So I am a few weeks into riding (w/ 250miles under my belt) and I'd like to avoid learning bad habits now, so I have a few questions about riding position, especially as it applies to a sport bike.

From what I have read and experienced so far, it's best to support my weight with my abs/back and also to lean against the tank. This allows for me to keep my grip on the bars light and elbows bent.

What I am wondering about is foot position and covering the brake lever.

Should the balls of my feet be on the pegs or should I have my foot slide farther forward (basically with my heal over the peg)?

For hand positioning, should I be covering my brake lever at all times? Or only in stop-and-go traffic and other very high risk areas?

Any other general tips would be great too. Thanks.

 

You'll undoubtedly get varying opinions on this based on personal preference. This is what I have been taught, and what has worked for me:

The balls of your feet should be over the pegs. To cover the rear brake, while in traffic, or "deer alleys" as we have where I live, I slide my right foot forward a bit, but only far enough to 'cover' the brake pedal. When riding in clear areas, I slide that right foot back to have the ball of the foot over the peg again.

As far as covering the brake lever with one or two fingers at all times, I have made this habit. My thinking and training was this: no one plans an emergency encounter. In the time that it takes you to reach for that lever with a full grip on the bar, you've already covered ?? feet distance at ?? mph. Second, it's just unnecessary to have all five fingers wrapped around the grip. Put two of them to use for you!

Personally, I ride with two fingers on the lever ALWAYS. This did take quite some time to become a riding habit, but now it is just that. Habit. When my son shows me photos of me sitting on parked bikes at the motorcycle show, those two fingers are on the lever The track photos I posted - check them out. I'll bet on the fact that two fingers are on the lever.

As for covering the brake only in stop-and-go traffic or high risk areas, if that's your prerogative. In theory, this may work. It's been my experience, however, that things happen when you least expect it. If that sounds hypocritical to the rear brake mentioned above, it isn't, because the front brake is providing more stopping power than the rear. Besides, I'm already covering the front brake.

Last, consider a track school. Not a track day, a track 'school', with experienced, qualified instructors. Then sit in the first row and absorb it all. Then apply it. Ride safe.

 

Thanks. I will work on making a habit of covering the front brake. I am still working on fine throttle control, but I think that will come with time and proper body position.

Once I get more miles under my belt a track SCHOOL is definitely on my list.

 

dmw, how's your progress coming along on the articles from the motorcycle riding & safety web site? Any feedback for the good of the group?

 

I have read thru safety tips for beginners and I think I've internalized a lot of them, but I can't recall specifics off the top of my head. I will go back thru the tips and post my thoughts.

The one thought I do have is how invaluable the MSF BRC is. I know there are out routes to get a license (like a permit) but the class was awesome.

 

About covering the brake, I've been warned that using two fingers on, three off, is a good way to break your fingers in an emergency stop, and was taught to cover the brake with all five when you need to, or all off when you don't. Squeezing the brake lever in an emergency can trap your fingers, might cause you to crush them, or they may get caught if you end up off the bike. Plus, with your fingers in the way, you may not be able to brake enough. For that, I'm either all on the brake handle or all off, but will cover the foot peg in situations where I may need to hit the brakes.

Plus, in a panic situation, you may use too much front brake, and away you'll go. Covering the rear, you can recover better from locking up the rear than the front. I'm not saying one way is better than the other, just what I was taught.

Also taught to me - you're better off swerving to avoid collision that braking, so knowing how to swerve and control the bike is important.

If you're on the MSG site, here's a thread on the subject - http://www.msgroup.org/forums/mtt/to...?TOPIC_ID=5479

 

I was taught that it's easier to recover from locking the front wheel than the back. If you lock the front you just release ASAP, but if you lock the rear you need to keep it locked otherwise you could high-side. I'm not an expert at all, just stating what I was told.

I was also told that front brakes don't have enough power to actually flip you over the front of the bike. But I don't want to find out.

 

dmw16, what you wrote is partially correct.

As I understand it (and please someone correct me if I am wrong, and I will remove this post immediately as to not propagate false info):

It is an average person's reaction that would make a front wheel lock "easier", that is your mind automatically thinks "I am breaking too hard, let go of the break"; where the correct action for a rear-lockup is somewhat counter intuitive, "when you hit the break too hard, hold it hard".

However a big difference is in the amount of control you have during the lockup. Most people's natural balance will allow you to recover from the rear lockup without going over as long as you keep it locked until you stop. When the front locks you lose steering and control, and with it, you ability to shift weight to prevent a low-side.

Some bikes can certainly flip forward with their front brake, after all that's what a "stoppy" or "endo" is. While you may not necessary flip all the way over, as your rear tire lifts you enter into the same danger as releasing your breaks during a rear lock. Either releasing the break, or putting the tail back down suddenly will cause it to regain traction at a point where the rotation of the tire does not match the speed it is traveling over the ground, causing a sudden breaking action. This is what can disrupt you and send you into a high-side.

 

If your concern is pinching your fingers or locking up the front brake, you're already accepting that you are not going to be capable of handling an emergency stop. I'm not willing to accept that. The entire point of stopping in an emergency is to do so quickly *and safely*. This is learned through instruction, practice, repetition, and skill.

In my expereince, and having seen other's results, you are more likely to grab a whole hand full of front brake and over-brake with all fingers wrapped around the grip. In an emergency stop, all four fingers are stabbing out at the lever, and your instinct is to BRAKE!!!

By riding at all times covering the front brake with two fingers, I'm already prepared to swiftly and smoothly 1a. roll off the throttle 1b. simultaneously squeeze the front lever. This without crushing my fingers, or locking up the front wheel in an emergency stop situation.

I'm speaking from experience, since my first few years of riding, I rode with all fingers on the grips, and did have a few emergency stops. Since then, riding with 2 fingers on the lever, I've had emergency stops - I prefer the latter.

Whatever works for you. Or, better yet, go out to a parking lot and try it for yourself. Have a friend flash a flag when you aren't expecting it, and see how you react and how far it takes you to stop.

Better still, have a qualified instructor watch you and give you some feedback.

 

[QUOTE]

Either of these could get you in trouble.

If your rear tire is locked up travelling in a straight line, that's one matter. What happens when you lock it up in a turn? (The place where many unexpected things appear, such as deer, turkeys, stalled vehicles, etc. ) Remember, your goal here is to make these reactions reflexive, you don't even think about them. That is, you won't have time to process "ah, there's a deer, but I'm leaned over in a turn. Therefore, I should not use rear brake and only use the front. Not too much front brake, I could lowside, just enough to avoid the deer."