How do you brake?

[HiDesertStan]

Lol.
Thought I'll add, braking is like horsepower, correctly useing it can help you win races. But on streets, beware, that Heavy metal behind you is deadly! Think like a suvivalist!

 

[moto-rama]

Do you think Code is actually recommending using engine braking or explaining how he brakes while downshifting/matching revs so he can drive early and hard out of the corner? That's a track technique. In street combat, you may need to worry about scrubbing speed while in control, but maybe not so much about finishing a corner in the top quarter of the rev range. A street rider should be able to go from 60mph in sixth gear to zero in first in a hurry and rev matching and engine braking are going to hopelessly complicate that.

I agree on CSS, the small group coaching on the track is the best anywhere, and Keith distills fast and smooth riding to its essence. The emphasis is very much on track riding. Most of that is highly applicable on the street but not all of it. Of course, if you can handle your bike well on the track, you can handle it anywhere.

The OP didn't really didn't specify whether he was asking about Slowing down VS panic stopping to avoid collisions but I took his question to mean Slowing Down while underway.
CSS and other track oriented classes focus on braking as it pertains to that, not what i call Panic Stopping in the context of everyday street riding.

I think that gear selection and braking techniques as they apply to track riding are easily tranferred to everyday riding. But collision avoidance and panic braking are in what i call Your Basic Riding Skills category. So , Yes, your point is well taken.

As far as streetsurvival riding goes, that has been well covered in this thread. As for me, I try to anticipate , which comes from experience, which is something I can't give the OP. As mentioned, Situational Awareness and having Plan B is something that a novice has to learn, and being able to execute a sudden panic stop or "swerve" are also mandatory skills.
But for every day riding, those track oriented schools will give a rider confidence and the ability to manage their speed and cornering for the streets and backroads.
Now if they could just teach Deer to avoid motorcycle riders....

 

[russ69]

No shit. Bought a Harley.

But I didn't sell my GSXS1000 or my Ninja 250... If I flick the Harley into a turn, it might flick me back.

 

[Whammy]

Squeeze one push down on the other.
Sounds like you need to hang out and have some conversations with accomplished riders.

 

[fubar929]

I used to teach the braking class for one of the largest trackday providers in Northern California. Here's a condensed version of what we used to tell novice students:

1) Shifting is about putting the bike in the right gear for the speed you're traveling and keeping it there. Because braking changes your speed, you'll often need to shift around the same time that you're braking, but it's best to think of shifting and braking as two completely different skills

2) If you want to change the speed of a motorcycle drastically, you must use the brakes. Don't worry about engine braking unless it's upsetting the chassis or you're racing and looking for an extra tenth or two per lap.

3) All motorcycles generate the most braking power from the front brake. For many motorcycles, the front brake is the only one you need to worry about. If your bike is long and heavy (think: cruisers, touring bikes) you may also want to use the rear brake. If you ride a sportbike, standard, or naked bike you should probably concentrate on the front brake. I've run enough parking lot braking drills to know that it takes a very skilled sportbike rider to brake shorter using both brakes than when using the front brake alone.

4) Proper braking technique is to squeeze the tank with your knees, pull the front lever quickly but smoothly, wait until weight transfers to the front wheel, then increase lever pressure until you're generating maximum braking (but not locking the front wheel). The key here is you must wait for weight to transfer to the front wheel if you want to get the maximum amount of braking. If you grab a handful of brake before weight has transferred to the front, you risk locking the front wheel.

Proper braking technique would change slightly if: you're riding in the rain, you're looking for maximum lap time, or you ride a bike with a top-tier ABS system.

 

[Enchanter]

I used to teach the braking class for one of the largest trackday providers in Northern California. Here's a condensed version of what we used to tell novice students:

1) Shifting is about putting the bike in the right gear for the speed you're traveling and keeping it there. Because braking changes your speed, you'll often need to shift around the same time that you're braking, but it's best to think of shifting and braking as two completely different skills

2) If you want to change the speed of a motorcycle drastically, you must use the brakes. Don't worry about engine braking unless it's upsetting the chassis or you're racing and looking for an extra tenth or two per lap.

3) All motorcycles generate the most braking power from the front brake. For many motorcycles, the front brake is the only one you need to worry about. If your bike is long and heavy (think: cruisers, touring bikes) you may also want to use the rear brake. If you ride a sportbike, standard, or naked bike you should probably concentrate on the front brake. I've run enough parking lot braking drills to know that it takes a very skilled sportbike rider to brake shorter using both brakes than when using the front brake alone.

4) Proper braking technique is to squeeze the tank with your knees, pull the front lever quickly but smoothly, wait until weight transfers to the front wheel, then increase lever pressure until you're generating maximum braking (but not locking the front wheel). The key here is you must wait for weight to transfer to the front wheel if you want to get the maximum amount of braking. If you grab a handful of brake before weight has transferred to the front, you risk locking the front wheel.

Proper braking technique would change slightly if: you're riding in the rain, you're looking for maximum lap time, or you ride a bike with a top-tier ABS system.

Stellar post! Well written, great information, and accurate.

 

[Whammy]

I used to teach the braking class for one of the largest trackday providers in Northern California. Here's a condensed version of what we used to tell novice students:

1) Shifting is about putting the bike in the right gear for the speed you're traveling and keeping it there. Because braking changes your speed, you'll often need to shift around the same time that you're braking, but it's best to think of shifting and braking as two completely different skills

2) If you want to change the speed of a motorcycle drastically, you must use the brakes. Don't worry about engine braking unless it's upsetting the chassis or you're racing and looking for an extra tenth or two per lap.

3) All motorcycles generate the most braking power from the front brake. For many motorcycles, the front brake is the only one you need to worry about. If your bike is long and heavy (think: cruisers, touring bikes) you may also want to use the rear brake. If you ride a sportbike, standard, or naked bike you should probably concentrate on the front brake. I've run enough parking lot braking drills to know that it takes a very skilled sportbike rider to brake shorter using both brakes than when using the front brake alone.

4) Proper braking technique is to squeeze the tank with your knees, pull the front lever quickly but smoothly, wait until weight transfers to the front wheel, then increase lever pressure until you're generating maximum braking (but not locking the front wheel). The key here is you must wait for weight to transfer to the front wheel if you want to get the maximum amount of braking. If you grab a handful of brake before weight has transferred to the front, you risk locking the front wheel.

Proper braking technique would change slightly if: you're riding in the rain, you're looking for maximum lap time, or you ride a bike with a top-tier ABS system.

Yes!!! ^^ The weight transfer is the key... know when its happening and then you can get on it a bit harder. Takes practice like with anything else you can stop or slow down that bike quicker.

 

[russ69]

Yes!!! ^^ The weight transfer is the key... know when its happening and then you can get on it a bit harder. Takes practice like with anything else you can stop or slow down that bike quicker.

Serious reply for a change. I take the extra second and get the front wheel loaded and the forks compressed, then I clamp on hard (in extreme braking situations). At that point the rear wheel is probably in the air or just skipping the road.