Elephant Turn

On a narrow trail or steep slope there is often no room to ride a U-turn. The elephant turn solves this by turning the bike in stages: you stop, hold the front brake, and swing or drag the rear around while the front wheel acts as a pivot, then repeat with the other end if needed.

A common method is to lean the bike against the slope, stand on the uphill side, hold the front brake and pull the rear around. On flatter ground, riders use small forward-and-back shuffles with full steering lock.

Practise on easy ground with a light bike first. With a heavy adventure bike, get help or use the terrain to your advantage, and always keep the engine off or in gear with the clutch pulled when manhandling the bike on a slope.