couldnt tell from the video but my advise would be for you to sit up on the seat more. it looks like you are sitting too far back. this causes you to lean forward as you are making your turns thus causing the center of gravity to be off. you should still have some bend in your elbow at full lock out. also you only need to look left or right at roughly 90 degrees. use your elbow as a guide. no need to look further to the side than the direction of your elbow which will be around 90 degrees correcting this will help you a great deal. also keep your feet on the foot boards. if you keep putting your feet down your going to break your leg sooner or later. let the bike go down. its a terrible habit to put your feet down. cant tell where your head and eyes are from the video. keep your back straight like you have a board going down your spine. posture matters while doing this. the rest is in the friction zone of the clutch along with feathering the rear brake and throttle control. takes a little time. that bike can get well within the 18 foot radius turn. if you can set up a key hole with cones. that will really do the trick. check for videos on this. but doing good otherwise. its common to be able to do one direction better than the other. its normal. stay straight up in the saddle. rotate at the hips and let the bike do the leaning. after a while it becomes old hat but constant practice helps maintain the proficiency.
Thanks for the tips. I put on a lot more miles and many more practice hours after this video was taken and can attest to what you are saying. The elbow alignment trick is useful as it keeps the rider from over-rotating the head. As a follow-up, by the end of the summer I was easily keeping the turns inside the 18 foot radius and regularly well inside that. It does take practice, as you say, and focus. I wish I could post your comments on a sticky as there are so many people, like myself, who are or were looking for that kind of instruction.
and his head needs to turn where he wants to go because if he looks on the ground he will fall or put a foot down and its throttle control and friction zone and a little back break
Man, I gotta hand it to you, you practiced and you got it. I am a 62 yr old female who's been riding for 48yrs. I got my first Harley Road King in 2007. Before that I had a 2000 Honda Valkyrie Interstate. As of a month ago I bought a new Harley Electra Glide Classic. I want to get my turns tighter and after watching your video I now know I can! Thanks.
that was a GREAT first attempt... you had great control of the bike. for whoever is watching this and decides to practice slow speed maneuvers on heavy bikes, my suggestion is to set your idle speed higher if possible so you don't have to worry about working the clutch.. it makes concentrating on the body position and balancing the bike quite easier. always adjust your speed when necessary with the rear brake ONLY, using the front one would greatly imbalance the bike. also, the clutch can get quite hot if kept in the 'friction zone' as they call it, so let it cool every 15min or so... nothing beats practice!
Everybody interested in this should check out Ride Like a Pro with Jerry Palladino. He's a police motor officer instructor and teaches these techniques in detail. Search him here on RUclips--he has a channel and puts out videos regularly. Cool guy and fabulous rider!
Good practice! There are two parking areas and one narrow side street that I challenge myself with also. Great idea to video tape your progress. Riders don't always realize the benefits of doing this at least once a week and when you leave the lot you feel more competent on your rides!
If we go back to our childhood days and first riding a bike we were told to "keep peddling". We are doing a balancing act on two wheels "gyroscopes" if you will. The faster you pedal the faster the gyros kick in and take over our upright fear vanish. The force of the gyros increases with speed and then it will resist turning because it wants to go straight, one gyro following the other. This is why you must lean the gyros over when making a turn. Gravity pulls down and the gyros, while taking a curve, will hold you also. The two forces wind up adjusting to a pull not only by gravity but by the gyros and wind up at a 30 to 60 degree angle pull. If you think of a top when it is thrown and spinning it holds itself up on a tiny point. As it slows it starts to wobble and that increases until it lays over on its side. That is what a motorcycle will do also. There is a minimal speed that we can go without falling over. Unlike the top we can adjust our weight a little to maintain a balance for a short period even at a stop but will eventually fall over or put your foot out to keep it from hitting the ground. Hope this helps.
Just started riding Oct 2017. Here in Seattle it rains a lot, so the weather has broke and I'm now riding my 07 Super Glide. My corners are horrible. Thanks for the video, I going to practice today.
you can google the diagram easily. its easy to set up. get a nail and a tape measure. go out 9 feet and draw a radius. the opening known as the gate is 5 ft wide. you can make the gate any length but about 5 or 6 feet is fine. to complete the pattern successfully will take time and technique. when you enter the gate make sure the bike is aligned along the left or right side of the gate. left side if your going counterclockwise and right side if your going clockwise. as you enter past the gate at the beginning of the circle dip the bike left or right depending on direction and put the front tire close to the cones along the 6 or 3 oclock position. its called the transition point. maintain the front tire position within 6 inches or less of the cone as you transition the turn towards the 12oclock. you will need to do a dip opposite to the cones on the way our to pull the bike far enough away from the cones so the saddle bags dont hit them. thats a very condensed version of the explanation. there is more to it .. head, eyes, posture. etc. its difficult to explain in text form rather than in person type instruction. use as many cones as you like. I like to use a lot. but for many people it freaks them out being in an enclosed space. Your gonna drop the bike so get ready. its ok though. dont stare at the cones. your going to go where you look so dont stare at them. you will hit them enough anyway. this is similar to the parking lot video you were doing but it is much less forgiving. you will find that doing this in an actual keyhole set up is considerably more difficult. that said though just keep practicing and you will get it. based on your video i would say you have a good understanding of whats needed. just keep working on it. Use sidewalk chalk to mark the location of the cones that way you can put them back in place when you hit them. And put on some BOOTS> no tennis shoes. way to risky to do it in tennis shoes especially on this course. remember when you get frustrated that this course is one of about 9 that are part of the Motor Officer Training Course from Northwestern University. And it is a 2 week course. This pattern isnt even introduced until usually the first friday. 5 days into the training. so just relax with it. ...Its a ton of fun
Thanks a lot. This sounds like a blast. I'll do some more study and setup a course and grab some buddies and we'll try it. Guaranteed there will be some bikes on their sides.
