Practicing emergency braking?

[F_susp]

I'm wondering if any of you have any clever techniques for practicing emergency braking.  Basically, I'm concerned that if I'm practicing near lockup on the front wheel, it seems to me there is a good chance of going down.  While I'd rather fall down in a parking lot than in traffic, it limits my willingness to practice braking.  Am I missing something, or do I just have to hope I'm already skilled enough (or lucky enough) to not fall?

BTW, I've been riding for a couple of years now so I'm not a total newbie, but I'm not nearly as good as I would like to be, especially at skills that don't come up much in normal riding.

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Robert-

[Cpl Punishment]

Grief, I replie at length and lost it. My reply that is.
 
In summary I said:
Keep your bike's tyres and brakes well fettled
Always ride within your limits
On dry roads, with noone about, a full emergency stop consists of a handful of hard front braking (in a straight line), followed by the back brake. Don't bother with gears. You'll stop quik.
 
Light braking in the dry-a couple of fingers will do.
 
Wet/ frost/ leaves/ snow-your back brake is your best friend. Don't ignore your gears-but you must not use these in emergencies. Try 50/50 front/ back, or if really wet -you should already be in a lower gear-back, then front.
 
Putting your feet out always helps confidence! even better, do an off road course.
 
Best wishes, General Sir Ron Pig.

[kevin_stevens]

I'm wondering if any of you have any clever techniques for practicing emergency braking.  Basically, I'm concerned that if I'm practicing near lockup on the front wheel, it seems to me there is a good chance of going down.  While I'd rather fall down in a parking lot than in traffic, it limits my willingness to practice braking.  Am I missing something, or do I just have to hope I'm already skilled enough (or lucky enough) to not fall?

BTW, I've been riding for a couple of years now so I'm not a total newbie, but I'm not nearly as good as I would like to be, especially at skills that don't come up much in normal riding.

Thanks for any suggestions,

-Robert-

With all the ABS threads running (again), let me just say that you've identified *THE* premier value of ABS on a motorcycle, IMHO -- you can practice threshold braking on a regular basis without worrying about locking the front wheel.

Apart from ABS, you're exactly correct.  Whether in a parking lot, on the street, or on a track, you get to guess how close to impending lockup you are, and try to approach that point as rapidly as possible without ever going over.  I suggest moderate (30-40mph) speeds rather than slow (<20mph) because the wheel is more difficult to lock at higher speeds and you get  a slightly better chance of recovery if you let off quickly enough.  That's true at higher speeds, too, but it's not worth the risk of greater injury.

KeS

[cyeager]

Gradually add more braking force untill you start to lose traction. Despite what some people may tell you, you can dont instantly crash by locking the front wheel, unless you are going *way* too fast. Since you are going slowly and gradually adding more brake you wont be going too fast to recover. This is the only way you will find out how much brake you can use. It is certainly possible to crash while doing this, but it can very well save your life down the road. This is why you should start off on a bike that is cheap and ugly to begin with.
 
Then again, I am from the school of thought that you pretty much have to crash a bike at some point in order to learn how to ride. So maybe you shouldnt listen to me.

[cworley5150]

Grief, I replie at length and lost it. My reply that is.
 
In summary I said:
Keep your bike's tyres and brakes well fettled
Always ride within your limits
On dry roads, with noone about, a full emergency stop consists of a handful of hard front braking (in a straight line), followed by the back brake. Don't bother with gears. You'll stop quik.
 
Light braking in the dry-a couple of fingers will do.
 
Wet/ frost/ leaves/ snow-your back brake is your best friend. Don't ignore your gears-but you must not use these in emergencies. Try 50/50 front/ back, or if really wet -you should already be in a lower gear-back, then front.
 
Putting your feet out always helps confidence! even better, do an off road course.
 
Best wishes, General Sir Ron Pig.

Pretty good advice here.  Not sure I totally agree with the "putting the feet out" part, but doing an off road course will open your eyes to riding on less than perfect surfaces.  
 
Start in parking lots at slower speeds and practice threshold braking.  Gradually increase your spreeds until your up to and comfortable with speeds of around 60-70 mph or even higher if you make a habit of riding at a faster pace.  
 
