Tight U-Turns

This thread has inspired me to start practicing U-turns more. I was fine on my test and I was fine on my SV('s) but since I have got my gixxer I've not tried it. The turning circle on full lock is pretty terrible on the gixxer so a U-turn requires a pretty good technique, as opposed to a less track-focussed bike that is easy to U-turn.

I'm going to start practicing more I think.

Cheers,
Matt

[dizzyblonde]

look.faired sv's don't u turn well at all. So once a test pass is completed, unless you really need to, paddle it round. i hate u turns. it took me 4 times to pass my test purely because of them. So now 3 years later unless i really need to i don't bother. nekkid sv's have a much larger amount of play on the lock and are so much easier to manouvre. unlike my two that are like barges!

I'm with DizzyBlonde on this one. In my opinion U-Turns are just a way of dropping your bike needlessly, slow control's defintely good to practise - figure of 8s, etc. but U-Turns - way to risky for me, I like my bike unscuffed.

[dizzyblonde]

ha ha. I'm good at slow riding. The yellow one has scars due to scary sv slow manouevres. At the end of the day all bikes are different at different things. I could do u-turns on gs's, srx's and my bus-the rebel 125 cruiser. but not any faired sv

[fizzwheel]

The SV is one of the easiest bikes to U turn that I've ridden, its just practice and technique. If you take your time and dont rush yourself then you wont drop your bike.

IMHO most people drop their bikes, because in their head they are saying "I cant do it, I cant do it, I cant do it"

I've never had a problem U turning my SV it or my GSXR... Liz's naked SV was a piece of p*ss to do U turns on.

You want difficult, you try doing it on Liz's 749....

& once you pass your test, just go 10 seconds futher & turn around at a junction, as you will never have to do one again, if you dont want to

I'm kind of missing the point here I know but...

I can more or less U turn my CG on lock, almost the same for the Katana. The SV is a pig. Things are not helped by the huge turning circle. If it's tight I leave my feet down, don't worry about it and do some paddling if necessary.

If I ever get my rear brake working again I might revisit that and try to do the whole balaning inputs thing.

At a recent BikeKraft thing the IAM had a slow control course set up (rather good fun). They were almost impressed at my control without the rear brake and ability to catch it falling with huge revs and a quick dip of the cluth. Really unstylish and had them rushing in to catch me a time or two but stayed inside the course all the way round (on that run at any rate - tried using the rear brake next run and buggered it up completely).

I would of considered myself quite a u-turn maestro but i nealy dropped the bike yesterday doing a tight right turn.

As usual though i blame Nick, who i was following, as he suddenly darted off down a no entry which took me completely by surprise. Unortunately i was doing circa 30 and in 2nd gear.

Actually i still consider myself competent.....just not when im bombing around the Henley one way system.

To tell the truth the one thing that I hate is when I find I am attempting to slow turn on full right hand lock. Seems to do my head in a bit.

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

I'm good at slow riding.

One of the best