Lessons from the track: Performance braking : How to setup and brake effectively

[csgup1]

After my recent visit to Kari Race track organised by TWO Racing, I have started to brake sensible i.e. Front brakes as far as possible. The fact is I am riding for the past 14 years.

I use the Rear brakes only when I am riding on a straight line or on gravel. In fact on the way back from the tri state G2G a guy crashed on the Ghats as his rear locked.

Ghats are no place for rear brakes. Just to avoid rear braking on places like ghats and tracks I keep the balls of my feet on the footpegs to avoid any instinctive rear braking.

Thanks for the thread csgup1, lot of the riders have to break away from the braking rules that have been thrusted upon us in India. This thread would help lot of bikers in improve their braking.

You should always ride with balls of your feet on the pegs. Definitely helps weight distribution and you avoid dragging toes which can be dangerous

[csgup1]

1 question.
When you enter a curve and you realize that you are at a higher speed, how would you use the brakes?

good question. part of it is answered above and the following answer comprises of a few things from my personal experience.

The first thing and most important thing that you should do when entering a corner hot is look as far ahead where you want to go as possible. This is possibly the hardest skill to learn but you just have to keep practicing I still find myself caught out every now and then. But the moment you panic and look at where you shouldnt be going, you will end up going there and make it a lot harder for you.

Looking farther ahead also reduces your sense of speed and suddenly you realise that you arent going as fast any more. On the road it helps slow things down, on the track it means you can try and go faster. On your next ride out, look a short distance ahead and then look a couple of hundread metres ahead. it also makes things a lot safer.

The next part of the answer is that you can get away with trail braking (braking in the corner while leaning) the front and back if you are very confident on the brakes. as someone mentioned before trailing the back brake a little helps you tighten the line but I must suggest, it is a fairly advanced skill that is at home on the race track. I wouldnt reccomend using it on the roads for commuting.

The third part of the answer is Countersteer effectively. It has happened to me several times and still does that when you are running in hot into a corner. you freeze up and even though you think you are counter steering, your grip on the bars is way too tight and you really arent. you just need to remind yourself and keep countersteering.

The final part of the answer is keep on the throttle, as in keep the throttle slightly open. this is the hardest skill to learn and apply when you are a bit scared but you just have to keep applying it and practising it and you will improve with time. I still cut the throttle every now and then but I am a lot lot better than when I started out riding.

All of the above tips work brilliantly well together but need to be practised one at a time to really learn except for trailbraking which you need to save for the track. practise will make you better and a safer rider every day which is what I have learnt over the past few years.

I will discuss all the above topics in length in seperate posts. Till then, please tell your frinds and people to have a read and add if i have missed anything.

Thanks
Angad

[shirish]

Very good info there about the braking and it will surely help many bikers like me
Thanks for sharing it with fellow XBHPians Angad

[Guest]

braking is a big game.....and have to play tactfully by every biker.

Anyway, good usefull info.

[csgup1]

braking is a big game.....and have to play tactfully by every biker.

Sorry mate. have no idea what you mean by that. .

[sheelpriye]

Few Pointers

Few Pointers which i came across random websites--

Mr. X--I've been to various performance riding courses, and most (not all) insist that you DO NOT cover the brake. They say when you have an "oh crap" moment you may unconsciously grab the brakes.

Another school I went to says that most lowsides in the novice level at the track are because the rider unconsciously grabs some brake.

They say to cover it when you're anticipating a need to use it...approaching the corner at the track...but immediately removing it when you know you won't need it...like when you've gotten all your braking done for corner entry.

On the street I follow the same advice. I'll cover it when I'm anticipating a need, like when I'm in traffic, or going around a blind corner while not leaned over. If I'm ever leaned over I will make sure my fingers are off the brakes.

Mr. Y--(advise to those who favor pumping)

wow you're not serious are you? who or where did you get the idea to do something that dangerous and innefective?

First of all the shit they taught car drivers a couple decades ago to pump the brake is stupid but aimed at people who are not really competent enough to control a car.

When you apply the brakes on a motorcycle in a gradual and firm manner. While braking with the bike straight up and down in dry weather you squeeze the lever smoothly and can do so all the way until the lever goes hard. Do not try and pulse the lever.

few links-
Motorcycle Riding Pacing Tips - Sport Rider

Trail braking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On road, finish off the braking prior to apex-ing a corner, it is good to arrive slow and ride out fast instead of arriving fast and looking like a stupid trying to brake/countersteer/look through out the corner at the same time.

[csgup1]

good updates mate.

The important thing to note is that the right placement of your foot is with the balls of your feet on the pegs. that way you have more ground clearance , are in a better position to get your weight on the pegs and less likely to cover brakes.

Again trail braking is an excellent tool but that is for spirited riding at the track .

