 now. I bought a 97 hugger, then put another chunk of change into it. Invested over 10k into it. After converting it to a 1200, I’d only put about 5k miles on it when I parked it in 2012.. Damn thing is immaculate, or at least it was. When I parked it in my shed back then I had no idea I’d not ride it since. I got remarried back then, and became a dad to 2 teenage daughters. THEY FINALLY MOVED OUT! Both are based, and amazing women now. My poor bike is covered in a thick layer of dirt now, but I bet a good wash, and a few hundred bucks would get me back on it. I’m seriously contemplating it. Yea, this dudes channel is awesome. Great tips for beginners, and old broken riders who haven’t ridden in over a decade. 😝. How is it riding at 70?
I bet you could get her going again! Be sure to change out your tires. I see so many people riding on dangerously expired tires just because they have tread and hold air. 😰🫣
@@over-educated-sp Do it! Life's too short to not be enjoyed with a mechanical horse taking you there. :D
@@BarkersBikes What do you class as an Old Tyre ie: maximum age.....Just discussed this yesterday getting whilst tyre fitted here in Australia....Great videos to watch ....Thanks
I'm 64, bought my first 2 wheels at 63. I opted for something small to start with so I purchased a 2024 Honda ADV 160 MAXI Scooter. It's an automatic, chose that due to arthritis in hands. I'm still struggling not as bad as a year ago though. I have a fear of dropping since I dropped it twice while practicing, then once on the road turning into a gas station and lost front end on gravel. I learned from that. Come in from position two and stay of front brake. No broken bones but did sprain the shoulder coming down on forearm. That took 3 - 4 months to feel better.
First time viewer and now subscriber.
Glad to have you! I’m glad you’re okay!
Check with MSF “ motorcycle safety foundation” and see if they offer any kind of course in your area. I became a rider coach with them a couple years ago but didn’t continue due to work/time restrictions. I believe I remember them saying a person could bring their own bike/scooter to the basic class. I’m almost sure of it. You might want to start there.
My local traffic safety center host the basic class and provides the Honda Grom as a training bike. Those have VERY easy clutch pull. Just check and see what your options are!
Stay safe out there my friend!
@@leerepass9312 Hi. I’m with you on that with the arthritis in my left hand. Had a Kawasaki 450 motorcycle, now I to ride a Suzuki Burgman 400 Maxiscooter. Much easier to handle and no problems due to arthritis. Glad I’m not alone on this brother.👍
that's a cool bike, I'm 30something and want to get back into riding. All the sportbike and streetfighter stuff I've done already, no need to speed or jerk around traffic. Seriously considering a custom or something that's comfy, not too heavy, and good for just riding. Even a Grom would have it's own charm :) Ride safe!
@@aatee5840 I own 2 Honda Groms. Those are really fun in their own way. I bought one to train my kids how to ride. Once they learned, they were always fighting over who was going to ride it.
I really didn’t expect them to be so fun and so capable. I’ve ridden it 100 miles one way and it cost almost nothing to fill it up. Shows I’m getting 135 miles per gallon. It’s just good cheap fun.
Thanks for the valuable tips. I am 69 years old - enjoy riding - and greatly benefit from your instructions. Greatings from Switzerland.
Awesome! Welcome to the community! Glad to have you. Thanks for viewing and sharing!
69 and still riding? God bless you. I am 66 and starting to have trouble. Do you still work out? Been out of the gym only one year and , OUCH!
@@jayfurness6695 Thanks for the nice comments. I ride a 1984 Yamaha 650 XS and just bought a Yamaha MT-07. Both are relatively light bikes. I do enjoy short rides with frequent stops (for coffee) because of back and knee problems. I don't work out at a lot but so far I enjoy riding and hope to do this as long as possible. PS: Last time I went to the gym I couldn't find the entrance anymore - so I gave up on this😊.
@@jayfurness6695 I ride a Harley Road Glide and I am 63. I do go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, Not because I like to work out but to ride my motorcycle as long as possible. And it works! Next year my wife and I will rent a bike in California for a 3 week road trip. Therefore I need to go to the gym😄
Besides a video I saw that Doodle on a Motorcycle posted a while back, this is the only other time that I recall hearing anyone talk about posture while doing slow speed maneuvers. Great instruction once again!
