Stopping in curves

[scenic]

I know that you should not touch the brakes in a curve, that being said, what tips do you have for when you have to come to a stop in a curve. Around my house there are several either stop signs or red lights IN curves. Of course stopping in a curve behind traffic may be required some times as well. So whay tips do you have for a new rider?

[Anonymous]

As long as you straighten up the bike and no try to stop when leaned over...

[AHF]

MSF teaches you that if you have to stop in a curve to (as quickly and safely as possible) straighten up, then brake. I know it sounds weird, but it makes sense when you see it and do it.

[WildKat]

Also be sure to set your entry speed to the corner, before you get there, so ur not straighening up and trying to stop all at the last minute.

[Babs]

We practiced these kind of stops at the ERC course and it is as already stated, straighten as quickly as possible before applying both brakes. Worth practicing.

[zleviticus]

ok my take from reading and such... and the ERC class that i had the privelage nay the pleasure of taking with Babs.

OK the ERC said that if you need to do a quick stop you should get the bike upright. WHY?

Taking from a book i am reading. Lets say the rear and front tire has 100 traction points. WHen you are in a corner most of those points are put towards the tires traction and a little is left for braking. The more leaned over a bike the less you have for braking. Contrary to some belief braking in teh corner is not that bad if done properly and you know the limits of traction. Racers often use the rear brake in a corner to shave some speed in a turn.

[Range]

ok my take from reading and such... and the ERC class that i had the privelage nay the pleasure of taking with Babs.

OK the ERC said that if you need to do a quick stop you should get the bike upright. WHY?

Taking from a book i am reading. Lets say the rear and front tire has 100 traction points. WHen you are in a corner most of those points are put towards the tires traction and a little is left for braking. The more leaned over a bike the less you have for braking. Contrary to some belief braking in teh corner is not that bad if done properly and you know the limits of traction. Racers often use the rear brake in a corner to shave some speed in a turn.

well...in theory....its called "trail braking...and it is an advanced technique...you stop in a straight line BRFORE the corner, and then you ease off as you enter the turn.

If you brake while turning...the forces generated will cause the bike to stand up...too hard and it will flip over....

touching the brakes while turning will cause the bike to drift wide...not a good thing

[md86]

ok my take from reading and such... and the ERC class that i had the privelage nay the pleasure of taking with Babs.

OK the ERC said that if you need to do a quick stop you should get the bike upright. WHY?

Taking from a book i am reading. Lets say the rear and front tire has 100 traction points. WHen you are in a corner most of those points are put towards the tires traction and a little is left for braking. The more leaned over a bike the less you have for braking. Contrary to some belief braking in teh corner is not that bad if done properly and you know the limits of traction. Racers often use the rear brake in a corner to shave some speed in a turn.

Sounds like you're readin' SRT . Good stuff in there !

[trinc]

well...in theory....its called "trail braking...and it is an advanced technique...you stop in a straight line BRFORE the corner, and then you ease off as you enter the turn.

If you brake while turning...the forces generated will cause the bike to stand up...too hard and it will flip over....

touching the brakes while turning will cause the bike to drift wide...not a good thing

not true ! touching the front brakes will make the bike stand up and drift wide - the same can't be said for the rear brake ( it will tighten your line )


BUT..... his point was not emergency braking - it was stopping at lights and stop signs. if they are unmarked ( ususlly not ) that could be a problem - but a road with a lot of blind stop signs should just be taken slow - so braking & traction won't come close to the tires limits.

sounds like a road i would avoid.

tim

[harrye]

I take it the "straighten up" means get the bike perpendicular to the road, not leaning?

I think I would also be moving in a straight line the last several feet before I came to a complete stop and put my foot down. Depending on how sharp the curve is, and how fast the traffic makes you move, it seems that slowing down in a curve should not present too much trouble. Its the final stop, and the foot down where I'd face the difficulty.

So, if its a left hand turn where you stop, be to the left of your lane, and when you start going straight for the last few feet, you will roll toward the right side of your lane. If its a right hand turn where you stop, be toward the right side of your lane, and roll in a straight line toward the left as you stop.

When crossing railroad tracks in a curve, I always try to straighten the bike and be going in a straight line as I cross. If its a rough track, I life off the saddle a little, to let my feet and knees act as shock absorbers, and save the bike's suspension.

[md86]

Yeah , using your legs as suspension is a good thing to do . That way the bike's suspension can do what it was meant to . And straightening up before hitting something is a good idea , too .
The trick for stopping in a curve , in theory , is to straighten up AS you apply more brake at the same time . Basically get on the brake slightly and start to straighten up , then brake more as you get starighter .