Braking techniques

[dantama]

In an emergency you want to get the most that you can out of your bikes ability to stop. Here's what I know about stopping a motorcycle. If anyone else has anything more to add, please do.

Don't begin by "grabbing" the brake. Begin like you would do with any stop, but get progressively stronger pressure on the front brake after the initial pull.

The forks will start compressing from weight transfer from the rear of the bike. Weight will move from the rear onto the front, when this happens the front tire will have an increase in traction ability, and at the same time the rear will have a decrease in traction ability.

Because of that, as you give a firmer pull on the front brake, you need to lessen the pressure on the rear brake. I find modulating the rear brake more difficult on a Nomad because you are picking up so much of your foot to reach the brake, that its hard to modulate less pressure. Might not be hard for everyone, but I've found it easier on bikes with pegs that supported the main part of my foot and I was just pivoting to press the brake.

If you do lock the rear brake up when the rear becomes less weighted, it's best to keep it locked all the way to the stop. You can release it if you are lined up completely straight between the front tire and rear. If the rear is out of line too much, you run the risk of causing a violent high side when you let off the rear brake and it regains traction while out of line.

I high sided my Nomad on a dirt road in the manner described above. It was violent enough at about 30mph to toss the bike through the air (not touching the ground at all) landing down the road about 15-20 yards, facing the opposite direction, and up on a ledge on the side of the road a couple of feet above the road. I landed just beyond it, also not touching the road in between.

High sides can be very violent, so it's best to just keep the rear wheel locked till you stop if it does lock.

It's hard to know where full front braking lies, and you want to get all you can out of it without locking it.

When it gets right near full capacity, it will make a slight roaring sound. Not a squeal, more of a dull roar. Ideal is to get up to that noise, but not go beyond it. Locking up is just beyond it.

The amount of pressure you use on the front brake lever towards the end of the stop will be far greater than the pressure in the first little bit of the stop. As the extra weight comes forward you can steadily increase your pull on the lever. You can keep increasing it till you hear that muffled roar, and more pressure still to maintain the roar.

If you squeezed the lever at the beginning with the same effort that you can at the end, you would lock the tire up. You have to progressively get there.

As said before, as you get more and more lever effort on the front, you need less and less on the rear in order for it to not lock up. At the beginning of the stop the rear is contributing a fair amount of braking, towards the end of an emergency stop it doesn't contribute much at all. Visualize a sport bike doing a stoppie, the rear is contributing zero there.

Practice this over and over, from now till you no longer ride.

I can get it nearly perfect in practice, but in a true emergency with extra adrenaline kicking in, it's easy to get wrong.

There is a theory of muscle memory that basically says you can practice something so much that your muscles remember how to do it without you having to think much about it. You want to get there, though I haven't.

In the last emergency stop I did, I locked the rear brake up. It surprised me that I did it with all the practice that I've done, but with adrenaline pumping it very easy to push too hard on the rear brake. It's the front brake you want to be sure not to lock up.

[jussmatt]

Good info to know!! I bet the highside was scary as hell!!! Glad you made it out ok!!

[dui546]

I bet that was a real scare! Your adventure and info provides great food for thought. I am constantly scanning ahead and searching for threats while riding and thinking of ways to avoid or stop on short notice. It's as common as the saying, "what goes up must come down"...in that... "once you start moving...you've gotta have a plan for stopping." People are about as predictable as animals (deer, dogs, etc.) when it comes to driving, bicycling or walking/jogging on the roadway.

I investigate a lot of motor vehicle crashes. I added a threat about stopping distances a while back because a lot of folks simply don't consider the relevance of velocity and the required average stopping distances. I always hear, "I tried to stop but there just wasn't enough time."

http://kawanow.proboards77.com/index...ead=1192471831

[dantama]

I investigate a lot of motor vehicle crashes. I added a threat about stopping distances a while back because a lot of folks simply don't consider the relevance of velocity and the required average stopping distances. I always hear, "I tried to stop but there just wasn't enough time."

http://kawanow.proboards77.com/index...ead=1192471831

I went and had a look at that thread. Good information there.

I would suspect that most riders know how to get up to speed at near the bikes capabilities, but don't know how to bring it back down even close to the bikes capabilities.

Your thread showed what a difference speed makes when you go over 60mph. I've practiced 90mph emergency stops, and each time I'm surprised at how it seems to take forever to stop.

Another thought is on perception of a problem and reaction time. When it comes to the point where you are hitting into the side of a car, but just barely, say you only needed 15 more feet and you could have stopped. You probably could have gotten that 15 extra feet on the front end if you perceived and reacted faster.

That makes the difference between a near miss and a hit.

[flightdoc]

high speed braking practice can be very scary. It takes a whole lotta practice to master those ....comfortably.

[unwind2]

Does that work the same with the intergarted brakes (if I'm saying that correctly)? My guzzi has the brakes where hitting the back brake do the back and a certain percentage of the front and the front brake lever gives you the remainder of the front.

That's one area I can tell a big difference on the two bikes. If I get on the guzzi after riding the Nomad I have to remind myself to use a lot lighter touch on the brakes. Of course the guzzi weighs 575 to the nomads 720 but those guzzi have some fantastic brakes.

[dantama]

Does that work the same with the intergarted brakes (if I'm saying that correctly)? My guzzi has the brakes where hitting the back brake do the back and a certain percentage of the front and the front brake lever gives you the remainder of the front.