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
Will be repeating "NUTS on the TANK!" to myself as a new female rider 🤣
Excellent video. At 69 and after 40+ years of riding, I am trying to get better at slow speed maneuvers, particularly u-turns and your tutorial is very helpful. Thank you.
Love to hear it! Keep riding, keep training!
Thanks for the comment! Glad to have you here!
Try and use an empty parking lot as seen in his videos. Grab some half tennis balls or just use those parking space lines.
Start with 6 parking spaces making left and rights turns. As your muscle memory starts to expand, tighten up those turns and use just 4 spaces (using the middle line) as a focal point.
Or, place a cone or 1/2 tennis ball in the center of 2 intersecting lines and trying to focus on the fundamentals. Just remember, “if you look down, you’ll go down.” Lift your chin up a wee bit higher and focus.
1) Clutch
2) Throttle
3) Brake
4) Head and Eyes
I just started riding again after 20 or so years of not riding as I had too much fear on the freeways and in traffic when I was a teenager/young adult and never had any instruction beforehand so I stopped riding. Took the MSF beginning class a few months ago to start fresh before buying a bike again (I now ride a Triumph Tiger 800 adventure bike - a beast!). Discovered your channel and so glad I found it. You explain things I never knew in a clear way that gives me lots to practice at my local high school driving range and empty parking lots. Please keep making these instruction videos from the basic to the advanced stuff! Thank you kindly officer Barker!
It’s a pleasure to read encouraging comments like this! You, and others like yourself, are exactly who I’m trying to help. Glad you’re here! Thanks for sharing!
That's one of the best looking Kawasaki's i've seen in a long time. Nice bike sir, video wasn't bad either.
Thank you!
Always good to listen to experts riders. So easy to just get out there and ride long distances but the most useful part to riding is the slow speed skills
Nice job😊. I’ve been watching a lot of slow speed, U turn tutorial’s lately and have enjoyed most. Yours has been the best and easiest to watch so far. Much appreciated
Awesome, thank you! I really appreciate you letting me know!
@@BarkersBikesfor sure, best slow riding explanation and instruction I’ve seen. Thank you!
Reduce a fatality by 1 = instant sub.
One tip to make clutch work instantly better and less stress is make sure your cable is lubricated.
Good tip.... SOo often ignored, bike mantanance
Thanks for sharing! Glad to have you!
Officer Barker, brother, thank you so much for taking the time to present this desperately needed training. God Bless you my brother.
I'm a 69 year old retired Police Sgt. From Georgia. When my department added motorcycles, i was frankly too old. There were too many young officers better physically capable to fill those roles. Much respect to them for their superior service.
I am seriiusly wanting to get back on my 1974, model 74, FLH Harley and enjoy the rest of my days. I want to get a new Harley Breakout and drive to California and fulfil my greatest dream.
I thank you so much for the knowledge you shared. You brought back all my memories of riding. I just have never heard it explained so very well.
I am gojng to practice what you shared before I make my journey. Stay safe my brother and remember that you have friends that you have yet to meet face to face. Thank you for your service!
It was a pleasure to read your words here, sir! I’m so glad to have people like you in this growing community.
The thought of that journey to California sounds like a grand adventure! I want to do the same one day.
Thank you for sharing! Stay safe!
Do it. Don't overthink! We only have so much time.
Head and eyes is huge! Most students I work with tend to understand friction zone and a little rear brake rather quickly, but head and eyes is tougher. I tell them that, on the tighter stuff, they should be looking for their tour pack and seem to notice a marked difference in their head turn. Solid video with solid advice!
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you’re giving some solid advice yourself! Thanks for investing in the motorcycle community.
