Welcome to - Motorcycle brakes and stopping a motorcycle brakes explained.

Unlike racers, you don't have to slow from more than 200 mph to about 40 mph to make a turn - hopefully. Operating the brakes on most motorcycles is much more problematical than on four wheel vehicles. Most motorcycles have separate controls for the front and rear brakes, with the front brake usually controlled by a lever on the right handlebar and the rear brake controlled by a pedal operated by the right foot. During braking, a rider must determine how much force to apply to each control. As with other types of vehicles, much more deceleration can be obtained from braking the front wheel than from braking the rear wheel.

Motorcycles are inherently less stable than four wheel vehicles and rely on riders’ skills to remain upright during demanding maneuvers such as hard braking. Braking too hard and locking a wheel creates an inherently unstable situation. Locking the front wheel is particularly dangerous.
A locked rear wheel is more controllable but still can lead to loss of control if the rider
simultaneously tries to steer the motorcycle, as in an emergency avoidance maneuver. Riders concerned about wheel lock may be reluctant to apply full force to the brakes, particularly to the front brake, resulting in inadequate braking. Both Hurt and MAIDS (Association of European Motorcycle Manufacturers) had examples of both loss of control due to wheel lock and failure to adequately brake.

The MSF course tells you not to cover the front brake during the first day. The reason for this is obvious, the speeds on the first day of the range are slow, and you're new to riding. If you panic, grabbing the front brake may send you to the ground. On the other hand - in the real world, at 62 mph, covering the front brake cuts 12 feet from your stopping distance. "Getting them into the habit of always covering the front brake has resulted in measurable reductions in accidents.”....Harry Hurt (interview)

So what do you do to stop?

It's simple:  Roll off the throttle.

The important things to remember are:

SQEEEZE the front brake and pressss the rear. Don't try to stop a motorcycle until the bike is straight / the bike isn't leaned or the front wheel turned. As Harry Hurt of the famous Hurt study says - "cover the front brake". Don't use it until the bike is straight. What does this mean in the real world? Scenario: You're on the interstate, it's congested. 12 feet may mean the difference between checking the cars glove box ahead of you, or coming to a good clean safe stop.
At 15 mph that's 3 feet added to your braking distance by not covering the front brake.

For a quick stop, continuously and progressively squeeze until stopped or 100% braking power is obtained - what's that mean? 100% braking power is that point when traction is at it's greatest and the wheel is not sliding. 101% a tire is locked.

Why 4 fingers? The MSF doesn't really elucidate the why's of anything (don't want to confuse people with facts). So let's use some good old common sense and see if we can figure it out.
Federal law (Motor Carrier Vehicle Safety Standards) requires, "a hand lever force that does not exceed 245 Newtons (55 pounds) for any of the first four recovery stops and that for the fifth recovery stop, is within, plus 89 Newtons (20 pounds) and minus 44 Newtons (10 pounds) of the fade test baseline check average force (S7.6.3), but not less than 0 Newtons (0 pounds)." and "not less than 10 Newtons (2.3 pounds)".

Ok, there's some wimpy fingers out there. The other reason? It forces beginners to let off the throttle (sometimes). If the clutch is in it really doesn't matter does it? In the real world - practice with your bike, find out what works for you.

Highway pegs: If you're in a congested traffic, city or some place you may need to brake quickly, don't use your highway pegs - pretty simple. If you are going to turn take your feet off the highway pegs. Sensors in your knees, ankles, feet, will make the turn feel uncomfortable. In order words, any time you're not cruising along in the open, use your regular pegs.

Engine Braking -  In the mountains, going downhill, you use a gear appropriate to slow the motorcycle. using mechanical energy, using lower gears/slower engine speed to slow the bike down. So why do you see those signs telling you not to use engine braking? It has nothing to do with safety. Truckers use a method called Jake Braking, which releases engine compression and makes loud noises. The state no likely the loud stuff.

Head and eyes up? Two reasons.
First world war 2 pilots found out about target fixation. While strafing targets on the ground, some flew the plane right into their target. Ouch. Stop as quickly as you safely can but concentrate on braking, not the object your braking to avoid. (it also helps keeping the bike straight. Look for a way out, but don't lean the bike while braking.