That's one area I can tell a big difference on the two bikes. If I get on the guzzi after riding the Nomad I have to remind myself to use a lot lighter touch on the brakes. Of course the guzzi weighs 575 to the nomads 720 but those guzzi have some fantastic brakes.

This magazine report agrees with your assesment that the brakes are fantastic. Below report is on a 2003 California.

The hardware itself is decidedly un-cruiserlike. Up front, dual four-piston Brembo calipers squeeze 320mm floating rotors, with stainless-steel lines tying them together. In the rear, there's a dual-piston Brembo and a fixed 282mm disc. A generation ago brakes this good were cause for comment among the go-faster set, and for a cruiser they are absolutely top-shelf, more than capable of hauling down the 583-pound (dry weight) Aluminum from any speed it's capable of reaching. Both a proportioning and delay valve are incorporated into the brake system. Standing on the brake pedal turns on the rear and left front calipers just like it always has. However, the differential between the two brakes is no longer fixed. Initially, the proportioning valve split the braking force in a 70 percent rear to 30 percent front bias. However, the valve is now load sensitive and adjusts the braking bias to transfer more of the braking force onto the front wheel as required. If you need more whoa, squeezing the front brake lever activates the right front caliper.

Though I'm not an expert on linked brakes, from what that says above, you will need to get in the habit of using the front lever if you want to really make an emergency stop, otherwise you will only be using half of the front brake.

I would be concerned about riders on those bikes getting in the habit of just using the rear pedal, then when an emergency comes up they wouldn't have the instinct to properly use the front and wouldn't get as fast of a stop as they could.

If it were my bike, I would always (every stop sign etc) use the front lever too. In an emergency you will revert to what ever is instinctual, which will be a reach to the front lever.

I rode a '77 Guzzi V-1000 Convert Police Special for years....... I loved the linked brakes, but YES, you do get into the habit of using the rear brake more than you should........ still a bad habit of mine.


If I remember right, applying the rear brake activated 70% front & 30% rear... which made it real safe if you hit the back brake too hard.

[unwind2]

Dan

That's what I have an '03 Guzzi EV Tour and yes I have made to habit of using both front and rear with every stop. Thanks for the input.
Nancy

[mikesth]

I know when I've changed brake lines from OEM rubber to stainless braided, I got much better linear feel and pressure on both front and back brakes. The compression of the brake fluid causes OEM hoses to expand diameter - this is lost force.

Has anyone tried changing lines on our bike yet? Are there Galfer or similar lines available for Nomads.

Parts never are the atotal nswer, but they can help and I know it was a great upgrade in the past.

[dantama]

I know when I've changed brake lines from OEM rubber to stainless braided, I got much better linear feel and pressure on both front and back brakes. The compression of the brake fluid causes OEM hoses to expand diameter - this is lost force.

Has anyone tried changing lines on our bike yet? Are there Galfer or similar lines available for Nomads.

Parts never are the atotal nswer, but they can help and I know it was a great upgrade in the past.

I've seen stainless for sale for Nomads on ebay, but haven't talked to anyone that has them.

[ells]

Thanks Dan. That braking discussion pretty much follows what I heard in my advanced MSF course (several years ago) but is good to have the review and the additional personal experience perspective. I think about the emergency braking procedures more than I practice but try at lower speeds once in a while. One of the tougher exercises is slowing on a curve, which as I was taught requires straightening the line before any significant braking, if the situation allows the straightening. Of course, the practice of slowing adequately to handle any situation before entering the turn is paramount.

[Yellow Jacket]

[quote author=dantama board=safety thread=1199503985 post=1199739764

Another thought is on perception of a problem and reaction time. When it comes to the point where you are hitting into the side of a car, but just barely, say you only needed 15 more feet and you could have stopped. You probably could have gotten that 15 extra feet on the front end if you perceived and reacted faster.

That makes the difference between a near miss and a hit. [/quote]

One point I would like to add in regard to reaction time; I have read several times in various places about keeping your brakes covered while riding. In my slowness it took me a while to figure out what they were talking about. Just in case someone else like me doesn't know what it means it means to keep your fingers on the brake lever and the toe of your boot on the foot brake. Naturally, if you don't have to move your fingers off the throttle and wrap them around the brake lever your reaction time will be reduced. One or two tenths of a second quicker on the brakes can make a hugedifference.

Personally, I have found it awkward to try to keep my foot on the rear brake pedal all the time but I do make a conscious effort to always keep the front brake covered. I have found that I can keep at least my last three fingers on the brake lever and still handle the throttle. Also, when up to speed I can even have all four fingers on the brake lever and still control the throttle with just my palm.

Don't mean to be long-winded but I believe strongly about keeping at least your front brake covered. Every milli-second you can save in reaction time will reduce your stopping distance.

Dan,

Can you touch on the use of engine braking and using the clutch to slow you?

[flightdoc]

As a MSF rider coach we teach students, in the basic class, not to cover the brake. Students and inexperienced riders have the tendency to "hit" the brakes to quickly and too hard. What you should be working on is being aware of what's happening around and in front of you. If something around you appears it possibly could turn into a issue then you should be preparing yourself for it ie: slow down , move away from it, start applying your brakes. I think many of us wait for something to happen before we initiate a plan or ride beyond our limits to handle the situation. Everyone should be practicing maximum braking, swerving and cornering, on a regular basis. By the way you can brake while cornering, you need to intiate the braking part while straightening the bike. Very difficult to do. Practice practice practice.
just my 2 cents