Good sir, you've just answered all my questions regarding the clutch and the throttle. I've been practicing this a lot and mostly the problem I'm having is that I usually stall due to not having enough throttle(where I'm at I could only practice on a tight and slighly hilly area)
Thank you very much
I have been following Jerry Palladino Ride Like A Pro and he is very good. Nothing you say here disagrees with anything I've heard him say, so when I hear you, I'm getting this info for a second time. Maybe that's why I think I'm getting a better understanding of the need to coordinate the clutch (friction zone), throttle, and brake. Both of you are saying the same thing, but I think the way you explained these, and the order you explained them, has put things in a different light for me. Especially your emphasis about using the clutch to move within the friction zone and control force going to the rear tire while keeping engine rpm (throttle) constant. I know Jerry says the same thing, but somehow your explanation helped me understand it better. Nice job. BTW, I'm 73 years old, have enjoyed riding since I started when I was 48, and I will be taking the Ride Like a Pro course with Jerry in November. You are both helping me become a better rider. Thank you!
Thank you very much! This reminds me of a story from my rookie days in training… When I was a rookie motor officer, I was fortunate to train under a motor instructor who is a local legend. He has won dozens of awards and is highly respected in the profession. He’s been on a police motorcycle almost daily since 1998! You can only imagine how talented this guy is.
At any rate, during training, I was having trouble with a particular exercise. He had already given me expert advice, but it still wasn’t clicking. Later that day, a younger guy showed up, saw me struggling, and gave me a little bit of coaching. What he said somehow made sense, and it clicked. I was able to complete the exercise and continue building my skills. They were both teaching the same thing, but his approach and demeanor were different. That made all the difference for me.
Your comment here reminds me of that day.
Honored to have you here! Thanks for sharing!
I just finished my first riding course and this is a perfect follow-up video to precisely highlight the points we need to keep in mind. Thanks!
Your welcome! Thanks for watching!
I remember being taught those tips when I went for my motorbike license 30 years ago. Thanks for the reminder, because I'm looking at buying my first bike in a couple of months.
Awesome! Welcome to the motorcycle community. Be sure to practice often. Stay safe out there!
Excellent point a no out your bike going in the direction that you are looking. I made that mistake and had a slight mishap that potentially could have been a serious accident. Making a “U” turn in tight spaces is my biggest challenge. Working on the slow speed technique.
Oh, I’m glad you’re okay 🙏🏻!
That can be scary to have close calls like that.
Just keep working in empty parking lots. You can use the parking space as your measuring stick. Each space is normally 9’ wide. Making a U-turn in two spaces or a figure 8 in four spaces is the goal. Don’t worry if you can’t right now! Just try to use the techniques you learn and get a little better each time. Try a u-turn in four spots (4 in a row), then three and eventually two.
You got this! Stay safe out there!
The tip about "nuts to the tank" is a good one, I ride a Street Glide and when I had the stock handle bars on it I found the u turns fine, but with 12" aftermarket bars I've been struggling, you've just made me realise I'm probably sitting too far back and my arms are at their limit of reach, I need to shift forward on the seat to gain back that control. Cheers for that.
You’ve got it! I’m sure that’s it!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the very good, detailed instructions. Like some of the other commenters, I am old and I appreciate the clear, precise advice. Now I have a better understanding of the dynamics of riding. To look all the way back to see the rear seat when making the U-turn - I never would have thought of that.
You're very welcome!
Thank you for this perspective changing video Officer Barker. Was on a motorcycle trip recently with my wife, and dropped the bike twice while doing the slowest of U turns. Fortunately my wife was unscathed (thanks riding gear), and the bike is totally fine, but I gotta say my confidence was bruised. I have been wondering ever since what could I have done differently, and your tip number 3 (using the rear brakes) is where I was going wrong. I'm going to go an practice these tips diligently and hopefully never have to put my wife in harms way again and never have to risk damaging the bike.
I’m glad everyone’s okay! I know it’s embarrassing but it happens! As a matter of fact, this same thing happened to my dad with my mom as the passenger. She already wasn’t a big fan of motorcycles. 😬
@ Hahaha poor Dad. Did she ever get back on as a passenger after that?
Thanks > The Friction zone Yes but that was the best explanation of when to pull clutch in to dip into an U turn & then Release feathering clutch to make bike stand back up Thanks been doing this for year head eyes friction zone & dragging rear breaks
Thank you! Glad to help! Thanks for commenting. 🙏🏻
Great video with a lot of important techniques. I discovered that with slow, tight maneuvers if I lean forward slightly, it assists with the turn.
