how big is the U turn in your test

[chris128]

Hi Guys,

I've been out practicing U turns again today and I still suck at them... but I was wondering if I am maybe being too hard on myself as I'm using two car park spaces as my guide to what I need to make it in (e.g I start on the line at the start of one space and have to do it without going over the line at the start of the one two spaces along if that makes sense). Is that maybe a bit too tight? I can make it sometimes but more often than not I dont...

I know you might say "just try it on a road instead" and I have done but the trouble is on some roads I find it really easy and on others I find it really hard and almost crash into the curb (well, i actually hit it twice the first few times i tried them the other day!) so I figured it was safer to try in a car park for a while until im better at them.

Thanks

Chris

[MtotheJ]

I think that is FAR too tight. It is 7.5 metres in the test. I think thats about 24/25 foot so it's actually a big space.

[Fazer Pete]

You'll find it is probably down to your back technique being wrong. If you remember to allways drag on the back brake, have a constant throttle and control the bike on the clutch, allways keep your head up and look where you want to be and not down you should have more luck

[chris128]

oo well i hope you are right cos I tried a few using 3 car park spaces as a test and did it pretty easily each time so i thought that must be too big

I'm not that great with guessing distances but 7.5 metres sounds like just over 3 car park spaces to me (or there abouts) ?

Is that 7.5 metres the one in the current test or in the new tests cos my instructor told me that they have increased the distance for the new test..

[chris128]

You'll find it is probably down to your back technique being wrong. If you remember to allways drag on the back brake, have a constant throttle and control the bike on the clutch, allways keep your head up and look where you want to be and not down you should have more luck

 

I do everything that you have mentioned but I must confess that I try to avoid using the back brake too much as it makes a very loud squeeking sound (see my previous thread from yesterday) that makes everyone within the area stare at me haha and thats not really what you want when your failing to do U turns in a car park

[Fazer Pete]

That will be why you are messing it up then. You need the back brake to keep the bike taught and working. If you don't, it will be loose and harder to control, and that is when you hit the curb.

When you choose a place to practice, get off your bike and push it round first. If you can do that, you can ride it round

[chris128]

When you choose a place to practice, get off your bike and push it round first. If you can do that, you can ride it round

 

Yeah but there's no point trying to learn to do them way tighter than I need to, then im just making it harder for myself. If MtotheJ is right and I am doing it far too tight then I dont think I need to work on my technique that much as I could do it within 3 car park spaces quite easily each time I tried it (obviously the more practice the better though)

[MtotheJ]

Just googled it and it is on the new test that it is 7.5 metres. I think from another thread you said you were doing the new one right? It's under exercise 4 on the link below Oh and id say your measuring is about right, probably about 3 spaces. One way you could do it is measure your foot and then pidgeon step along to see

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/advic ... EPI-106777

[Fazer Pete]

You'll still need to be using the back brake. Your instructor will be on your case if you don't and the examiner will want to see you using it. The more you practise the correct technique the better. If you start off doing it wrong you will continue like that.

If your using your own bike for the test then you will need to get it sorted, as you will need that brake in the slow ride aswell

[learner]

may sound strange but I found u turns in the street with the physical edge of the kirb easier

like has been said aleady contant revs to make it nice and stable and drag the back brake

[PhatDad]

Fazer Pete. When I did my CBT I was told to drag my rear brake and really rev the engine etc but when I moved to the big bike 500cc I couldn't get the U turns right. The instructor then noticed after a while that I was using the back brake and told me to stop, only use the brake to slow down if your clutch control makes you go a little too fast. From that point on I didn't fail a single U turn. It's all in the clutch.

Chris, when I do the U turn I rev to about 4000 revs, slowly move off and use the clutch only, ease off to slow and ease it on to go a little faster. You should never use the front brake, unless of course it all goes tits up and you need to stop immediately and in my opinion gently use the back brake just to slow slightly.

The majority of roads, and any road you are taking too on your test, will be wide enough to allow at least three cars abreast to pass so three carparking spaces is enough. Turn in that space then you'll be alright. However I do suggest you get on the roads and practice as they don't guarentee it's flat. Although if you do it off road now in the new test then it's likely to be flat, not sure if you still have to do a U turn on the road part of the test.