Thanks for the video. I've spent quite a few hours over the course of the last two months in parking lots working slow speed turns. I was watching ride like a pro RUclips videos but seeing folks make it look easy wasn't helping. Watching your struggle and progression helps a bunch. Have a safe riding season and thanks again for posting the video !
Hopefully it was helpful. pass it along. I learned a lot over the years and am certified as an instructor from the Northwestern University Harley Davidson Motorcycle training division. There are a lot of nuances to doing it correctly. You did well especially without instruction. Few people take the time to learn how to ride efficiently like what your doing. The key hole is the most difficult of the courses from Northwestern. Thats the one most everyone has trouble with and the one that takes the most work. Keep at it. I love doing cone courses. I love the challenge and it really does hone your skills.
Do you have specs for a properly laid-out key-hole course? Approach length, width, key-hole diameter? I'd love to put out some cones and try it. A video of my first try would definitely make it on this channel for better or worse.
This helped and encouraged me a lot as a newer rider. Thank you for being honest about working to improve your low speed turns. I need to do the same thing! Have a great day!
Thanks for the video, I have been riding about a year and spend a good amount of time practicing on the same course where I took the license school. I am right handed and make much better left turns than right turns. Not sure why that is, but like you, with practice my right turns improve!
things are getting better as I now have 200 miles on my 2016 FLD, but I had such problems taking left turns after a stop. Thank You for showing the line practice, I will practice that Myself.
They hardest this is just getting out and doing it. Everyone wants to go ride and no one wants to do a hundred circles in a parking lot. But hey, it's a huge help and people who do are confident and much more fun to ride with.
I feel this, coming off a Heritage and riding a King. the clutch is different than my 12 heritage on the 18 king. Getting into the friction zone, dragging the rear brake is harder.
I got to know some Houston motor officers where I live and even made some and got some copies of videos of them riding. They have let me start practicing with them on weekends and they also introduced me to a product called Smith Guards which I think one of the officers patented and had made by a small manufacturer in Houston. I am told they are only sold in Houston through social media site...Guess they cant keep up with orders cause they say it takes 4 weeks to get a set...They use word of mouth in Houston to sell them. Since you responded before figured I would let u know... I found the site on facebook... motorcycle practice guards...I got a used set of black ones from one of the officers but the site shows they have them in chrome and powder coat, mine were plastic dipped because they were a practice set. These things look like they are a Harley part, they are heavy duty and look kool on the police bike and the CVO they have them on, they really beef the bike up. Thing is they don't have it where u can order online it's just a phone number.....I just called and was able to order a set of chrome ones to leave on my bike at all times, the guy asked how I found out about them... Like they have told me even officers have mishaps on their personal bikes..You would not believe in a month I have been able to learn to ride competition patterns because of these guys and these guards they introduced me to and without tearing my bike up..I have had my bike on the ground repeatedly and no damage and i can practice anytime cause i keep them on bike cause they look they belong like a Harley part ...I wore the guards out and they showed me how easy they are to repair back to new...took about 15 mins, and didnt have to buy engine guards and they look and protect so much better than anything else I have seen or tried...just figured I would let you know since you are practicing also, keep it up, know I will!!
Nuts on the tank helps with not stretching your arms out so much in the turns and your body will be positioned in the true center of the motorcycle. Position your right hand further out on the throttle, helps the wrist bend on right turns and maintain correct throttle position in the fiction zone.
More in the friction zone and play with it more and you will get better, use your head look in the direction you turn, do not cover the front brake lever and use your throttle go slow it will help.
Your speeded up video clips were revealing. This is something I have to work on this year. I've ridden since the late 60s and never had any problem with slow speed maneuvers, even with big Harleys that I owned. But I went a couple decades without owning a bike (but I rode occasionally) until last year when I bought a Triumph Rocket III Touring. It's huge (largest production motorcycle engine in the world - 2300cc's) and feels much heavier than a full-dress HD. I tipped it several times when I first got it when stopping. Once it starts to tip, there's no stopping the beast and I'm a big, strong guy. That freaked me out and got me very tentative with slow speed maneuvers - doing them like a complete newbie, which is embarrassing. The problem is knowing that if the bike isn't almost perfectly vertical when stopping, it's going over and it can go over easily in slow speed maneuvers if they aren't done correctly. So I really have to find an empty parking lot and work on this this spring. But, as I said, the hard part is knowing that my beast can't be stopped if it starts to go over. Putting a foot down like you did won't stop the Rocket when stopping. When moving slowly, it might work but the feet shouldn't go down at all, as you know. I've never had this problem with other bikes. I never even gave slow speed maneuvers a second thought until I got the Rocket. What a beast! But what an amazing machine on the open road!