This is true. Thanks for sharing!
THANKS, believe it or not, you put this more succinctly than anyone else I’ve watched. It’s just the way you detailed each element.
Thank you! Glad to have you. Thanks for watching and sharing this!
Excellent instruction! Thanks for sharing. Nice Z900RS 👍
Thank you! 👍
Clear explanation, thank you sir!
Beautiful bike too
Just came across your channel really like your content.
In your top five motorcycle u-turn mistakes.....
You describe keeping the throttle and clutch / friction zone consistent and use the rear brake to control the movement of the bike....
I have never heard anyone describe it that way, but THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
You just solved all of my slow speed issues....
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video. The one thing I’ve never heard before is “nuts to the tank”. That positioning over the central mass (engine) makes a lot of sense. Thanks 😊
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
@@BarkersBikes There is a recent video with Doodle, she took a class from PD motors that's what they thought her to move and get on the tank. I am going out to practice that now.
Thanks for sharing this information.👍
1200-1500 rpm, that’s really useful thanks!
Great video. Explained very well. Riding 44 years and still learning. 👍
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!
This was great! I’m a new rider and just yesterday I dropped my Harley on a slow U-turn. Luckily I was practicing but I was wondering what I did wrong. Thank you!
Welcome to the motorcycle community! Thanks for sharing. Don’t worry, happens to everyone. Keep learning and keep riding!
Fantastic information. I have taken a shorten motor officer first day course and do pretty good at slow riding, but posture was never covers. Great job, great video. I'm a subscriber now!!
Great! Glad to have you. Thanks for watching!
Tip of the head to all motor officers. You guys rock. The head and eyes thing is the top tip. It almost compensates for making other errors.
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
Great instruction video with a clear explanation and not a demonstration of how good you are, which by the way I'm sure you are. Thanks from a 73 year old rider in the Netherlands.
Welcome to the community! Glad to have you!
I’ve watched a lot of different channels for these types of tips. I am finding invaluable information from motorcycle police the best.
That’s great! I’m just trying to relay what works for me on a daily basis in hopes that it helps someone else.
Thanks for watching!
Very helpful. Presenter goes into the various ways riders using bad technique cause the bike to drop. A BIG plus, I don't detect any of the ego-tripping "drill sergeant" so obvious in the lessons of another well-known motor officer. This makes it easier for me to absorb the details of the techniques. 5*
Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for sharing.
Nice video! It is interesting that there are seemingly opposing videos concerning how much the head should be turned when doing u-turns. A popular TH-camr has videos concerning u-turns where her earlier trainers taught her "head and eyes" but later she trained with a police group that said "look where you are going now, not where you are going to go". I am 75 and ride a fairly tall 2020 V-Strom 650 and your technique works better for me.
Doodle has some good content and she is very knowledgeable. She has put herself through all kinds of advanced training.
Try different techniques and use what works best for you. There are a lot of… options on TH-cam. I try to relay what works for us that we (motor officers) use on a daily basis. I’m trying to relay information that seems to be held from the public. However, not intentionally held. I think many others just don’t believe the public is interested. I seem to disagree.
@@BarkersBikes I really appreciate your videos and thank you for putting them up for all to see.
Good video and good useful information, thank you. do you have any additional suggestions for those using buckhorn handlebars?
I can’t think of any right off. I’ve not ridden a bike with buckhorns but I’m familiar with what you’re referring to. If you notice any particular issues, let me know and we can think through them. Thanks for watching.
@@BarkersBikes I have a 2000 XLH 1200. It came with buckthorn bars I didn't change them because it would go into all the other stuff that needs to be changed to accommodate the bars. I find it clumsy. Maybe in part due to the odd firing order which is very noticeable at low speeds. So I became determined to learn to ride with these bars. I know they are not good for performance riding. It slow speed turning especially u turns that are "weird" to me. Difficult to make the turns in a smaller radius.
Humility and confidence are two very attractive characteristics that are hard to pull off. Well done and thanks for the video.
Thank you for sharing! I appreciate your kind words.