[bex]

cant really sujest much to help you but i know i didnt use my back brake to help me round, to learn i jsut started going round in circles getting tighter and tighter till i was ok then started the u-turns. but what i was advised and found worked was to take the weight off my hands, strengthen your stomach and back muscles to support you and then you have better feel with your arms and the balance was better for me and so was turning the bars.

[Susieque]

may sound strange but I found u turns in the street with the physical edge of the kirb easier

 

Are you familiar with some of the test routes that you might get? The ones I practised on varied quite significantly when it came to width of road. If you are, go out and practice on these. Then you'll get used to things like camber etc too.

I'm with Pete - back brake is invaluable! Once I'd got it into my head to use this, and looking far enough around the turn life was soooo much easier!

[pumilio]

I practised in a parking lot on my 125cc using 2 parking bays as width. I got really good at doing it the proper way (revs up, slipping clutch, back brake as needed) on the 125 after failing my first test on the U turn - most of these skills carried over to the 500cc I took my test on. I found doing the U-turn on real roads harder, not because of the distance but because the particular spot I got taken to had a noticeable camber which made it tougher for me...

I think I read somewhere that the new test will have all manoeuvres off-road, which would probably mean parking lot flat and exactly 7.5 meters, etc.

In any case, good luck!

[Fazer Pete]

The issue with using the back brake for the U turn, all i'll say is thats how we teach it and it works

[Netmeister]

Definately with Pete on the back brake argument. You should definately cover the bake brake and even drag it to be in full control. It just gives you the confidence that if you go too fast you can slow down with just a dab of the rear break.

As you know Chris I passed my test yesterday and was too having troubles with the U turns, it was having confidence in the back brake and using it that sorted me out.

[chris128]

Im not sure why everyone seems to think im not using the back brake at all lol I do drag it a lot when trying U turns but all i was saying is that cos it makes such a loud squeeking noise I probably would use it a bit more if it didnt do that.

Oh and yeah i am doing the new test so its all done on flat ground on tarmac with a set width of 7.5 metres Going to practice some more tonight using 3 car park spaces as my new guide (hopefully will seem easy compared to what ive been trying to do it in) and then move onto trying it on some small roads.

[j4ff]

take yer rear break pads out clean out all the muck off caliper and pads.Put some copper grease on the back of the pads.

Good bye squeel.

edit.Must read other posts b4 posting

[chris128]

take yer rear break pads out clean out all the muck off caliper and pads.Put some copper grease on the back of the pads.

Good bye squeel.

edit.Must read other posts b4 posting

 

lol yeah I've cleaned the brakes but that didnt help so someone on here (cleedubber) is going to help me get some grease onto the back of the pads soon hopefully

[chris128]

Well I tried it tonight using 3 parking spaces as a guide and did it with a fair amount of space to spare every time apart from once when I had a little 'moment' mid turn and turned way too sharply

I also thought sod it I dont care if the whole street can hear my stupid back brake squeeking away while I'm practicing and used the back brake as much as I needed to, which did help things when I wasnt quite turning tight enough to begin with.

I then went and tried it on some proper roads (not really tight ones but not huge ones) and did 6 out of 7 without a problem. So considering I've got a while left to practice still (cant even book a test yet as the DSA have none available at all) I'm fairly happy with the progress Just need to work on the rest of my riding now!

[Susieque]

Hope I'm not saying something you already know/do but I always found it helped to ride forwards for a little way just to get revs/brake/clutch all under control before attempting the turn. Instructor said this is ok as long as I don't ride too far.

[chris128]

yeah I find that helps too so I already do that just to get my balance and everything. However sometimes thats the hardest bit! next thing on my list to practice is very slow riding, hopefully that will also make me a little more adept at controlling the start and end of the U turn too

[mojobanana]

Gonna chuck my two pennies in!

I was taught to get the revs up and constant, find the bite and pull away slowly then use the back brake to slow down the speed if I needed to. Then shoulder check, find a spot behind you to aim at and start the turn. If you start going too quick in the turn then you have your back brake at your disposal. I got told off for having it on all the time because it meant even with my clutch at the bite I was really struggling to get round.

I think it's one of those things that different people get taught in different ways and it all depends on what you're comfortable with. The important thing is that you get round!

On the measurement thing, have you got a tape measure handy?

[chris128]

On the measurement thing, have you got a tape measure handy?

 

I guess I could take one but I would feel a bit daft getting off my bike and measuring car park spaces

[Netmeister]

^^^ Would you rather fail and not look daft, or look daft and pass? No brainer to me!