|
07-30-2008, 01:07 AM | #31 |
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: (SE Louisiana)
Posts: 8,340
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Tight right turns are more difficult for me also. A friend of mine who is left handed told me that the tight left turns are more difficult for him than the right turns. I don't know if that is a coincidence or not. I am right handed and the left turns are somewhat easier for me. I purchased the Ride Like a Pro IV dvd and was amazed what those tiny ladies could do with the HD Road Kings riding 2 up with a 200 lb passenger. They have the technique mastered and they practice every day. If I practiced every day on a paved parking lot I would have to rig up armor on my bike. I would certainly drop it a time or two. I was one of the newbies who started off with a 1600 Nomad. Never owned a bike before. I'm 6'0" 230 lbs and I still run into low confidence problems with slow manuevers. I should have started off with a 900 instead of the Nomad. But I'm slowly getting there. Hopefully, one day before I get too old I'll have the Nomad mastered.
__________________
2016 Electra Glide Ultra Limited CVO Palladium Silver / Phantom Blue 110 cu in SE 2012 Electra Glide Ultra Limited (Traded 6/22/16) Tequila Sunrise / HD Orange Vance & Hines true dual headers Rinehart 4" slip ons Screamin Eagle Super Tuner Screamin Eagle Stage 1 intake Dyno tuned H.O.G.# 4514015 2007 Nomad 1600 (Traded 6/23/12) VBA #482 Login or Register to Remove Ads |
|
07-30-2008, 08:54 PM | #32 |
Member
|
Right turns... why so hard?
i have been riding for 23+ years and i too found the nomad to be hard for a right turn. i just assumed it was because of the shaft drive? i never experienced this on my other bikes (chain drives).
|
|
07-30-2008, 09:16 PM | #33 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Right turns... why so hard?
OK, now I'm gonna have to go out in some parking lot and do a bunch of tight turns and see if the right turn is really harder, and I just never noticed it before; because, frankly, I never noticed it before.
|
|
07-30-2008, 09:26 PM | #34 | |
Top Contributor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Fayetteville, Georgia
Posts: 5,792
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Quote:
(P.S. it would be best to ignore this whole post. I need a beer. Where's cactusjack?)
__________________
Bob KawaNOW/VBA 210 Green/Silver 2006 Patriot Guard Riders 2009 |
|
|
07-30-2008, 10:36 PM | #36 |
Sr. Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Boulder County, Colorado
Posts: 2,014
|
Right turns... why so hard?
I've been looking at my tight right turns more closely too. The left hand probably wants to stay on the clutch so gets stretched out more, and right wrist gets bent into an unusual angle. Turning left does feel a little more comfortable but can't really put my finger on it, other than maybe what I first suggested, we lean left when getting on and off, but that doesn't really make much sense does it?
|
|
07-31-2008, 06:04 PM | #37 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: North Central Illinois
Posts: 8,575
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Here's the answer; only make left turns. Never make right turns no matter what. Plan your routes this way. Why make life tougher than it has to be. Besides; turning only left you will always find new areas to ride that you might otherwise have passed by.
Good luck.
__________________
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." "You can have your own opinion, but not your own facts." Former VBA NCR Assist Regional Leader Formerly: 2004 1500FI Bronze Nomad: 2009 & 2014 HD Ultra Current Rides: 2017 HD Ultra Limited & 2011 Can Am Spyder RTS-SE Attended: VBA National Rallies 2009, 2011, 2015; VBA/NCR Regional Rally 2010, 12, 14, 16 and several rides throughout with regional members. VBA Member #652 HOG Member #3935417 |
|
07-31-2008, 06:42 PM | #38 | ||
Advanced Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central Indiana
Posts: 603
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Quote:
This is a great example of mastering your bike. I bought my Nad 2 months ago and made a point to practice a lot before riding in heavy traffic. My goal was to do figure 8's within 2 car spaces and I'm pretty close. Your video illustrates just how much better I can be. Great job. BTW, I'm now very comfortable on the Nad in heavy traffic, so much so that I rode my wife to/from downtown Indianapolis last weekend without any problems. |
||
|
08-01-2008, 03:16 AM | #39 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Most riders have a dominant side and a weak side. Left turns must be more natural for me because I've comfortably dragged my left board several times through turns and I've never even touched the right one down. I probably need to practice my right more. I don't think you need to down size I just think you need more practice on the nomad. I started riding in 2004. My 1st bike was an 1100 and the nomad is my 2nd bike. I'm much more skilled on the Nomad than I ever was on the 1100 which is kinda scary: Looking back, I probably wasn't ready to upsize to the nomad when I did; (my confidence probably outwieghed my skill) but now I'm more comfortable riding the nomad than I ever was on the 1100. I have a long way to go to get to the level of a competition motorcop but I would love to be at that level someday.
|
|
08-01-2008, 03:39 PM | #40 |
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Right turns... why so hard?
OK, this is sorta freaky, but I rode my bike around in the parking lot at work today. Our lot is fairly long and narrow, and there's a gutter down the middle so it slopes to the center from both directions.
I did some left and right circles and some figure-8's through the gutter, so that in addition to turning I was always going up or down hill too. I found that I am actually more comfortable doing a right than a left, which seems backward; especially considering that I'm right handed. The difference wasn't considerable, but when I looked for it it was clear that I did the right turns a bit faster than the lefts. Now I ride the same route to work and back every day. I have to make both rights and lefts and u-turns as well. Often I must maneuver from a dead stop. I probably get equal practice going both ways, but I'm amazed that one way does seem easier, and it's the opposite direction too. |
|
08-01-2008, 05:07 PM | #41 | |
Advanced Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Central Indiana
Posts: 603
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Quote:
|
|
|
08-02-2008, 06:31 AM | #42 |
Jr. Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 28
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Right turns are hard for almost everyone. One theory that I heard that might make some sense is that most people start their driving experience in cars and sit on the left side. It gives one a better feel of the car and a more secure feeling sitting on the "top" side when the car is leaning and better vision of where you're going when turning left. I wonder how the europeans feel about this sitting and driving on the right side. I raced dirt bikes til I was 47 years old and no matter how much I practiced I never could take a fast right turn as good as a left one, I still can't. My brother was just the opposite though. I still feel comfortable scraping the pegs and even sliding a little in a lefthand turn but fast right ones cause me to pucker if you know what I mean. One thing I agree with that I learned from racing dirtbikes and stock cars is always look where you want to go not where you're going. I've seen a few riders get over their heads in a curve and go wide and even leave the road. They were all looking right down in front of them.
|
|
08-02-2008, 09:43 PM | #43 | ||
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
Right turns... why so hard?
Quote:
|
||
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Nomad wallows in turns | cocheese72 | 1500 & 1600 Nomad | 19 | 09-20-2010 11:57 AM |
Why is something so easy, so hard? | jd01 | 1500 & 1600 Nomad | 10 | 02-22-2010 11:30 AM |
Tight turns | dantama | Vulcan Nomad/Vaquero/Voyager | 5 | 01-09-2009 05:53 PM |
Sister-n-law turns 40 - Email her 4 me | scion0 | Off-Topic | 22 | 08-16-2008 09:15 AM |
How to do tight U-Turns | dantama | Motorcycle Safety/Riding Techniques | 40 | 07-12-2008 07:36 AM |