Kawi 900rs that your on has such a low 1st gear, half of the guys on the forum go up to a 16 tooth engine sprocket as their first mod. I found myself shifting before I got through a 90° turn or cleared an intersection. Yet that motor was tuned for even torque thru out the range. Ideal for low speed control. Polor opposite to my GSX-S1000GT, which has given me a challenge getting used to. Great video. 👍
Dude, I’ve literally been researching the gearing on the 900 this week! I’m definitely looking into it. I’ve got to figure out how much the speedometer will be off.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the content and that is a great looking bike.
My pleasure! Thank you very much!
This was helpful! I’m a longtime rider but just got a really tall, heavy bike and kept dropping it- I was making mistake #1! Thought I was familiar w the friction zone, but not familiar enough! Just being reminded how to use it has fixed the issue. Thank you!
So glad it helped! Love reading comments like this! Thanks for sharing.
Thats a nice Kaw. Good vid.
Thanks so much for sharing this information with us. You explain each tip so well.
Thank you! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the great info and advice, thank you for your service.
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching!
Very well explained. Been riding for 43 years now. This video reminded me about correct posture, something I've lost in slow maneuvering. 👍
Thank you and thanks for the comment!
I’m lucky with my bike zx4rr. No throttle needed to take off, rolls at 5mph in 1st idling, lets me ride the rear brake without stalling with no gas. The geometry isn’t the best for slow speed but those other factors are nice
My dad has a Honda Goldwing and it’s kind of like that. Thanks for sharing.
That is a nice looking bike brother! Stay safe.
Thanks, you too! Thanks for watching.
Yeah, i could not take my eyes off the motorcycle, it's just perfect!
Great video! I’m getting ready to purchase my first bike and have been looking at beginner videos for what feels like months. This is the first one I’ve left feeling like I’ve got a bunch really solid pieces of information I can use immediately as I learn to ride. Sharing this expertise is incredible and appreciated.
Thank you so much for your comment! Welcome to the motorcycle community!
Be sure to get some basic training first (such as MSF basic rider course) and continue to learn and improve. Motorcycling should be viewed like a martial art. You never truly arrive. You must always strive to improve.
Top 3 things to learn.
1. Friction Zone: This is where your stability comes from at slow speeds.
Emergency Braking: Proper braking matters. This is obviously important.
Counter steering: This can be counterintuitive for some people but important to know.
I’m going to make a video about these for you.
It’ll be sometime in the future.
I’ve not long failed my MOD 1 test (off road manoeuvres UK) on the U turn. Fixated on the line and crossed it. Strange I knew I was doing it and the probable outcome but didn’t look where I should have been going 🥴🥴. Did it correctly immediately after but unfortunately it’s the first go that counts. Hopefully lesson learned for the re-test in a couple of weeks. 👍👍
Sounds like you’ve got a good grasp on what to do next time! You’ve got it for sure!
Thank you. I can’t wait to try this. I don’t think I am being consistent with my throttle and using enough.
Great! Sounds like it’s starting the “click” for you! 💡 Thanks for watching.
Love it. You have a great way of describing these things clearly and trust me I know because I learnt each one first hand 😂
Thank you! Thanks for watching! I appreciate the comment as well!
Best explanation I've heard !
Wow, thanks! Glad it was helpful. Thanks for sharing.
Just a week ago I told exactly the part about the friction zone, to manage the speed to y young guy, making his first experiences in motorbike riding 😎
Greetings - also from Switzerland
That’s great! I literally just had this conversation with someone at the local motorsports shop that was buying his first bike.
I love to see the worldwide motorcycle community helping each other !
Thanks for sharing!
@@BarkersBikes Absolutely - in Switzerland, we have a rental-platform for private motorbikes (like AirBNB with Motorbikes). The young guy asked to rent my bike, and was wondering if I would rent to him, even if he doesn't have any experience. I told him to surely give him the bike, but first we will have a driving lesson. I gave the first riding lesson to quite a few people and love to do so.
Actually I ride a HD CVO Street Glide 2021 and for winter a BMW F700 GS. Earlier I had a HD Road King Classic for 20 Years and did 202'722 km with it.
cheers for the video. I hear a lot of people saying something like I have "30 years experience". I do to! (+ more), however in reality its 30 x 1 years experience.
Its good to be humble when riding a bike
That’s so true! Thanks for sharing!
