[Kreylyn]

As a standard practice with any thing I'm driving, I always look in the mirror when braking... suddent or not.

It's saved the rear of my car a few times!

Krey

[STULER]

That crap happens around here all the time... usually from minivans.

damn baby haulers. lol

[IndyGunner]

Thats exactly how I wrecked my bike in 07. Stupid idiot lady in a minivan probably putting on her makeup while on the cellphone missed her turn and slammed on her brakes. Bike washed out from under me in an attempt to avoid going through her rear window.

[SGTJimbo_Kat600]

Just another example of why we practice....

On Friday I was riding home from Military duty with a friend that is also in the unit. We were headed down I-94 and they are doing construction so we were routed down local streets.

I was leading, he was right behind me and then fell back a little bit just far enough that a truck got between us. We continued through a couple of lights and then I make the left turn back toward the highway. I don't see his Vstar behind the truck anymore. So I pull to the side and wait. I wait through about 2 cycles of the traffic light and realize he isn't coming. I get back into traffic make a U turn and head back to find him, hopefully in one piece. I keep looking from one side of the road to the other and see him in a parking lot with his jacket and helmet off.

As I pull into the parking lot he is adjusting the windshield on his VStar, as I pull up closer I see the front fender and the headlight no longer in the pristine condition they once were. I see a girl standing next to a Jeep Liberty with a bent license plate, some white paint on the bumper and a mark from the headlight on the spare tire.

It took forever for the police to arrive, they didn't ticket either driver even though he was clearly at fault. Luckily he was able to keep the bike upright and stay on it.

After the LEO and the (very attractive) college student left. I asked him what happened. He said she was getting ready to turn right at a blinking yellow light, using signal etc, and she slowed down more than he expected he locked the brakes and hit her. I asked him if both brakes locked or exacly what happened. He only used the rear brake. I asked why he only used the rear, he was afraid to use the front for a panic stop. This happened at 20-25 mph max.

He purchased the bike last year, only took the road test to get his license. I asked him if he ever practices in a parking lot, panic stops, quick avoidance maneuvers etc. His answer actually scared me. No when I took my road test they told me to go at least 20 MPH and stop between the two lines, I did really well on that and figured I was good to go. I said, I hate to inform you but you just failed this "road test".

Luckily it was a lesson learned without anyone getting hurt, it very easily could have been much much worse. Just another example of why we need to practice our craft.

[jettajake00]

Thank God you guys/your friends are all ok with their close calls...

I actually didn't practice panic braking as much when I rode before my accident 4 years ago (I was a pretty good rider before, and I know some accidents can't be avoided).... but after being off the bike 4 years, now that I am back on you can bet I am working all the time to improve my skills and becoming better than before. I am reading/applying more techniques on my riding and the reason why we do things like counter steer, shifting COG points, etc. A Twist of the Wrist is a great book btw

Also, my braking-as Zepp stated, practice often...

I do a few panic brakes every ride or 2...I will brake to the threshold of lockup, also I will lock it up often just so I can ride through it with no hesitation or fear....I'm actually comfortable now locking it up now...at least in the rear-don't really try to lock the fronts though as you want to be able to steer as much as you can...only negative about all that is probably needing brakes and tires sooner than later-especially with most of my driving being spirited on the twisties the tire wear is definitely showing I'll gladly take that negative though!

On a side note, been back on for 7 weeks now, and put over 2100 miles on it since purchase (and that's not riding every day either!)
I'm just uber happy to be back on 2 wheels, but making sure to always improve and be on guard....Hopefully I won't have a bad situation happen, but I will be prepared for it though!

[aznthundrhed]

So, next time you go out on a ride, find some road with no cars and practice your emergency braking. Do this regularly from faster and faster speeds until you have practiced at all the normal speeds that you ride.

Please practice this, start slow and gradually increase your speeds as you get comfortable. If I hadn't prepared myself for this by doing this MANY times, I probably would have ate the a$$ end of a Honda this morning

good info, thanks for that. but since im relatively a new rider, you got any examples or guides on how to do quick safe stops without locking the brakes and having the back slide out? thanks ahead of time

[scottynoface]

good info, thanks for that. but since im relatively a new rider, you got any examples or guides on how to do quick safe stops without locking the brakes and having the back slide out? thanks ahead of time

You get progressively firmer until you feel the bike about to slide. Dont slam on the rear, that will lock it easily. You immediately grab to the point you feel resistance, then progressively pull tighter. Practice practice practice.

[ctandc]

I'm the oddball..I use more rear brake than front brake. The rear end stepping out doesn't bother me. I grew up in SC and learned to drive on clay dirt roads and raced dirt track for a long while.

