Keep power to the rear wheel!!! Friction zone, rear brake, look to where you want to go.

 

I turn my head all the way back, looking over my shoulder to where I want to go.

That's the key right there. You have honed your hand eye coordination your entire life, your body knows what to do.The problem comes from over thinking it, most have trouble over coming their brains attempts to be cautious. You may also find you can gauge the correct speed in a corner better when you look to the exit and again let you body take over.

You'll get it

 

Head and eyes are the key along with rear brake and friction zone. Practice all the time. Still learning and working on it. I like to practice in lots and always try to do the turn in 2 parking spaces.

 

Like you I went from a 2002 Fatboy to a 2011 Road King. Found the RK to handle much better. U turns were no problem even with the GF in tow. Now I have a 2019 Ultra Ltd.
Have to see how that goes. Just got it home Thursday. Just make believe the front brake doesn't exist and you should be fine.

 

I subscribe to MC Rider on Youtube and he goes over the U turn procedure here:


I've been riding for 25 years but frequently review his videos and always seem to pick up some good rider tidbits.

 

Look over your shoulder at where you want to go, not st where you’re afraid you’re going to end up.

except for Sunday’s, church parking lots are empty, and those rows of parking spaces make dandy practice courses.

taking s ride like a pro course is a great experience. Far above and beyond watching a video.

 

Another tip I can offer is if you are going to practice a lot on slow speed maneuvers and are not yet proficient, stop by your local fire department and see if they have some old fire hose that you can have. Take the fire hose, split it open and duct tape it to your crash bars front and rear if you have them. The hose will protect your bars in the event you drop your bike, and yes, if you practice and are new at it, your bike will more than likely touch the pavement. Just a friendly tip!

 

All these type videos are good to watch. But "MOST" of them are on bikes that are NOT big Harley Tourers. They are bikes that I would call closer to Adventure type bikes with a wheelbase that is MUCH shorter than the big Tourers we are riding. YES, I know the techniques are all the same...don't remind me of that. BUT, those little ADV bikes are easier to maneuver too. And besides the shorter wheelbase, they don't have a 50 lb Harley fairing( or whatever he weight is) to have to handle when the bike is leaned over in a tight turn. THAT does make a difference when you are trying to learn these maneuvers.

I'm not trying to make excuses for my failed efforts, but if weigh and wheelbase isn't an issue, then why is it easy to do a u-turn on a bicycle, and we have trouble with a 900LB motorcycle?

This is why watching Jerry Paladino's videos where he DOES use a big Harley Touring bike is more informative. Watching the police bike videos is fun too.

If you watch closely to the rider teachers you will notice that they don't actually do what they say to do, in a lot of cases. This is why video beATS just the written word for learning. The same is true in golf instruction.
For example: "Look where you want to go.Turn your head way back around and look back over your license plate." Crap, if they really did that, and I have tried( and fell down off the bike too) they'd be an OWL! And "where" do you look? Do you look back at the road where you will be turning toward? DO you look up at the sky? Do you look back at something 5 ft off the ground? IT DOES MATTER! Why does the "look where you want to go" info not include this type of information?

And I'm not sold on the "look where you want to go " approach anyway. You don't have to do that. Does it MAYBE make it easier? Probably. But it isn't an absolute. I watch Fast Eddie, of MOTOJITSU fame, do u-turns with his head turned the opposite way of the turns, and he did them perfectly. I have also seen this done in person at a rally in Daytona.

 

No one mentioned the Dip in the other direction first.
Jerry teaches that. It helps a ton.

You don't have to fear the front brake if you use it properly. Fast Eddie thing.

I found reading on bike geometry helps too.

Also.

Sorce

 

The engine needs to push the bike through the brake. I find when I get a little nervous doing a U-Turn, I don't apply enough throttle and the brake is trying to pull the bike down. Either not enough throttle or too much clutch creates an imbalance with the brake that makes a constant turn more difficult. Using 2200 to 2500 rpms is good advice because it reminds your brain to use the power.

Beary