Hey guys... its been about three weeks since i got my F3 now and i am trying to get ready for my license test.... I am getting a lot more comfortable with the bike when at speed... but when it comes to slow speed turning i just dont have it yet... i get really nervous around gravel and dirt and i just dont know how to do u turns good yet and i dont know... i just feel that when i am at speed countersteering is a lot easier.... and leaning.... cuz u know ur probably not gonna drop it. anyways... just seeing if you got any tips for u turns and slow moving.. right now i am working on refining my clutch work and using the back break, but not during turns or anything. got any tips?

 

You always notice the weight of a bike once you slow down. There is no trick to it, you just have to get used to the way your bike behaves, take it to an area that has no traffic, like a parking lot or similiar and just practice.
Get the bike moving a tad, (without using the bars to steer) and just use your body to move the bike from right to left & left to right, once you get get the hang of that, move onto doing slow turns, it will come to you don't worry. As for dirt & gravel, to quote Frankie goes to Hollywood, "Relax", granted dirt and gravel require a different approach, you have to remain calm, don't go nutso on the brakes, and plan ahead. Most inexperienced riders slow down to almost stopped for gravel & dirt roads, which can make the whole thing a nightmare and put you at the mercy of the ruts & indentations in the road surface, a moderate speed will be fine and will help get you over the worst of it, no fast but moderate, keep it in a lower gear, so that you can use engine braking, and have enough berries on tap to get you out of trouble should you need it. The biggest thing that you have to overcome is the sensation of traction (or lack of it) With cornering on gravel, you don't lean, you use your body as a counter balance. If you think that you spot some bad road a head, then go around it, always keep your eyes on wots a head, not just in front of you, and plan for an alternate direction. brake gently, and remember to use both front & back brakes to slow you down.Its just practice, it will all come together. Good luck on your test.

 

The best advice I can offer, is to learn to ride your rear brake. Doing that helps that fact that you don't have great throttle control yet, it kind of offsets it.

Just don't get in the habit of it all the time, you'll go through pads like crazy. Just practice it a bit, then take your test if/when you feel good about it.

 

if i were u i would use a scooter for the road test not a regular size 600 .i would also just take a riding course its worth the money.you seem to have some knowledge on riding take the course you will learn so much simple things friends may forget to tell u. at the end of the course waiver then license .it is good for u because u have some knowledge already so u will have a edge . cause taking the course is not a guarantee u pass but u should be able to handle the 125s they use at the end u take a little test then your on your way. my fren took the road test on a 600cc n he dropped the bike because of the slow tight turns they want u to perform without puttin your feet down.


but if u must a good thing to do is after initial take off n your in second gear stay in second the bike will be easier to handle . keep the bike in second anright before a complete stop click it in first. take off back to second right away . even when you park your bike it should be in first to prevent it from rolling. turnin takes pratice look into the turn it takes some pratice look where u want to go with a little lean n handle n the bike will follow.

 

Ok.Here it is, very simple and thats the way it should be, JUST TRUST ME.
When doing a U TURN: the tester will tell you wnere he wants u to do it and he'll say to do it when you are ready and the road is clear, so take sa much time as you need.
For slow speed control, once you are moving straight just pull in the clutch till the moment it starts to slip and bring your revs to 4/5000 RPMs and at the same time apply some rear brake. Balance the amount that brake slips with the amount of the brake you apply so the bike is still moving with the constant speed around 3/5Mph(walking speed).Once you master it on straights use this technique to perfore U TURNS.
The whole thing about is: the engine is still trying to pull forward while the brake is holding the bike back giving you pretty good ballance to perform slow speed manuvers including tight U TURNS and slow trafic movement.
And dont worry about the clutch, its not going to burn out or anything.
Now, practice...practice...practice...
Hope it helps and you dont all think im full of **** :=)

 

Very simple???????????? I think i'll stick with my clutch in then out in out in out.... keeping the momentum.... and turn..... without dumping.. i did about 5 circles in my street today... good and tight... felt good, but i put my foot down cuz i lost my momentum... oh well 5 befor i lost it and all i have to do for the test is a 1/2 turn.... and some figure 8's..
thanks guys..

 

After every winter, I have to go through some basic bike training to freshen up before season.
I do the U-turns, figure eights, panic brake, evasion manouver and emergency accelleration (the latter only for the fun of it) in a big parking lot.
I've never used the throttle/brake technique, and frankly I've never heard of it before now.
For slow moving, I let the bike run at idle and adjust the speed almost entirely with the clutch.
The easiest slow manouver to start with is cones. If you don't have cones, use markings on the parking lot.
I use the end of each marked parking space, and try to zig zag my way across the lot as slow as possible.
You'll find that when you turn very slowly, the bike tends to tip over in the direction of the turn. Do not brake.
Give a little throttle and ease off the clutch as if you were taking off in a normal way.
This will stand the bike up again because of the countersteering effect (you're already pointing the front wheel in the opposite direction of where you want the bike to go. the only thing missing was speed, but you'll find that you don't need much more than a quick blip).

After a few hours or days you'll find that you'll do these things by intuition.
The U-turn is the same, but many tip the bike because the bars are so turned that they rest against the stoppers.
I train going in circles with the bars locked against the stoppers, and you have to use throttle and clutch to raise the bike when it wants to fall over.
Then I go figure eights the same way, bars at max.

Those were my two cents, but the key is really (as mentioned a couple times before) practice practice practice.

G

 

ok so i have been practicing today and its goin pretty good... did the circles earlier and just now i went on a 10 min. ride or something in my neighborhood... saw like 15 hotties jogging for track... and let me tell you brothers... it was nice!!! i think i got 15 looks!!!!! but of course i was focused only on the asphalt!!! anyways... i went down the road to a turn and i was breaking and i think i may have hit some gravel or sand.. i didnt see anything, but i wasnt really breaking excessively.. but i was leaning a bit and the rear tires was skidding!!!! that was a bit nerve racking, but i just let off, let out of the lean, and the bike came up and i slowed down again and then turned again... it was good.. its just letting me know that i dont have everything down yet i guess.. and to not show off maybe... but then i turned around and went past the girls again... this time i know i got 15 looks!!!! so i didnt shift up to second just letter ride in 1st a while... 8 G's later hahahahahah anyways its fun and i cant wait to get the license and ride all around town instead of just my little neighborhood!!!

 

I see all the comments in here about how to do this and how to do that, but a picture is worth a thousand words. Take a look at Jerry "Motorman" Paladino's web site. He has some excellent dvd's on how to ride and control your motorcycle. He makes it look so easy, but the nice thing is you can watch it over and over.

http://www.ridelikeapro.com/

 

Dude, you really should take the MSF class.

Anyway. Make sure that you TURN YOUR HEAD when doing slow speed stuff. If you're trying to do a slow speed figure '8' - you'll never get it done without TURNING YOUR HEAD almost all the way around.(like that girl in the Exorcist). Also use your clutch and the throttle. Don't fool with the brakes - they'll only make it tougher.