Me Practicing Motorcycle Figure 8

Me practicing motorcycle slow motion with my BMW K1200RS rhino. Figure 8, circle, S turn. Dimemsion: 19.5 feet from solid line to dashed line; 23.5 feet from solid line to solid line. Can somehow make circle within 19.5 feet, but very in-consistent. Need more work.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Motorcycle
• Skill
• Practice
• Figure
• Circle
• BMW
• K1200RS

[yusoweird]

hey i have a question, when you are turning as that speed, are you counter pressuring the handle bar? or are you actually turning? its really hard to tell from the video since it will always look like you are turning the steering instead of counter steering...

[hppeng]

@yusoweird To lean, you need to counter steer. After the bike leans, you have to steer it using your body to counter weight. This applies only in low speed, but not in high speed.

You also need to make a "dip" on the other direction before you actually start the counter steer. Hope this is clear.

[340PD]

I believe that if you cannot ride a bike, exactly as shown in this vid....you really cannot ride the motorcycle, at all.

What good is it being able to ride the bike at breakneck speed and still not being able to turn the bike on a dime at walking speed?

No good! You cannot ride the bike!

Dan

[hppeng]

Dan,

Can I suggest you get a BMW K1200RS and try it for yourself, at walking speed? I'm not perfect and still learning. However, I did pass the advanced motorcycle course from California Highway Patrol. This maneuver (19-feet wide) with a K12 is not as easy as you may think. I've never seen anyother one do it on the K12.

Riding other bikes is a lot easier..

[340PD]

hppeng:

I am (currently) unable to ride any heavy bike at slow turn speed. You misunderstood my post.

My point is that if anybody (including Valentino Rossi) cannot perform extremely slow motorcycle manuevers such as done by Asian Police officers...you are not really riding motorcycles.

Dan

[hppeng]

Dan,

Got it! :>

One thing I'd like to say is riding slow is different than riding fast. Totally 2 different skill sets. I have my respect to those who excel in high speed, as well as those who do well in low speed.

[Sylwekspr]

Try to do it with full lock.

And set angle of the bike with gas and break :)

And set lowest rpm higher

It will be tighter.

[MrSlowestD16]

@340PD Oh, def., and you can help alleviate that fear by putting on a crash/stunt cage, so you do 0 damage when you do put it down. Though I'm not looking to gymkhana my R1, lol. For me, simply leaning into it a bit and giving it some throttle while dragging the rear brake seems to work pretty decently for the u-turns I need to pull. Nowhere near the lean of those guys, but it does the trick when I need it (typically, lol). I simply practice so I don't get rusty, not necessarily to improve.

[340PD]

@MrSlowestD16 Always love this video. One other point worth noting re this tight turning is: you need to lose the fear of dropping your bike. This has always been a mental issue with me. I ride a Ducati Multistrada and I can't let go of the fear of dropping it. That alone will add a lot of time to your mastering turning as shown here.

Dan

[MrSlowestD16]

Though as shown in the gymkhana video below:

watch?v=h4ZdwUoyb90

You CAN maneuver a sport bike, that ZX-14 is the largest sportbike, and the most difficult to maneuver at slow speeds, IMO, though it takes immense amount of skill. I can't personally comment on an R1200, but I think the guy is doing quite a fine job for what you need out of daily maneuvering.

[MrSlowestD16]

@340PD While what you say is partially true, maneuvering bikes varies from bike to bike. For example, Ninja 250's can do small, tight, centric circles all day long, same with other small bikes like Suzuki Maurauder 250's (both used as MSF bikes). Take my R1 for example, though, big bike, very limited fork turn angle, can't do it nearly as tight with the same amount of skill. Personally, I try to make up for that by practicing in a parking lot once a week my slow speed maneuvering.

[ralpar777]

When you turn your bike in the U turn Are you all the way to the stop when you steer right or left. TIA

[gnrands50]

I just got in from practicing 20' fig 8's on my Harley Road King. These heavy machines are a handfull at walking speeds. I'm trying to get down to 18' but I need alot more practice learning how to lean all the way over while at full lock. It was fun watching someone else working on the same stuff, thanx for posting this vid.

[viggoM35]

@hppeng Yea, the steering damper makes it hard to wrestle at slower speeds. But those dampers makes it rock solid at 150+ mph speeds. But of course we all go triple digits on US highways. lol :)