[shrinathrao]

hey i tried using the rear and front drum brakes in emergency cases where suddenly some dog cam out 10 ft distance away from me and it works well but i observed one thing when my arms and elbow are completely straight then you get more confidence in braking and it saves your pelvic from hitting to the tank while the same kind of incidence happened once more time on mumbai highway but in this case i observed that when my elbows were bend i observed that inspite of using 2 finger technique the entire load was creating entire pressure on the shoulders and the stability was not that confident when the elbows were straight, could not understand why this happened.

Can someone put their light into this as how the elbow being straight or bend matters?

[biker_biker_91]

braking is an important part of biking,,thanks angad for providing such vast detailsit will surely help d fellow riders

[shrinathrao]

Few Pointers which i came across random websites--

Mr. X--I've been to various performance riding courses, and most (not all) insist that you DO NOT cover the brake. They say when you have an "oh crap" moment you may unconsciously grab the brakes.

Another school I went to says that most lowsides in the novice level at the track are because the rider unconsciously grabs some brake.

They say to cover it when you're anticipating a need to use it...approaching the corner at the track...but immediately removing it when you know you won't need it...like when you've gotten all your braking done for corner entry.

On the street I follow the same advice. I'll cover it when I'm anticipating a need, like when I'm in traffic, or going around a blind corner while not leaned over. If I'm ever leaned over I will make sure my fingers are off the brakes.

Mr. Y--(advise to those who favor pumping)

wow you're not serious are you? who or where did you get the idea to do something that dangerous and innefective?

First of all the shit they taught car drivers a couple decades ago to pump the brake is stupid but aimed at people who are not really competent enough to control a car.

When you apply the brakes on a motorcycle in a gradual and firm manner. While braking with the bike straight up and down in dry weather you squeeze the lever smoothly and can do so all the way until the lever goes hard. Do not try and pulse the lever.

few links-
Motorcycle Riding Pacing Tips - Sport Rider

Trail braking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On road, finish off the braking prior to apex-ing a corner, it is good to arrive slow and ride out fast instead of arriving fast and looking like a stupid trying to brake/countersteer/look through out the corner at the same time.

I am trying to do the same and yes it works quiet better for me slow down and downshift before entering corners and than hitting the revs but i make sure i can see the road clearly and there are no obstructions.

[darkknight]

I am trying to do the same and yes it works quiet better for me slow down and downshift before entering corners and than hitting the revs but i make sure i can see the road clearly and there are no obstructions.

doesn't matter at speeds of 60

[shrinathrao]

doesn't matter at speeds of 60

Well for learning even speeds of 30 doesnt matter

[sunnyroxx]

Thanx a lot bro ... i learned a lot frm this info.

[Lucky Luke]

A small comment about this question of "pumping" the brakes, and where is comes from.

On old cars (and I was born when now called old cars were what we were driving....), this was very often necessary as, on a strong braking, hydraulic oil would seep past the seals (in both the master cylinder and...the brakes, making them nicely oily!!!!), and the pedal gradually, but not that slowly, go down to the car's floor. The only thing to do was to release the pressure on the pedal and push again, quickly. Best was to get used to do it in short bursts, hence the also called "pumping".

This was even worse after the brakes had heated up, like on a mountain road, the drums dilated, and the brakes loosing nearly all their efficiency. Then, in order to keep the pads as close as possible to the drum, fast pumping was necessary, so that the pads did not have the time to retract under the pull of the spring.

Not only these are bygone days, but a on motorbike, with cable brakes, one never needed to do so. Moreover, with disc brakes, where the pads are in constant (light) contact with the disc, there is even less need for such practice: it is just dangerous as it reduces the braking efficiency!

[Honda_CBF]

A small comment about this question of "pumping" the brakes, and where is comes from.

On old cars (and I was born when now called old cars were what we were driving....), this was very often necessary as, on a strong braking, hydraulic oil would seep past the seals (in both the master cylinder and...the brakes, making them nicely oily!!!!), and the pedal gradually, but not that slowly, go down to the car's floor. The only thing to do was to release the pressure on the pedal and push again, quickly. Best was to get used to do it in short bursts, hence the also called "pumping".

This was even worse after the brakes had heated up, like on a mountain road, the drums dilated, and the brakes loosing nearly all their efficiency. Then, in order to keep the pads as close as possible to the drum, fast pumping was necessary, so that the pads did not have the time to retract under the pull of the spring.

Not only these are bygone days, but a on motorbike, with cable brakes, one never needed to do so. Moreover, with disc brakes, where the pads are in constant (light) contact with the disc, there is even less need for such practice: it is just dangerous as it reduces the braking efficiency!

your comment on 'pumping' is correct bro.
But the days are not gone for the mass indians 'cause there are vehicles still on road with such (inbuilt) problem.
Recently, i was driving a 407 (mini bus) and i felt the travel of brake paddle increasing & also brake fade was noticed, i talked to the driver and he said 'its normal just pump it' i pumped it and every thing was restored.
And also pumping will help in bikes with wet or very cold drum brakes.