Re: [ST] U-turn diameter

["Anderson, Neil G (CPR)" <andersng@xxxxxx>]

Sheep Dawg wrote:

>Three things you need to do to manage a successful u-turn.
>
>1. Keep the engine revs up. This stabilizes the bike by increasing the 
>gyroscopic effect from all those engine bits thrashing around.
>
>2. Control your speed by slipping the clutch and dragging the rear brake. 
>Go as slow as you NEED to go, not as slow as you CAN go.
>
>3. Turn your head to look where you want to go, and don't look at what's 
>right in front of you. More than anything else, using your eyes to guide 
>where you want the bike to go will help you in all slow speed manoeuvres. 
>In a U-turn, you should be looking almost 180 degrees ahead when you start 
>to turn.
>
>4. (OK--I know I said there were only three) NEVER apply the front brake on

>its own unless your front wheel is straight.

And number 5 - go out and practice it on a bicycle first to get the idea of
leaning the bike under you.  It's much cheaper that way if you get it wrong!

When I picked up my brand new ST from the dealer, he hopped on it and pulled
a flawless U-turn in a space that seemed only 6" longer than the bike.  I
just smiled and thought "You show-off, wouldn't you be really embarrassed if
you dropped it for me before I'd even ridden it?"

I'm still working on my U-turns; even after the German equivalent of an MSF
course, I still find I'm too tense to really lean the bike over at slow
speed.  I blame either the weight of the Lovely Ballast on the back, or the
sharp pain in my wallet when I think about the cost of new fairing bits!

Neil

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