Stop Me If You Can

www.motorcycle-usa.com

This picture was borrowed from the above website And was taken by Ray Gauger

By JYNorflet

August 22, 20/10

Everyone knows that motorcycles are fast, but what about stopping ?

Any veteran rider who has had a close call will tell you,  trying to stop a 600+ pound bike in a panic is a bad plan. In fact it is no plan at all. You should always drive defensively, the best way to get out of a situation is to avoid getting into the situation in the first place.  However, if you do find that you have not left yourself enough  space up front, or someone does back out of a driveway into your path suddenly, you need to know how to stop.  In a panic most riders, even some with years of experience over reach for that rear brake and once on it they DO NOT let go. Now in a skid, they watch themselves skid directly into the object. They simply brace themselves and hold on for the ride, and ultimately the impact !!  This will take practice, but the right way to panic stop would be to:

Reach for the Rear and Front at the same time

The FRONT brake provides at least 70% of your overall braking power

Many riders think they will flip if they aggressively apply the front brake

The bike WILL NOT flip even  if you squeeze firmly on the front brake.

     If the the ground is wet or has loose dirt or sand - The Front tire might slide

     Even if the ground is wet, still use the 2 brakes together to reduce your stop distance.

If you are skidding, release and quickly feather that rear brake while holding the front brake. As long as the ground isn't wet you are in for a hell of a surprise. Your stop time is going to be reduced from say 75 feet to 25 feet just by placing your faith into the front brake and its magical abilities to haul your speed down in a pinch. If you have been skeptical in the past about the effectiveness of the power your brakes posses. Try practicing what you've read here for yourself in a local parking or school lot. I know you'll be pleasantly surprised at the results.

F.Y.I

Many new bikes come with ABS brakes as an option or standard. With ABS (Anti-lock braking system) the rider does not, and should not feather the rear brake in a skid situation. The on-board electronics will take care of that task for you as you hold the brakes firmly, you'll get the absolute shortest braking results possible without the skid.
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