Happened again.......to me today

[Chrisj CMA]

Riding in town 4 lane main drag...45mph and traffic was doing 45mph which is unusual so people get stupid scared going so fast (or somthing)  well anyway Im in the right lane, and car changes lanes up ahead left lane to right lane in a hurry in a tight spot where they shouldnt have tried for.  Causes the cars in front of me to slam on brakes.

I was ready, saw the traffic jam coming and I still had to grab a BIG handful of front brakes to slow down fast enough. 

I never came close to the car in front of me so I had plenty of time to keep an eye on the car behind me (that joker almost didnt stop)  he got closer than I would have wanted him, but we all figured it out.

Why am I saying all this.  BECAUSE.  Ever since  Dec 09 when a riding buddy fishtailed his way to a low side from not knowing how to use front brakes and his bike took my bike out and we all went body surfing in the gravel I have been on a "crusade" against back brakers.

I know there are times for the back brake......slow riding, control in tight curves, yes, dont get me wrong.  BUT, when you are going straight and you need to stop FAST (like NOW) and your first move is back brakes THAT IS A MISTAKE

If you dont know how to grab the fronts with smooth increasing pressure until your passenger is slammed up your backside and the forks are depressed and you are stopped then you need practice

Its not safe to not be comfortable doing a panic stop with HEAVY front brakes

Practice and dont be the next one that cant stop...Valkyries can stop very fast for its weight........PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Tomorrow Judy goes in to see the surgeon for WE HOPE the last hand surgery......she has been in pain for 2.5 years because someone believed it when all his buddies told him to rely on that back brake instead of the fronts

[SANDMAN5]

Absolutely!! I practice panic stops, u-turns, and slow speed turns every
chance I get. I really need to practice u-turns!!
The surgery will go just fine, btw!!

[old2soon]

Man i believe you and practice practice practice and now it's almost automatic. Anytime and i mean anytime i bring this up to the(i WILL not make any assumptions here)uninformed i'm told how wrong i am and that using the front brakes will kill me. When i tell them how old i am and how long i've been riding i'm still told that i'm WRONG. Go figure. Thanks for relaying your experience to us. RIDE SAFE.

[Chrisj CMA]

Man i believe you and practice practice practice and now it's almost automatic. Anytime and i mean anytime i bring this up to the(i WILL not make any assumptions here)uninformed i'm told how wrong i am and that using the front brakes will kill me. When i tell them how old i am and how long i've been riding i'm still told that i'm WRONG. Go figure. Thanks for relaying your experience to us. RIDE SAFE.

I wont ask, but Ill say this.  It was a Harley that took us out, and now when I ride or drive in my truck I watch........most HD riders I see hardly ever touch the front brake at all.  We actually had the opportunity to discuss that with one that almost killed himself going over the white line at a redlight because he was afraid to grab the fronts.  He responded well to my critique, asked for training advice and practiced it the rest of the poker run.  He thanked me for saving him

[R J]

Man i believe you and practice practice practice and now it's almost automatic. Anytime and i mean anytime i bring this up to the(i WILL not make any assumptions here)uninformed i'm told how wrong i am and that using the front brakes will kill me. When i tell them how old i am and how long i've been riding i'm still told that i'm WRONG. Go figure. Thanks for relaying your experience to us. RIDE SAFE.

old2soon, tell them know it all's to attend a motor officer's riding class.    It will change their mind real quick.   Trust me.

[texaninsouthfl]

You are absolutely right!

I witnessed something similar with close friend recently. A car made a right hand turn out of a side street in front of him. I was about 100 feet behind him and saw what was coming before it happened and he should have too. Instead of steering into the next lane out of trouble, or using a heavy dose of front brake, either of which would have gotten him safely out of harms way, he locked up the back brake and skidded this way and that before finally and luckily getting slowed down enough to turn away just before hitting the guy.  It was a near miss that shouldn't have even been close enough to raise his heart rate. My friend is an "experienced" rider but like too many people has always been told to avoid heavy applications of the front brake.

Then I had to decide when and what to say to him... I don't want to come across as a know-it-all telling others how to ride, but don't want to lose a good friend to stupidity either. I go to a LOT of biker events and it constantly amazes me the lack of skill I see from riders with lots of miles in the seat. Like others who commented here, I figure one can NEVER be too good and it's worth practicing these life saving skills. Plus it's just plain fun to execute maneuvers skillfully.

Ride safe!

[X Ring]

Riding in town 4 lane main drag...45mph and traffic was doing 45mph which is unusual so people get stupid scared going so fast (or somthing)  well anyway Im in the right lane, and car changes lanes up ahead left lane to right lane in a hurry in a tight spot where they shouldnt have tried for.  Causes the cars in front of me to slam on brakes.

I was ready, saw the traffic jam coming and I still had to grab a BIG handful of front brakes to slow down fast enough. 

I never came close to the car in front of me so I had plenty of time to keep an eye on the car behind me (that joker almost didnt stop)  he got closer than I would have wanted him, but we all figured it out.

Why am I saying all this.  BECAUSE.  Ever since  Dec 09 when a riding buddy fishtailed his way to a low side from not knowing how to use front brakes and his bike took my bike out and we all went body surfing in the gravel I have been on a "crusade" against back brakers.

