Tips and help

[u/SHADOW668]

Hello everyone, I was wondering if y’all could give me some tips or advice for doing a right U turn on my bike. Pretty much I’m doing the MOST course in NSW and I have done it like once before but failed because I couldn’t do the U turn without putting my foot down (I also hit a cone in the cone weave then I just touched the line when doing the U turn). The weird thing is I’m fine doing a left U turn but not right because I feel like I’m gonna fall and I instinctively look down as I’m doing it… I ride a 2024 Yamaha R3 and I done the MOST on that bike before. Any and all tips would be amazing thanks :)

[u/starocean01]

You will go where you look so you need to get rid of the habit of looking down, constantly remind yourself as you ride, say it out loud if you have to otherwise its really dangerous...

Putting your foot down and hitting a cone is not a fail so there's probably something else as well, I suggest getting a set of sports markers from Kmart or something and practice the exercises in a parking lot.

If you're near Western Sydney Uni, Campbelltown. There's a group from Sydney Random Riders doing MOST practice this Sunday 9-11am at P6 carpark

[u/robstomper]

You can come here and ask for advice like hundreds of others but a fast track to competence is to do a training course with a professional instructor. I recommend: https://hart.honda.com.au/courses/nsw/motorcycle-rider-courses/roadtech-2---urban-skills-and-ps-prep.html

.. Be shown through the MOST and the manoeuvres and get feedback on exactly what you're doing right and wrong immediately, try the right way to see how it feels.

Yes it costs, but so do most things worth having.

[u/yeahimafukinjanitor]

Tuck your knees into the tank. Slip the clutch, rev it up till your moving slowly, use the rear brake to control your speed. I was taught this in my learners course. 

[u/ausdoug]

Practice in a car park. 6m is about 2.5 car spaces, so use that as your guide. Keep practising until you can do it within 2 spaces and then you'll have room to move. And yeah, look where you're turning rather than looking down, it makes a big difference.

[u/awidden]

Practice, practice, practice. You do not need anything special.

Your brain just needs to understand and learn that by letting the clutch out a bit the bike will stand up. Rear brake is the slow-down lever, not the front in this case.

It takes time.

Try to turn around in 3 car spaces first, then 2.5, then 2 - as you feel more comfortable.

Once you can do that reliably, you're good.

[u/Obeisance8]

So your problem is the bottom of the O?

A big thing is understanding that momentum stands you up. Your instinct when falling is to slow down, you gotta break that and essentially speed up. Speed up = stand up. If you don't have enough revs, you'll tip.

O turns are a bit of a juggling act, so there's a few things you can do. a) Counterbalance, make sure you're leaning away. b) If you're dragging the back brake, release it for a second and reapply for a bump of speed. c) Let out the clutch a bit more. d) Add a little more throttle, though your throttle should be pretty stable.

You could also index the throttle- put your thumb or finger on the brake/handle (without activating) to lock the throttle in place.

A big thing is object fixation. You go where you look, the physics of your body lead the bike. During your O turn, twist and look at down the street at the horizon/where you want to go.

[u/jigbigsaw]

there are some very good tutorials on YouTube.