The Rocket's center of gravity must be higher if it's that hard to hold up. Folks say it's really easy to break an ankle when putting a foot down like I did. Regardless, it just takes practice and then you learn to use the throttle to get out of a tip instead of the foot or even going over.
Some more add on advise. Try to swing right just a little right before you turn left and the same the other way. It’s called tear dropping the turn. It works like a charm. I’m taking about a 12 to 14 foot turn easy when I do that
Concerning putting your foot down, it's something everyone struggles with at first. However, it's a futile practice. The reason I say that is because if the bike you are riding in the video starts to go over, it's way to heavy for you to stop it. You'll end up hurting yourself.
To jcrides, thanks for info on those practice guards..I called last Tuesday and got mine here on friday...I paid more on shipping to get them here for the weekend...they are so awesome, thanks so much and yes there is a number on site but u have to look for it...and they asked how I found out about them?? Lol!!
Interesting - in the UK we have to do these sort of manoeuvres as part of our off-road riding test. I was always told to move forward in the seat 'balls on the tank' so that there's still some flex in the arms, otherwise you end up tightening on the throttle when your arm reaches full stretch on full lock.
Don't feel bad, I got a hard time too and I have a sportster. I think my fear comes from dropping the bike. Who knows but I need much more or a practice.
Nice work, watching your progress from the beginning to the end shows your development in the skill. For certain, coaching your self is as hard as it gets. Good job.
We repeat this every spring when the snow has gone - these skills are lost alittle during wintertime, - in our HD Chapter we call it "Rustløseren" - you shake the rust out of yourself. Yes, I have the badge - "SafeRider Skills" !
thm4855 Rustoloseren... awesome. I've come to the point where I actually enjoy keeping up the practice. After one summer, I'm easily between the lines and regularly turning 16 foot or better turns. You just have to get over the fear of the lean. :)
EpicCowlick If you want to keep your License, - you need to visit the doctor every year after 75, so with more than 45years with mopeds, scooters, ATV,s and motorcycles its time to give up. No, not because I dont like it, but at that age you,re not young anymore, and I think any person should be honest to himself at that point, dont drive so you risk other peoples property and life when you have rached that age - well, thats my personal meaning. ( no, I am nor afraid of leaning over - but it depends on what you are leaning over and by - nice girl, - or too much to drink or the motorcycle - haha. The 2014 Dyna Lowrider is resting through the winter now - it,ll come out in the spring together with the bears.
something everybody should consider in their spare time, when I purchased a UMC fat pounder with a 113 S&S and a 230 millimeter rear tire it took me a couple minutes to figure out how to use that tire actually I'm fibbing, it took me a week LOL
Nice video and nice work! Everyone (including me) should find a vacant lot and do this. Looks like I'm on the way to Lowe's for some green Frog Tape! :)
I found nice chrome guards at motorcycle guards.com if you are interested. Im new to riding as well and am looking to protect my 2018 street glide. They have worked great for me except I had to wait for 2 months to get them last month.
Great video, I do the same thing I spend 30 mins after my hour ride in the car park as your doing and I'm coming along just fine my circles are down to one parking space but I'm on a little 125 but it will take time....thanks
Ride like a pro videos support your head and eyes technique. if you need to put your foot down you need a little more speed to keep the bike more upright thru the turn. it's amazing how it work after you learn it. good job.
if you have difficulties in turning, we all have - some to the left, as I have - and you to the right. yes the clutch is high on rightturn, but if you put on a litlle gas and you adjust the speed with the brake. but this is just to get the License. ThM - Norway.
EpicCowlick I was told many years ago that this is something we have in the brain - the motorcycleteacher said that Some has difficulties to left, others to the right. It is like some are lefthanded, and some kick a ball (Soccer/football) with left as I do, but to jump on one foot - I use the right .
I'm not sure that putting the foot down would stop a fall, although I did it once, making a U-turn, on my Victory Cross (no fall, just instinctively put my foot down). That's why big bikes like this have crash bars.
+jsiuksta yes, putting your foot down will help. Probably depends on how far over the bike is...If you have good awareness, you can feel it. Now, this is coming from someone that literally just passed his basic driving course. My very first bike, is a softail slim.. i was told I was crazy to buy such a big expensive bike as my first. haha oh well.. But when i was doing that figure 8 in the box, I had to put my foot down. but you can feel when you need to do it. I kept hitting the front brake though. I know that's wrong to do. I need to practice using rear brake, throttle and clutch together.
+Jim Morrison That is the trick. I will go out every month or two when I only have a little while to ride and do the practice drills. Over time I have gotten much more confident at slow speeds but it did take some time. You are right to never use the front brake. Just make sure you turn your head in the direction of the turn and use the clutch and throttle together. It really does make a huge difference.
