Figure 8 Help!!!!

Message

FIZZER · #1 Unread post by **FIZZER** » Tue May 10, 2005 6:49 am

I am doing my Road test tommorow can any one give me some advice on what to expect? I am in Ma i know tests might differ from state to state but i rckon a Figure 8 should be the same .How tight is it can anyone give me an idea of distance between two cones so i can practice tonight

#2 Unread post by **cb360** » Tue May 10, 2005 7:09 am

Hey there Fizzer. I just posted this long message in another forum about the 8's - I'll copy it here in case it helps. Not sure of the actual distance.

begin paste:

I'll give you my tip that got my wife through the class. The figure 8 is kind of a silly thing that's good to know and it's indicative of some skill level, but it ain't something you'll be bringing out a lot in the real world. Nevertheless, that's where most people (in my experience) lose the most points. In our class (and my wifes) tons of people screwed up the 8s. I think it's because it's such a slow speed maneuver that you can screw up several times while on the other testing items you can usually only screw up once with maybe a few extra points off for being slow. Anyway, on her first try my wife put a foot down twice and went outside the box, basically failing the entire test right there on one exercise. My advice on her second try was - if you are feeling at all apprehensive about making the turn - is to go ahead and blow the first turn - conciously keep your feet up and forget about staying inside the lines on the first turn. Go wide and then the second turn is a piece of cake. You easily avoid putting a foot down. Now you've only lost five points and you have 15 to play with for the rest of the test which should be a piece of cake. This info is for the state of washington which doesn't use the exact same stuff as the Motorcycle Safety Foundation but I hear it's real close. Obviously you'd rather just ace the U turns. If you feel you might not though, just blow the first turn wide, give up 5 points to ensure that you don't panic and lose 15 all because of the stupid U-turn. My wife aced the second test by the way - three points better than me and I'm still hearing about it.

End paste:

Mac · #3 Unread post by **Mac** » Tue May 10, 2005 10:26 am

The size of the bike you’re riding can make all the difference in the 8's. I did the test on a 250 dirt bike, and stood on the sides of it for the turn, I could never do that with my R6, and the turning radius on it is just to narrow. My advice to you is to find the smallest bike possible and complete the entire test on it. I do not remember for sure but the box was as wide as a parking spot and a tad bit longer, like 2 feet. Basically you have to be able to make the turn in one lane of traffic! That said I have never used it in a real world application.

Good luck,

stock28 · #4 Unread post by **stock28** » Tue May 10, 2005 11:49 am

The sizes of the box are close to what's already been posted. If you just can't do the figure 8 keep this in mind. Cross the line or put your foot down. Don't do both or you'll lose too many points. As cb360 said, just take the first turn as wide as you need to make it and then the second one will be easy. If you try to keep it in the box and put your foot down on the first turn, take as much time as you need to get going again and stay inside the lines.

nyrblue35 · #5 Unread post by **nyrblue35** » Tue May 10, 2005 3:08 pm

do they actually have lines set up for you to follow or is it an imaginary figure 8 line? i sure would prefer to have lines painted on the ground to follow but for some reason i doubt its like that.

#6 Unread post by **cb360** » Tue May 10, 2005 3:44 pm

Ours was just a box painted on the asphalt - you choose your own line.

TechTMW · #7 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Tue May 10, 2005 7:56 pm

nyrblue35 wrote:do they actually have lines set up for you to follow or is it an imaginary figure 8 line? i sure would prefer to have lines painted on the ground to follow but for some reason i doubt its like that.

Better to make your own line - Why?

You are supposed to look through a curve - keeping your head up at all times. If you're looking at the lines on the ground, it's completely wrong. Any competant tester will fail you. It's got alot to do with target fixation - look where you want to go, and you'll go there.

The MSF course I took had a box painted on the ground, and they just told us to do 2 U-Turns inside the box, from opposite sides - so yeah, it was a fig 8... I found this to be much easier than the S-Turn, because there the lines were painted on the ground - I was more concerned about staying in the lines and not concentrating on the bike. Mentally, it was harder when the lines were there.

stock28 · #8 Unread post by **stock28** » Wed May 11, 2005 5:31 am

I had the same problem. Look at the lines and you run over the lines. Look where you want to go and that's where you go.

JustJames · #9 Unread post by **JustJames** » Wed May 11, 2005 6:55 am

Ya, I'd say to do 8's is depend on what style of the bike and wight too. I found that cruiser is a lot easier to do 8's than the sportbike, alos the smaller the easier.

Hint move your butt cheek to other side of saddle and lean as much as possible control the speed, do not panic, look where you go. Some might be able to stay at 1st gear to complete the 8's without jerking the bike but if you are not really in control, stay is 2nd gear will give you smoother.

In my MSF, ERC will alos pratice on 8's, there are two line (bigger box and smaller box), most of the cruisers would choose to finish in smaller box while most of the sportbikes getting hardtime even on bigger box.

PackRider · Wed May 11, 2005 7:13 am

I started in 2nd gear and used that for the figure-8. I used the clutch firction zone. I didn't use the throttle at all. First couple of times I had the choke on (unintentionally) and the fast idle helped. But I also did it with the choke off. I had room to spare inside the box. It was a MSF course. My bike was a Yamaha TW 200.