Braking hard...I didn't do it right this morning and almost paid the price

[GunNut37086]

I usually take scenic back roads to work, because there's less traffic, even though there's a faster way. I didn't take my motorcycle on the less traveled path today and regretted it.

I was in the left lane of a major road and had just left a traffic light. I was closing on a slow car ahead of me, so I glanced at my right mirror to see if I could get get around them to the right. While I was looking away, some azzhat bolted from a side street on the left across 2 oncoming lanes plus a turning lane and cut off the car I wanted to go around. The right lane where I wanted to go was empty, but I saw a car pulling out of a side street on the right into that lane. Luckily, I realized what was happening even before the car in front of me had time to apply their brakes. With clowns on the left of me and jokers to the right, I had no escape path.

Now...I'm of the opinion that if you haven't practiced emergency braking on your bike, you're no better than those folks in shorts and sneakers. However, it's also fair to say that no matter how much you try to simulate the real thing, it's just not a true "oh $hi+" moment. And wouldn't you know it...I used too much rear brake and locked up the rear wheel. It tried coming around to the right a little, but I rode it out and didn't let off it as the weight transferred to the front. I missed the rear bumper of the car by a few feet and was headed into a small gap when the "oh $hi+" was over, but it was still closer than I'd have liked.

I learned some lessons all over again that I already knew, but had become complacent about...
1. Apply both brakes simultaneously/evenly and prepare for the weight to transfer forward.
2. Scan for trouble (probably kept me from having a wreck)
3. Slow down and avoid congested traffic.

 

[wideguy]

I've never passed a motor vehicle on the right, ever...

But anyway, when that much shit is happening all at once, the best you can do is to not panic, and to look where you want to go.

You must have done that! Kudos and trophys and the like to you.

But, you should know (and it's not easy to do, it takes practice) the way to stop the quickest is to use the rear brake briefly before the front, just enough to load the front tire before you engage the front brake.

If the rear end then gets up and gets sassy, wagging it's tail and all, ease off the front brake a bit.

Remember during this process to look where you hope to go.

 

[dduelin]

Front brake easy count One, Two, SQUEEEEEEZE. Hopefully we have enough time to count and allow weight transfer

 

[PapaC]

I've never passed a motor vehicle on the right, ever...

Agree, but If I read his post correctly, I think there was a traffic lane on his right. He was head checking it when it all happened.

Anyway, glad your OK, and yes, a good reminder for us all to practice emergency braking!

 

[OneGun]

2. Scan for trouble...

This, above all else... all the time... all around you... look... look again... anticipate... position yourself... think 1-2-3 steps ahead.

 

[GunNut37086]

I've never passed a motor vehicle on the right, ever...

Agree, but If I read his post correctly, I think there was a traffic lane on his right. He was head checking it when it all happened.

Anyway, glad your OK, and yes, a good reminder for us all to practice emergency braking!

I'm guessing he meant he never passed someone on the right shoulder. I can't imagine never getting into the right lane to go past someone in the left lane going too slow.

 

[sumo]

Front brake easy count One, Two, SQUEEEEEEZE. Hopefully we have enough time to count and allow weight transfer

When you say One, Two, SQUEEEEEEZE do you mean easy/moderate then hard on the front brake or hit the back brake and then One, Two, SQUEEEEEEZE the front brake. I understand/assume that you want to shift the weight of the bike to the front wheel and then get hard on the front brake, I'm just not clear on best practice.

 

[Deleted member 5383]

All of it's pretty much covered in MSF courses, including the most important parts about being aware of what's going on around you and 2 seconds, 4 seconds and more out -- and what to be thinking about for the stuff you CAN'T see because of buildings and other sightline-blocking vehicles, especially at intersections. Not to mention staying aware of road surface conditions etc, which figure into handling AND braking... As example, around here, pea gravel is a big factor well into late spring, and that can really screw ya for both braking and turning.

Off-road riding can really teach you a lot about braking, how and when to use various combos of front and rear in good balance... Buildling good dual-brake habits on pavement is something I slacked off about for awhile though. I got lazy about just being ready to use the front when everything seemed to be right for that. But last year I decided to build the habit back up of having the foot ready and naturally applying at least a teensy bit of it for straight or near-straight stopping even when stopping power was not in the least bit needed. Seems to restore some finesse and obviously reaction time is a lot better if habits are not too lazy.

 

[rippin209]

so at about 330 this morning in light rain I was in the left lane going 70 mph there was a semi in the right with a pickup four or five car lengths behind the semi, both the semi and pickup were going about 60 mph. As I was just coming up on the rear bumper of the pickup the semi touched his brake pedal, it didn't brake or slow down just touched it as you would to stop your cruise control and the pick was still four or five car lengths behind abruptly swerved into my lane. In the rain with a maneuver so perfectly timed it would seem like the truck was trying to take me out I didn't want to over brake and lay it down so I tried to get past the truck having already gotten past most of it, but that damn truck didn't just come into the lane he took the whole thing all the way to the line and I went from the left shoulder (just wide enough for the rumble strip) into the gravel. Mostly luck but having wrecked on gravel with a moped and a dirt bike in my experience my best chance was pull in the clutch and ride it out until I can smoothly steer out of the gravel. I was tense for the next 20 minutes, that was my closest call ever

 

[netizen]

So now comes the fun part... trying to get that "Pucker" mark out of the seat!

LOL

 

[rpvanoyen]

First of all, I don't know the reason why the USA models lack the ABS in the first place... Especially for motorcyclists it's a must-have as we only have two wheels and a very small tyre-to-road-contact-surface we can use for breaking.