How many times did you drop your bike learning that? I have tried that with plastic pro-guards on my engine guards and cement ripped right through the plastic and into chrome the second time I did it...
rockin6768 Luckily I didn't drop it. The only time the bike has been down is because of a dog running into the road. I was almost completely stopped and basically stepped off. Chrome is still unscathed.
lol I am the opposite. Tonight I went out to a parking lot and did similar maneuvers, but it was my left turn that would cause me to put a foot down....good video though.
Have you ever considered pulling the handle bars closer to you. This way you're not have to reach so far up to pull the clutch on a right turn. (just curious)
David Downing I haven't but it's a good idea. it's been a couple of years since I made this video and slow speed turns are easier now. it still takes practice a couple times a season but I can pretty easily turn inside 18 feet confidently. It's just fun.
+EpicCowlick I have been watching several videos on slow speed maneuvers and plan on getting some friends together in a parking lot somewhere. I think we could all benefit from this type of practice. Thanks for posting the video and for the quick response.
+EpicCowlick I have been watching several videos on slow speed maneuvers and plan on getting some friends together in a parking lot somewhere. I think we could all benefit from this type of practice. Thanks for posting the video and for the quick response.
+EpicCowlick I have been watching several videos on slow speed maneuvers and plan on getting some friends together in a parking lot somewhere. I think we could all benefit from this type of practice. Thanks for posting the video and for the quick response.
One fun exercise is to execute a full lock 180 degree turn from a stopped position. Inside foot on ground, handle bars fully over (left of right), head turned 90 degrees into the turn and give it some throttle. It's really easy because you accelerate and feel like you have plenty of control. Builds quick confidence because you're turning a 180 degree turn in about 10 - 12 feet. Big pay-off for the new rider when he does it.
Riding slow on a 900 lb motorcycle is difficult because it can fall over easily. Most riders fall over in parking lots or driveways because once the bike starts tipping, it's too heavy to save. This exercise develops a rider's confidence to lean over and use the throttle and brake together to maintain control.
I can make right turns a lot easier and tighter than left turns. Just the opposite of you. I am left eye dominate and think that might have something to do with it. My wife is right eye dominate and she, like you, finds it easier to make left turns than right. Just a thought as a possible reason.
Good thought, I'm a left eye also. I heard one guy describe the left/right dominance thing and say it's similar to being right or left handed only the legs don't need to be as dextrous. Everyone is one way or the other with the exception of truly ambidextrous people. Most people don't realize they are right or left footed until they start riding a motorcycle or snow ski or water ski. Then they find out one direction feels natural and the other is awkward. Regardless, with practice it's fairly easy to overcome.
notice you are not starting your turn with swerve.. or a dip! right before you stary your turn you dip right then begin your u turn. and vise versa for left turn you probably doing it know?
For those who want to practice this type of riding anytime anywhere without worry of damage checkout the product at Facebook motorcycle practice guards....
+EpicCowlick yeah where I live u are starting to see them on all the bikes down here. they look like they are part of the bikeand they can be repaired so easily back to new
Take a Ride Like A Pro class ridelikeapro.com - they teach the proper techniques for handling your heavyweight motorcycle used by Police Motor Officers.
Hey man! Good to see more people practicing. It's been over 6 months, so I'm sure you've improved since June. Hope you're working to break the habit of putting the foot down to stop a drop. It'll often result in a broken ankle. I've witnessed at least a dozen. So please visit www.rideskillfully.com to join other like-minded riders that value their skills for fun and safety. Log in and introduce yourself or just lurk. That's what the forum is for. Ken
couldnt tell from the video but my advise would be for you to sit up on the seat more. it looks like you are sitting too far back. this causes you to lean forward as you are making your turns thus causing the center of gravity to be off. you should still have some bend in your elbow at full lock out. also you only need to look left or right at roughly 90 degrees. use your elbow as a guide. no need to look further to the side than the direction of your elbow which will be around 90 degrees correcting this will help you a great deal. also keep your feet on the foot boards. if you keep putting your feet down your going to break your leg sooner or later. let the bike go down. its a terrible habit to put your feet down. cant tell where your head and eyes are from the video. keep your back straight like you have a board going down your spine. posture matters while doing this. the rest is in the friction zone of the clutch along with feathering the rear brake and throttle control. takes a little time. that bike can get well within the 18 foot radius turn. if you can set up a key hole with cones. that will really do the trick. check for videos on this. but doing good otherwise. its common to be able to do one direction better than the other. its normal. stay straight up in the saddle. rotate at the hips and let the bike do the leaning. after a while it becomes old hat but constant practice helps maintain the proficiency.
Thanks for the tips. I put on a lot more miles and many more practice hours after this video was taken and can attest to what you are saying. The elbow alignment trick is useful as it keeps the rider from over-rotating the head. As a follow-up, by the end of the summer I was easily keeping the turns inside the 18 foot radius and regularly well inside that. It does take practice, as you say, and focus. I wish I could post your comments on a sticky as there are so many people, like myself, who are or were looking for that kind of instruction.
and his head needs to turn where he wants to go because if he looks on the ground he will fall or put a foot down and its throttle control and friction zone and a little back break
jeff h )
Man, I gotta hand it to you, you practiced and you got it. I am a 62 yr old female who's been riding for 48yrs. I got my first Harley Road King in 2007. Before that I had a 2000 Honda Valkyrie Interstate. As of a month ago I bought a new Harley Electra Glide Classic. I want to get my turns tighter and after watching your video I now know I can! Thanks.
