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Yumi Takeda

Yumi · from the videos

Yumi Takeda · 30 years on Japan's famous white motorcycles

Calm U-turns. No tip-overs.
Keep your big bike after 60.

The slow-speed method I taught for 12 years, for your own heavy bike: tight turns, calm stops and smooth corners, fifteen minutes a day.

Vol. III only comes in the set · all 3 for $97

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or see single books from $27 ↓
Eyes first. The bike will follow.
Yumi Takeda · the method from the videos
The Japanese U-Turn, Vol. IThe Japanese Art of Bike Control, Vol. IIINo More Parking-Lot Panic, Vol. IIVol. I · II · III

Choose your books

Start with one book.
Or get all three.

Vol. I and Vol. II are sold on their own. Vol. III only comes in the complete set: all three, in the right order, for $97.

Yumi Takeda holding The Japanese Art of Bike Control Vol. III · The Japanese Art of Bike Control

1Volume I

Get The Japanese U-Turn, Vol. I

The Japanese U-Turn

Tight, calm U-turns on a heavy bike, without a wobble or a foot down

162 pages · 12 drills · 30-day plan

$27Vol. I

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  • 162 pages · 10 chapters: why the bike wobbles and falls, read the space before you turn, and the setup: position, gear, look
  • The engine against the rear brake, eyes first to the exit, full lock and the balance line, and the harder half: left and right
  • On the road: lanes, crowns and hills · bags, a passenger and a loaded bike · when it goes wrong, and when not to turn
  • 12 drills, from the saddle to the full U · Fix It by Symptom (12 symptoms)
  • A 30-day U-turn plan, 15 minutes a day · 18 riders' questions, 6 cards for your jacket pocket and a section for shorter legs
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Best value

1+2+3Complete set

The Japanese U-Turn, Vol. IThe Japanese Art of Bike Control, Vol. IIINo More Parking-Lot Panic, Vol. II

The Japanese Art of Bike Control — Complete Set

U-turns without a wobble, stops and parking lots without a tip-over, and the whole method I was trained in: balance, eyes, hands and corners, one lesson at a time.

Vol. IVol. IIVol. III · The Japanese Art of Bike Control

$97all 3 books · 511 pages

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Vol. III is only available in the complete set.

  • Vol. I · The Japanese U-Turn — Tight, calm U-turns on a heavy bike, without a wobble or a foot down
  • Vol. II · No More Parking-Lot Panic — Stops, slopes, tight spaces and slow traffic on a heavy bike, without a tip-over
  • Vol. III · The Japanese Art of Bike Control — Slow-speed balance, tight turns and smooth corners on a heavy bike, the way I was trained
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2Volume II

Get No More Parking-Lot Panic, Vol. II

No More Parking-Lot Panic

Stops, slopes, tight spaces and slow traffic on a heavy bike, without a tip-over

165 pages · 12 drills · 6-week plan

$47Vol. II

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  • 165 pages · 9 chapters: the perfect stop, moving off without the wobble, and slow traffic with calm hands
  • Stops and starts on a slope · gravel, paint and metal · gutters, lips and driveways
  • Choose the space, then enter it · out of the space and on foot · the side stand, every time
  • The eight routines · the 8 habits that tip bikes over · 12 drills: stop it, ground it, park it
  • Your bike set for slow, easier on your body · a 6-week plan, 17 riders' questions and 5 cards for the garage wall
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The lesson plan

One skill at a time.
Fifteen minutes a day.

At my school a rider learned one thing until the body knew it, and only then the next. The books follow the same lessons, and every chapter ends with one short rule.

  1. Lesson 01

    Balance and eyes

    The balance line, eyes first and white-glove hands: two fingers on the levers, nothing sudden.

    One ruleThe bike leans. You stay up.

    Vol. III
  2. Lesson 02

    The U-turn

    Friction zone, the engine against the rear brake, head to the exit and full lock, to the left and to the right.

    One ruleEngine on, brake on, eyes up. The bike does the rest.

    Vol. I
  3. Lesson 03

    Stops and parking lots

    Stops, slopes, gravel, tight spaces and slow traffic, the same calm way every time.

    One ruleStraight and slow first. Then the foot.

    Vol. II
  4. Lesson 04

    Corners and the wet lot

    Slow in, press to turn, tight corners in the mountains and in town, and wet days, which were my classroom.

    One ruleSlow in. Look through. Roll out.

    Vol. III
Yumi Takeda

Meet the author

Hi, I'm Yumi

I'm from Saitama, Japan. For thirty years I rode Japan's famous white motorcycles, and for the last twelve I taught slow-speed control: a 660-pound bike between cones, at walking pace, in the rain, with no foot down.

