Don't mean to hijack since this was about emergency stops but several people have mentioned following to close. I cringe when I see riders coming right up on a cages butt before swinging out to pass.

Been there did that in my youth, was so close to the car in front that I didn't see the huge pot hole lurking under the car. Bent the back rim & I think I got a inch shorter from the jar of hitting the hole. Didn't go down but learned a valuable lesson.

 

I am going to be getting my first bike (08 FXDL) in the next month or so, and will be taking the MSF class in Jan. Paniolo your post on this thread have been with out question the most useful I have read. Thanks for the information.

 

No one can tell what they will do in an emergency situation till they are in it. I think most of us react by instinct. I have been riding since I was 24 and I am now 56 so that is about 32 years. My closest call came about 7 years ago before I got my Heritage. I was riding my 1977 650 yamaha and was on a 4 lane divided street with the speed limit 45. I was doing 45 when I saw a car go into the turn lane on my left. The car was moving pretty fast, not slowing much, and I covered my front brake and my foot was ready for the rear brake. The car turned left in front of me when I was probably 50 feet or so away. I grabbed both brakes and both the front and rear locked up. Time slowed down and I was thinking...my knees are really going to hurt when they hit the pavement...I saw the lady in the car look at me when she heard my tires squealing...the rear started to come around and I let up and caught the brake again to keep from going all the way sideways...then I suppose my brain was computing angles and speed and distances - all without my conscious knowledge...it occurred to me that at the speed the car was traveling that if I let off the brakes and hit the gas and threw the bike into a hard left...I believe I might be able to go around the car on the left...so that is what I did (1) off the brakes, (2) grab some throttle, (3) hard left. I missed the rear bumper of the car by inches. I actually looked at it as I went by. Then a hard swerve back to the right and it was over. If the lady in the car had hit her brakes, I would not have made it. She didn't and she was moving pretty fast when she turned. I did have to pull into a parking lot a little further up the street and I know I shook for a good five minutes before I fired it up and went on home. If anyone has been in a close call like this, I am sure they probably experienced the "slow down" in time like I did. Anyway I made it through that one. I have had many close calls on my Harley that I got for my 50th birthday but so far I have anticipated the cage's actions and have been able to manuever out of their way. I was a little confused about the instruction to never let off the back brake if it locks up, but now I understand a little better. If you let the bike get sidesways, no doubt you will highside if you let off. My instinct was to let off and reappy to maintain control.
Good information.
Tnicean

 

kinda seems like considering someway to lessen the brakeing power of the rear brake. I know my 99Ultra with Dumlops will lock up easy as hell. I have put Michlines on it and will test emergency stops and see if it still locks up fast.
But somehow makeing the rear brake lock up so fast seems like a good ideal. Like a washer with a small hole in it to reduce the brake fluid flow. Reduceing the brake fluid lever in the resivior would induce air into the line and soft pedal wouldn't it? So that would be out. just a thought.

 

Because ofthe way I learned to ride, I don't understand why so many peopleapparently rely on the rear brake so much. Well, I guess I do understand, because most cruisers have enough weight distro to the back that people get by with using the rear brake primarly and incorrectly. Until they have to stop hard and it's "oh no my rear brake is somehow locking up". Use the front brakes like they should be used and you'll rarely need the rear...except in an emergency.

If the rear break is locked up and you turn one way or the other, you should obviously skid it out until yourbike straightensbefore letting off the rear brake. Better yet, forget the rear and use the front properly...then you won't lock the rear up.

I've only locked the front up one time...and that was just to take off as much speed as possible before I t-boned a car.

 

locked up my rear a few times once in the wet others in the dry because it like to ride hard sometimes.
Fat Boy 2008.
only real dislike is one front stopper there's a lot of weight to slow down relying on the rear brake as a main souce of stopping.
On my jap bikes with 2 front stpppers the main braking was the front ,hardly ever used the rear didnt need to unless things werer dia and no problems at all.

 

can you say.......... "ABS" .

 

 

Just a thought. Before you go and start modifying the brakes on your bike, how about regularly practicing good threshold combination brakingto get a better feel for what happens under braking circumstances?

 

See post 20 this thread.

Yesterday I rode the new SEUC at the International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, CA. During the ride Iintentionally locked up the rear brake several times to kick in the ABS. I was very impressed. The bike did the usual ABS "clunk-n-click" thing, but stopped straight. It actually reminded me of the ABS on the BMWs I rode in service. I even locked it up over a rough uneven surface and the bike tracked straight. I like ABS for conditions where traction is compromised or less than ideal. HoweverABS does not replace good braking habits.

Mark