proper braking technique?

[saddlesore]

   A couple of days ago I was going "straight" through a round about when the guy coming from my right decided to continue through.  I got lucky as he stopped short of hitting me. 
   I hit the brakes but was leaning quite a bit and almost tipped the bike over.  Braking was my first reaction but in thinking about it I wondered if cutting the turn a bit sharper and go around the round about might have been a better solution. 
  Other riders had the same thing happen and they laid the bike down and were injured all without contact.
  Any other thoughts?

[G-Man]

One mile over we'll be there and we'll see you.  Ten true summers we'll be there and laughing too.

[Gryphon Rider]

You almost tipped the bike by having the tires slide, or by not pushing the outside bar to reduce the lean as you slowed?

The obvious way to prevent this is to go through the traffic circle slowly enough that you have time to react when someone else does something stupid.

Find a buddy, go to a parking lot, and practise braking on a curve.  No need to get intense enough to risk a slide, but practise enough times so that the correct technique becomes muscle memory.

[Jess from VA]

One can brake pretty hard in a turn, so long as you have some speed on, but it is more difficult and takes more precision in a slow speed turn or at a roll (lest you cause a low side dump.... I got that Tshirt).

If you must brake hard in a slow turn, straighten up (aiming off the road), break hard quickly (on the available road).  If you can't make a full stop, release brakes and get back in the turn before departing the road.  This may not be do-able if there is a curb... but without a curb, running into the weeds can be preferable to an impact with another vehicle.

And yes, pushing out on the high side (outside) bar will help keep the bike more level as you lurch to a stop in a lean.

However you do it, it is often best to get as slow as you can, but then release the brakes (esp the front) before they drive you to the ground by braking all the way to full stop in a hard lean.

 

[The emperor has no clothes]

I'm no expert on roundabouts, but aren't you supposed to yield to cars from your right ? DISREGARD THAT ! I was thinking of the ones in Ireland  . Sorry 

[desertrefugee]

One mile over we'll be there and we'll see you.  Ten true summers we'll be there and laughing too.

I miss those days.  Close to the edge...still.

[Patrick]

STUFF happens pretty quick, so its hard to say what should be done.  Every instance is different. You reacted by doing what flashed thru your mind and it worked out, thats good.
I'm thinking I would have cut to the inside and rode the incident out. I'm not fond of heavy braking in a corner [you never whats there], I'd rather drag a knee or foot and ride it out.
All that said, I hate round-abouts especially the way folks drive today.
I've been under the impression that the person in the round-about has the right of way, haven't thought any other way. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Joevalk]

   A couple of days ago I was going "straight" through a round about when the guy coming from my right decided to continue through.  I got lucky as he stopped short of hitting me. 
   I hit the brakes but was leaning quite a bit and almost tipped the bike over.  Braking was my first reaction but in thinking about it I wondered if cutting the turn a bit sharper and go around the round about might have been a better solution. 
  Other riders had the same thing happen and they laid the bike down and were injured all without contact.
  Any other thoughts?

Round A Bout??? Where are you located?

[saddlesore]

   I'm guilty of going too fast but I'm not sure about pushing on the high side of the handle bars, I'm already doing that.  At a slow speed counter steering doesn't work.
   I did a nose dive when I hit the brakes but I'm not sure I made a complete stop.  The foot went down hard.
   I'm in Wisconsin and we've had roundabouts here for around ten years.  I haven't heard of any other terminology other than roundabout.
   Gotta slow down and practice the turns more.   

[desertrefugee]

I lived in Massachusetts for over a decade many years ago.   "Rotaries" were common then - not sure if they still are.   A rose by any other name...

[Jess from VA]

If you are on the brakes (esp front) hard in a slow turn, and can feel the bike getting ready to dive to the ground nearing a full stop, steering harder into the turn (pushing on the high side bar) will have the effect of throwing your weight (esp tall weight like your body) to the high side (centripetal force), standing the bike up a bit.  It can also make you do a high side get off if you do it too hard.

You can watch Utubes of sport bike racers doing this; trying to avoid a lowside slide, and end up high siding over the other way.

[BobB]

Well it sounds like you survived because the driver eventually yielded.  Ask your self, what would have happened if he/she did not see you. 

We have more and more roundabouts being constructed around us.  MN-DOT believes it is the answer for any intersection where fatalities have occurred.  Our first on US-63, North of Rochester, was built too small, semi trailers could not get through it without climbing the inside curb.  It would not take much research to figure out the minimum dimensions of these things. 

I'm very couscous of roundabouts while on the bike.  IMO, a combination of close quarters, 20-25 MPH, tight turns and Yield signs can lead to disaster.  As in all heavy traffic situations, I have two fingers on top of the front brake lever and my left thumb just above the air horn button.

Glad you got through it ok...

[..]

The English have used roundabouts since time began  

They work really well so long as Chevy Chase isn't stuck on one.

The most challenging I have driven around is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The French decided that the vehicles entering a roundabout have priority. Makes for a very interesting stop/start/stop/start.........

I have never trusted other road users at roundabouts and I don't trust other road users at 4 way stops.

[The emperor has no clothes]

The English have used roundabouts since time began  

They work really well so long as Chevy Chase isn't stuck on one.

The most challenging I have driven around is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The French decided that the vehicles entering a roundabout have priority. Makes for a very interesting stop/start/stop/start.........

I have never trusted other road users at roundabouts and I don't trust other road users at 4 way stops.

I agree, I don't trust any of them. So are all of France's roundabouts this way ? We have few around here, but I got so ingrained going left on them in Ireland my instinct is to go left. 