If you feel the front start to lock up, back off the brake lever a little and let the wheel regain grip.  At least you will know for your particular bike when the front wheel starts to lock up.  
 
Again, this all applies to braking in a straight line.  
 
Or, get a bike with ABS and yank those binders until your knuckles are white!      

[jschmidt]

My suggestion is that you pick the same spot and speed for repititions and try to reduce your brake distance by one foot each time. This teaches both braking limits and traction detection.
 
Max breaking is one of the few bike skills you can't learn simply by riding. You have to practice.

[MDHCO]

Start slow and push the envelope.  You'll be surprised how much braking force you can generate before the front wheel locks.

[bikerfish1100]

take an ERC course. practicing with feedback from someone trained to observe your actions (and results) will help immeasurably.
keep your eyes up and your feet on the pegs- you give up balance when you look down, and some degree of control with your feet flopping in the breeze. not to mention the loss of any rear brake action.

[kevin_stevens]

ERC?!  No offense, but a handful of "quick stops" from 20mph at ERC didn't do a damned thing for me in practicing threshold braking at road speeds.  Maybe if you're starting from scratch and fuzzy on the technique...

ERC for braking practice?  *Really*?

KeS

[MDHCO]

Putting your feet down for practice?  It may have worked for Fred Flintstone, but one foot needs to be on the rear brake, the other down shifting. You just may need to get out of someone's way.

[Noddy]

I started doing this in the wet, on a cold road.  Don't ask how I found out, but after my heartrate came down I practiced on that road for a while, the wet meant that I didn't need too much speed before inducing lock-up.
 
If the bike was upright and my weight centered, it was no problem to lock the front and let it go again.
 
I suggest the wet again, because I keep finding that I really need my brakes in the wet, fog, while someone pulls in front of me.  Knowing how hard to break in the wet is really helpful.  It teaches you humility and how to keep your space.

[cbsnbiker]

It depends on one's level of experience. I've helped thousands of riders improve their braking in MSF courses. I've also had Reg Pridmore and his people help me with my riding skills in their courses.
 
We all can learn new stuff. The ERC is one good place to do so for many people. For others, there are other options out there.
 
Then again, some people don't think they need any help with their riding skills.
 
 

ERC?! No offense, but a handful of "quick stops" from 20mph at ERC didn't do a damned thing for me in practicing threshold braking at road speeds. Maybe if you're starting from scratch and fuzzy on the technique...
 
ERC for braking practice? *Really*?
 
KeS

[Yankee Dog]

.........Despite what some people may tell you, you can dont instantly crash by locking the front wheel, unless you are going *way* too fast. .................

 
umm, I dont think this is quite true.  It can only take the blink of an eye to go down after your front wheel locks.  And you dont have to be going fast.  I got into a panic stop situation a couple of years ago.  I got on the brakes hard.  I remember hearing the front brake squeal.  Thinking, uh oh, that cant be good.  And then picking myself up off the ground.  
 
I wasnt going fast.  Less than 30mph for sure.  Much less by the time I lost it.  In this situation I want going to let up because I was stareing at a car door, but even if I had been just practicing there would not have been much time to react between the time the front wheel started making noise and I started bouncing.  
 
Maybe more emergency braking practice would have helped.  But how many people take such practice all the way to locking the front brake?  It can be mightly expensive to drop your bike even at slow speed.  
 
That is why I have a bike with ABS now.  
 
yankee Dog

[Cpl Punishment]

I'd agree with that. I've fallen off more times at low speeds when the front went than at high. And low speed crashes can hurt.

[speedygeezer]

This method was taught to me by a former racer and long-time instructor.
 