Well done. Great info. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
great explanations!! i am training that skills since 2 y and i find invaluably useful advice in it! thank you
Awesome! Glad it helped!
Hi from the U.K. Great channel and tips. Subscribed.
Thanks for watching! Glad to have you.
New subscriber. Very good explanation of how and why to work the friction zone. Stay safe.
Thank you! Glad to have you!
I just stumbled upon your videos, and new subscriber. I do a lot of slow speed training. These are all really great tips that I will try when I go out on the course thank you.
Awesome! Glad to have you! Keep training, it definitely helps out on the street. I appreciate the comment as well. 👍🏻
Good advices
Liked and subscribed
Cheers from Sweden 🇸🇪
Glad to have you! Thanks for sharing!
This is great man. The light bulb moment for me was using the rear brake. Absolutely love what you said about you don’t depend on momentum because you want to be in control. 100% agree! I’m going to try the “Big Toe” method for the rear brake. Keep up the great work, you just earned a new subscriber 🤙
Awesome! Glad to have you! Thanks for the comment.
Very nice looking bike.
What really helped me with u-turns, or any tight turns, was forcing myself to turn my head. In the beginning it feels weird, but you have to tell yourself "turn your head." Once you get into that habit, it's so much easier.
There's still some room for improvement.
Thank you! Sounds like you’ve got a good grasp on it. Good job 👍🏻
This was a superb video - Helped me a lot. Watched it three times
Awesome! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment!
Great tips. Practice, Practice, Practice.
That is one nice looking bike! On the subject, it's the head and eyes that is most important, at least to me. Where you look is where you will go; just don't fix on a target too much especially on bends!
Thanks! Your other information sounds good too. 👍🏻
Super helpful. Really like your instruction style and content. Keep up the good work sir. Cheers. G.
Love the videos!!! New subscriber and new to riding (2 months) the videos has help me a lot!! Thank you !
Awesome! Welcome to the motorcycle community! People like you are why I’m doing this. If you have any questions feel free to drop a comment in any of my videos. I, or someone on the community, will be sure to help you if we can.
Thanks for watching!
Great tips! Enjoying your channel! Thank You for your service!
Thanks for watching! Glad to have you!
Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Those were all great tips! I just got my first “big” bike recently (Yamaha FJR 1300) and for someone new to riding large bikes, these were some of the issues I’m working on and trying to get better at. Especially confidently doing u-turns without the fear of dropping the bike. You have a new subscriber from Sydney, Australia.
Awesome! Thanks for watching! Congratulations on the new bike!
Just remember, the height and lean angle on your Yamaha is a bit different than the police Road Kings or Electra Glides. The center of gravity on that “Yama-hopper” (just kidding I used own one), is higher and your lean angle will be different. Just keep your feet planted on those floorboards/foot pegs while you’re turning. You don’t want to lose your foot or ankle under the rear wheel.
@@BarkersBikesThank you!
Great details and explanation. Thank you.
great instructions. Thank you, and please keep posting such useful content
Will do! Thanks for watching!
@@BarkersBikes a follow up comment: as I just finished a 400 Km roadtrip and your instructions were engraved in my mind the whole time. Thank you again. You may have helped me arrive safely
@@By.ozalsa This is great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Great tips!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks thank thanks for these great tips. Please keep them coming. New sub
Thanks for joining! Glad to have you!
Helpful breakdown, looking forward to more.
I’m looking for a strategy/mindset to prepare deal with emergency braking *while in* a slow-speed turn
Very informative thx!
Thanks for the tips hard to overcome some bad habits but practice will make you a better rider
Just remember, practice doesn’t make perfect…Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect.
Thanks for watching! Glad to have you here!
Thanks for a good video, some PDs teach without using the rear brake. For me the friction zone and rear brake are my best friends, also in really tight situations it helps to counter balance. But when you look at PD rodeos with having to change direction quickly left to right they don't have time to do this. I think that the low speed skills help even at speed.
Thanks for sharing. We also practice no rear brake. I actually had training today, as a matter of fact, and practiced with no rear brake.
Doing so definitely ups the difficulty, especially when the practice area isn’t level.