[old2soon]

We have some roundabouts here in Missouri.  I can see where they MIGHT be a royal P I A if drivers just decide to do their thing-traffic laws and other folks be cursed.  I have no trust/zero faith/NOT gonna leave MY safety up to what some other rhoid decides what they wanna do.  Always alert and if some sorry assed excuse for a human being DEMANDS the right of way I yield it-no matter how I demean his/her heritage or upbringing!  Sides-we ARE on M/Cs-better alive wrong than dead right-Glad yer O-K.  Be prepared to yield to worthless crap heads NO matter the gender-ya live longer dat away!  RIDE SAFE.

[R J]

We have a few of them in the Des Moines/Ankeny, IA area.

Pain in the ass.

Created TOOOOOO small, so you have to watch what you are doing in maneuvering through.

My old Dodge Ram and my 4 wheel car trailer couldn't get through without going up on the curb and into the center grass area at the one where my daughter lives.     We used the trailer to haul her furniture to the new house.

[Jess from VA]

my instinct is to go left.

You don't say?   

[Jopson]

The English have used roundabouts since time began  

They work really well so long as Chevy Chase isn't stuck on one.

The most challenging I have driven around is the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The French decided that the vehicles entering a roundabout have priority. Makes for a very interesting stop/start/stop/start.........

I have never trusted other road users at roundabouts and I don't trust other road users at 4 way stops.

Speaking of the arc de triomphe, once you enter it, your insurance won't cover you for any accident damage! Rumour has it that there is certain rules regarding French roundabouts, but I never witnessed anything that resembled a rule when I was in France!!
Roundabouts are great for traffic flow though. Sometimes.

[Crackerborn]

I adore the round-abouts on state 59 just east of Milton. The first one is about a mile east of 26 and you come up to it going west at 55 posted MPH. Good luck with that! And WTF is a circle doing in the middle of a corn field anyway? There next two make a little sense as they are the entry and exit ramp to 26. I still think the geese ignore them though and they are the most frequent users of the highway in that area. Good use of my tax dollars! 

And yes, I have watched 53 ft of rig just drive over the center of some that the DMV made too small for them to make the turns. I never take it for granted that anyone will yield.

[J.Mencalice]

Using turn signals (blinkers) or hand signals inside the rotary (roundabout) is a must to let the drivers outside the circle know your intentions to stay or exit.  I also make eye contact with them whenever possible (if they're not looking, I relinquish the space to their iron and stupidity.)

The etiquette is to give way to whomever is inside the circle and wait your turn to enter....however there are not many who yield.  Some rotaries have two lanes and that's a trick to pull off that dance!
The larger the rotary, the easier it is to navigate it.  Small, tight circles are kinda hairy.

Give way and you don't get hit; even if you have to stay in your lane and make a full circle again.  Don't stop inside as somebody will crawl up your rear.

[The emperor has no clothes]

my instinct is to go left.

You don't say?   

[Hook#3287]

I lived in Massachusetts for over a decade many years ago.   "Rotaries" were common then - not sure if they still are.   A rose by any other name...

Rotaries are still around with new ones being used in the uncommon intersections that we have in abundance .

Old Indian paths and cart roads that have 4, 5, 6 and more roads coming together, that are now major traffic lanes.

They work well, as the vehicles in the rotary have right of way and "yield" signs are posted.

I noticed their becoming popular in Georga.  My brother has to go through 5 or 6 to get to his house from the center of Canton, GA.

[..]

I lived in Massachusetts for over a decade many years ago.   "Rotaries" were common then - not sure if they still are.   A rose by any other name...

Rotaries are still around with new ones being used in the uncommon intersections that we have in abundance .

Old Indian paths and cart roads that have 4, 5, 6 and more roads coming together, that are now major traffic lanes.

They work well, as the vehicles in the rotary have right of way and "yield" signs are posted.

I noticed their becoming popular in Georga.  My brother has to go through 5 or 6 to get to his house from the center of Canton, GA.

If I'm correct those are on a 4 lane and early on a Sunday morning they are a hoot.

Big enough to carry some good speed through them, no vegetation to block line of sight to other vehicles.

Sometimes it's fun to just go around and around and around sparks a flying 

[Hooter]

I don't trust anyone in a round-a-bout. With attention spans the way they are today, no way. Truckers love em to...

[scooperhsd]

Traffic IN the rotary / roundabout has the Right of way, and those getting ready to enter are supposed to yield,

Now we all know as motorcylists "the law of gross tonnage" - and we are decidedly on the losing side of that with almost anything. So be careful, be safe and be alert.

[Jess from VA]

On the few around here, cages just creep through.  I sandbag back, so I can swoop through.

They took one busy intersection, and made it into three busy intersections, for millions of dollars. 

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Had the same thing happen with a cage when I was hauling it on my way home from work this week. I was gonna lean hard a couple times and go straight through. One of the reasons I take this route home is because the round-a-bout is fun. A cage was approaching  from the right, seemed to be looking at me and slowing to give me the right of way, then seemed to change his mind and start on out. I went to the left close to the curb and came to a near stop after bringing the bike nearly upright. Then I motioned for the guy to come on out, he seemed embarrassed and motioned that I should go first. Maybe I misunderstood his intentions, maybe not. He was wearing military duds and was probably heading home too. I smiled, thanked him for stopping and went on through.

If you're still on the front brake hard as your bike stops, in particular if you're turning too, then an awkward stop will be hard to avoid. An awkward stop is still preferable to stopping with the aid of hitting a cage so it sounds to me like you did good!!