U-turns

[DennisJ]

I think I need to do a lot more practicing of low speed turns. I'm not sure the FJR will turn like that Police bike in the competition though.

Dennis

 

[Dennis in NH]

I'm with a lot of folks here saying that the FJR is easy to ride esp. for its weight and size. The clutch has a quick grab and it was easy to learn how to work it right on the first ride.

I have taken the FJR to an empty parking lot and have found making u-turns ok (still need work in this area). I have found that somewhat sharp turns that result in the peg scrapers touching down to be achievable in a short amount of practice. When I'm practicing, I get into this "mood" where the turns come easy. My favorite exercise is to zig-zag a set of parking markers -- making sort of half figure eights as you traverse all of the parking spaces.

The challenge for me is that when I'm in that "mood", it all works good. When I'm not practicing and I'm not in the "mood" of tight turns, I choke and up doing a wider turn. I just wonder if it's just a mental thing since the parking lot has room if you mess up but some streets are so thin that you cannot mess up.

I'm just going to have to practice more.

I watched the Ride Like a Pro DVD back when I had my cruiser and it helped tremendously. But a cruiser is much easier to get the floorboards to scrape. Yea, I know, .... practice, practice, ...

Dennis

 

[bobg3723]

Getting that light twist on the AE's throttle plus dragging the rear breke pretty much sums it up. I've had increasing successes without putting down a foot if I did it just right but at times when I'm not in the mood I just put that foot down and skitter around like a one-legged crab at other times. :lol:

It was easier pulling a U-turn on them Kawi 250's at the BRC feathering the clutch.

As been said many a times, point your nose where you want to go and practice ad nauseum.

I'm still looking for any video of an AE in one of those police competition courses., though!

 

[TomInPA]

I think I need to do a lot more practicing of low speed turns. I'm not sure the FJR will turn like that Police bike in the competition though.

Dennis

You're right, the FJR handles better. I just came from a heavy cruiser, that was amazing riding. Center of gravity is lower on the cruiser but that is a heavy steel bike with a torquey V-twin, but the FJR handles amazingly better. It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian.

 

[FJR-Pilot]

www.ridelikeapro.com

Great stuff on the dvd, however a bit corny at times, bit still really good stuff.

Something I have always wondered however...at least for me, my left hand U-turns are almost always better and tighter than my right handers. I don't know if others experience the same thing or not. If so, any theories on the physics of why this is?

I got the Ride Like a Pro video about 6 years ago. I consider it an essential part of riding any motorcycle for safety and finesse. It works on any bike (I have an 800lb Harley and the FJR) and makes low speed turns and u-turns a breeze and much safer. The technique reduces the total time it takes to perform a u-turn maneuver making you safer on the road.

With a tiny bit of practice - feathering the clutch and throttle against the back brake is amazingly easy. It give you a ton of low speed control and you rarely have to put your feet down unless you are actually stopping. It is easier than you think when you learn the simple easy technique.

https://www.youtube.c...4zuC3VZpHI&NR=1

 

[Mogambo]

I love doing the drills from the DVD. Once you get into the rythm it almost becomes Zen like. I will say that the 12 foot gaps between cones come up pretty fast while taking my Goldwing through them. Riding the Wing in tight maneuvers is a mental thing. It's sort of like the theory about a bumble bee. A bumble bee really shouldn't be able to fly based on aerodynamic physics. The thing is, that the bumble bee doesn't know that....so it flys. You think "damn, a bike this big shouldn't be able to do this or that, but once you relax with it, trust your eyes and let the bike do what it can do, it's actually pretty agile, even in slow maneuvers. The only thing that has held my Wing back is me. Of course hopping on the FJR after the Wing almost feels like riding a mini bike.

So...nobody has any theories as to why left hand tight maneuvers are easier than right hand? O.K., it must be me. Yet another topic for my therapist. :blink:

 

[bobg3723]

I love doing the drills from the DVD. Once you get into the rythm it almost becomes Zen like. I will say that the 12 foot gaps between cones come up pretty fast while taking my Goldwing through them. Riding the Wing in tight maneuvers is a mental thing. It's sort of like the theory about a bumble bee. A bumble bee really shouldn't be able to fly based on aerodynamic physics. The thing is, that the bumble bee doesn't know that....so it flys. You think "damn, a bike this big shouldn't be able to do this or that, but once you relax with it, trust your eyes and let the bike do what it can do, it's actually pretty agile, even in slow maneuvers. The only thing that has held my Wing back is me. Of course hopping on the FJR after the Wing almost feels like riding a mini bike.

So...nobody has any theories as to why left hand tight maneuvers are easier than right hand? O.K., it must be me. Yet another topic for my therapist. :blink:

It turns out that the genesis of the "bumble bee cannot fly" paradox appears to have been an inaccurate retelling of a famous aerodynamicist' lecture spread by the hack media of the day early in the 20th century.

But I would hazard a guess that a turn going one way "seems" easier than going the other way may be related to sight and balance reflex coordination influenced by the dominant eye in most people. Gauging distance on a fast pitched baseball, sighting in a target on a rifle, etc ., where the dominant eye used to gauge position to the objective perplexes the old coconut if attempted on the counter side with the less dominant eye. :umnik2:

EDIT: Upon reflection it seems to fit with why my BRC instructor pounded into our thick skulls to turn our head's to fact the direction of our objective in the U-Turn skills practice. The dominant eye will be at as close to the same plane as the weak eye and makes the brain more happy.

