To anyone thinking of doing CSS...

NB, I haven't actually done CSS, but for reasons I won't go into here, I've been re-visiting the theory behind biking, and CSS (books and TV series) is part of what I've been looking at.

From all the different resources I've been using, watching the recently televised series about California Superbike School, at least one thing has sunk in properly.

Tonight, on the way home from work, I did a "fairly hot" overtake. By that, I mean when I pulled back in I had to stand on the brakes quite hard (I hasten to add that the other vehicle involved was aware of my intentions - but I won't go into details on that on a public forum...).

When I did hit the brakes, I felt a little shake from the handlebars. Half instictivley, half because of CSS' lesson on it, I released the front brake a little & re-applied smoothly.

I reckon I just saved my first (tarmac) lock-up of the front wheel. The reason the credit for this goes to CSS is because of their explanation of what happens & what you should do to correct it.

Just watching the TV series has actually prompted me to put my hand in my pocket at some time & actually do the course.

NB, Other forms of advanced/further motorcycle training are available.

[Stu]

I was going along one day on my ZX7R when I realised too late that the traffic lights on the pedestrian crossing I was about to go through were actually red (there wasn't anybody crossing) don't need to go into why I didn't register that the lights were red and that meant i should stop - that's another story But I grabbed the front brakes, locked the front and was down to about 45 degree angle to the road when I just remembered to release the brake. The front wheel started rolling & I just carried on without dropping it (didn't manage to stop for the red light ) Not CSS, just remembered Sid Squids advice

Originally Posted by Stu

Not CSS, just remembered Sid Squids advice

See, I've only met the Squid twice, and I don't think he's said to me about releasing the brake (but then, why should he unless it cropped up in conversation?).

Oh, and I made the corner.

i'd love to do css but i bet its scary expencive

I'd suggest going to and getting advanced road riding lessons rather than forking out expensive track lessons. More likely to learn better road craft that way.

[21QUEST]

Baph, it's fair enough that you credit CSS, in your case but I would expect anyone who has(at the very least) been riding for some length of time to know that .

I'm pretty sure books on learning to drive/ride mention similar.

Anyhoos, glad you kept it shiny side up



Ben

Originally Posted by BigApe

I'd suggest going to and getting advanced road riding lessons rather than forking out expensive track lessons. More likely to learn better road craft that way.

Then I'd suggest that you don't understand what CSS entails. Yes it's done on a track, but an awful lot (esp of Levels 1 & 2) is usable on the road.

I've done BikeSafe, and was told by the IAM examiner that observed me I'd of passed IAM if that was the test I was doing on that observed ride. So IAM doesn't really interest me. RoSPA is planned, but I also think that my road riding would benefit from attending CSS.

Ben, I understood the principal of letting go of the brakes, but not the immediate re-application. I can't think of a single book that mentions about getting straight back on the brake after it's released. CSS had a nice demo of it, which IMO helps immensely as it's harder to dismiss what you've just seen working.

EDIT: Oh, I can't remember any books etc that also mention the handlebars shaking just before/whilst the front locks up - CSS does for definite. It was after a very small shake of the bars that I let go of the lever - I'm not actually 100% sure the front did lock, and if it did it was a very short lock up.

[21QUEST]

Originally Posted by Baph

...snip...

Ben, I understood the principal of letting go of the brakes, but not the immediate re-application. I can't think of a single book that mentions about getting straight back on the brake after it's released. CSS had a nice demo of it, which IMO helps immensely as it's harder to dismiss what you've just seen working.

Without sounding like some 'know it all' hehe but if someone is trying to slow down/stop, the only option left to them, after releasing the brakes due to a lock up is to re-apply the brakes.

Do you see what I'm trying to say? Basically (get it? lol) it's obvious to me.
From that point on, what a rider has to do is fine tune what they already know. I do that by talking myself through it, visualising and actual practising on the road.

It's difficult to put the point across without sounding like a c*cky git, truth be said.


Ben

Nah Ben, I get what you're saying.

Part of it for me though is that in the past I've spent two weeks on crutches after loosing the front end (cold tyres, cold tarmac in that case as well though). So I've always been a little wary of hitting the anchors.

Truth be told, if I hadn't re-applied the brakes I'd of probably "sphinctered" the corner anyway. But the brakes worked, I didn't sphincter, and got back on the gas quicker.

by reapplying the brakes straight away,arnt you simply doing a slow version of antilock brakes