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Message started by bess227 on 06/18/12 at 12:01:27

Title: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by bess227 on 06/18/12 at 12:01:27

after reading Proficient Motorcycling, i have been practicing some "panic stops" according to the advice given in the book.

today i was headed back to work from lunch. the commercial mowing team was cutting the grass on the road in front of our Walmart, and throwing the grass ONTO the highway.

a lady decided she needed something in walmart ( i guess) and crossed two lanes to get there........great.......super quick stop AND grass on the road.

i got it done.......but there are some pinch marks on my seat. practicing with both front and back on a "panic" stop surely helped....bike only wiggled a little.

could have been a bad deal for this fat boy otherwise.

safe ridin. needless to say, i recommend the book to any and all.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by Dave on 06/18/12 at 13:08:56

Good job with the binders!

I wonder how many road riders out there really understand the front brake? I have been blessed to have motocross, hare scramble and trials experience before I became a road rider. The front brake is a very important tool when riding off road, down steep hills, across wet leaves, or when trying to outbrake a competitor. Over time you learn how to apply the front brake to fit the situation.

Last week I was riding and a neighbors young puppy ran out in front of me, and I had to use the brakes for all they were worth and got stopped and neither the dog or I were hurt. I was thankful that hard braking is just something that is now second nature to me........and it is certainly something you should carefully practice if the front brake is intimidating to you. The front and rear brake are a team - and you must be comfortable with using them efficiently without having to think about it.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by bess227 on 06/18/12 at 13:34:19

when i first got back on the bike, an old friend of mine said "stay off that front brake, nothing but trouble there!!!"

glad i read the book. that front brake has helped me more than anything else.

you make great points.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by babyhog on 06/18/12 at 13:37:19

Panic stops were part of my motorcycle training course. Definitely something necessary to know how to do properly, and practice often, so when you do really need it, the instinct is there.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by rfw2003 on 06/18/12 at 13:42:06

My $0.02 here, if your gonna practice them and I suggest you do, Find different surfaces to practice on so you can see what it feels like and get used to the different traction conditions. Learn what your bike is telling you right before you have a lockup on either wheel. Foremost though remember if you do lockup the front wheel release the brake as quick as possible.

R.F.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by Pine on 06/18/12 at 15:15:29

20273131707075420 wrote:

Wow.. I never heard such... I use the front all the time! Bike tires arent big enough to use just one!

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by arteacher on 06/18/12 at 17:10:57

Readin' it now.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by 360k+ on 06/18/12 at 18:12:12

7D69783D3F3F3C0F0 wrote:

This is so true, but may be counter intuitive for a novice rider. In other words, if the front wheel locks and you panic, your brain will tell you to keep trying to slow down before you hit the ground. It can be hard to let go of that brake as you see an event unfold before you, even tho it might be to your benefit to do so. One more thing, I wouldn't suggest using a bike you care about to practice front braking on different surfaces.

The front brake is most of your stopping power because of the weight shift during braking. This is true on bikes and cars, but be aware that pavement, dirt, gravel, snow, etc. have completely different traction characteristics. Even turning can effect how much braking you actually have. My beemer has ABS so you can't lock them up under any circumstances, but under certain situations, I turn it off when I need to push the braking further than the ABS will allow. I think most old timers understand front brakes pretty well, but novices need to be conscious of their riding environment at all times.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by ZAR on 06/18/12 at 20:17:43

3B383934362C550 wrote:

Panic stops were part of my motorcycle training course. Definitely something necessary to know how to do properly, and practice often, so when you do really need it, the instinct is there.

Yep! That was the hardest thing for this old-school rider to learn at the MSF Rider Course. I was taught back in the dark ages to lay off the front brake...heck,most of the bikes we built and rode never had front brakes cause all the "experts" would tell you the front brake kills more riders than anything else!

The Rider Coaches had a dickens of a time but they got me using that front brake like a pro! And believe me,I've used the panic stop a couple of times and it works.....it works really good!

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by Starlifter on 06/18/12 at 20:33:04

"after reading Proficient Motorcycling,"

"Proficient Motorcycling", and Vol. 2 "More proficient Motorcycling" Are the best two volumes EVER written on the subject of motorcycling. These books at the very least will teach you to ride like a pro...And at the very most they will save your life.

My advice? Don't even ride down your own driveway without reading these books. I rode for 41 years before these books came out, and I learned more from them than I knew from 41 years of riding.

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by runwyrlph on 06/19/12 at 09:22:51

+1

(i'll have to look for vol. 2 - didn't know about that one0

Title: Re: saved by the book....well kinda
Post by bess227 on 06/19/12 at 09:52:04

Star,

You are the reason I bought it. Mine is the second version of the first one I think.

Either way it has been priceless in what I have learned from it.

Thanks for the advice on picking it up.