10 Safety Tips

[Loafer]

I came across this article, it seems academic, but maybe it will help someone.
Check it out.
http://www.businessinsider.com/10-sa...-harley-2013-8

[Monkeyman]

[Bud2rat]

Good points, thanks for sharing.

[Texas nomad]

Point #5 is way off target. When gross motor skills kick in when you have to stop now, hitting the rapear brake first will cause you to lose control faster than you can blink! The front brake is 70-80 % of a wheels (motorcycle for non motor officers) stopping power. Apply maximum front brake just shy of front wheel lock, FEATHER the rear brake, and use compression braking by downshifting. This is taught day after day, year after year by the trainers of police motorcycle units. Believe me... I've been there, done that! Don't always believe what you read in a survey. The remaining points in the article were fairly accurate. However, correct braking is not something to joke around with.

[Loafer]

Originally Posted by Texas nomad

Point #5 is way off target. When gross motor skills kick in when you have to stop now, hitting the rapear brake first will cause you to lose control faster than you can blink! The front brake is 70-80 % of a wheels (motorcycle for non motor officers) stopping power. Apply maximum front brake just shy of front wheel lock, FEATHER the rear brake, and use compression braking by downshifting. This is taught day after day, year after year by the trainers of police motorcycle units. Believe me... I've been there, done that! Don't always believe what you read in a survey. The remaining points in the article were fairly accurate. However, correct braking is not something to joke around with.

Good point...the writer doesn't teach MC riding. He is talking
about his own experience on a Harley.

[Gypsy Dragon]

Originally Posted by Texas nomad

Point #5 is way off target. When gross motor skills kick in when you have to stop now, hitting the rapear brake first will cause you to lose control faster than you can blink! The front brake is 70-80 % of a wheels (motorcycle for non motor officers) stopping power. Apply maximum front brake just shy of front wheel lock, FEATHER the rear brake, and use compression braking by downshifting. This is taught day after day, year after year by the trainers of police motorcycle units. Believe me... I've been there, done that! Don't always believe what you read in a survey. The remaining points in the article were fairly accurate. However, correct braking is not something to joke around with.

I agree 100%. Also...number 10 is way off...

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by Texas nomad

Point #5 is way off target. When gross motor skills kick in when you have to stop now, hitting the rapear brake first will cause you to lose control faster than you can blink! The front brake is 70-80 % of a wheels (motorcycle for non motor officers) stopping power. Apply maximum front brake just shy of front wheel lock, FEATHER the rear brake, and use compression braking by downshifting. This is taught day after day, year after year by the trainers of police motorcycle units. Believe me... I've been there, done that! Don't always believe what you read in a survey. The remaining points in the article were fairly accurate. However, correct braking is not something to joke around with.

In the courses I have taken, we were never in any of them taught to just grab the front brake.

While I am not arguing with your point, I am stating the advanced riders courses I took (and I have taken them several times -- every three years), your suggestion was not taught.

What was taught was to apply both brakes and begin to "progressively" increase the front-brake until stopped (or crashed if you did not stop in time).

The courses spent a lot of time with emergency braking, since that is situation where most riders are injured or killed.

We had to get to no less than 40 mph in a short distance and brake hard when the flag was dropped. Stopping distance was measured to determine your skill.

We also practiced emergency stops in a corner; which obviously was much more difficult.

What I learned is... you need to practice this a lot, and often to remain good at it. I also learned you can have a major problem if you grab either brake too hard or heavy. You CAN tip a heavy tourer onto its nose in the right situation, as well as have the front tire chirp along the pavement and lose traction/control (steering/balance). The back tire is extremely easy to have slip-out when hit too heavy also.

So... my take on emergency braking is as they taught/teach it to me. Use both brakes and progressively increase the front brake.

However, you have to practice this several times at several different times throughout the season to become or remain somewhat proficient at it.

Lastly... I became a convert to a linked-ABS system, and will never look back at anything less -- no matter who says what about the subject (and they know who they are ).

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by glwilson

Lastly... I became a convert to a linked-ABS system, and will never look back at anything less -- no matter who says what about the subject (and they know who they are ).

