Quote:
Originally Posted by Flapjack
What are your thoughts on trail braking being suggested for the normal rider vs on the track only.
MSF courses teach the conventional way: slow, look, press, roll.
I saw recently, it is being suggested to use the trail brake method.
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I do both street and track.
Trail braking is designed to accomplish two things. One, load the front tire before you tip it over and turn. Two let you get deeper into the corner faster, then snap the bike over and increase length of the exit straight so you can accelerate sooner (more on that later). On the track for the most part you either want to be accelerating or braking. Neutral throttle is lost time. Again, for the most part.
On the street, if you 'need' to be trail braking you are going too fast. If you want to trail brake to increase your speed around a corner without getting carried away and to make it safer at a higher speed than the traditional MSF way, then go for it. Done correctly and not too fast it is just as safe.
I am not saying the MSF way is unsafe, it is wonderful if you do it their way. I am saying you can't do it their way if you want to go faster around a corner.
So the line through the corner changes when you do this. You stay outside longer and you are braking as you lean over a little...easing off the brakes (trailing off thus the name trail braking) you are looking through the corner for the exit straight. As soon as you see a straight line out of the corner you release the rest of the brakes as you snap the bike over....that points it down the straight and you can roll on. If you do this from the outside of the corner you will see the exit straight just past the apex of the corner.
If you do a traditional MSF corner you are going to be on the inside of the corner when you hit the apex and you will be pointed towards the outside of the corner...you still have to go a long way around the corner before you can accelerate hard.
Why to trail brake:
Why preloading your front tire is good (which you accomplish if you are trail braking) :