Other than that, know that on emergency braking 90% of our deceleration power comes from the front wheel only, the rear wheel is the stabilizing part, it keeps the bike upright. When the road surface (tarmac) is clean, it's no problem to brake hard as long as your tyres are not worn and at the perfect pressure. Also know that most riders are afraid to fully squeeze the brake handle to the limit when it really counts. And while you brake, keep looking far ahead and not (really not) close in front of the front wheel. Having no ABS makes this job even tougher but not impossible. Find (feel!) at what point of squeezing the maximum deceleration has been reached, on dry as well as on damp or even soaking wet tarmac/concrete. Practise until you drop (figuratively speaking ) is the key word.

What I've learned during the riding courses over the years (did some advanced courses for additional skills, expensive but worthwhile the money as I've become a much better rider);
1. Keep a minimal 2-3 second distance to the vehicle in front of you, it is your first safety zone.
2. Scan the road surface (for damages, oil, sand etc.).
3. Take external factors in mind (merging lanes, side streets, privat driveways, kids playing etc.).
4. Check your mirrors often, know the position/speed of other traffic.
5. Always assume that others are not aware of you.

The braking skills and the five points, must become your second nature. This takes a lot of time (years) but when the time comes, you don't have to think, you act.

 

[dduelin]

When you say One, Two, SQUEEEEEEZE do you mean easy/moderate then hard on the front brake or hit the back brake and then One, Two, SQUEEEEEEZE the front brake. I understand/assume that you want to shift the weight of the bike to the front wheel and then get hard on the front brake, I'm just not clear on best practice.

When faced with an emergency we don't actually think about what to do. We do what we have trained to do. If we have trained to primarily use the front brake that's what we will do. I recommend practicing several threshold braking exercises during or at the end of every ride. In a panic it takes training training training not to grab or press everything as hard as possible as fast as possible. On good dry pavement it's practically impossible to lock up the front with 600-700 lbs of weight mashing the tire against the pavement but it takes a one two to transfer the weight.

Never brake hard with the rear brake first. Load up the front then come in with what rear you can get away with. Every bike is different and as weight on the rear wheel varies.

 

[Fuzzy]

Exactly why I have an MC with antilock brakes and why I will never own another without them.

 

[dduelin]

ABS saves the bacon but good braking habits are still important with ABS. If you don't allow for weight transfer ABS releases brake pressure unnecessarily until transfer is completed.

 

[GunNut37086]

As always, you guys present a wealth of knowledge. I always learn something here, even if it's something I knew that was just presented in a different light.

 

[rippin209]

ABS would have been great, heck I would have paid $1000 to have it when I got my motorcycle. I didn't want a DCT but I want ABS, not an option but it should be. Practicing your emergency braking, I think this was the reason I was unsure about trying to stop, 1 I haven't practiced high speed hard braking on wet pavement, 2 I was going faster then the vehicle I was passing and I was already in the process of passing it. California has been in a drought sense I bought my motorcycle, this is the first rain season we actually got much rain, I really should practice my breaking on wet pavement

 

[PapaC]

dduelin, you have said it very well, and it is something that must be practiced. When I practice my quick braking I say something to get the rhythm, usually it's "aaaaand NOW" squeezing on the aaaaand, and pulling hard on the NOW. I apply back brake at the same time but I do it at a slow constant pressure till I think it's enough to just not skid. I'm am a novice rider, and I want it to be an automatic muscle memory when, and if I need it. I'm sure abs is nice, but I've never had it, so I don't really know what I'm missing.

The other X- factor of course is the split second decision we must make to brake then swerve, swerve then brake, brake only, swerve only. As has been mentioned, I think about scenarios constantly as I'm riding.

I've read David Hough's first book, and he almost always advocates braking hard first, that way the impact, if any will be less, and it will give you a split second to see if you can release, and swerve. He states that almost all riders who said "I had to lay it down" didn't have to!

Good discussion here, thanks.

 

[ld_rider]

I'm am a novice rider, and I want it to be an automatic muscle memory when, and if I need it. I'm sure abs is nice, but I've never had it, so I don't really know what I'm missing.

Brake hard without ABS and you will know <exactly> what you are missing.....Steering control because one or both of your wheels are sliding on a thin film of oil, water, or gravel :-(

ABS will allow you to brake using max effort without the one-mississippi, two-mississippi cadence. With ABS you get on the brakes HARD and RIGHT NOW!

Since your wheels are still turning (not locked) you maintain steering control so you can avoid a collision. The primary purpose Anti-Lock Braking Systems is to maintain steering control by avoiding wheel (brake) lock and resultant uncontrolled skid in a panic situation. Since most of us cannot brake as well as a the computer can, our stopping distances are typically shorter also, although that is not the primary purpose of ABS, more like a nice fringe benefit.

 

[PapaC]

Brake hard without ABS and you will know <exactly> what you are missing.....Steering control because one or both of your wheels are sliding on a thin film of oil, water, or gravel :-(

ABS will allow you to brake using max effort without the one-mississippi, two-mississippi cadence. With ABS you get on the brakes HARD and RIGHT NOW!

Your stopping distances are shorter and since your wheels are still turning (not locked) you maintain steering control so you can avoid a collision. That feature (shorter stopping distances) is not the primary purpose of ABS brakes....their primary purpose (hence the name) is to maintain steering control by avoiding wheel (brake) from locking up.

Ok yeah, maybe I should have rephrased that. I do know what I'm missing, but right now I've got what I've got, and I don't see it changing for a while, so I'll live with it. I do wonder why the abs wasn't put on the manual nc's even as an extra cost option.

 

[Deleted member 5383]

-- but right now I've got what I've got --

Yeah, that's something one addresses during the SHOPPING phase ; }