On my second day of training I dropped a white bike. I wasn't turning. I wasn't even moving. I was standing still, in front of everyone, and I looked down. Every rule in these books began with a moment like that.

Six years ago I moved to Torrance, California, to be near my daughter. The question I hear most from riders here is how to turn a heavy bike around without dropping it. These three books are my answer, one skill at a time, with a box for shorter legs and an easier version for hands, knees and back in every chapter.

See you in the parking lot. — Yumi

Real pages

Look inside
The Japanese Art of Bike Control

Sixteen real pages from Vol. III: the balance line, the slow-speed trio, the figure eight, corners, the drills and the cards. Every chapter has a box for shorter legs and an easier version for your body.

  • 162 pages · Vol. I
  • 165 pages · Vol. II
  • 184 pages · Vol. III
Sixteen sample pages from The Japanese Art of Bike Control

Is it for you?

This is for you if…

  • Your U-turns wobble, and you go wide or put a foot down halfway round.
  • Your bike feels heaviest when it's barely moving: a stop, a slope, gravel, a tight parking space.
  • Slow traffic tires your clutch hand, and tight corners make you tense.
  • You've ridden for years, or you're coming back, and you want to keep your big bike for many more.

It's not for you if you're looking for racetrack speed or stunt tricks. This is quiet practice in an empty lot, fifteen minutes at a time. It is also how a heavy bike starts to feel light.

The complete set

Everything in
the complete set

U-turns without a wobble, stops and parking lots without a tip-over, and the whole method I was trained in: balance, eyes, hands and corners, one lesson at a time.

Vol. I · The Japanese U-TurnIncluded
Vol. II · No More Parking-Lot PanicIncluded
Vol. III · The Japanese Art of Bike ControlIncluded
Complete set$97

✓ Instant delivery · Full money-back guarantee

Vol. III is only available in the complete set

Get the complete setInstant delivery

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Questions

Before you
decide

I've ridden for decades. Is this too basic for me?

No. These books are for riders who already ride and want the slow part to feel calm. Old habits can change: you start with an honest look at your own riding and take one skill at a time.

I have shorter legs and can't put both feet flat. Does it work for me?

Yes. Every chapter and every drill has a "Shorter legs?" box: which foot goes down, how to stop on a slope or on gravel, how to move the bike without paddling. Each book puts it all in one place at the back.

My hands, knees or back aren't what they were. Can I still do this?

Yes. Every chapter has an easier version for your hands, knees and back, and each book has a part called Easier on Your Body. If you've had surgery or have a condition, talk to your doctor first.

Does it work on my bike: cruiser, touring or adventure?

Yes. The method is the same on any heavy bike. Where the technique really changes, like forward controls, a tall adventure bike or wide bags in a parking space, the book tells you.

Where do I practice?

In an empty parking lot, with permission, fifteen minutes a day. Vol. III shows you how to set up your practice lot with four stations.

Which book do I start with?

If U-turns are your worry, Vol. I. If the bike scares you when it's stopped or barely moving, Vol. II. Vol. III is the whole method, and the complete set gives you all three in the right order.

What exactly do I get?

The complete collection gives you all three volumes for $97. Vol. I and Vol. II are also sold on their own ($27 and $47); Vol. III only comes in the complete collection.

How do I receive it?

Right after payment you get your access link, on screen and by email. It's yours to keep, and there's nothing to wait for.

Can I read it on a tablet or computer? Can I print it?

Yes. It opens on any phone, tablet or computer. You can zoom the text as large as you like, or print the pages and cards at home and pin them up in the garage.

Is the payment secure?

Yes. You'll pay on a secure checkout page run by Hotmart, a payment platform used worldwide. Pay by card, PayPal or Apple Pay. It's a one-time payment: no subscription.

What if it's not for me?

You're covered by a 15-day money-back guarantee. Ask for a refund within 15 days and you get every cent back. Just write to [email protected].

15days

15-day money-back guarantee

Read the books, take your bike to an empty lot and try one drill the way I show you, fifteen quiet minutes. If it's not for you, that's okay. Ask within 15 days and you get every cent back.

Keep your big bike.
Ride it for years.

All three books, one price, and a money-back guarantee while you try the method in your own practice lot.

✓ Instant delivery · Full money-back guarantee

Get all 3 books — $97Instant delivery

Secure checkout · PayPal & Apple Pay accepted

The Japanese U-Turn, Vol. IThe Japanese Art of Bike Control, Vol. IIINo More Parking-Lot Panic, Vol. II
Yumi Takeda

Also from Yumi

Yumi's Japan Ride School Membership

One lesson a week by email, the way I taught at the school: a short letter, one skill, and a practice card to print. $9.90 a month, cancel any time. The first 7 days are free.

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