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How to make a tight u-turn

21K views 65 replies 41 participants last post by  PadG 
#1 ·
I would be ever most grateful if you would provide a very detailed description of how to properly execute a tight u-turn on an LT. Please provide a sequence of events through the maneuver from approach to completion. Please address eyes, body position, and what both hands and both feet should be doing. Thank you very much and I will be certain to add you to my list of things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Ray
 
#4 ·
Ray,
Difficult to explain but I'd recommend the courses through MSF .
Once you see an instructor do it on bikes like an LT & Harleys, it's easy.

For starters, you start out in the middle of the road . . .
 
#5 ·
You first need to spend a bunch of time riding your LT to get used to it...as far as a tight U turn, the main approach is to be aware of the speed you are traveling for the sharpness of the turn, tight being pretty slow. Then you need to keep your head up, look where you want to be when you are done with the turn, and turn. keep looking at where you want to be, not at your hands, or the windshield, or at the road in front of you, keep your eyes on where you want to end up. People have different riding styles, and I don't think one persons step by step description will suit everyone, but I know from experience that if I look where I want to go, somehow the bike follows and my body just does what needs to be done. Yea, its magic...
If you want to wimp out, just stop, put the bike in reverse, back around, put it in forward, and turn the handle bars where you want to go to, and dump the clutch...slowly...
Good Luck!! :wave :wave :wave :wave
 
#7 ·
Run about 2500 rpm, and slip the clutch to move the bike thru the U-turn. You can lock the bars and move slowly, while balancing the bike. Drag the brake slightly if you want, I don't, too much to do. I can do these turns all day with wife on the back, it's not that hard if you practice it in a level parking lot a few times. Don't be intimidated by the mass of the LT, if it's moving at any speed there is a stability that you can work with. :rotf:
 
#8 ·
To make a tighter circle at slow speeds, you need to keep your weight to the outside so you can lean the bike more. This creates a decrease in rake angle and the bike will turn tighter. To practice, go to a vacant parking lot and try turning a comfortable tight circle keeping your weight to the inside, then to the outside. The difference can be significant.

If you have a second motorcycle that is lighter than the LT, that is the way to practice. I enjoy taking my DRZ400s out and practicing slow speed maneuvers. The LT is heavy and is less forgiving to practice at extremely slow speeds. I get tired fairly quickly when practicing on the LT, but I can tell that after practicing, my slow speed skills are better.

My suggestions when practicing slow speed maneuvers: Practice using the clutch a lot and only the rear brake. Smooth is key, so start big and comfortable and work your way to the tight stuff. Before long you're doing full lock circles and figure eights.
 
#9 ·
The uncultured way:

After owning the bike 3 months and with a group of friends, find the most moss covered narrow road to get lost on between Monroe and Arlington, Washington. Decide to make the u-turn in front of the group by going too slow, tapping the front brake, begin to nose down and then panic by wrapping the throttle and kicking the bike 45° more than intended sending it more sideways than straight to hit a non-moss covered patch of asphalt to send you rocketing forward straight down the correct lane with a "devil-may-care" control.

Brag to friends that it all in the superb handling and find an AM-PM to regain composure while everyone else is getting gas.

The cultured way: What everybody else said.
 
#12 ·
casualemt said:
Then you need to keep your head up, look where you want to be when you are done with the turn, and turn. keep looking at where you want to be, not at your hands, or the windshield, or at the road in front of you, keep your eyes on where you want to end up.

+1... Look where you want to end up. Turn your head as far as you can.
 
#14 ·
PMitchell said:
Ray,
Difficult to explain but I'd recommend the courses through MSF .
Once you see an instructor do it on bikes like an LT & Harleys, it's easy.

For starters, you start out in the middle of the road . . .
I second the ERC course. Many good tips for the parking lot and u turns.
 
#15 ·
I talked to Jerry Paladino at Americade a couple of years ago, Jerry told me that the LT is the worst for doing maneuvers. I bought his cd anyways. I've tried and tried get it down but just cant. What he suggested for two up is leaning away from your u-turn (both rider and pillion) head turned where you want to end up. Doing it that way I can make a twenty ft. turn two up. Looks stupid but works for me. Chuck
 
#16 ·
Believe it was mentioned above, normal is to apply rear brake only and using the motor force against the brake, power the bike around the turn. Of course you'll be clutching it going slow while fighting the rear brake. But It only takes a few times to get the timing and feel.

Problem is with the LT's (i.e. mine) that have the fully integrated brakes. You can't apply just the rear brake, just a matter of balance then. Try the same technique with the LT and it goes to crap when the front brake grabs. My vtx will do slow speed circles very smoothly with the rear brake applied and just powering through the force.
 
#18 ·
I practice a half U turn every time I leave my parking spot at work. Roll forward into the throat and then lean her over hard in the direction I want to go and use the throttle to pick her back up before I hit the ground. No slipping of the clutch involved here.