 

[Spook]

FJR tight-turn/U-turn = RPMs up and feather the clutch for speed control. h34r:

AE owners are just screwed. :blink:

JMHO

not if you know how to ride

 

[Monty]

I have to make a u turn out of my carport heading back to the street. I do this almost every day. Have found, IMHO, the AE is easier to do this than either my Triumph Tiger or Yamaha VStar 950T. Guess it's all just what you're used to.

 

[2007 FJR]

I am trying to get comfortable enough to "get slow" like this guy

 

[autorotate]

Just moved to the FJR from a Honda Shadow. Did the MSF BRC and all that on the Shadow a few years ago, practiced so much I could drag peg doing my figure 8's. Came in handy on those narrow mountain roads, especially the inside switchbacks. I don't know how the box is possible in an AE, though I'm sure there's a trick to it- I have to drag the rear brake and usually work the clutch.

I was shocked at how light and nimble the FJR feels at low speeds when you stop trying to muscle it.

 

[Pepperell]

Simply move the front brake and throttle to the left handle bar and the clutch to the right. Now those pesky right turns will be easier. The clutch will be closer and easier to control no matter which eye is dominant! :yahoo:

 

[bobg3723]

No dominant eye problem if you're a cyclops.

 

[TheZsdad]

Doesn't matter what type of bike you are riding, from full dress touring to a pocket bike. As long as you(Most important thing) look where you want to go (and not at the front tire), leave the front brake alone and drag against the rear if necessary,and keep some power to the rear end, it will walk it's self through a u-turn.

It's all technique..

Gunny +1 The eyes are mucho important.

All I can ad is get yer butt to the outside of the saddle.

 

[dbx]

FJR tight-turn/U-turn = RPMs up and feather the clutch for speed control. h34r:

AE owners are just screwed. :blink:

JMHO

As others have said, it's the same for the AE as it is for every other bike: drag the rear brake to control your speed. There's no need to feather the clutch except when you're pulling away from a stop. Once underway, leave it fully engaged except perhaps when you shift gears. (Even then, it's optional.)

four years and never done a tight u-turn???

hand over your keys and step away from the bike.

The window of time the keys will leave my hand are between time of death and time when rigor sets in

Keep in mind that rigor mortis only lasts about 72 hours, so like it or not with a bit of patience you'll be giving up those keys.

Doesn't matter what type of bike you are riding, from full dress touring to a pocket bike. As long as you(Most important thing) look where you want to go (and not at the front tire), leave the front brake alone and drag against the rear if necessary,and keep some power to the rear end, it will walk it's self through a u-turn.

It's all technique..

That's pretty much how I was taught -

1. Keep a constant throttle say around 1500 RPM

2. Slip the clutch at a constant position.

3. Control your speed using the rear brake only.

4. Do all of the above in a straight line until you get the hang of varying the speed using the rear brake only.

5. Then (and only then) try your turns.

Don

How I was taught:

1. Keep a constant throttle say around 1500 RPM Throttle up to around 1500 RPM.

2. Slip the clutch at a constant position. Leave the clutch fully engaged.

3. Control your speed using the rear brake only.

4. Do all of the above in a straight line until you get the hang of varying the speed using the rear brake only.

5. Then (and only then) try your turns.

This technique works equally well with manual clutch bikes as well as AE models.

 

[phroenips]

There's no need to feather the clutch except when you're pulling away from a stop. Once underway, leave it fully engaged except perhaps when you shift gears. (Even then, it's optional.)

It's only optional if you don't mind destroying your transmission. There was a recent thread here where somebody learned that very expensive lesson.

 

[Jeff Q]

Harleys are the best at going slow no doubt about it but does that really matter in most everyday riding? I say no.

 

[dbx]

There's no need to feather the clutch except when you're pulling away from a stop. Once underway, leave it fully engaged except perhaps when you shift gears. (Even then, it's optional.)

It's only optional if you don't mind destroying your transmission. There was a recent thread here where somebody learned that very expensive lesson.

OK, I suppose I should have added a disclaimer, something about needing more than zero coordination. :yahoo:

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Just the thought of it on this big, heavy beast made me avoid it at all costs right up until yesterday.....I have to say I was pleasantly suprised at how easy it was.

Funny how some guys think the FJR is a "Heavy Beast". It's all relative I guess. I'm coming off from riding a nearly 800lb muscle cruiser over the past 2yrs with very wide handlebars and I was totally used to that bike and thought nothing of it. Now that I have a sub 600lb. FJR with narrow bars it feel so incredibly light & nimble. Slow speed U-Turns on my old M109R were very sketchy and I planted one foot down prob. 50% of the time. With the FJR it practically turns itself and both feet stay on the pegs and it's a piece of cake!!!

This bike is not a heavy beast by any means. I'm loving this bike and love how easily it handles. :yahoo:

 

[Dennis in NH]

That show bike video -- hm... his brake squeak just like mine.

I believe I do good slow -- but never really thought of going slow with turns. I'll give that a try. I keep trying to keep a good pace with u-turns trying to imitate the cops, etc.

Dennis