Practicing no rear brake helps you dial in your clutch and throttle control.
I counter balance but not to the extreme like I’ve seen some people do. You might not even notice if you were watching me from a distance.
Slow speed skills definitely increase your bike bonding / familiarity which helps at speed. We also have some at-speed exercises we practice but we spend most of our time training at the slow stuff because that’s where most struggle.
Thanks for sharing!
Great video. As a new rider I am always trying to learn. Thanks!!!
Welcome to the motorcycle community! Very excited to have you! Also, thanks for watching and commenting.
I initially clicked on this to see if there was anything I could add to my grab bag of limited knowledge of slow speed riding, which I definitely did.
But on a side note, that bike is absolutely beautiful. I narrowed down my short list to THAT bike as my next purchase. I bought a brand new 1999 Kawasaki ZXR1100 as my first bike and rode it for only 8 years. There are a lot of similarities between that bike and yours. I just bought my second bike a few months ago, a 2011 BMW R1200 GS Adventure which I absolutely love. But there are a LOT more instances where slow speed maneuvers are required.
I need to check if there are PD sponsored riding courses near St. Louis. I just thought of that while typing this, so I'm going to check right now.
Thanks for sharing! It’s definitely a fun bike. It’s a 2024 Kawasaki Z900rs Cafe. Light weight and plenty of power. It’s more of a (naked) sport bike so not very comfortable for longer rides but great in the twisties and mountainous roads.
I’m glad to have you! Thanks for watching.
So I just got back from riding around an empty parking lot. Though I've heard a lot of what you said before, there were a couple of points that you stressed that really sunk in. About the rpm range and focusing on the clutch sweet spot. I did fully handlebar locked figure eights for about 45 minutes at about 3 mph. Muscle memory to over in about 30 seconds. Instinctively, I would always pull my clutch lever when doing a slow, tight u-turn when I would feel my bike start to go down and stick my leg out to catch it. The first turn today I let the lever OUT and , whaaa? I was back upright.
Awesome and thank you.
Thanks a million for these tips. Double thanks for indexing the video, not all heroes wear capes !
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Great video and fantastic advice!!! I love nuts on the tank, I’ve never seen that advice before and I’ll certainly be using that from now on!!
I WILL DO PERFECT U TURNS!! 🙏
Thanks again for a great video!
Hey, glad to have you! Thanks for sharing!
Good video, 75 now, that's about 58 years riding but good to be reminded of necessary skills. I stl practise a dozen U turns in the parking lot every week...it's s perishable skill
The one suggestion for new riders, drop the shoulders, 10:50 loosen your grip..the bike like a horse doesn't want to fall so don't go all rigid, they sense your fear🐴🏍️
Thanks for sharing that! Well said!
That’s also great to hear that you continue to practice! You’re a good example for us all. 👍🏻
Great information, presented in a very straightforward, logical manner. Well done and thank you very much.
Thank you so much! Thanks for watching!
Hey brother. Retired FF/Paramedic here. Don't do the drop (if it applies). Anyhow, I'm 6 ft 2 and 300 lb. I'm about to take my motorcycle course, after my tenure, which included a jurisdiction that cover a long stretch of the Florida turnpike, and Interstate 75, I look back and I don't remember too many motorcycle accidents. But the ones I did respond to, they were not good. Can we say pretzel. Anyhow, I'm taking my basic motorcycle class the first week of november, and I have my eyes slated on a 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan for 5 grand. Is this a good beginner bike for my height and weight? Is there anything else that you would recommend me to look out for for less than 5 grand. Thanks and keep safe brother. - Norm. MIAMI, FL 🌴
Hey and welcome! What cc is the Vulcan?
Great advice. Thanks.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.
Im a retired LEO who learned to ride at 60 after a fellow LEO motocop convinced me I could. Everything you have said is so applicable. The key is practice, practice, practice. Find an empty parking lot and apply these techniques. Ensuring your bike is protected by drop guards or even foam noodles reduces fear of dropping. Thank you brother for your service and you have a new subscriber.
Honored to have you! Thanks for sharing!
