I like the fact that when he is practicing he practices looking over his shoulder before pulling into the simulated traffic and making that U-turn. I am nowhere near that good but I have found that the bigger / heavier the bike the more that countersteer in needed to make a sharper turn.
U-Turn From a Stop
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That little counter steer stabilizes the bike allowing you to get momentum (balance) before executing the U-turn..almost like giving you a little extra space. Probably not the best explanation but it works with the big girl. FYI...I practice with the short flat cones because I don't like re-setting them. 
Practice makes better..."perfect practice makes perfect" - John Wooden.
BTW...I notice no leaves on the trees...in AZ my wing is overheating at the 1/2 way mark.
Practice makes better..."perfect practice makes perfect" - John Wooden.BTW...I notice no leaves on the trees...in AZ my wing is overheating at the 1/2 way mark.
I practice with the short flat cones because I don't like re-setting them.
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I consider myself very fortunate as a school just a few miles away has some lines painted in the football stadium's parking lot. A buddy of mine teaches the MSF class there and is also the drivers education instructor. He is also a retired motor-officer so he knows how to ride.
I try to go up there every few weeks or so and practice. It was the 1st place I went when purchasing the wing and every other bike I have had recently.
Something else that I do is I made for my wife a portable course. I bought a bag full of cheap tennis balls, cut them in half and cut a tiny hole in the center of each half. I then bought a couple very long nails about 8 - 10 inches so they can be threaded onto the nail through the hole cut in the top. I also picked up some very light nylon rope and tied the tennis ball to it every so many feet and wrap it around the nail.
So now I can slide the tennis balls off of the nail as I unwind the rope, stretch out the rope and I have an is instant weave coarse. I can also make boxes, or concentric circles , figure 8's or what have you.
When finished I just roll it back up onto the nail and it all fits very easily in any saddle bag so I can have it with me when ever I feel the need.
Best thing is , I don't have to pick up the cones as I don't knock them down.
I practice this on my way home every day just for fun just to see how far I can ride to work or home with out putting my foot down. I have made it all the way to work only once or twice. It is usually a good indication of how well my day will go for the rest of the day. The fewer time I have to put the foot down usually the better my day will be. Just a game I play with myself and makes heading to work a bit more relaxing.
Actually the little counter steer is what initiates the lean. It is not to open up space. It is hard to see in real time but there is a great video on youtube that shows what is happening in slow motion. It uses a head-on camera and traces the track of the wheel. There is an accompanying debate with guys arguing with what their eyes tell them because it is counter-intuitive. The video was made to address the theory that below certain speed you do not counter steer and above a certain speed a crossover takes place where counter steering comes into the play. That is what I firmly believed before I saw the video. The video maker is a physicist who rides. His point is that physics dictates that counter-steering is always what makes the bike lean. Once the lean is initiated regular steering can come into play, but not before. In higher speed turns you counter steer throughout the entire turn. In low speed turns you only INITIATE the turn with a counter steer. There is no model or formula where a "crossover" point exists. The forces involved do not suddenly change. If you watch the above video carefully you can see the lean begin when he is counter-steering.That little counter steer stabilizes the bike allowing you to get momentum (balance) before executing the U-turn..almost like giving you a little extra space. Probably not the best explanation but it works with the big girl. FYI...I practice with the short flat cones because I don't like re-setting them.
BTW...I notice no leaves on the trees...in AZ my wing is overheating at the 1/2 way mark.
In the above video above the rider makes a pronounced counter-steer move, to get firmly into his lean. Once I understood this I started making a more pronounced counter-steer move to begin a slow speed turn, and voila! Everything got easier. Having a correct understanding of what forces are in play makes the maneuver easier to master. Leans always are the result of counter-steer. It doe not take much. Remember, the whole counter-steer phenomenon is so subtle that many riders are not even aware that they are doing it. I rode for years without realizing what was actually steering the bike.
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