I know there are times for the back brake......slow riding, control in tight curves, yes, dont get me wrong.  BUT, when you are going straight and you need to stop FAST (like NOW) and your first move is back brakes THAT IS A MISTAKE

If you dont know how to grab the fronts with smooth increasing pressure until your passenger is slammed up your backside and the forks are depressed and you are stopped then you need practice

Its not safe to not be comfortable doing a panic stop with HEAVY front brakes

Practice and dont be the next one that cant stop...Valkyries can stop very fast for its weight........PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

Tomorrow Judy goes in to see the surgeon for WE HOPE the last hand surgery......she has been in pain for 2.5 years because someone believed it when all his buddies told him to rely on that back brake instead of the fronts

HEAR! HEAR!

Marty

[Momz]

ChrisJ CMA
Wev'e seen some absolutely idiot drivers on Floridas highways.
During bike week Pam and I saw some of the worst wrecks and drivers on 95.
I astounds me that one can flip a car on its roof on an arrow straight highway.
Most of the really stupid drivers that we encountered weren't the retirees that we would have expected. It seemed that if there was a Lexus, Audi, Benz, or Caddy, then you could bet they'd pull some bonehead move.
 
Detroit is also a hotbed for drivers that have no business on public rods too (but living here we sort of expect it).

Give Judy our best.

[BF]

ChrisJ CMA
Wev'e seen some absolutely idiot drivers on Floridas highways.
During bike week Pam and I saw some of the worst wrecks and drivers on 95.
I astounds me that one can flip a car on its roof on an arrow straight highway.
Most of the really stupid drivers that we encountered weren't the retirees that we would have expected. It seemed that if there was a Lexus, Audi, Benz, or Caddy, then you could bet they'd pull some bonehead move.
 
Detroit is also a hotbed for drivers that have no business on public rods too (but living here we sort of expect it).

Give Judy our best.

We DO have alot of idiots driving the roads around here.....problem is, most of them are from somewhere else (tourists). 

We also have a straight arrow road here.  It's called bloody 98.  I think the straightness of that highway actually contributes to it's deadlyness.  People are complacent on it and arn't paying attention. 

[Red Diamond]

If anyone doesn't believe Chris's advise they probably haven't taken a MSF Course. I, on occassions have practice with the motor policemen in this area, thanks to a friend of mine. Try an emergency stop at 45MPH, it is very difficult if you don't know how to use the front brakes and gently apply the rears without sliding them, or try counter steering at 30MPH. There are a number of things that on can practice that will aid you in an emergency situation.
There is one thing Chris did not mention, you can lock the front brakes (start to slide) and turn them loose and re-apply. Please don't try this with the rears, should you lock the rears, keep them locked and ride it out. Should you turn them loose after it has started to skid to one side or the other, you will be pitched ahead of that bike. (High Side)

[Bonzo]

Chris thanks for sharing that.  I hope Judy's hand works out. I just got my "cast" removed" but  i am still Pinned. All Blessings for a full recovery!

[Chrisj CMA]

Chris thanks for sharing that.  I hope Judy's hand works out. I just got my "cast" removed" but  i am still Pinned. All Blessings for a full recovery!

Same for your hand Bonzo, I have seen up close how painful recovery and therapy is for hands......wish it on no one!!!  

Thanks Momz too for your thoughts and prayeres....Judy has been a trooper, miserable at times but we are hopeful that this is the one.

[cookiedough]

So, what about downshifting going say 45-50 mph from 4th/5th gear down to 3rd gear while applying some rear brake and a hard front brake?  I do know that you should not apply the front brake hardly at all while cornering on gravel at low speeds.  I once downshifted stupidly though going around 45 mph luckily on a straight road down to 2nd gear and the back tire skidded some when letting out the clutch.  Not good.  3rd gear would've been o.k. though.

[Chrisj CMA]

Concentrate on front brake then back brake to stabilize.......let the engine provide compression braking until its no longer effective and then just pull in the clutch.....tap it down to first if you have the time and thought process but its not the gears thats gonna save you its the brakes so put your trust there first....In a crunch the first thing you do better be the thing that is going to save you......pulling the clutch to shift gears is not it.

[da prez]

 My daughter recently finished the H D riders course in Tennessee and was taught to use the front as the primary stopping brake. They had the usual bone head know it alls that argued, but were told that if they want to pass the course, do as instructed. ( I have only been riding for fifty years)
                                            da prez

[old2soon]

I'll TRY to make this short. As most of you know i am a retired over the road truck driver. I have turned a wheel at one time or another in all 50 states 2 Canadian provinces and old Mexico and Japan and the Phillipines. A lot of the(pick an adjective here)i've encountered over the years is more reflected or concentrated in the major metro areas. No real surprise here as more people are concentrated in a smaller area. But i have encountered sheer idiocy on U S 50 in Nevada(loneliest road in America) forlorn stretches of Interstate highways with(i thought)only me and our LORD being out at that unseemly hour. The sad truth be told the stupidity is quite frankly-EVERYWHERE. I was on the way back from Eureka Springs Ar. monday night on a stretch of Mo.181 north that DO NOT have a lot or no passing zones. This pick up truck got right on my a$$(i could hear the fan OVER the noise of my pipes) and dogged me til he turned into a dirt side road. I don't know why either. Look at Mo.181 on your maps between Gainesville and Dora-there ain't nuttin out there to speak of. Makes me wonder how many of us(bikers)gotta get killed before something(i know not what)is done?? We as a group just need to keep on doing the VERY best we can do and hope and pray it's enough. I ask GOD for a safe ride and guidence evertime i throw a leg over. Sorry too be so long winded but we as a group are having way too many close calls and accidents. It can't ALL be our fault-can it?? RIDE SAFE.