...  And ride the clutch!   

My MSF course required that we do it in 15 feet. In the box..they called it the demoralizer. I couldnt do it then, but sometimes I go back there, to the lot, just to bone up on mah mad skillz and I can do it every time, both directions, continuosly now. I just keep doing 8's till I get dizzy. Can do it with a foot to spare all the way around.

For me the 2 most helpful advice was to look way over the shoulder, and take your butt off the seat (way off) to weight the outside.  Goodluck.

best I could giving the 35mph cross winds...and the fact I was irritated (had the reshoot four times because my hat kept blowing away and the hat was crucial for the clip).

http://www.photoartclub.net/cx500/cx1.mpg

She can turn a whole hell of a lot sharper...I'll get a better clip after the weather calms down.  So for the crappy film quality.

Oh and the sugar/creamer cans are 18ft apart.  After actually analyzing what I do I think the key to pulling off really tight u-turns is not being afraid to throw the bars around and lean the bike.  She's not going to fall over unless you get really carried away and there's a wide margin for error.

Thanks for the video.  The most impressive thing there for me is the relatively high speed in the turn - I am impressed.

After another few goes at it and with your collective wisdom in use I can now get 20' about 90% of the time ,and it often is 18 or a bit less.  The head rotation is a KEY part of it, surprisingly every bit as important as the outside weight shift and lean ( at least for me).  A bit mnore practice and it should be 100% OK.

Thanks to all for the help.

Jeffrey

When I was first up, I thought that would be tough, but now that ive practice and gotten more comfortable with the lean, it gets alot easier.  By the way, if you take the Written, you can ride for six months before you have to have take the test, so You might want to go that route, as the MSF counts as your road test. save ya a bit of money

Do you have to sustain a certain speed while doing this ? If not then I can do ~10' U turns with little effort.... givin I'm only moving about 5mph.

a u-turn is a u-turn.

Yes, the 2-day MSF course when passed counts as the road test.  My son and I are both scheduled for it in late June; but I have some time off (thanks GWB ...) for a few weeks and wish to advance the cause while I have the time to learn and enjoy.  I'll do the MSF course even if I take and pass the test earlier.

The challenge in the US system, is that with an instructional permit (written test) at least in Michigan you can only ride on public roads if "under the constant visual supervision of a licensed rider".  I don't have a friend in the area who can do that except very irregularly, so if all I want to do is ride 3 blocks down to an empty school parking lot to practice turns I have to (gasp!) break the law to get there.  If anyone has any first hand experience of how Michigan cops treat MC riders without a valid MC endorsement I'd love to have some guidance.   In any case, it is hard to understand how a friend with an MC tag on another bike, following in a car, or standing on the corner provides too much added safety to the process.  It's not like you can throw the handbrake or grab the wheel of for that matter even yell 'slow down you idiot".  It can only be words after the fact.   I'm a cautious rational guy who has learned to act as though invisible to cars already doing 6000 miles/year on a bicycle; I can see how it might help to restrain a hotter blooded character.   I also want to get my endorsement so I can help to season my son before the MSF classes so  h eisin't starting from zero when he gets there and focus on handling and safety rather than just not stalling the bike (his current specialty).

*4

Yeah, with the permit here it's just no freeway,night or 2up riding   Of course the fine for violation is only 60 bucks

Quote from: TheUnHun on April 26, 2007, 09:41:53 AMin Michigan you can only ride on public roads if "under the constant visual supervision of a licensed rider".

That friggen sucks!  But, I'm guessing it keeps *some* people in check..... 

I heard a statistic that something like 40% of riders don't even have an endorcement.   Or maybe it was 40% have one...


I'd say Michigan sucks, but I simply had too much fun at the sand dunes while I was there...  YAY Michigan!

[

That is just plain retarded

WTF?  They're not trying to be safe, they're just being assholes.  them!

85 % fail ??

oh f@%k...

Here across the pond everything is much easier...

While on learner's permit you can ride any bike you want provided: it belongs to the category you're getting the license for; you don't exit your home province limits; NO passengers with you; NO motorways; besides, you *should* only ride in places/streets where traffic is very low or none, but no one cares indeed... As for the rest, night riding, solo riding with no one looking after you, it's all ok, just be reasonable and prudent.

Riding test is quite simple: an *emergency* stop, then passing between two rows of cones at very very low speed, then a slalom, then an 8-figure, finally a drive around town, you on the bike and the examinators on a car behind you, giving you directions about turns etc. and of course, keeping an eye about you being watchful when approaching pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, stops...
If everything goes ok, you promptly get your new license in your hand just after the test...
(no u-turns required)

And AFAIK, very few people here ride bikes without a MC driving license: in case of an accident or similar, insurance companies and/or judges will be very nasty with you...

Quote from: Wrecent_Wryder on April 24, 2007, 10:52:59 PM

Where are the so-called rider advocacy groups while all this is going on?

They're fighting for the right to ride without helmets since by killing themselves they're significantly contributing to riding in the US.

%

&&

If the applicant's motorcycle has an
automatic transmission, two (2) penalty points will
be assessed.

WHISKEY, TANGO, FOXTROT?