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BRAKING
How to brake
Many motorcycle riders are, quite wrongly, afraid
to use the front brake. This is usually because of what they learnt
as cyclists. On a motorcycle
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You must normally use both brakes |
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The front brake is the more
powerful of the two brakes and the most important when stopping
a motorcycle |
To stop most effectively in good road and weather
conditions
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Apply the front brake a fraction
of a second before you apply the rear brake |
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Apply greater pressure to the
front brake |
Applying greater pressure to the front brake gives
the best stopping power in good conditions because
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The combined weight of the machine
and rider is thrown forward |
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The front tyre is pressed more
firmly on the road, giving a better grip |
In wet or slippery conditions you need to apply
a more equal pressure to both front and rear brakes
Using one brake only
It takes much longer to stop by using only one
brake. But at very low speeds (walking pace) using only the rear
brake gives smoother control.
When to brake
Always look and plan well ahead to avoid having
to brake sharply. A gradual increase of pressure on the brakes
is better than late, harsh braking.
Follow these rules
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Brake when your machine is upright
and moving in a straight line |
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Brake in good time |
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Adjust the pressure on the brakes
according to the road surface and weather conditions |
Where to brake
Where you brake is very important. The best time
to brake is when you're travelling in a straight line and your
machine is upright. A good rider will plan well ahead to avoid
braking in a bend. In a bend the combined weight of motorcycle
and rider is thrown outwards. To balance this the rider leans
inwards slightly.
If you brake in a bend
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The weight will be thrown outwards
even more |
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The motorcycle and rider may
become unstable |
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The tyres may lose
their grip on the road surface |
If you must brake in a bend
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Avoid using the front brake.
Rely on the rear brake and engine braking to slow you down.
If you must use the front brake, be very gentle. There's
a risk of the front tyre losing its grip and sliding sideways |
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Try to bring your motorcycle
upright and brake normally ( provided you can do so safely
) |
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EMERGENCY BRAKING
If you plan ahead you should seldom need to brake
violently or stop suddenly. But sometimes emergencies do arise
and you must be able to stop quickly and safely.
Maximum braking
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Use the front brake just before
the rear |
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Brake progressively ( increase
pressure steadily ) |
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Apply the right amount of braking
effort to each wheel. This will depend on the road surface
and weather conditions |
Braking distance
'Braking distance' is from the point where you
begin to brake to the point where you stop.
Braking distance depends upon
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Road conditions |
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Tyre condition |
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Brake efficiency |
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Suspension efficiency |
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Load. It takes longer to stop if you're
carrying a passenger |
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Rider ability |
Most of all, braking distance varies with speed.
At 30 mph your braking distance will be 14 metres ( about 45 feet
) while at 70 mph that distance will increase to 75 metres ( about
245 feet ). That's just over double the speed but more than five
times the braking distance.
Stopping distance
This is the distance your motorcycle travels from
the moment you realise you must brake to the moment your machine
stops.
Always ride so that you can stop safely within
the distance you can see to be clear.
Stopping distance depends on
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How fast you're going |
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Whether you're travelling uphill, on the
level or downhill |
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Health |
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time of day |
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Alcahol or drugs |
Stopping distance divides into 'thinking distance'
and braking distance.
Thinking distance is from the point where you see
the hazard to the point where you brake. This distance will vary
from rider to rider according to their reaction times.
An alert and fit rider needs 0.75 of a second thinking
time. That means that at 50 mph you'll travel 15 metres ( about
50 feet ) before you begin to brake.
The following table shows typical stopping distances
| |
Thinking
distance |
Braking
distance |
Stopping
distance |
| At 30 mph |
9 metres
( 30 feet ) |
14 metres
( 45 feet ) |
23 metres
( 75 feet ) |
| At 50 mph |
15 metres
( 50 feet ) |
38 metres
( 125feet ) |
53 metres
( 175feet ) |
| At 70 mph |
21 metres
( 70 feet ) |
75 metres
( 245feet ) |
96 metres
( 315 feet ) |
Braking in an emergency
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Keep your motorcycle upright |
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Apply maximum effort without locking the
wheels. This is achieved by progressively increasing braking
pressure. Don't use the brakes violently - this may cause
you to skid |
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Pull in the clutch lever just before you
stop |
Signalling when you brake
Don't try to give an arm signal when you brake
in an emergency
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You'll need both hands on the handlebars |
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Your stop lamp will warn traffic behind
you |
Dealing with skids when braking
If you've caused a skid by braking
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Ease off the brakes to let the wheels start
turning again |
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Re-apply the brakes as firmly as the conditions
will permit |
Your natural instincts when dealing with a brake
skid will be to brake even harder. You must learn to overcome
such instincts if you're to regain control.
Correcting a skid
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Steer into the skid. If the machine is
sliding to the right, steer to the right. If the machine
is sliding to the left, steer to the left. |
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Keep your feet on the footrests. Putting
your feet to the ground on a moving motorcycle could upset
your balance |
Skids are a lot easier to get into than they are
to get out of. Remember, skid control is an emergency measure
- it's no substitute for skid avoidance.
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