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Braking
When braking there are several things you should remember…
1) Your front brake is the most powerful brake and gives you about 90% of your total braking power in total.
2) Don’t under any circumstances slam the rear brake on in an emergency stop, this WILL lock the rear and depending on road surface and conditions will send you down to the tarmac.
3) Try not to use the brakes while going around bends, if you have to use any braking gently ever so slightly let off the throttle nice and smoothly, and apply a little bit of rear brake, this will slow you down.
In the wet this is especially useful since using the front brake too harshly (especially in corners and bends) will more than likely result in the front end locking up, which could result in you loosing the front end and getting a face full of the A64.4) Don’t be afraid to use the front brake though, remember smoothly and firmly will do the job. Don’t go snatching because even in bone-dry conditions, even if you don’t have really good brakes, the front will still lock and then it’s game over.
5) Try not to use the brakes when changing direction on the road, while changing lanes for example or pulling into the curb.
6) You may not always need to use the brakes to slow down, the engine will usually be able to kill off any excess speed if you let off the gas long enough. But when doing this it’s still a good idea to show your brake lights, even if you’re not using the brake but still slowing using engine braking.
To show the brake light just pull the front brake lever in till you feel a little click, this is the light engaging. You may not be able to feel a click, so when you’re stationary just pull the lever in till you see the light come on, you should still be able to wheel the bike around.If I missed anything let me know.
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To show the brake light just pull the front brake lever in till you feel a little click, this is the light engaging. You may not be able to feel a click, so when you’re stationary just pull the lever in till you see the light come on, you should still be able to wheel the bike around.Perhaps better to cover back brake for warning, front brake switch is usually not adjustable and can be hazardous if you pull too far, where as the rear brake switch can be adjusted so that it shows when minimal pressure is applied to pedal a long time before braking force is applied.
For those who are getting more experienced on their bike, some of the older bikes stand up when front brake is applied, I found this with the SRAD, this can be used to your advantage in situations where you have bike cranked over and need to lay it over quickly to other side, S bends for instance, a gentle touch on the lever and a transfer of weight can make the transition quicker, but only do this once you have the confidence for faster and more technical cornering, and only do it as you are using your own imput to bring bike upright or else you risk washing out the front. I dont use it on the K2 1000 as have yet to find it necessary.
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Originally posted by Gix
Perhaps better to cover back brake for warning, front brake switch is usually not adjustable and can be hazardous if you pull too far, where as the rear brake switch can be adjusted so that it shows when minimal pressure is applied to pedal a long time before braking force is applied.That’s a good way too, but I was taught not to do that because I always left my foot there and was riding around with my foot on the rear brake lol
Yes there is that, but did your instructor not tell you to move feet on pegs? Balls of feet should be on pegs so should not normally be an issue.
you know he never told me anything about foot positioning on my pegs, so i assume I was doing it right lol
Its not so much a “right” and “wrong” position of feet, just that balls of feet on pegs help you move weight easier, keeps your toes out of the way of controls and of course the road….if you lean and your toes ar dangling around, specially if your pegs are quite low, you might find you toesliders wear a bit too quick[
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Some people find that way uncomfy though, so its a balance of the 2 I suppose…..comfort and convenience.Oh that, yeah I always do that when I’m going round a round about or something and have to lean right over
Re 6), I was told not to just let the engine do the braking because of letting the person behind know about the speed, much as you’d said. I’ve been finding that I’m more comfortable easing the clutch and braking a little for the same overall drop in speed but with the brake light coming on… other than that if you at least give one of the brakes a brief touch then you can flash the brake light at the person behind, giving them an alert that you’re changing your speed, which would be better than no brake light at all at least.
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