How to turn a motorcycle

Bikes are a bugger to move at a standstill, especially if you’re a shortarse, and turning them round in a tight space can be a faff.

Thankfully many bikes can be turned on their sidestand, which not only means they can be turned round within a space no greater than their own length, but you can impress bystanders with your apparently amazing strength and skill.

You should only do this on flat ground, and be aware that cruisers and really big bikes might not be able to do it.

To turn your bike on the sidestand:

Standing on the sidestand side of the bike, grip the left bar with your left hand and turn the steering fully left til the bar hits the lockstop.
Find somewhere around the subframe area you can grab the bike sufficient to pull it with your right hand.
Pull the bike towards you until you feel both wheels lifting off the ground. If only one wheel is lifting, readjust your right hand grip to make the pull more even.
Start turning the bike on the sidestand by maintaining your grip on it and shuffling your feet round. The turning should not be a big effort. If it’s hard to turn, lift the bike a bit more onto the sidestand.
When you’re facing the right direction, lessen your pull on the bike and lower the wheels gently back onto the ground. Make sure the bike doesn’t roll forward as you do this, and that the sidestand is still fully extended before you let go of it.