Rider down - am I really that cr*p...?

Ive only been riding a few months, and have a real problem with braking at the moment. I have a massive habbit to just use the rear brake! So after reading this, I am diffinately going to get down a carpark

[jamesterror]

Practice mate, I dropped a 125 cos i locked the front wheel up and it skidded and i lost balance instead of sending me over (im only 11stone! so not that heavyishh..) I just got back up and carried on. That was within first hour of me ever riding. As a newbie novice, I'd just say don't let it knock your confidence or hold you down, after a 3rd time you'll be a lot lot more carefuller until you've funny learnt lesson by it.

I'm a bit late for braking at times, my driving instructor says how I approach a roundabout in a car is the same as I do on a bike, quickly.

I've only been riding on my own 3 weeks, I find back brake better for low speed, as in town traffic, unsure of the road ahead but will always have my index finger ready on the front brake or ready to give it power. But I feel I've adapted quite well to riding, just need to get a bit lower in corners progressively now

Originally Posted by Baph

I'd recommend anyone thats not sure to practice in a car park - so long as you release the brake when the tyre locks, you'll be fine.

I'm just a newbie, but from what I've read, the releasing is not a good idea in one situation, and that would be when you don't bring in the clutch (and that tends to happen when you're in a panic situation). More specifically, when you lock up the rear and you don't have the clutch all the way in, if you release the back will start grabbing the asphalt again and start spinning due to the motor and that causes a high side.. which I think is much worse then a low side...
I'm not sure if this is true when you have the clutch in. Perhaps someone more experienced would say if this is so or not.
However, if you do lock up the back, I've read that it's actually better if you just let it slide instead of releasing it (I know you loose like 70% of your back braking power, which would mean about 16-21% of your total braking power, but I guess it compensates with not going high side..)
The source of my reading is "Proficient Motorcycling".

Now I might be mistaking, but if I am, I'm opened to corrections

Btw, +1 for the practicing in an empty parking lot.. helps a lot. Also getting used to always doing progressive braking (that is every time you brake in traffic etc) helps alot

And one more thing.. Don't think crashing at 10-15 mph is bad.. I've crashed it twice in the last 2 weeks (hey, I'm newbie, OK?) by stopping with the handlebars at an angle and without putting my leg down immediately.. well, just late enough for the bike to start tilting too much to one side for me to hold.

Now that's crashing at 0mph.. How's that for bad skills? :P

Well I for one would most certainly have 2 spinning tyres than one locked one. If the back end locks (has done) I know about my particular bike and what I need to do to remove just enough pressure to get it spinning again. In a straight line a locked rear wheel is not really noticeable at low speeds, I often do it stopping quickly for traffic lights lmao

better back than front.

[jamesterror]

Originally Posted by andreis

I'm just a newbie, but from what I've read, the releasing is not a good idea in one situation, and that would be when you don't bring in the clutch (and that tends to happen when you're in a panic situation). More specifically, when you lock up the rear and you don't have the clutch all the way in, if you release the back will start grabbing the asphalt again and start spinning due to the motor and that causes a high side..

Well I was taught don't grab the clutch, and totally understand why now, you grab the clutch JUST as your about to stop / stall, if the bike stalls it don't throw you about, but if you have just pull everything and hope to stop, lock up, release then reapply the brakes you're effectively rolling as the engine has no play due to the clutch being in.

It'd be best to stall it in my eyes than risk grabbing the clutch and releasing, locking up the back wheel.

I'm a newbie like you mate, you learn from mistakes, a drop at 10/15mph is better than a slide at 60. Just don't do anything daft, I certainly have, over taking on a blind bend trying to keep up with my mate.

[jamesterror]

Originally Posted by Jamiebridges123

I often do it stopping quickly for traffic lights lmao

better back than front.

I thought you would of hit the throttle stop and kept your head down

haha that's just on sundays!

You shouldn't be using the clutch when braking. Only pull it in just before the bike would stall. Reason being is that you lose any available engine braking (obviously you want all the help you can get when braking in an emergancy) and so the braking distance is increased a fait bit.
Sorry Adreis, but I don't agree that releasing the brake will cause it to spin. Try it for yourself.. go to a car park or on a quiet road, lock up the back brake (make sure you're going in a straight line with the bike upright! ) and then release it. I've never found that releasing the brakes after they've locked causes a loss of control.. only helps in my experience.

Of course I could be completely wrong here, but I'm just speaking from my personal experience

[ophic]

Originally Posted by geoffers0_0

3rd time I've done this at slow speed in 8yrs - is it just me? :bad bike handling?

Perhaps the problem isn't the braking - its that you've gone into a situation where you knew you might have to stop, with the bike leant over. Braking at all with the bike cranked over is a bad thing.

Just some suggestions: go a little slower if there's risk, or take a different line which improves your visibility before the risky area, or perhaps just a different line that keeps your bike in a straight line during the bit where you might have to stop.

But 3 times in 8 years aint so bad - is that only 3 offs total? Think of all the things you must be doing right!