[MarkG]

Actually #5 is correct on dirt and gravel, if it is asphalt we would be in trouble. I watched a training class teaching adventure riders to stop and they were slamming the rear brakes, thinking this was totally wrong I asked one of the instructors rather than stating my opinion. Got quite an education from the instructors and later looked things up on the web to confirm it, the moving front wheel is needed for control. Everything we were taught for street riding changes drastically on dirt. Found out the hard way, don't ask, when you do it wrong on a gravel road. Fortunately only my ego was bruised and no damage to me or the bike. I drive a lot slower on dirt and keep my hand off the front brake, rather not go through the experience again.

[andyvh1959]

Yup I agree #5 is way WAY off the mark, especially the way it is described "never use the front brake first." Totally wrong. NOTHING in motorcycle riding is so absolute to be able to say NEVER, or ALWAYS. The exception is visual control, which is ALWAYS look where YOU want the bike to go, not where it is going. Doing as this writer infers can/will be taken by the unknowing rider as gospel and apply it to each and every braking situation. That in itself totally discredits the article.

"NEVER use the front brake first" as the writer infers, wastes critical time to apply the rear brake 1st and then the front brake. Even if the delay is only 1/4 second, at say 60 mph (which is 88 feet per second) the bike will travel another 22 feet IN ADDITION to the initial reaction time average of 1/2 second. That means at 60 mph this rider would have covered 66 feet before any real effective braking is accomplished. THAT IS LONGER THAN A SEMI TRACTOR TRAILER! Every single riding professional will debunk that technique of applying the front brake first.

The key point is smooth, sure, firm progressive action, on the brakes, BOTH brakes at the same time. Both brakes to initiate braking and front tire loading, and then firm quick progressive brake application. THAT is effective braking. Coupled with strong visual control, head up, looking to the clear/escape path. Using BOTH brakes saves critical time, and both brakes minimizes front end dive. Both brakes causes the bike to squat more equally, with maintains steering geometry, which enhances straight line stability. Firm progressive loading of the front tire greatly reduces overall braking distance. Even a 1/2 second front brake delay means the rider HAS to make up for that total braking distance lost by applying even MORE front brake than initially needed.

Consider this, as the writer infers, some 53 year old guy either new to riding or not riding since he was 21 on his CB550 is now thinking this is great info to apply riding his 900lb+ Indian Roadmaster. He likely has doubtful traffic skills to begin with. On his ride, two blocks from home, suburban streets, he's doing 35 mph (which is 51 feet per second). A wayward Buick crosses his path 50' before he is even in the 45' wide intersection. He sees it, normal 1/2 second reaction time means he applies the rear brake first, eating up at least 25' before he really is braking effectively, he's now 25' from the intersection. The Buick driver freaks and stops, blocking his lane, so he has only maybe 20' into the intersection to stop short of a crash into the Buick, maybe 45' to stop completely in control. Sounds like enough? NO, not for a 1000lb+ bike and rider, still doing about 25 mph (now at 37 feet per second). That rider thinking "rear brake first then front brake" has just insured himself of a painful and expensive crash, even if he hits the Buick at 15 mph.

I hate to be cynical, but anytime I see an article about "best" riding techniques that is not from a well known, authentic, motorcycle specific source, with no references to other known riding technique sources (Lee Parks, David Hough, Keith Code, Nick Ienatsch, Jim Ford, Larry Grodsky), I find the info at best generic and suspect. Sorry. But 28 years as a motorcycle riding instructor has made me very cynical of any but the best known sources. Most of the other points are useful, and typical for an unknown source. But #5 makes the entire article largely questionable.

[GeorgeHouston]

Definitely, cautions must be followed especially by new riders to avoid any pathetic situation. This article contains almost all the safety essential heeds which would be way more helpful for all riders.

[andyvh1959]

I'd also say to the author of that article; please invest some time and money in an advanced riding course. The rider's attitude of not using the front brake properly is misleading at best and dangerous in reality. EVERY single riding professional that trains riders above the level of the MSF BRC parking lot course invests a LOT of time in developing front braking skills for straight line AND braking into a curve techniques.