Four year old thread! Cool!

Strongly, strongly recommend that every rider take a training course. Practicing by yourself is a waste of time if you've never had somebody teach you how to do it.

And, one of the things you need to accept is that if you're going to challenge yourself in a more advanced class, and then challenge yourself when you practice your new skills, you need something like this: www.proguards.net

I have 'em, I've dropped the bike in training on both sides, and they're worth their weight in gold. They're on my bike in my sig pic, and even up close you can hardly see them. Can barely see the scuff marks, either!

 

I took the Ride Like a Pro course. It's supposed to be the same course motorcycle cops take. Sure didn't seem like an entry level class to me. They even let you repeat the class as often as you want for 1 year at no extra cost.
First time through there's a ton to learn and remember. And not many of the first timers, including myself, in my class could do everything. My biggest problem was getting out of my own heaf/fear of dropping the Ultra and beating my old habits. Doing a u turn in a 2 lane road is still something I struggle with. 2.5 lanes and I'm good. Pretty sure it's just a mental thing and more practice.

 

You have to get past the fear of doing two new things at the same time: leaning more than you're used to, and turning the handlebars a lot farther then you're used to.

Turn your head as far as you can and "Just do it."

 

That may be the hardest thing right there. At 61 I'm not nearly as flexible as I once was. I find myself turning my whole upper body when turning very tightly.

 

That's actually just fine for very tight low speed turns.

Look at the riders head, shoulders and sometimes entire upper body in this video:

 

That's exactly what you're supposed to do! When you turn your head, your upper body turns. When your upper body turns, your arms move. When your arms move, the handlebars turn.

When you DON'T turn your head, the handlebars DON'T turn.

When I first started to understand this was during an intensive course taught by motor officer instructors. They kept telling me to turn my head more, I thought I was. Nope. Finally one of them picked up one of the big orange cones, held it on my passenger seat, and told me: "Now TURN YOUR HEAD until you can see the cone!".

Wow, that was an eye-opener.

 

I just tried that and tore a ligament! Getting old ain't for sissies.

 

That's a great video.

Watch the guy at 3:15-3:20 to really see how much they turn the bars. The first time you do that it almost feels like the front tire is digging.

 

Ouch!

When I got serious about getting better at golf, I started working on flexibility. It's amazing how many parts of your life start getting easier!

 

i took one too here in southern maryland before the one offered by HD. it was challenging to say the least it was more slow speed manuever based off of Jerry “The Motorman” Palladino ride like a pro franchise. great time. they didn't offer free returns. wish they did. i'm about ready to take another one offered by ProRider. seems similar to ride like a pro.