+Jane Thorkelson You'll have fun on that new EGC. Practice, practice, practice... ;)
Is fun!
You go girl.
that was a GREAT first attempt... you had great control of the bike.
for whoever is watching this and decides to practice slow speed maneuvers on heavy bikes, my suggestion is to set your idle speed higher if possible so you don't have to worry about working the clutch.. it makes concentrating on the body position and balancing the bike quite easier.
always adjust your speed when necessary with the rear brake ONLY, using the front one would greatly imbalance the bike.
also, the clutch can get quite hot if kept in the 'friction zone' as they call it, so let it cool every 15min or so...
nothing beats practice!
All good points. Thanks!
Everybody interested in this should check out Ride Like a Pro with Jerry Palladino. He's a police motor officer instructor and teaches these techniques in detail. Search him here on RUclips--he has a channel and puts out videos regularly. Cool guy and fabulous rider!
Good practice! There are two parking areas and one narrow side street that I challenge myself with also.
Great idea to video tape your progress. Riders don't always realize the benefits of doing this at least once a week and
when you leave the lot you feel more competent on your rides!
Amen to that. You just get better and better and it really doesn't take much effort. Just do it!
I did the same til I learned to drag rear brake. It was scary until I saw it worked. Good video
If we go back to our childhood days and first riding a bike we were told to "keep peddling". We are doing a balancing act on two wheels "gyroscopes" if you will. The faster you pedal the faster the gyros kick in and take over our upright fear vanish. The force of the gyros increases with speed and then it will resist turning because it wants to go straight, one gyro following the other. This is why you must lean the gyros over when making a turn. Gravity pulls down and the gyros, while taking a curve, will hold you also. The two forces wind up adjusting to a pull not only by gravity but by the gyros and wind up at a 30 to 60 degree angle pull. If you think of a top when it is thrown and spinning it holds itself up on a tiny point. As it slows it starts to wobble and that increases until it lays over on its side. That is what a motorcycle will do also. There is a minimal speed that we can go without falling over. Unlike the top we can adjust our weight a little to maintain a balance for a short period even at a stop but will eventually fall over or put your foot out to keep it from hitting the ground. Hope this helps.
Just started riding Oct 2017. Here in Seattle it rains a lot, so the weather has broke and I'm now riding my 07 Super Glide. My corners are horrible. Thanks for the video, I going to practice today.
you can google the diagram easily. its easy to set up. get a nail and a tape measure. go out 9 feet and draw a radius. the opening known as the gate is 5 ft wide. you can make the gate any length but about 5 or 6 feet is fine. to complete the pattern successfully will take time and technique. when you enter the gate make sure the bike is aligned along the left or right side of the gate. left side if your going counterclockwise and right side if your going clockwise. as you enter past the gate at the beginning of the circle dip the bike left or right depending on direction and put the front tire close to the cones along the 6 or 3 oclock position. its called the transition point. maintain the front tire position within 6 inches or less of the cone as you transition the turn towards the 12oclock. you will need to do a dip opposite to the cones on the way our to pull the bike far enough away from the cones so the saddle bags dont hit them. thats a very condensed version of the explanation. there is more to it .. head, eyes, posture. etc. its difficult to explain in text form rather than in person type instruction. use as many cones as you like. I like to use a lot. but for many people it freaks them out being in an enclosed space. Your gonna drop the bike so get ready. its ok though. dont stare at the cones. your going to go where you look so dont stare at them. you will hit them enough anyway. this is similar to the parking lot video you were doing but it is much less forgiving. you will find that doing this in an actual keyhole set up is considerably more difficult. that said though just keep practicing and you will get it. based on your video i would say you have a good understanding of whats needed. just keep working on it. Use sidewalk chalk to mark the location of the cones that way you can put them back in place when you hit them. And put on some BOOTS> no tennis shoes. way to risky to do it in tennis shoes especially on this course. remember when you get frustrated that this course is one of about 9 that are part of the Motor Officer Training Course from Northwestern University. And it is a 2 week course. This pattern isnt even introduced until usually the first friday. 5 days into the training. so just relax with it. ...Its a ton of fun
Thanks a lot. This sounds like a blast. I'll do some more study and setup a course and grab some buddies and we'll try it. Guaranteed there will be some bikes on their sides.
Thanks for the video. I've spent quite a few hours over the course of the last two months in parking lots working slow speed turns. I was watching ride like a pro RUclips videos but seeing folks make it look easy wasn't helping. Watching your struggle and progression helps a bunch. Have a safe riding season and thanks again for posting the video !
