Slalom figure of 8

l3g5 · L Plate Warrior Joined: 18 Mar 2015 Karma :

I can't get this at all. I struggled on my cbt and every day of my das training. I have one more day of training before my mod 1 and this is the only thing holding me back. I know how to slow ride and I don't have trouble with the U-turn but I just can't nail down the slalom figure of 8.

Did anyone else have as much trouble with it?

Skudd · Super Spammer Joined: 01 Oct 2006 Karma :

Look where you want to go and go a bit quicker than you think you should.
I love them, could play all day doing figure of eights. Practice and confidence are the main thing here. Start with large eights and get them smaller. If you can't use a bike between lessons get on a push bike and do them as it will help.
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Monkeywrenche... · Nearly there... Joined: 27 Mar 2015 Karma :

don't look at the cones...look between that's where you're going, take big easy loops, it's not being judged on the distance you travel or tight turns.

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

Trailing the back brake can help to steady the bike in way that will almost certainly be a pleasant surprise if you haven't tried it already. Tbh, I think it's better to be able to do it without using the rear brake - but slight pressure on the pedal can really inject a good few extra degrees of smoothness to these slow speed manoeuvres, improving your accuracy and finesse quite noticeably. Other than that, try to keep your head up somewhat and don't be afraid of a few more revs. Nothing too dramatic - don't go whiskey throttling it and looping the fucker. But it just means there's a bit of power to feed through by letting the clutch out slightly if you find you're going too slowly and starting to wobble. With the revs already up slightly it means you don't have to worry about what your right hand's doing, and can therefore focus more clearly on your clutch work.
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SuperMike · Scooby Slapper Joined: 30 Sep 2015 Karma :

Also, remember that you can take as wide a route as you wish. During my mod 1 last month, I went really wide on the first loop - outside of the last yellow cone at the end of the slalom. It doesn't matter. I don't really know why I did as I was whizzing round perfectly in practice, but in the exam you just want to get it right hey? Don't know what your school's practice area is like, but mine was a lot tighter than the official test venue. You can pretty much roll round the whole thing with the clutch out and first gear engaged. Same for the u-turn. I learnt how to do the whole back brake dragging etc etc, but in reality the 7.5 metres you get to do it on the test is enough to just roll round with the clutch out. That's what I found anyway.

talkToTheHat · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Karma :

Loose grip on the bars, hold on tight with your knees. If you hold the bars too tight becasue panic/concentrating the bike will not self-correct.
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skatefreak · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Feb 2010 Karma :

Look at where you are going but not at the floor.
I was struggling on my DAS early on and was told to keep looking in the direction I wanted to go. That means horizon level between the cones.

That seems to make it a lot easier/more natural than looking at the floor between the cones.

R_Josh · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 17 Dec 2013 Karma :

Dont try and take a very tight circle and use the space.
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almostthere · Traffic Copper Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Karma :

this is how do it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbSuwk6D7iI simples innit.
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Dabura · Nova Slayer Joined: 30 Oct 2015 Karma :

Biggest thing I found helped me was to carry more speed and use as much room as you can, I started off weeble wobbling around and as soon as I picked up the pace a bit everything smoothed I found it easier at a pace where I was leaning the back as opposed to steering it with the bars if that makes sense, I don't know if this is true for them all but my mod 1 site has race track quality tarmac and was super grippy

Val · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Nov 2012 Karma :

as previously said look in the middle between the cones, but not in the ground keep your head UP and immediately after you pass one cone turn your head in the direction you will go next keep the head up and look there, so the bike is say still moving left but your head is already turned right and you look there, the bike will follow Very Happy

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wednesday · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 19 Oct 2015 Karma :

drag the back brake, keep the revs up and keep a loose grip so you dont wobble. Dont go too tight but as I found out yesterday you CAN go too wide (I just scraped through)

Good luck

Beehive Bedlam · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Oct 2013 Karma :

talkToTheHat · World Chat Champion Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Karma :

You've done 3 sets of tests since january 2013? I'd have lost my marbles doing that. Huzzah for the Decemeber 2012 33bhp pass.
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mudcow007 · World Chat Champion Joined: 01 Feb 2012 Karma :

yep, i failed my first Mod1 on the figure of 8

when i was on the Mod1 i just couldn't figure out which way i had to go - totally just brain farted

when i failed the Mod1, i had a go on my own doing figure of 8s an i was fine

Nerves i reckons

Oh, just remembered what i was told about the slalom, take as much room as you can at the top of the big turns, this will set up up with more space to do your turns - if that makes sense!?