Generally
one thinks of braking a motorcycle with the brakes - not so.
Braking is achieved by a mix of the following, starting with
the most important.
Watch the brake light of the smart rider in traffic or when
touring - it seldom comes on as the he/she regulates the bikes
speed and position long before angry braking is needed.
Watch the brake light of the smart rider in traffic or when
touring - it seldom comes on as the he/she regulates the bikes
speed and position long before angry braking is needed.
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Safe
Breaking
| Braking
Action By |
This
Action Affects |
| Defensive
Riding. Looking far ahead, anticipating problems and choosing
the best line through traffic and |
Your
position relative to the problem area. |
| The
front brake |
The
front wheel and front/back weight distribution |
| The
rear brake |
The
rear wheel |
| Snapping
off the throttle |
The
rear wheel |
| Changing
to a lower gear |
The
rear wheel |
|
|
One
is tempted to over look the last two in the table above but both
of them are quite able to lock up the rear wheel just long enough
to cause the back to slide out when the bike is leaning over into
a corner. Therefore safe, confident braking on a motorbike is
not a simple skill but requires practice and training as the condition
of the road surface plays a vital role. Generally here are some
rules of thumb
1) Use the front brake!! This is the one that does most
of the work. Braking confidently, progressively and hard on the
front wheel is a critical skill and should be practised on a regular
basis and under safe conditions. Do this on your own and with
a passenger as the extra weight affects your stopping distance.
As you brake do not stiffen your arms - instead grip the bike
with your legs leaving your arms free and relaxed.
2) Hard, heavy braking is always done when the motorcycle
is upright and travelling in a straight line
3) Generally do not lock up the wheels!
If you lock up the front wheel for more than a short distance
when travelling in a straight line, the wheel will eventually
wash out and you will hit the tar.
If you lock up the front while turning the motorbike you will
hit the tar immediately but you should escape with only a few
bruises.
If you lock up the rear when travelling in a straight line you
will be OK as long as you "LOOK UP. LOOK AHEAD" and keep the bike
in a perfectly straight line (not that easy).
If you lock up the rear wheel while turning you are in trouble.
The rear will begin to slide out from under you. If you release
the rear wheel (your first survival instinct) you could ’high
side’ with possible fatal consequences (See Lingo page) You need
to keep the wheel locked and let the bike slide out and away from
you.
4) Never grab the front brake as this may cause it to lock
up. Instead apply the initial pressure smoothly for the first
second. This allows the front of the bike to dip onto its front
suspension as the weight of the bike moves forward onto the front
wheel. This added downward pressure means that you can now brake
harder and harder on the front brake with little chance of it
locking up (on a good surface). Note: As the bike dips down onto
its front suspension do not stiffen your arms and prop your body
up using the handle bars. Instead grip the bike harder with your
legs and keep your arms loose and relaxed.
5) Throughout the braking process keep your eyes up and
look ahead!! Watch the road surface like a hawk. Keep the front
tyre on a hard, clean, dry surface avoiding strange colour changes
in road surface . If you cannot, ease back on the front brake
and apply more pressure to the back. Change to a lower gear to
slow you down but let the clutch out gradually. Jumping the clutch
out suddenly can momentary lock up the rear wheel causing a rear
wheel slide out. Diesel oil spills on the road surface from passing
trucks are a common cause of bikers loosing control. The good
news is that you will smell it roughly two seconds before you
see it as a dark patch on the road surface!
6) In city traffic keep two fingers on the front brake
lever. This is necessary because other slow moving vehicles may
be as close as one meter away from you and you don’t have time
to fumble with the front brake. Do not do this on the open road
or when riding on the dirt. You cannot afford to have the handlebars
ripped out of your grasp for whatever reason.
7) If an emergency stop is required on a very loose surface
- maybe you should try to take the gap rather than stop. Alternatively
locking up the back wheel, sliding and dropping the bike onto
the road is an alternative that has saved many a life but sure
as hell I hope I never have to try it!
8) When going down a steep dirt road with loose stones,
use a combination of the back brake and a low gear ratio to prevent
the bike from picking up too much speed. Keep as much weight over
the rear tyre as possible. You can lightly finger the front brake
when the surface offers sufficient traction
9) If you spend most of your time travelling on your own
you will get used to your brakes performing to a certain level.
When you add a passenger however that performance level deteriorates.
Therefore ease yourself into the new conditions by braking a lot
earlier
10) Leaning into a corner too fast and snapping off the
throttle is the same as jabbing the rear brake. It is enough for
the rear wheel to loose traction and cause a slide out.
11) Do not brake in the corner itself. (See point 2) Braking
is something you do before the corner.
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