Picked up a bad habit - but have it beat, I think

[ells]

Have had the Nomad just one year now. Transitioned from an VN800 Classic last summer with no problems whatsoever, other than figuring out that I needed to move the Nad around the garage while on it rather from the side like I had the 800, which I had ridden for 8 years and 40K mi.

Put a few thousand miles on the Nomad last summer and rode well into late fall and occasionally through the winter with no particular issues. Then, sometime this spring, after taking the MSF Experienced course and a few rides with Dan L. (Not blaming either one, just added to the mystery.) a problem seemed to have developed.

I stared to noticed that the bike was feeling quite unstable as I come to a complete stop, most every time, especially in any sort of turn but even straight ahead. Kept telling myself, it wasn't like this last year, and it wasn't. What's going on??? I had added 2 1/2 inch, Scooter Works risers but just didn't, and don't, see how that would a contributing factor.

Finally, yesterday and today I think I got it figured out. Somehow picked up a bad habit - coasting to the final stopping point and using minimal final breaking and just trying to balance until it wouldn't and then put down whichever foot, or both as necessary. Where the hell did that technique come from?

I had been taught to come to a final stop using just the rear brake and put down the left foot. For some reason I was trying to balance the bike for about as long as possible and then stop. Have no idea where that came from or why it had now become a problem. May have even been using the front brake on occasion for the final stop because the feet were already out - I know bad technique but I was just missing it.

Yesterday and today, I concentrated on change and distinctly come to a complete stop with heavy final pressure on the rear brake - not a too abrupt of a stop, but instead of getting into the balance act, just press hard, lean slightly to the left and put down the left foot. Good solid stable feeling was back, that was it - eureka, just the way I had being doing in the past. Interesting the control you have over the bike in that configuration, as long as leaning slightly left.

On the little 800, didn't really make all that much difference, but is quite amazing how solid the feel and control of the NAD is stopping in that correct manner. I suspect most of you are thinking, "man what a amateur", or " geez, he should have known better than that, thats not how it is suppose to be done". But for whatever reason it just slipped away and I didn't recognize the issue.

The situation probably even contributed to a drop this spring at the top of my driveway but even that didn't make the light go on. I think it was even getting worse as a became concerned about stopping at anything other than completely straight, which is not possible at the top of my driveway.

Anyway, have throughly convinced myself today that that was the issue and feeling pretty good about getting it figured out - not that something else weird isn't to sneak up on me, but got this one nipped.

Ride (and stop) safe.