Hopefully it was helpful. pass it along. I learned a lot over the years and am certified as an instructor from the Northwestern University Harley Davidson Motorcycle training division. There are a lot of nuances to doing it correctly. You did well especially without instruction. Few people take the time to learn how to ride efficiently like what your doing. The key hole is the most difficult of the courses from Northwestern. Thats the one most everyone has trouble with and the one that takes the most work. Keep at it. I love doing cone courses. I love the challenge and it really does hone your skills.
Do you have specs for a properly laid-out key-hole course? Approach length, width, key-hole diameter? I'd love to put out some cones and try it. A video of my first try would definitely make it on this channel for better or worse.
Those big green knee pads may be embarrassing but your turns are tighter and your chrome still looks good. LOL
your right the chrome guards are expensive. I bought some nice guards at motorycleguards.com to practice with instead of rigging tape to my bike.
This helped and encouraged me a lot as a newer rider. Thank you for being honest about working to improve your low speed turns. I need to do the same thing! Have a great day!
Thanks for the video, I have been riding about a year and spend a good amount of time practicing on the same course where I took the license school. I am right handed and make much better left turns than right turns. Not sure why that is, but like you, with practice my right turns improve!
things are getting better as I now have 200 miles on my 2016 FLD, but I had such problems taking
left turns after a stop. Thank You for showing the line practice, I will practice that Myself.
They hardest this is just getting out and doing it. Everyone wants to go ride and no one wants to do a hundred circles in a parking lot. But hey, it's a huge help and people who do are confident and much more fun to ride with.
I feel this, coming off a Heritage and riding a King. the clutch is different than my 12 heritage on the 18 king. Getting into the friction zone, dragging the rear brake is harder.
I got to know some Houston motor officers where I live and even made some and got some copies of videos of them riding. They have let me start practicing with them on weekends and they also introduced me to a product called Smith Guards which I think one of the officers patented and had made by a small manufacturer in Houston. I am told they are only sold in Houston through social media site...Guess they cant keep up with orders cause they say it takes 4 weeks to get a set...They use word of mouth in Houston to sell them. Since you responded before figured I would let u know... I found the site on facebook... motorcycle practice guards...I got a used set of black ones from one of the officers but the site shows they have them in chrome and powder coat, mine were plastic dipped because they were a practice set. These things look like they are a Harley part, they are heavy duty and look kool on the police bike and the CVO they have them on, they really beef the bike up. Thing is they don't have it where u can order online it's just a phone number.....I just called and was able to order a set of chrome ones to leave on my bike at all times, the guy asked how I found out about them... Like they have told me even officers have mishaps on their personal bikes..You would not believe in a month I have been able to learn to ride competition patterns because of these guys and these guards they introduced me to and without tearing my bike up..I have had my bike on the ground repeatedly and no damage and i can practice anytime cause i keep them on bike cause they look they belong like a Harley part ...I wore the guards out and they showed me how easy they are to repair back to new...took about 15 mins, and didnt have to buy engine guards and they look and protect so much better than anything else I have seen or tried...just figured I would let you know since you are practicing also, keep it up, know I will!!
Just started learning to ride on a 1200 sportster this week. Right turns are harder for me as well.
Nuts on the tank helps with not stretching your arms out so much in the turns and your body will be positioned in the true center of the motorcycle. Position your right hand further out on the throttle, helps the wrist bend on right turns and maintain correct throttle position in the fiction zone.
More in the friction zone and play with it more and you will get better, use your head look in the direction you turn, do not cover the front brake lever and use your throttle go slow it will help.
Glad to see In not the only one doing this.. harder than people think.. keep on keep on practicing
+19jody72 So true. Only trouble now is that I have to wait 4 months to get back on the bike. Snow, snow, snow...
+EpicCowlick I hear ya.. I'm in Mo... so far no snow ! be safe man!
Your speeded up video clips were revealing.
This is something I have to work on this year. I've ridden since the late 60s and never had any problem with slow speed maneuvers, even with big Harleys that I owned. But I went a couple decades without owning a bike (but I rode occasionally) until last year when I bought a Triumph Rocket III Touring. It's huge (largest production motorcycle engine in the world - 2300cc's) and feels much heavier than a full-dress HD. I tipped it several times when I first got it when stopping. Once it starts to tip, there's no stopping the beast and I'm a big, strong guy. That freaked me out and got me very tentative with slow speed maneuvers - doing them like a complete newbie, which is embarrassing. The problem is knowing that if the bike isn't almost perfectly vertical when stopping, it's going over and it can go over easily in slow speed maneuvers if they aren't done correctly. So I really have to find an empty parking lot and work on this this spring. But, as I said, the hard part is knowing that my beast can't be stopped if it starts to go over. Putting a foot down like you did won't stop the Rocket when stopping. When moving slowly, it might work but the feet shouldn't go down at all, as you know. I've never had this problem with other bikes. I never even gave slow speed maneuvers a second thought until I got the Rocket. What a beast! But what an amazing machine on the open road!
The Rocket's center of gravity must be higher if it's that hard to hold up. Folks say it's really easy to break an ankle when putting a foot down like I did. Regardless, it just takes practice and then you learn to use the throttle to get out of a tip instead of the foot or even going over.
