Making a sharp U-turn with the K1200LT
Compliments of Phill Ward
Tips
for BMW riders wishing to do nice, tight U turns, without resorting to the humiliation of:
*Dropping your pride and joy;
*Paddling your feet on the ground like you are riding a child's tricycle;
*Wobbling around like a learner rider;
*Driving around and around town until you can find a roundabout;
*Driving around two entire blocks, so as to reverse your direction.
This
is the technique that the NSW Police pursuit motorcyclists utilise to do U turns, whether
it is on their K1100LT, their Harley Road King, or their Honda 1500. Bear in mind they have around 100kg (220lbs) of
equipment on board, which would equate to a pillion passenger in most books....
This technique will turn your cycle around in a two lane road, leaving about 1.8m or 6 feet to spare. Interested? Read on....
The
key to making nice, tight U turns is centripetal force.
Remember that expression from your high school physics days? It is the force you can feel when you hold a
spinning top, and try to move it suddenly. The
top resists - the faster you spin it, the more resistance you feel. To make centripetal force work to your advantage,
you induce spin into your engine components by revving the motor. Not blipping the throttle, but by running up to,
and holding at around 2,500 RPM. The
centripetal force exerted by your spinning engine components under these conditions is
considerable ...more than enough to hold you, your bike, your pillion and luggage upright
whilst you manoeuver through your turn.
The
steps to follow are:
1) Pull to side of road and stop.
2) Check mirrors for traffic approaching
from the rear
3) Check for oncoming traffic
4) Signal your intention to turn
5) RPM to 2500 and hold it there.
6) Clutch out until begins to engage and
move off. Do not fully release, allow to slip only.
BOTH
FEET UP.
7) Control your speed by using the rear
brake ONLY, and continuing to
8) **KEEP YOUR HEAD UP - LOOK TO WHERE
YOU WANT TO GO** Failure to do so
9) Did I say KEEP YOUR HEAD UP? Well, I'm saying it again. KEEP
YOUR HEAD UP.
10) Using the rear brake to control your
speed, come to full lock and begin your turn. KEEP
YOUR HEAD UP,
and aim to turn at about walking speed.
11) KEEP YOUR HEAD UP - control your speed
with the rear brake and maintain engine speed.
12) Accomplished riders do not even need
to take their feet off the pegs to execute this manoeuver, especially if they keep their
head you-know-where.
13) After you have completed your graceful
U turn, allow the clutch to engage fully and ride off into that sunset, to the admiration
of onlookers and other lesser riders that have witnessed your skill and precision.
GUIDE
FOR RELUCTANT DAREDEVILS
If
you are not-so-sure you can do this, try a little practise.
A good venue is a car-park, where you can go nice and slow and get the hang
of slipping the clutch and riding the rear brake at the same time. When you are making a U turn, you should do it at
about walking speed or less - at 2500 RPM this can only be achieved by the use of both
clutch-slip and rear brake. Try a few low
speed figure 8 turns, wide at first, then approaching full-lock.
You
will be able to do full-lock (bars against the tank) U turns in either direction with
practise.
Get in the habit of keeping your feet on the pegs so as you develope your balance and make use of the centripetal forces generated by using the motor. (Cops call feet-down riders "paddle foots", and feel it is a sign of only limited ability to control the motorcycle
A
few of you are saying - slip the clutch! NEVER!! Believe me, the cost of replacing a worn clutch is much LESS than that of replacing a busted
fairing. (my K1100LT has 60,000km on it and
the original clutch is holding up just fine. The
first 40,000km were spent as a low speed Police escort cycle)
SUMMARY
-HEAD
UP HEAD UP HEAD UP HEAD UP
-ENGINE
SPEED CONSTANT THROUGHOUT TURN @ 2500RPM (higher if you want even more stability)
-WALKING
SPEED BY SLIPPING THE CLUTCH AND RIDING THE REAR BRAKE FEET UP AND ON THE PEGS
-CHECK
FOR TRAFFIC IN BOTH DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU START YOUR TURN -HEAD...........UP