wife is going to bike school
#12
06-23-2012, 10:46 AM
Grand HDF Member
What's the importance of learning to do a figure 8 ? In all my years of riding I have never HAD to do back to back u-turns. Wouldn't taking the group out in "real traffic" and learn them how not to get wrecked be more beneficial?
#13
06-23-2012, 11:00 AM
Florida Crew Moderator
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yes and getting out of second gear would be good too ...
#14
06-23-2012, 11:26 AM
Grand HDF Member
when i took the motorcycle test about 16 years ago,all i had to do is basiclly ride in a big circle in a parking lot, then stop in a box.. WTH is the point of the figure eight? if you were riding figure eights in a parking lot, a cop would stop you and give a ticket for reckless operation or something.. same state, i had to parallel park a tractor trailer to get a CDL.. any one on here ever have to parallel park a semi anywhere?? i never did it or saw it done again after the test.
Yep. My Pop drove a semi in the '60's through the '80's for a supermarket chain. Twin screw tractor, 45' trailer. Drove in the city of Chicago (he preferred it to delivering in the 'burbs) I went with him a couple of times when I was a teenager. Bare bones tractor, no passenger seat so I sat on a milk crate. He had to back that truck around a corner into an alley that was about 5 feet wider than the trailer, and then about a half block back to the loading dock. Later that night when we stopped at an all night diner to eat, he parallel parked it. Seemed like it was a normal part of the job. Impressed the hell out of me, though.
Crazy
#15
06-23-2012, 11:54 AM
My girlfriend took the class last year. She was not sure if she wanted to ride or not. Well, she smoked the class and the next week we picked her up a 600 shadow. Now she rides to work and goes out on her own when I'm at work. Next summer it's sportster time.
#16
06-23-2012, 12:01 PM
Stellar HDF Member
Yep. My Pop drove a semi in the '60's through the '80's for a supermarket chain. Twin screw tractor, 45' trailer. Drove in the city of Chicago (he preferred it to delivering in the 'burbs) I went with him a couple of times when I was a teenager. Bare bones tractor, no passenger seat so I sat on a milk crate. He had to back that truck around a corner into an alley that was about 5 feet wider than the trailer, and then about a half block back to the loading dock. Later that night when we stopped at an all night diner to eat, he parallel parked it. Seemed like it was a normal part of the job. Impressed the hell out of me, though.
Crazy
Crazy
Good luck to the OP's O.L. Hope she's gonna sail thru.
#18
06-23-2012, 02:09 PM
Elite HDF Member
Just my thoughts, but doing the Figure 8's demonstrates that the rider has control over the bike. I don't dee anything wrong with that.
As for including riding in traffic as someone suggested, I'm all for that too.
As for including riding in traffic as someone suggested, I'm all for that too.
#20
06-23-2012, 03:22 PM
Is it actually figure 8's or is it the two consecutive u-turns inside the rectangle? A true figure 8 makes no sense to me and I'm an MSF instructor. Figure 8's are fine for getting a feel for the bike and handling and for learning overall control after you have the basics down. The two consecutive U-turns are admittedly a bit redundant, but it's to show you can do it in each direction, not to mention it's not's a perfectly rounded turn into another turn.
Regardless, good luck to her.
Regardless, good luck to her.