Some more add on advise. Try to swing right just a little right before you turn left and the same the other way. It’s called tear dropping the turn. It works like a charm. I’m taking about a 12 to 14 foot turn easy when I do that
Nice video. Thanks for taking the time to talk this through.
Concerning putting your foot down, it's something everyone struggles with at first. However, it's a futile practice. The reason I say that is because if the bike you are riding in the video starts to go over, it's way to heavy for you to stop it. You'll end up hurting yourself.
To jcrides, thanks for info on those practice guards..I called last Tuesday and got mine here on friday...I paid more on shipping to get them here for the weekend...they are so awesome, thanks so much and yes there is a number on site but u have to look for it...and they asked how I found out about them?? Lol!!
Interesting - in the UK we have to do these sort of manoeuvres as part of our off-road riding test. I was always told to move forward in the seat 'balls on the tank' so that there's still some flex in the arms, otherwise you end up tightening on the throttle when your arm reaches full stretch on full lock.
Sliding forward might help for shorter arms. It would be difficult to do that though. The rider position is pretty well set on these big bikes.
Don't feel bad, I got a hard time too and I have a sportster. I think my fear comes from dropping the bike. Who knows but I need much more or a practice.
What a great looking machine.
Nice work, watching your progress from the beginning to the end shows your development in the skill. For certain, coaching your self is as hard as it gets. Good job.
Thanks. After a summer of riding and another several such sessions, I can happily report I do much better.
We repeat this every spring when the snow has gone - these skills are lost alittle during wintertime, - in our
HD Chapter we call it "Rustløseren" - you shake the rust out of yourself.
Yes, I have the badge - "SafeRider Skills" !
thm4855 Rustoloseren... awesome. I've come to the point where I actually enjoy keeping up the practice. After one summer, I'm easily between the lines and regularly turning 16 foot or better turns. You just have to get over the fear of the lean. :)
EpicCowlick If you want to keep your License, - you need to visit the doctor every year after 75, so with more than
45years with mopeds, scooters, ATV,s and motorcycles its time to give up. No, not because I dont like it, but at
that age you,re not young anymore, and I think any person should be honest to himself at that point, dont drive so
you risk other peoples property and life when you have rached that age - well, thats my personal meaning.
( no, I am nor afraid of leaning over - but it depends on what you are leaning over and by - nice girl, - or too much to drink or the motorcycle - haha. The 2014 Dyna Lowrider is resting through the winter now - it,ll come out in the spring together with the bears.
something everybody should consider in their spare time, when I purchased a UMC fat pounder with a 113 S&S and a 230 millimeter rear tire it took me a couple minutes to figure out how to use that tire actually I'm fibbing, it took me a week LOL
Before you turn left, dip right and vice versa.
Nice video and nice work! Everyone (including me) should find a vacant lot and do this. Looks like I'm on the way to Lowe's for some green Frog Tape! :)
I found nice chrome guards at motorcycle guards.com if you are interested. Im new to riding as well and am looking to protect my 2018 street glide. They have worked great for me except I had to wait for 2 months to get them last month.
Great video, I do the same thing I spend 30 mins after my hour ride in the car park as your doing and I'm coming along just fine my circles are down to one parking space but I'm on a little 125 but it will take time....thanks
Turning on the throttle side is usually the oddest to get the feel of. Turning to that side makes you want to throttle up or down.
That's my experience.
EpicCowlick keep practicing. You'll get it man. That size bike isn't easy but very doable.
Turn your head. Friction zone and a little rear brake if necessary.
Ride like a pro videos support your head and eyes technique. if you need to put your foot down you need a little more speed to keep the bike more upright thru the turn. it's amazing how it work after you learn it. good job.
I recently got a 2014 Victory Cross Country, which has a longer wheelbase than the Road King. Nevertheless practice makes perfect!
Good work brother, I know it's not easy man
if you have difficulties in turning, we all have - some to the left, as I have - and you to the right. yes the clutch is high on rightturn, but if you put on a litlle gas and you adjust the speed with the brake. but this is just to get the License.
ThM - Norway.
Yeah, interesting how one side or the other is harder. Just like being right handed or left handed...?
EpicCowlick I was told many years ago that this is something we have in the brain - the motorcycleteacher said that
Some has difficulties to left, others to the right. It is like some are lefthanded, and some kick a ball (Soccer/football) with left as I do, but to jump on one foot - I use the right .
Good looking bike. Looks like mine .:)
I suck turning to my right, I always put my foot down. just keep practicing.
Speed up and lean !
new rider this is pretty cool.
It's funny, I'm 58 and just started riding 7 mos ago. I'm a new rider too. Be safe out there.
I'm not sure that putting the foot down would stop a fall, although I did it once, making a U-turn, on my Victory Cross (no fall, just instinctively put my foot down). That's why big bikes like this have crash bars.
+jsiuksta yes, putting your foot down will help. Probably depends on how far over the bike is...If you have good awareness, you can feel it. Now, this is coming from someone that literally just passed his basic driving course. My very first bike, is a softail slim.. i was told I was crazy to buy such a big expensive bike as my first. haha oh well.. But when i was doing that figure 8 in the box, I had to put my foot down. but you can feel when you need to do it. I kept hitting the front brake though. I know that's wrong to do. I need to practice using rear brake, throttle and clutch together.