Find a deserted stretch of straight, decent asphalt. Bring along two markers that are readily visible at speed from a distance. Place the 1st marker on the shoulder of the road and then approach it at 30 mph. Using your fore-finger and middle finger on the front brake and simultaneously using the rear brake also, stop as quickly as you think you can and then place the second marker at your stopping point. Proceed away from that marker, turn around and approach it again at 30 mph and as soon as you reach it, stop before you reach the 1st marker. Move the 1st marker to your new stopping point. Keep repeating this exercise with both markers until you can no longer decrease your stopping distance. Aim for consistency when you begin braking in relation to the markers. Concentrate on how much force you are using on the brake lever. Do not grab the lever with maximum force as soon as you exert pressure. This encourages wheel lockup. Rather, gradually and quickly increase pressure as you continue slowing down. This takes practice. It is easier to train two fingers than it is to train three or four. Repeat this exercise at 60 mph. If you commonly travel 75 mph or 100 mph or whatever, practice this exercise from those speeds as well. Only repeated practice will train your brain to learn how much force is required to stop your mc in the shortest distance. This is called your maximum comfortable braking force. I repeat - "your" maximum comfortable braking force. Not mine, and not anyone else's. Yours.
 
Check your mirrors every time before you begin braking during this exercise.
 
Be aware of the possibility of the rear wheel rising off the ground during these exercises. This takes extreme front braking pressure which occurs just before wheel lockup, and some bikes are more susceptible to it than others. Normally, tho, one has to know how to do a "stoppie" and be trying to do a stoppie in order for this to happen, so it isn't likley to happen. But, it COULD happen, thus the admonishment.
 
If the front tire is not skidding, you can safely apply more brake pressure.
 
If you like, practice locking up the tires on gravel at 10 mph, just to find out what it feels like. Naturally, it will feel differently on asphalt, but it will provide you with the sensation of skidding the tires.
 
Practice emergency braking every time you ride - this keeps those fingers in shape, and in case of a real emergency, your reactions will be instinctive. That is, you won't have to think about how hard to squeeze that lever - your fingers will already know.
 
In potentially hazardous situations - blind corners, intersections, leaving a stop sign, left-turners in front of you, etc., always cover the front brake lever with those same two fingers. At 60 mph (or 88 feet/sec.) it takes 1.5 sec. before you can initiate braking if your fingers are wrapped around the hand grip. That's 132 feet BEFORE you start braking in case of an emergency. At 30 mph, that converts to 66 feet. Those distances may not seem like much, but they are a definite advantage when you are trying to avoid a hazard. By covering the brake lever, you can initiate braking as soon as you recognize the hazard. This is a good habit to learn.

[F_susp]

Wow, a whole bunch of useful responses.  Thanks, all of you!

I think I'm going to go find a parking lot to play in, and put some of these suggestions to use.  I'll let you all know if I end up scraping up the sides of the bike .  

-Robert-

[Gaolee]

Another way to practice and push your threshhold in a relatively controlled environment is doing a track day.  The downside is that you might get hopelessly hooked and spend all your money on trackday fees, tires, modifications and repairs to the bike, a dedicated track bike...  But, you do get to practice hard braking along with hard cornering over and over and over again, and practice is what lets you feel the limits without exceeding them.

[cyeager]

umm, I dont think this is quite true. It can only take the blink of an eye to go down after your front wheel locks. And you dont have to be going fast. I got into a panic stop situation a couple of years ago. I got on the brakes hard. I remember hearing the front brake squeal. Thinking, uh oh, that cant be good. And then picking myself up off the ground.

You use improper braking technique on the street and it results in a crash so people shouldnt try to learn proper braking? Maybe if you practiced you would have learned how not to crash in that situation, which is exactly what the OP is trying to accomplish. Recovering from a locked front brake used to be a part of motorcycle training before someone decided that it was too hard and unfair for people who shouldnt be riding.

[bikerfish1100]

Recovering from a locked front brake used to be a part of motorcycle training before someone decided that it was too hard and unfair for people who shouldnt be riding.

really? when was recovery from an intentional front wheel lock up taught as part of beginner rider training, and who did it? certainly wasn't done by MSF, and they've pretty much been the leaders and dominant program in the rider training community.

[UHOH]

Wow, a whole bunch of useful responses.  Thanks, all of you!      I think I'm going to go find a parking lot to play in, and put some of these suggestions to use.  

in Pridmore's Book "Smooth Riding" he suggests just what you're about to try.   he observes that as you get to the tire adhesion limit in a progressive abrupt stop you will hear your front tire 'howl.'   maybe it's the rubber getting torn off by the pavement surface?   potentially tire specific?  but i've heard it and still had traction,  was probably close...

so when you're testing leave out the earplugs.

have fun becoming a better rider, we all need to...