Many drivers have issues making proper u-turns. Some drivers swing too wide and are in danger of hitting the other car they next to them, while are other drivers swing too narrowly and end up hitting the street divider. It is a problem for many people on the road. And motorcyclists are not immune to u-turns issues. Just because they have a smaller vehicle does not mean they are in less danger. This is why I have created a quick and easy guide on safely performing a tight U-turn, so you don’t end up flipping your motorcycle over.
Performing u-turns when you don’t know how to do them properly is bad, but serious weather can also turn an unsafe situation into a disastrous one. Keep yourself safe by wearing motorcycle rain gear. Or if you just need your lower half cover, you can wear rain pants with side zippers.
First, you must find an empty parking lot where you can practice. If you cannot find one during the day, then head to a nearby grocery store parking lot around nine at night. Most stores are closed by then, and the parking lot will be empty. Try to find an area where there are no parking blocks. You can then make u-turns over and over again without hitting anything.
Now you can begin the process of making a U-turn. Drive in a straight line as if you are coming up to a red light with a U-turn sign displayed on it. Slow down to a stop and then turn your right or left turn blinker on.
Now, look both ways as if there are cars on either side of you driving down the street. Just because you’re in a vehicle doesn’t mean other drivers will be able to see you. Unfortunately, all cars have massive blind spots, so you need to practice looking out for other vehicles on the road who may not be able to see you so you can avoid their movements. Extend your neck as far to the left and the right as you can without straining. If you can find that you cannot touch your chin to your shoulder when turning your head, you may need to take a few yoga classes to increase your stretching.
Now, pretend that the light turned from red to green and begin to make your u-turn. Grip your handles well and begin to build up speed. You should also be wearing leather motorcycle gloves so you can maintain a good grip on your bike. Remember to build up speed as you make for a u-turn. Whatever direction your bike turns to make this imaginary U-turn, your body should remain as vertical as possible. As your bike leans into the U-turn, your body and head must stand straight up.
Once you completed most of the U-turn and your bike is now completely 180 to whatever position it was first at, pretend to build up speed and meet traffic speed.
Even though U-turns are quite simple, they’re difficult to do because you have to make such a tight u-turn without letting your bike fall over. If you find out when you return, your bike leans over farther than you’re comfortable with, you aren’t keeping your body vertical and allowing it to lean with the motorcycle. If you do this, you are in danger of your motorcycle falling over and onto the ground.
If your main problem with making u-turns is that you are too close to the curb, do not look at the church when performing a U-turn. You need to keep your eyes on where you are planning to drive your motorcycle.
Practicing your u-turns will improve your skills and protect you and yourself from accidents. But whenever you drive a motorcycle, you should always be wearing the proper gear in case you do get into an accident. Every single rider needs to wear a motorcycle protective jacket to protect themselves. Sometimes accidents are inevitable and will happen no matter what you do. So you need to wear protective clothing that will soften the force of the impact. If you need better gear or if you have no gear at all, go to www.wickedstock.com or visit our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find great deals on tested and approved protective clothing.
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