SAFETY TIPS
REAR BRAKE
MOTORCYCLES are designed to be very stable at speeds above 10 miles per hour . The rider does not have to do much to keep the bike straight and level at higher speeds . This is not true for speeds under 10 mph . The slower a bike goes , the more the rider has to control it by telling it what to do through rider inputs . Slow speeds such as those in parking lots , U- turns , and in traffic require more rider skill to control the bike than going down the road . Most tip-overs at slow speeds can be prevented by proper use of the rear brake . The rear brake can be the most crucial motorcycle control for slow-speed maneuvers . Unfortunately , the rear brake is also the most misused control at slow speeds .
The rear brake increases stability by putting tension on the drive train and rear suspension . Brake pressure must be applied smoothly and lightly at slow speeds .
A light application of the brake is called dragging the rear brake . Rear brake pressure at slow speeds , when a bike is in a lean , helps keep the bike upright . However , applying too much rear brake pressure may cause the bike to stall or lurch forward .
The bike lurching or bouncing gets worse and harder to control until the brake is released .
The rear brake should be covered with the toe of the right foot during any slow-speed maneuvers to allow
for instant application .
A bike moving at 7 mph can travel 10 feet or more in the time it takes a rider to move his foot from the footrest to the brake . Riders turning around on a 24-foot wide road will use a third or more of the road before the brake is activated if the toe is not covering the brake . Any rider who takes his feet off the footrest and lets them hang down or drag on the ground has given up the rear brake .
Riders who do not use the rear brake in tight turns only have the front brake available . The front brake should not be used at speeds under 10 mph . Keep your fingers around the throttle , and do not even touch the front brake at slow speeds . A rider touching the front brake tends to use that brake . Applying the front brake with the handlebars turned at a slow speed almost always causes the bike to tip over . Most slow-speed tip-overs I see even in advanced classes with experienced riders are caused by the rider using the front brake when they should use the rear brake .
All slow-speed riding should be done with the bike in the friction zone ( the area of the clutch release where power is put to the rear wheel ). A bike in the friction zone will not stall . Do not let the bike coast through slow-speed maneuvers . Instead , keep the bike speeds steady by holding the throttle steady , using the friction zone and only the rear brake .
A way to practice slow-speed riding is to start in a straight line . Ride as slow as you can while the bike is in the friction zone . Drag the rear brake as needed for stability . When you are comfortable with this , add a stop and go to practice .
A stop and go is when you try to stop the bike completely without putting your foot down . Once stopped or almost stopped , pull out of the stop by releasing the rear brake easing the clutch through the friction zone , and adding throttle if needed .
Circles and U-turns can be practiced by starting out with a 50-foot circle . Ride as slow as you can while keeping forward momentum . Make a circle several times , then make the circle smaller and smaller .
Losing momentum in a tight turn or circle will cause the bike to tip over . Control the momentum by using the friction zone minimal throttle and only the rear brake .
Bikes with automatic transmissions are getting very popular . Several brands of bikes , like BMW , have a dry clutch , which can be damaged by riding in the friction zone . Riders on these bikes must set the throttle steady and rely only on the rear brake for slow-speed maneuvers .
The front brake is the strongest brake on the bike and should always be used with the rear brake at higher speeds , but never used at slow speeds . The rear brake is the only brake needed to control the bike under 10 mph .
Any rider who tips over or nearly tips over at slow speeds is either not riding in the friction zone , going too slow and losing momentum , using the front brake , or is not using the rear brake properly . A bike only does what you tell it to do . Riders must practice good skills to break bad habits . CMA
Mike Phillips is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation ( MSF ) instructor in Arkansas .
27⎪October 2021⎪www . cmausa . org