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alanmcorcoran · 08-20-2008, 07:59 PM

...go into the u-turn slow, but give it a little nudge at the apex (middle of the u) to come out. As soon as you decide to turn, IMMEDIATELY PICK YOUR HEAD UP, CRANK IT AS FAR AROUND BEHIND YOU AS YOU CAN (in the direction of the turn) AND LOOK AT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Do not look at the ground. Do not look at the lines. Do not look at the tester. (Unless they happen to be where you want to go.) I know this sounds stupid, but it works like magic.

If you must reverse direction, repeat the above. I found a low entry speed and the LOOKING is the single most important thing to doing a tight turn. We were taught to shift our weight and stand on the pegs a little but, if I did "the look" properly and aggressively, it wasn't necessary. For me, the weight shift was one too many things to remember.

In my group, the tight u-turns were the only thing that people had universal trouble with. One guy did fall off on the swerve, but no one else even had to repeat it. I think his fall was a fluke. Everyone had had some trouble with the u-turns.

If you eff up the u-turns by going over the line DO NOT GIVE UP! You may still pass the test if you don't make too many other mistakes. Check the rules for your state - they are not all the same and most allow for some degree of mistakes.

In CA you will get points off for "anticipating" the stop. I had trouble with this as I had been programmed to "anticipate" the crap out of everything. Set up a pair of cones a foot or so apart, and practice not squeezing/pressing the brakes until the front wheel crosses. Don't get the bike going any faster than the minimum (12?) mph required. Get in the habit of always using both brakes EVERY TIME, and down shifting to first. In CA you lose points for using only one brake and also if you don't downshift.

Most importantly, don't get too worked up over it. It looks and sounds a lot worse than it is. Overthinking it was my biggest problem.

If you are taking the test on something bigger than a GZ, DON'T! Rent a scooter for the test if you have a 1800cc monster.

08-20-2008, 07:59 PM	#4
alanmcorcoran Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 2,926	If you have to do the linked u turns (ie. "The Box" ...go into the u-turn slow, but give it a little nudge at the apex (middle of the u) to come out. As soon as you decide to turn, IMMEDIATELY PICK YOUR HEAD UP, CRANK IT AS FAR AROUND BEHIND YOU AS YOU CAN (in the direction of the turn) AND LOOK AT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Do not look at the ground. Do not look at the lines. Do not look at the tester. (Unless they happen to be where you want to go.) I know this sounds stupid, but it works like magic. If you must reverse direction, repeat the above. I found a low entry speed and the LOOKING is the single most important thing to doing a tight turn. We were taught to shift our weight and stand on the pegs a little but, if I did "the look" properly and aggressively, it wasn't necessary. For me, the weight shift was one too many things to remember. In my group, the tight u-turns were the only thing that people had universal trouble with. One guy did fall off on the swerve, but no one else even had to repeat it. I think his fall was a fluke. Everyone had had some trouble with the u-turns. If you eff up the u-turns by going over the line DO NOT GIVE UP! You may still pass the test if you don't make too many other mistakes. Check the rules for your state - they are not all the same and most allow for some degree of mistakes. In CA you will get points off for "anticipating" the stop. I had trouble with this as I had been programmed to "anticipate" the crap out of everything. Set up a pair of cones a foot or so apart, and practice not squeezing/pressing the brakes until the front wheel crosses. Don't get the bike going any faster than the minimum (12?) mph required. Get in the habit of always using both brakes EVERY TIME, and down shifting to first. In CA you lose points for using only one brake and also if you don't downshift. Most importantly, don't get too worked up over it. It looks and sounds a lot worse than it is. Overthinking it was my biggest problem. If you are taking the test on something bigger than a GZ, DON'T! Rent a scooter for the test if you have a 1800cc monster. __________________ [hr:5yt6ldkq][/hr:5yt6ldkq] http://alanmarkcorcoran.com Motorcycles, Music, Musings and More…
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