I've practiced to where I know how the bike likes to react when locking up the rear. It's saved me more than once.

If I'm in a dead on straight panic stop, I'll use both brakes of course, but once you get the feel of controlling a rear wheel skid, I personally think it can be a very useful tool in the bag. Practice is always the key.

[Katana1100]

practicing our skills is so important that maybe it wouldnt hurt us all to take a few minutes and make some hard stops, brakes,tires,all wear and maybe the max braking limits we had 5000 miles ago have changed too!

also. i didnt see mentioned another self preservation technique, I always try to have an escape route available. saved my a$$ a couple of times,i didnt need to panic brake,just bailed out of the impending stupidity, like the bonehead in the jaguar who slammed on his brakes in the left lane at 55 mph on a two lane to get his exit on the right, i had anticipated his move when the brake lamps went on and his front wheels started turning right.i had enough time/distance to motor right by on his left before he even new i was there.which he probebly never did cause he was yakin away on the phone! always try to be three steps ahead of the cages!

[Zepp]

You want to be able to brake hard, but NOT lock up the brakes or skid. If your locking up the brakes, you need to practice more.

Also, you might need to adjust your rear brake lever so that it won't lock up on you without making an effort to do so.

[capsfan]

You can probably ask the local bike shop or even a cop where there is a good place to practice.

[allblackkat]

I'm the oddball..I use more rear brake than front brake. The rear end stepping out doesn't bother me. I grew up in SC and learned to drive on clay dirt roads and raced dirt track for a long while.

I've practiced to where I know how the bike likes to react when locking up the rear. It's saved me more than once.

If I'm in a dead on straight panic stop, I'll use both brakes of course, but once you get the feel of controlling a rear wheel skid, I personally think it can be a very useful tool in the bag. Practice is always the key.

Even though you sound really proffeciant in using the rear brake, you can't write off the huge braking differences in the 2 giant discs up front versus the 1 tiny disc in the back...

Riding Skills Series: The Basics of Hard Braking


By Jason Black


1. Twenty years ago, you weren't even supposed to touch your front brake. You'd flip right over on your face, so the stories went. Five years ago, racers and riders were preaching the exact opposite: "Don't even bother with the rear brake; the front is all you need." So, in the pursuit of the ultimate braking performance provided by your average Bandit 600S, we hooked up our Stalker radar gun and the laptop computer and set out to solve the big braking question: What is the optimum braking procedure, and how do you do it?
2. Keep your head up when riding, eyes always scanning what's going on around you. When applying the brakes, squeeze them smoothly, don't yank them. This gradually transfers weight to the front tire, increasing front tire traction and reducing the chance of locking the wheel, which eliminates the rider's control over the motorcycle. A hard stop using the front brake has the front tire howling on the verge of lock-up. The line between optimum braking and lock-up is a thin one, so make it a habit to go to an empty parking lot and practice hard braking. Our braking distance from 60-0 mph using only the front brake was 151 feet.
3. We didn't judge the distance correctly and nearly ran into the radar gun for the first rear-brake-only stop from 60 mph. Using the rear brake is useful when tightening turns, checking surface traction or settling the rear at corner entrances, but to use the rear brake exclusively in everyday situations is asking for a Volvo sandwich. Modulating the rear brake is tough to do without locking it at some point. Press down on the pedal firmly until you start to hear the tire howl; this is the point just before lock-up, and is the hardest you can brake without skidding. Impending lock-up is far more effective at stopping a motorcycle than a locked, skidding tire, so practice working up to it. If you're not accustomed to using the rear brake, lock-up is very easy to achieve, as shown in the photo. If lock-up occurs, keep the tire locked and countersteer in the direction you want to travel before you release pedal pressure. Braking distance from 60 mph using only the rear brake was a long 289 feet.
4. Keep at least one finger on the brake lever at all times when riding. This cuts down on reaction time by eliminating the finger movement from the bar to the lever in the case of an emergency. Two fingers are generally all that is needed for hard stops on modern sport bikes.
For our final test, we modulated both the front and rear brakes simultaneously. Not surprisingly, we brought the motorcycle to a stop in the shortest distance of the three tests: 146 feet. Both brakes together undoubtedly provides the best braking performance.
If you're feeling confident, practice your braking over painted lines, through puddles and on bumpy surfaces, which further bring suspension forces into play. The more you practice hard braking, the better off you'll be next time you're forced into a panic-stop situation.

This article originally appeared in the October 1995 issue of Sport Rider.