n00b question - Emergency Stops ??

[elorian]

I have my R-E test next week and I seem to be having a problem with emergency stops (along with cornering to fast but that is another question 8) ). The problem is twofold:

1.) I have trouble stopping from a fixed point (i.e. from a post, back end of the bike, etc), while I have very little trouble from a signal, and
2.) I tend to lock the back wheel.

I understand that I may be putting to much pressure on the back brake but before I know it the back wheel is locked. I have absolutely no idea about the stopping at a fixed point though, as I can do them consistantly from a signal. :?

Are there any tips from the professional and semi-professional street bikers out there?

[zipdrive]

just have your foot on the brake but don't use it at all during the emergency stop test

[Deej]

Wot Zip said.

In a hard braking situation, you really would not be using your back brake at all as the back wheel would have no weight on it and would provide you with no assistance.

Even though you are not going to braking so hard in your test that you are going to this extreme, if you were to apply the back brake in the test, the stopping distance difference would literally be inches.

Don’t bother with any pressure on your back brake just do a nice firm but smooth front brake stop. One less thing u have to think about.

And don’t forget to yank in the clutch b4 your bike stalls…..happens allot apparently.

[Flakey]

When ya braking - DON'T look down, keep ya head level and look down the road.

Don't bother with the back brake, if your braking correctly, then all the weight will be on the front wheel, which means the back is useless... Still have the brake covered tho! Practice it as much as you can...

--EDIT--

Oh yeah, get up to speed as quick as you can, so you can setup the bike ready for the hard braking - it's alot more difficult to brake just after accelerating...

[TRX]

the harder you stop the more weith transfer goes to the front, and the lighter the back gets: hence it dosnt take much force to lock up the back.

The "proper" i was taught was to slowley release the back brake to prevent lock-up.

But you should easily be able to stop in the alloted space without the back brake at all.

when you say that you have trouble from a fixed point whats happening? not stoping quick enough? cant see the point?

TRX's tips:

1) be in a high gear 4th or 5th. THis will help to prevent lockup, and the bike will be more stable when braking.

2) keep you eyes up! Not down. Eyes level to the horizon will help you keep your balance.

3) Know the bike you on. Are you on a school bike, or you bike, mates etc? Pratice on that bike, so you comfortable when you do yur test?

Personaly i had more trouble with fig8's than stops. But each to his own i guess.


Good luck!

[Deej]

TRX's tips:

1) be in a high gear 4th or 5th. THis will help to prevent lockup, and the bike will be more stable when braking

Personally, i think avoid this because you will have to bring in the clutch earlier to avoid a stall.

Just ride in a correct and comfortable gear for the speed that you are traveling and as Flakey said, get up to speed quickly so that you have plenty of time to settle and get ready for your stop.

[elorian]

WOW!! Quick replies!

OK I think I got it. No back brake and keep eyes up. Thanks people

TRX 8-FIDDY: When I try to stop from a fixed point I very rarely stop in time and locking the back wheel is almost a certainty. After reading the replies I think that I may be looking down (i.e. to find to point at which to brake at) so that wouldn't be helping.

-EDIT- oh and get up to speed quickly. Unfortunately it looks like I have to do 60km/h stops so I do tend to not be quite set when before starting the stop.

[Spike]

when i went for my test after it got suspended i did a stoppie on my aprilia for the emergency braking and the tester still passed me.....but i still wouldn't recomend it tho

[Deej]

One more thing, when I finished my bike test the tester made a point of saying “zero points lost, thank you, that was excellent…..you rode the motorbike like a motorbike. I had a good ride.” Wot he meant by that is I didn’t piss fart around accelerating slowly, driving miss daisy, waiting for massive gaps in the traffic to pull out, ect. If there is a comfortable and safe gap in the traffic, take it. Don’t worry about leaving enuf room in the gap for him to come as well. It is his responsibility to keep up with you so don’t ride for him, just ride safely for you. He will catch you. If you find in doing this that he gets caught at a set of lights. Find a safe location away from the intersection to pull over and wait for him. That’s it.

Ride the bike like a bike cos funny enuf, that’s wot they are. I made sure I didn’t brake any speed, was very careful that he didn’t drag me into a 40kph school zone, was mindful of the 50kph zones, made sure my road position was spot on and most importantly for motorbikes – I over accentuated my observation… IE: every cross street that met the road I was travelling on I showed him by a full on Chin to Shoulder look that I was actually looking. I know we can all do it with our eyes and a slight turn but he cant see that so make it obvious.

You will be fine. Have fun.

[TRX]

Well NO point lost for me for the R class.

Alegedly i may have hit the curb during one of my fig8's in my r-e but i can neither confirm or deny. But 1/4 point isnt too bad

deej, when i was learning my emergancy stops i was like "if you have it in a lower gear you will have some engine braking to help you" which is true and also means that you dont have to worry as much about stalling. However I found that it more reliable to do it in a higher gear because there was less of a lurch, wich out em off a bit

But whatever your comfortable with.

[Blade_954]

.....and when you do your emergency brake, pull on that front brake a lil bit harder, lift the back end up a few feet and stick your hand out Erion Dave style!

[Flakey]

.....and when you do your emergency brake, pull on that front brake a lil bit harder, lift the back end up a few feet and stick your hand out Erion Dave style!  

If ya REALLY good, you can hold out your right hand...

[TRX]

should look like this:

[DRKSIDE]

Another tip if you cant stop in timeis if the instructor says go 60km/hr and doan emergency brake...go 50km/hr. They cant really tell if your going that little bit slower and it stops you much quicker!

[Tex]

just to put it all in context , when i ride at the track i don't touch my back brake at all, the front brake is all you need.