I have not got the stones to try a full U turn that way yet!!!
 
#19 ·
Here's a better description to the technique I gave above. A lot more can be found in the links below the article
http://www.ridemyown.com/articles/riding/BTB-slowspeed.shtml

But again its all for naught on linked brake systems on the LTs. This is why a lot of people go down in parking lot situations. From the above link:
"AVOID using the front brake at all costs when riding at parking lot speeds, as applying the front brake at 5 or 10mph with the handle bars turned even slightly, will pull you to the ground like a magnet."

Some places call it ABCD, accelerate, brake, clutch, direction.

I think on the 1600 the rear is not linked or at least not linked at low speeds.
 
#20 ·
#21 ·
jzeiler said:
I practice a half U turn every time I leave my parking spot at work.

What is a "half U" John?
Wouldn't that be a J or a L? =-}

I, too, do a U turn leaving my parking spot at the the homebrew store. I've never really thought about what I do, but it is up hill - which may help. I release the clutch to get enough momentum to pick my feet up and go about 10 feet. I then make a right lock with the bars. I really don't lean but do a slow upright turn (the road is sloping downhill from my position). Turning the head helps. The momentum holds me up as I come over the apex and then head down the slope which gives me a little more speed. Unfortunately, I generally have to brake before entering the street which sucks after making such a pretty turn.

I'm generally better to the left than the right, but (nearly) daily practice makes perfect.
 
#22 ·
Well I will put some input here about making a U-turn on the LT.

First and foremost if you're practicing on the LT start with making a very wide U-turn. As you gain experience in managing your clutch and throttle control, head and eye placement, and confidence you can begin challenging yourself and tightening up the U-turn. I would begin with approximately 18 ft. then begin closing it up over time.

The rider should stay off all the brakes while making a U-turn. Proper feathering of the clutch and imputing throttle will keep the LT from falling over while in the turn.

Here is how I trained riders in the proper method of making a U-turn:
Start in a straight line, reduce speed using a combination braking. Do not use the brakes in the turn. Turn your head and look over the shoulder in the direction of the turn. Lean into the turn, keeping your eyes off the pavement and on the horizon in the direction of the turn.
Feather the clutch as necessary in the turn to maintain control and eliminate any jerky movement.
Keeping your feet on the foot pegs unless it is absolutely necessary to drop your foot down to correct the balance of the bike.
Hope this will help.


 
#23 ·
alabrew said:
jzeiler said:
I practice a half U turn every time I leave my parking spot at work.

What is a "half U" John?
Wouldn't that be a J or a L? =-}

I, too, do a U turn leaving my parking spot at the the homebrew store. I've never really thought about what I do, but it is up hill - which may help. I release the clutch to get enough momentum to pick my feet up and go about 10 feet. I then make a right lock with the bars. I really don't lean but do a slow upright turn (the road is sloping downhill from my position). Turning the head helps. The momentum holds me up as I come over the apex and then head down the slope which gives me a little more speed. Unfortunately, I generally have to brake before entering the street which sucks after making such a pretty turn.

I'm generally better to the left than the right, but (nearly) daily practice makes perfect.
Yes it is more of a J turn.

I don't lock the bars to the right if that is the way I am going but rather push the bar to the left. That drops the bike's right side down and I pick it back up with the throttle. If I stall the bike she is going down hard on the right side. It is a good no brake technique that I should really practice in a full U in the parking lot more.

You can get the hang of it by starting out rolling slow in a straight line then hit the bars with a "push" as the bike begins to fall over add throttle to bring it back up. Start small and work your way up to some serious lean angle and recovery with the throttle. It is really a lot of fun once you get the hang of it.
 
#24 ·
Works okay except when the *^#^ timing retards and the accelleration you expected to pick you back up is a labouring bog, until its almost to late and then away you go :rolleyes:
 
#25 ·
A "SEARCH" will pull up a short report that I wrote on the Ride Like a Pro class with Jerry Paladino a while back on my 02 K1200LT. I had difficulty because of the connected brake and found that even though I would only use the rear brake, the front was still putting pressure on the front, making it quite difficult to make the U turn. With the K1200LT, I used the clutch and slow speed to make the turns, but was limited.

I do find that a 1/2 U turn on the K1200LT is very easy though from a complete stop. I do many of these from a parked position. I'm finding that it is much easier and my U turns are smaller on the K1600GTL. I don't think that the brakes are linked and making a U turn while lightly adding rear brake, seems to work best.
 
#26 ·
Humm.??

Here is how I trained riders in the proper method of making a U-turn:
Start in a straight line, reduce speed using a combination braking. Do not use the brakes in the turn. Turn your head and look over the shoulder in the direction of the turn. Lean into the turn, keeping your eyes off the pavement and on the horizon in the direction of the turn.

Just a couriuos question? I've alway been told to counter wieght in a real slow tight U-Turn. Your instructions say "Lean to to the turn". At what point of speed do you "count weight or Lean into the turn?
 
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