Wow - like I said, lots to learn - good thread. Man I would settle for even a good advance riding course; unbelievable there is not enough interest down here. Never thought about a racing class; concepts would be the same. Will have to some reading. I would love to do the Dragon and Blue Ridge a year from now (TN is so beautiful; usually go up at Christmas time for hiking/etc.), but I would like to do it having fun, while driving within my skill set.

Drove a lot as a kid, but have only been riding again for about 10 wks. Just getting to the point this last weekend where I'm no longer rolling off power in in curves and turns, but adding power instead - feels good. Also improving slow speed maneuvering pretty quickly; having a lot of fun. Cheers, Kevin.

 

I think I would walk away from anyone teaching that - I'm not sure if it is better or worst than using only the rear brake!

 

Did a little reading - highside fall - terrifying. Near the end of the Wiki article: "Because highsider accidents are so much more deadly than lowside accidents, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation recommends that if a rider locks the rear brake at higher speeds and the traction is good the brake should not be released."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highsider

This is only one source (the first one I happen to pull up), it also confirms using rear brake only in certain circumstances in high speed corners. The article's introduction indicates proper braking is typically taught in Europe, but not the US:

"Adjust the speed From time to time, you will misjudge a corner. The corner is tighter than it seemed, or it has a decreasing radius, or the surface of the road doesn't seem thrustworthy.
In that case, the best way to adjust your speed is to keep the throttle the same, and touch the rear brake slightly.
When you do that, the bike will not try to get upright. Instead, it will even turn in a bit more, and that's exactly what you need. (To help the bike a bit more, push it with your knee into the direction that it should go.)
Really brake

But sometimes it is necessary to really brake hard, while in a corner, You meet a combine, for instance, halfway the corner, or a cow.
The front brake

Really brake hard in a corner is possible. You should use the front brake.
You will almost never ride to the limit on the road, so there is room to brake, and even to brake rather hard, without going down.
Pull the clutch

When you wouldn't pull the clutch, and squeeze the front brake in a corner, your bike would get upright, and steer out of the corner. That is not always what you want.
That's why you need to pull the clutch, and you should actively push the bike into the corner, with your outside knee.
Practise

You should practise braking in a corner as well, from time to time. You will get experienced with what is possible, and you will automatically do what's necessary when it's needed."

http://www.lazymotorbike.eu/tips/braking/#corner

Reading a little more, also confirmed my theory that the 200mm tire on the FB might look really good, but for the most part it actually reduces traction. "Normal force" is a component of traction and I'm of the opinion in typical riding scenarios (e.g. rain, short stops), the increased surface area decreases the pounds per square inch on the larger contact patch (i.e. Normal force). It seems in my limited experience, the impact of reduction in normal force is greater than the increased static friction of the larger contact patch.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_force

As always, thanks to those that take the time to write responses to these threads and help us become both better riders and mechanics. Cheers, Kevin.

 

Some of the stuff I learned from Steve Baker (maybe a bit "old school" for some of the folks here, but I assure you he knows his stuff) applies to ALL motorcycle riding, and some of it only applies to 350 lb 160 hp machines coming into the braking zone at 160+.

I've never owned a cruiser before this sportster, I still cover my front brake with two, and I have a host of other habits that are unnecessary to say the least, but I doubt they will get me killed. In fact I feel more comfortable with my "hyper vigilant" approach.

When I find myself rolling over the bike to plant one knee into the tank as I find the ground with other, feathering between traction and thrust limited until the moment of stable traction when the front pulls skyward...

Alas, what I have is a bike that weighs nearer to 600 lbs, has forward controls, forward reach and doesn't produce enough torque to tighten a lug nut.

Smart riding habits, principles of physics, and constant learning still apply to ALL motorcycle riding though.

 

That's even more of a challenge on a dresser! But Mrs B has normally dug me in the kidneys by the time I get that far over.......

 

Have you tried duct tape?

 

Thanks for taking the time to confirm what I wrote in a much more condensed manner. Good for you, I wouldn't want anyone to just take my word for it.

Unfortunately, there are some that will continue to deny fact. I think it is called "cognitive dissonance". Like the fellow that posted that he wouldn't listen to an instructor that cautioned riders to use the rear brake only in certain specific conditions.

As they say, you can bring a horse to water.

 

You definitely got me thinking and excited to learn more. There is just so many conflicting opinions, it's good to do a little research to sort the gems from the "my sister's boy friend told me..." Posted what I found, so others can also draw enlightened conclusions.

I also readily admit, I'm such a neophyte at this point, I had to look up high side crash (I was only familiar with it in terms of going off the outside of a turn). Good news is mixing solid information with about 350 miles per week and some slow speed drills - will quickly become better (ie safer) than many riders I know. Thanks again, Kev