By MIKE Phillips

bikes tend to tip over while traveling at very slow speeds. Many of these unexpected gravity-assisted dismounts occur while the bike is coming to a stop. Tip-overs while stopping can be mostly prevented by the rider following these five easy steps every time they stop.

Check the surface of the stopping area as you approach. Try to stop on level ground. If you stop on a hill, turn the bike so it is going either uphill or downhill. Stopping where one side of the bike is higher than the other is very unbalanced and leads to tip-overs. See if the surface is wet, slippery, or has loose material on the stopping area. If it is loose or slippery, stop a little slower and a little smoother. Loose material on the surface can also cause your foot to slip as you place it on the ground.

Use both brakes when you stop. This makes smoother, quicker stops. When you reach the last few feet or are traveling under 5 miles per hour, you can begin to ease off on the front brake and use a little more rear brake. This will ease the pressure on the front suspension and allow it to travel over any rough spots on the surface more easily. Sometimes riders apply too much front brake at the end of a stop, causing the front tire to lock up and skid, which can lead to a tip-over.

The left foot should touch the surface first. This allows you to

keep your right foot on the rear brake all the way through the stop. I try never to put my right foot on the ground when stopping. I want to ride the rear brake all the way through the stop, then hold the brake to keep the bike from rolling until I turn the motor off. Don’ t let both feet drag the ground during a stop. This takes away the rear brake. Your foot may catch on something on the surface, such as a rock or hole, causing it to be twisted backward and potentially injuring your foot or leg. When both feet are dragging, if the bike starts to tip over, riders will put one foot down to help keep the bike up. This can cause the entire weight of the bike to be on one foot as the bike continues to roll forward. The bike can roll over your foot and cause an injury. I have seen several legs broken and ankles twisted by saddle bags trapping a leg that was dragging the ground. The best strategy to prevent this is to ease the clutch into the friction zone, add a little power, and pull up out of it. There will be times when you need to put both feet on the ground to stabilize the bike. Put the left foot down first as the bike stops, then quickly put the right foot down.

The handlebars must be square to the bike when it stops. If the handlebars are turned slightly to either side, the bike will tend to lean in that direction as it comes to a stop. This can be a real problem with a fully loaded 900-pound

cruiser. The most common cause of tip-overs I see in my basic riding class is that the handlebars are not square when the bike stops. These bikes weigh only 400 pounds, but they are still difficult to hold up when they start leaning during a stop. When stopping in a curve or a parking space, square the handlebars before the bike comes to a complete stop.

Riders should look through the stop. Keep your head and eyes up, looking in front of the bike. As you approach the stopping area, your eyes sweep over the surface and continue looking ahead. There is no need to look at the front tire as it stops. This prevents you from seeing any hazards in front of the bike. When riding in a group, the bike in front of you may stop quicker than you expect. Something may appear in front of you. If you are looking down, you may not see it in time to react. If you look down, your balance is not as good as when you look up. Test this yourself by walking 15 or 20 feet while looking up and ahead. Walk again while looking down at your feet. Which way is more complex and less balanced?

Tip-overs on bikes when stopping are a common problem. Tipovers cost us money in repairs, pain in injury, and embarrassment to our pride. Practice good stopping habits to prevent those tipovers. CMA

Mike Phillips is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation( MSF) instructor in Arkansas.

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