One more thing about your eyes-
Being aware of the horizon (or anything else parallel; roofs, wires, a row of trees, etc.) helps with balance. We are I intuitively aware of the horizon while walking or standing, but being acutely aware while on your bike will help you balance. Try it!

 

Ok I took a bike coarse years ago just to brush up on things. Even though I had been riding for years I stilled learned a few things. Now the one thing they teach you was slow maneuvering. They set up slalom coarse with cones and you had to go through it as slow as possible and do a U-turn at the end and go back.



Now everyone is saying feathering the clutch and easy on the throttle and use the rear brake. That is not what we learned.



First thing knees tight to the tank and feet on the boards and tight to the frame.



Second look at where you want to go not down on the road in front of your bike



Third keep the revs up on the bike high like 2500 to 2800 rpm. Sounds dumb but your engine works like a gyro and will keep you balanced



Slowly ride your clutch in and out, its and oil bath clutch it will not burn it up and keep your body center and straight up and down turn your bars in the direction you want to make your turn and keep off the brakes.



If you practice this and the most important like I said, your engine revs have to be high to keep your balance, you would be very surprise at how slow you can go and how tight of a turn you can make.



We just did a week trip with another couple and we had to do a couple of U-turns on some narrow old country roads. I made mine with no problems with a fully loaded down bike and the wife on the back and my buddy only was able to do a half turn and back up to finish it. He was riding the same bike and loaded pretty much the same just not using the same method.



Bruce

 

 

For me, I use the instructional videos for more of a guide. Some of what the videos describe isn't / aren't always feasible on the street ...

For me, I do believe the U turn is a psychological. Its really about leaning the bike over so far at a slow speed.

So what I do when I practice for U turns is to first do circles until I can comfortably scrape both floorboards.
Once I can do this, then I apply some of the techniques described in instructional videos based on the traffic situation to do U turns .. getting the head turned all the way around is the biggest help second to the circles. And this technique too isn't always a good idea. For instance, If doing a U turn into a lane where there is a hill downstream, turning my head could put me in the path of a speeding vehicle coming over the hill that I did not see because I was looking over my shoulder. This is a real situation. ... Clear when I started, but not when I'm into or completing the turn.

I use the instructional techniques by applying them according to what the traffic situation dictates.

What Id like to practice more is braking .. everything Ive found in books, in text on the and videos on the web are ok .. but the practice is always anticipated.

 

I’ll second that.

When I swapped out my Wild One Road King II bars for 16” apes I was amazed at how much easier it is to make U-turns. Like night and day easier.