Yesterday, I took my ninjette out for a short spin around the neighborhood since she had been couped up in the garage for 2 weeks. My neighborhood has one outlet, so you can't make a circuit without making a U-turn on a cramped neighborhood street, unless you want to go out on the highway.

I find that my weakest skill at this juncture is making slow u-turns on these streets. I feel like an idiot, because out of the past 10 I've attempted, I put my foot down 2 times to keep myself from dropping my bike, obviously not a smart thing to do.

Finally, I realized that I was forgetting to look where I wanted to go, and when I started doing this again, my turns tightened up considerably with no more urge to put my foot down. Problem is, I think I'm relying to much on the throttle to keep stability. Should I be applying a little throttle, while using the friction zone on my clutch to give myself a smoothe 180 degrees?

Try shifting your weight to the outside of the turn :thumbup:

Try applying a little rear brake while controlling the trottle in the friction zone. I was taught that during the safety course and it's amazing how much it will stabilize the bike for slow maneuvers. Also, looking through the turn (which you're already doing) helps a lot as well.

+1 on all said already...weighting the outside peg, using the rear brake to help keep you vertical, and DEFINITELY looking through the turn. I'd like to add to keep your arms as loose as possible. Tensing up never ever helps the bike with whatever task you are asking it to do. U-turns took me forever to master, but now I actually like them and think they are fun!

Going too slow can also add to your difficulty and stability. As you keep doing this, try and speed up a tiny bit and see how it feels.

I feel like an idiot, because out of the past 10 I've attempted, I put my foot down 2 times to keep myself from dropping my bike, obviously not a smart thing to do.


Why is that not a smart thing to do? Sure, in a perfect world we'd all ride like the motor officers in all those YouTube videos, but if it comes down to choosing between "feeling like an idiot because I put my foot down making a u-turn" or "I dropped my buke making a slow u-turn cause I didn't want to look like an idiot by putting my foot down" I'll go with option number 1, thank you.

Yes practice so you can get better at it, but keep some perspective. I'd rather look foolish for free than be too proud to put a foot down and have to pay for new fairings.

Yesterday, I took my ninjette out for a short spin around the neighborhood since she had been couped up in the garage for 2 weeks. My neighborhood has one outlet, so you can't make a circuit without making a U-turn on a cramped neighborhood street, unless you want to go out on the highway.

I find that my weakest skill at this juncture is making slow u-turns on these streets. I feel like an idiot, because out of the past 10 I've attempted, I put my foot down 2 times to keep myself from dropping my bike, obviously not a smart thing to do.

Finally, I realized that I was forgetting to look where I wanted to go, and when I started doing this again, my turns tightened up considerably with no more urge to put my foot down. Problem is, I think I'm relying to much on the throttle to keep stability. Should I be applying a little throttle, while using the friction zone on my clutch to give myself a smoothe 180 degrees?
I practiced in an empty parking lot over and over again until I was able to do a few without putting my foot down. They still aren't very tight but they will get better with more practice.
Try shifting your weight to the outside of the turn :thumbup:
I didn't even think about this...I'm going to practice them more and start counter balancing as I do
Going too slow can also add to your difficulty and stability. As you keep doing this, try and speed up a tiny bit and see how it feels.
+1

I can do them easier in 2nd gear when I get a rolling start but for example if I'm at a stop light and have to make a left hand u-turn I won't be able to start in second so I have to start in 1st and I have a hard time controlling my throttle in that gear without lurching forward.
Why is that not a smart thing to do? Sure, in a perfect world we'd all ride like the motor officers in all those YouTube videos, but if it comes down to choosing between "feeling like an idiot because I put my foot down making a u-turn" or "I dropped my buke making a slow u-turn cause I didn't want to look like an idiot by putting my foot down" I'll go with option number 2, thank you.

Yes practice so you can get better at it, but keep some perspective. I'd rather look foolish for free than be too proud to put a foot down and have to pay for new fairings.
I put my foot down twice when I finally had to try a u-turn in a real life scenario. It just made me realize that I need more practice. I felt comfortable in my parking lot but completely forgot everything when done in real life. I didn't look through my turn, I didn't work the friction zone, and I sure didn't counter balance. I made it but it was very wide and I had to put my foot down.

but if it comes down to choosing between "feeling like an idiot because I put my foot down making a u-turn" or "I dropped my bike making a slow u-turn cause I didn't want to look like an idiot by putting my foot down" I'll go with option number 2, thank you.
.

you would choose for option number 2? Must be a mistake, if not: :p squid :D

Try shifting your weight to the outside of the turn :thumbup:

Works on my bicycle lol

Counter-weight for the win.

The slow right hand turns are definitely the hardest thing for me to do. I need practice still.

I put my foot down twice when I finally had to try a u-turn in a real life scenario. It just made me realize that I need more practice. I felt comfortable in my parking lot but completely forgot everything when done in real life. I didn't look through my turn, I didn't work the friction zone, and I sure didn't counter balance. I made it but it was very wide and I had to put my foot down.

Don't get me wrong - my point was I'd rather look and feel foolish by putting my foot down than drop the bike. And then work on fixing what I did wrong.

you would choose for option number 2? Must be a mistake, if not: :p squid :D

And now I see where the confusion came form - DOH! Edited to correct that I'd choose option 1. I musta been having a senior moment.

You really need to crank the neck on this one, look early.

Try applying a little rear brake while controlling the trottle in the friction zone. I was taught that during the safety course and it's amazing how much it will stabilize the bike for slow maneuvers. Also, looking through the turn (which you're already doing) helps a lot as well.

You know, I can keep my bike standing up at a stop for a long time (10 seconds or till I'm about to hit the car in front of me) with barely any movement with clutch/throttle/brake control... But for the love of me, I can't apply this skill when doing U-Turns.

I'm not gettin this weighting the outside thing :confused:

I'm not gettin this weighting the outside thing :confused:

you know the feeling you get right before you panic and put down a foot when you do a slow u-turn? almost like its going to fall on its' own? that's because the center of gravity of you + the bike is too far into the turn and the horizontal component of you+the bike falling is not being canceled out by centripetal force of the bike+you making a circle. scooting one buttcheek off towards the outside turn makes the bike lean enough to make the turn, without putting the center of gravity too far inside during the turn. so it allows you to lean the bike enough, but not fall over. does that make sense?

:whathesaid:

Very well put! :thumbup:

Throttle, clutch and drag the rear brake as needed and don't forget to turn that freaking head!

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Once you've become real comfortable with that, work on counterweighting/counterbalancing to make even slower and tighter turns:

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^ Good tutorials