help on driving test??

[Badkitty]

Ok i've had my permit for almost a year. I've been too lazy to go take test and i never ride at night or freeway anyway. I've gone down to the local dmv and run thru the little course they have. The only thing i CANNOT do is the circle. The lines are 3 times as wide as my tires and 15' in diameter. Sounds big , but isnt. For the life of me i cannot get around the stupid circle without going out of the lines. My bars are turned almost at max and im almost idling around the circle. Giving alittle gas while holding brakes most the time, but because this bike is top heavy or something , i either go out of lines or put my foot down so i dont drop bike. I can make tight turns and u turns on the street just fine, but why the hell does it have to be a EXACT CIRCLE rrrggg. I actually almost got around in one direction but when i came back thru it turning to the right i couldnt do it.

Any advice other than use someone else's bike( which i know no else who has one) or practice more which i can only do so much

[woobie]

Have you tried looking into the turn more?

Say your doing the circle clockwise in a right hand turn, crank your head around and try to look over your right shoulder. That may help you subconsioucly take the turn. You know what they say, "don't look were your going, look were you want to go".

[harrye]

I agree with woobie's advice. I wonder does a large Honda Gold Wing or Harley touring bike have to make a 15 foot diameter circle too? Is there ever a point where a bike is too big for the small circle. Do highway patrol (CHIPs) officers make 15 foot circles? Would sliping the clutch help?

I've got an MSF course this weekend, and I'll be doing circles too. But the motorcycles are provided. I think it's a 225cc dual sport bike they will use. I'll have no excuse if I can't do it.

In your case, could you find an empty parking lot somewhere and do dozens on circles in each direction? At some point doing perfect circles will become old hat to you. You might start with larger circles and make them smaller and smaller.

I've noticed that stunters on television (doing wheelies especially) often have soft rear tires. I wonder would letting some of the air out of your tires provide a constant and automatic drag, thus making slow driving easier? I'd wait for more advice before I tried that however.

[WildKat]

yep, thats the same advice you use when you're learning to corner, look thru the turn, to where u wanna end up.. do look down or at your hands.

[HS2020]

Keep the bike rpms high and feather the clutch while doing that. I was told this by a State Trooper motorcycle instructor. He took my father-in-laws V-start and was dragging the foot boards with in the BOX. He did an even tighter circle on my wifes Ninja 250.

[The CyberPoet]

I taught my students (back when I used to teach riding as a German driving instructor) to do it by using the clutch only, no gas at all, and *very lightly* dragging the rear brake if needed.

Do it with your foot out, repeat until you can do the right-sized circle with your foot just skimming, and then start picking your foot up once you get the hang of it. Shouldn't be any faster than walking speed (but not much slower than walking speed either).

My other advice: take the MSF course or equivilent.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[trinc]

tight circles on a top heavy bike

make sure you only half 1/4 of gas.
if you feel the need to put your foot down then your not counter leaning.
in these slow speed turns you need to turn the bike out from under you as there is not enough centrifical forces to hold the bike up.

tim