In addition to what @monkeyman41333 said about drop guards and foam noodles:
If you ride a sport bike, consider frame sliders or search for drop protection specific to your model. If you ride a cruiser or touring bike like a Harley, hopefully, you have engine guards and saddlebag guards. I know some of you have the fancy blacked-out versions-these show scratches easily but can be touched up pretty easily as well.
Besides pool noodles and duct tape, another option is using rubber radiator hose wrapped around the engine guards (aka crash bars). The fairing is the most delicate part, in my opinion. It’s not often that the bike tips over onto the fairing, but when it does, it usually isn’t pretty. Some people wrap the ends of the fairing with a towel and then secure it with duct tape, using most of the tape on the towel and just a little to attach it to the bike. Lastly, there are companies that sell additional protection for engine guards.
Just did the State of Ohio Basic Riders Course and dropped my foot on the left u-turn so this was a valuable video for me. If I remember correctly it felt like I lost balance and had no power. In fact, surprised I didn't stall it as I was stalling throughout the entire course. haha
Don’t feel too bad, It happens! I’m glad you’re interested in continuing to learn! You’ll go far my friend. Be safe! Thanks for watching.
Waiting for the Sun to come up to practice what you teach. Thank you 🙏🏼
Awesome!
I used your principles yesterday and made a tight u turn and I thought of the lesson. Thank you 🙏🏼
@@fsd34760 That’s awesome! Thanks for coming back to share that! It means a lot. 👍🏻
We drive on the left side of the road so do all our u-turns to the right. I often wonder if the weight transfer makes any difference regarding the clutch and rear brake management.
My counterbalancing is pretty minimal, but there’s a little bit there. When the bike leans to the left or right, I feel my glute press into the opposite side of the seat. I keep an upright position as the bike leans underneath me. It helps a little.
GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC GREAT VIDEO, ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE SEEN ON MAKING U TURNS.
Greetings! Awesome, thank you!
I'm a 71 year old rider with 153k miles on my 2003 Road King. I am revisiting the U-Turn practice after I went riding on a back country road enjoying the day when I decided to turn around. Well the bike went down, I could not pick it back up by myself so there it laid until a mail truck came by after 15 mins and the person helped me pick it back up. I was very disappointed in myself (I used to be able to pick it back up but age has weakened by legs so I need to workout more). Been practicing the techniques you have described as well as Jerry P. and Doodle but I have a hard time holding the throttle steady while rotating the handle bar to the left for a left U-turn. Is there any special technique to keep from rotating the throttle while pushing the grip away from the body? I don't have a tach on the bike, only use sound.
Thanks for sharing your story-sounds like you’ve put a lot of miles and dedication into your riding! You’re definitely not alone; holding the throttle steady during a U-turn is tricky. Many people have problems with this.
One technique that might help is to grip the throttle closer to the inside edge. This can make it easier to push the bars away without rotating the throttle accidentally. Also, keeping your wrist low and relaxed can improve control as you turn.
It sounds like you’re on the right path already with all the practice and dedication you’re putting in, and with time, it’ll start to feel more natural. Keep at it-you’ve got this!
I’ve only been riding for a few days, never had a stick, but I had to get over my fear of dropping the bike. Leaning more and going a bit faster helped me successfully u-turn without putting a foot down. All in a parking lot 🤓
Sounds good! Welcome to the motorcycle community!
@ thank you sir! I and probably many other riders appreciate your guidance, I personally appreciate you being a cool officer 🥰
Sitting forward
I have taken a safety riding course
They NEVER said anything about that. Thank you
Will try that today
Awesome! Glad to help. Hope it works well for you! Thanks for watching!
Certain classes have different instructions. One of those courses may instruct you about that in their U-turn training.
Good information I hope your channel hits 100K+
I hope so too! Thanks for watching!
Great explanation on the u-turn and slow speed turning.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
That was really well explained and I thank you for it. , Greetings from Australia
Thank you!
Thank you boss.
Very good information.
Please share some more, love the knowledge love the tone.
Thank you. 🙏🏻
Yes yes. Use that friction zone... hug the tank. Lite back brake n always put ur eyes on the target . Energy flows where attention goes. Stay safe folks
Oh… I like what you said there! “Energy flows where the attention goes.” Nice 👍🏻