I recently acquired an '06 Streetglide. I want to improve my riding skills and practice emergency stops before I need one. Can someone tell what proper emergency stopping technique is. I.e., applying the front and rear brake. thanks.

 

Take a rider course,not a joke u can learn alot. There is also advanced courses

 

Took the course last year but the bike was smaller and had ABS

 

Definitely, take an Advanced Raider course or Rider's Edge Skilled Rider's Course.


Stopping my FLHTCUI fast was a scary rear wheel skid the first few times. Don't stomp on rear brake. Slowly press rear while squeezing front as hard as road conditions allow. If you hear rear locking and skidding release quickly.

If you screw up and go into a rear wheel skid, don't release. I never did it, but I am told that can cause a highside dismount.

I have ridden my FLHTCUI 12k miles, and am definitely getting much better at controlling fast stops. If you practice enough, it slows down, and seems like you have plenty of time to brake.

Good luck.

 

this!!!!!!
and down shift when and if you can the motor will help slow ya down unless you dont have enuff time then leave clutch out and in the gear till ok to pull clutch in as that will make bike roll faster

 

It's a good idea to practice. Find a nice stretch of road where you can practice applying your brakes hard. Make sure you have a good view in front and behind you so that there's no chance of getting hit. I know of a few places that I can use. The problem with parking lots is usually you can't get up to enough speed. And also they tend to have a lot of loose sand, gravel, etc. Simply practice applying your brakes harder and harder. It will give you a lot more confidence and control in an emergency. You will find that it's nearly impossible to lock up the front wheel but a lot easier to lock up the rear. So by practicing you will get the "feel" or "sound" of the rear wheel starting to lock up. Then you will be able to get right to that point without actually locking it up (most of the time, not always!). And you will learn to modulate the rear brake to keep the rear wheel just on the verge of locking up.

Here's the big thing about what was mentioned regarding locking up the rear wheel. If you release the rear pedal just as the rear wheel is locking up, you are fine. I've done it many times. However, if you wait too long and the rear starts sliding out to the side and you release the rear brake pedal, you can then "high-side".

I think it's a good idea to practice with every bike we ride. It will really surprise you how hard you can hit the brakes. Usually much harder than you imagine if you've never had to do it.

 

go find an empty parking lot and practice!
I use heavy front brake, and feather the rear.
Make damn sure there isn't any sand on the road in front of you, that will drop
you so fast, you won't know what happened.
Don't slam on the front brake when the forks are turned, that's another instant dump.
be careful grabbing too much front brake if the road is wet.
rely mostly on the font, and use the rear sparingly, so you don't lock it up.
practice more.
peace

 

First, forget the downshifting. When emergency stopping, your total concentration needs to be on the task at hand. Downshifting puts additional stress and tasks on your brain, which is actually going to extend your stopping distance or send you into a skid. If you jam that rear brake, your a goner. For a beginner, practicing in a parking lot, 25 mph and under using the front brake is going to teach you how your bike feels while encountering alot of inertia. Once you learn to stop that bike with the front brake you can start working on incorparating the rear brake. The problem with using the rear, for me, is no matter how much I practice, there have been a few times where in a fast stop I could not help but press too much pedal down. Just like when your a passenger in a car and the driver is scaring the hell out of you. You press your foot hard as if you can stop. You would be surprised how fast you can stop a Road king with its dual front brakes. I have saved my *** by covering my controls, and being mentally prepared for a hazard like a deer, to present itself. PLP, parking lot practice will help immensely. Doing this wrong can kill you. Once the rear brake is locked, your in for a ride. So many guys tell the story " I had to lay it down". No they didnt do it purposley. They never figured out how to properly stop in an emergency situation. ANd they ground that rear brake right into a skid. Check out James Davis all things motorcycle safety site and read the safety tips. Good luck.

 

Take a riders course, you can't practice in a parking lot what you don't know.

 

This is very good advice. The only thing I would add is that the brake should be applied progressively. What I mean by progressively is don't just grab the front or step on the rear as hard as you can in an instant. In an emergency situation that is a typical reaction. You need to overcome that reaction and apply the brakes gradually (relative) and progressively. I'd also pull the clutch in at the same time as applying the brakes, but as halsey said, forget about downshifting until your braking is well under control.

This all goes out the window though if you have ABS.