+Jim Morrison That is the trick. I will go out every month or two when I only have a little while to ride and do the practice drills. Over time I have gotten much more confident at slow speeds but it did take some time. You are right to never use the front brake. Just make sure you turn your head in the direction of the turn and use the clutch and throttle together. It really does make a huge difference.
How many times did you drop your bike learning that? I have tried that with plastic pro-guards on my engine guards and cement ripped right through the plastic and into chrome the second time I did it...
rockin6768 Luckily I didn't drop it. The only time the bike has been down is because of a dog running into the road. I was almost completely stopped and basically stepped off. Chrome is still unscathed.
lol I am the opposite. Tonight I went out to a parking lot and did similar maneuvers, but it was my left turn that would cause me to put a foot down....good video though.
I've done this with several friends. You never know which side will be the most awkward but everyone seems to have one.
Nice! Get a RLAP DVD, practice the drills and you'll soon be cutting them sharper (floorboard dragging) with total confidence.
Thanks. I've scraped a couple of times but only when I was trying to. Little freaky the first time.
Yep! Jerry (Motorman) Palladino. Ride Like A Pro!
Have you ever considered pulling the handle bars closer to you. This way you're not have to reach so far up to pull the clutch on a right turn. (just curious)
David Downing I haven't but it's a good idea. it's been a couple of years since I made this video and slow speed turns are easier now. it still takes practice a couple times a season but I can pretty easily turn inside 18 feet confidently. It's just fun.
+EpicCowlick I have been watching several videos on slow speed maneuvers and plan on getting some friends together in a parking lot somewhere. I think we could all benefit from this type of practice. Thanks for posting the video and for the quick response.
+EpicCowlick I have been watching several videos on slow speed maneuvers and plan on getting some friends together in a parking lot somewhere. I think we could all benefit from this type of practice. Thanks for posting the video and for the quick response.
+EpicCowlick I have been watching several videos on slow speed maneuvers and plan on getting some friends together in a parking lot somewhere. I think we could all benefit from this type of practice. Thanks for posting the video and for the quick response.
One fun exercise is to execute a full lock 180 degree turn from a stopped position. Inside foot on ground, handle bars fully over (left of right), head turned 90 degrees into the turn and give it some throttle. It's really easy because you accelerate and feel like you have plenty of control. Builds quick confidence because you're turning a 180 degree turn in about 10 - 12 feet. Big pay-off for the new rider when he does it.
I don't ride so this is just a question what's the purpose of this exercise
Riding slow on a 900 lb motorcycle is difficult because it can fall over easily. Most riders fall over in parking lots or driveways because once the bike starts tipping, it's too heavy to save. This exercise develops a rider's confidence to lean over and use the throttle and brake together to maintain control.
What did you use to tape your guards?
There's a video on the channel called Knee Pads. It shows how they are made.
Rpm rev up..sit fwd but smart to practice...so many ppl don't ever..
that's impressive
I can make right turns a lot easier and tighter than left turns. Just the opposite of you. I am left eye dominate and think that might have something to do with it. My wife is right eye dominate and she, like you, finds it easier to make left turns than right. Just a thought as a possible reason.
Good thought, I'm a left eye also. I heard one guy describe the left/right dominance thing and say it's similar to being right or left handed only the legs don't need to be as dextrous. Everyone is one way or the other with the exception of truly ambidextrous people. Most people don't realize they are right or left footed until they start riding a motorcycle or snow ski or water ski. Then they find out one direction feels natural and the other is awkward. Regardless, with practice it's fairly easy to overcome.
Helpful thanks
notice you are not starting your turn with swerve.. or a dip! right before you stary your turn you dip right then begin your u turn. and vise versa for left turn you probably doing it know?
You're right. It was my second season on the bike and I hadn't figured that out yet. It's second nature now. Thanks.
Nice!
For those who want to practice this type of riding anytime anywhere without worry of damage checkout the product at Facebook motorcycle practice guards....
+jcrides c Those are a lot better looking than big, green blobs of tape... ;)
+EpicCowlick yeah where I live u are starting to see them on all the bikes down here. they look like they are part of the bikeand they can be repaired so easily back to new
you got a problem, with this maneuvering ????
Not anymore. Practice makes perfect.
If u are watching this for slow speed skills check out motorcycleguards.com they have great product for learning this.
Take a Ride Like A Pro class ridelikeapro.com - they teach the proper techniques for handling your heavyweight motorcycle used by Police Motor Officers.
Have no.fear
Hey man! Good to see more people practicing. It's been over 6 months, so I'm sure you've improved since June. Hope you're working to break the habit of putting the foot down to stop a drop. It'll often result in a broken ankle. I've witnessed at least a dozen.
So please visit www.rideskillfully.com to join other like-minded riders that value their skills for fun and safety. Log in and introduce yourself or just lurk. That's what the forum is for.
Ken
Take those gloves off and wear some boots and get rid of those Brooks
All riding on Harley's is slow. HD. Turning gas into noise for over a century.
And what a beautiful noise it is...