Equilibrium - We want to keep the bike straight up and down. Your Equilibrium helps. Leaning can cause you to go down when braking. Your eyes and inner ear work together on this one. You don't have instruments like pilots or bubbles like professional divers to orientate yourself. You do have the soles of feet on the pegs or floorboards, pressure sensors in the muscles, tendons and joints to sense gravity and joint positio and the horizon.- use them - see ocular driving.

Anti-lock Brakes aren't designed to help you stop faster, they prevent the wheels from locking up so you can maintain steering. They can also prevent a front wheel lockup. There are advanced techniques, that riders have been using for years. For example "Poor man's ABS" by tapping the brakes repeatedly on wet surfaces. This is an advanced technique and not for beginners. When Cops come to an accident scene they can tell if a car or bike had ABS from the skid marks. They look like this - - - - - - - - - -. Rider confidence plays a big part in motorcycle braking, ABS brakes can stop the motorcycle faster due to this.

Motor cops are taught to apply the front brake first to get the weight behind the contact patch quickly (weight shifts forward during braking) and then apply the rear brake. This is an advanced technique and not suitable for beginners. Advanced riders also use engine braking in combination with the brakes. It's not for beginners. Although weight shifts progressively to the front as you brake.

2 second rule - Give me a brake. 2 seconds minimum may not be appropriate. Stay back, use the road, analyze the conditions. You cannot stop as fast as that car ahead of you. Safety is up to you - give yourself space and time. What are you in a hurry for?
Safe following on the interstate -  far enough back to make the ride enjoyable.  You need to stay back and enjoy the ride. So how far back? You have to judge traffic and  conditions, are you so far back other cars are cutting you off getting in between? Think, be aware, use your judgment! The further back you are, the safer you are, unless it's causing problems, the more time you have to stop, the better for you. Make sure you know what's going on up the road, not just the first couple cars ahead of you.

Complex Reaction time: Complex reaction is a reaction involving a decision, such as when deciding to quickly whether to accelerator or use the brakes. Reaction time in these situations may be as high as 3 seconds or more.

Non-emergency stops - Because I have to pay for repairs on my shocks and seals on my personal bike, when I stop during a normal situation (progressive braking), I ease off the brakes to reduce bounce wear and tear. Removing the extra weight placed on the bike's front shocks as gently as possible..

Obstacles - Almost always, the best thing to do is avoid going over an obstacle. The MSF teaches you to approach at a 90 degree angle, raise your butt off the seat, bend your knees, shift your weight back, and knees against the tank and accelerate before the front tire goes over the obstacle and roll off after the front wheel is over.
That's fine for a 2 X 4.

Real obstacles. Let's talk about something bigger (a deer carcass or dead dog) .Avoid going over, take evasive action, if possible. If you were paying attention in the first place, you'd have seen it in plenty of time to smoothly go around.

 If it's unavoidable:

• Use maximum braking to try to stop before you hit it (reduce speed as much as possible it won't hurt as much when or if you do go down).
• Do not cover any levers
• Roll-on your throttle starting about .5 seconds before impact
• Do roll off your throttle right after the front tire is as the front tire surmounts the obstacle
• Stay loose, you can sometimes slide over obstacles, ride it out .....
• Before you stop to go back to look at what you went over and catch your breath, make sure both tires are on the ground and have full traction.

Braking with a passenger - Physics tells us, more weight, more traction (as long as you don't exceed the manufacturers weight limit). So in theory you should be able to stop faster. Here's the rub, studies show, that during a quick braking action, the rider tends to ease off braking when the passenger slams against them. Don't ease off, that's uncomplicated.

My last words:
Don't ride at your skill level, ride below it! (cute little saying, but spot on).
In the real world - Cover your front brake lever (if you have a problem with panicking and grabbing, re-think your decision to ride a motorcycle).

ABS - get a bike with ABS.

Braking isn't always the answer - look for a way out. Watch this guy brake his way to a 800 foot fall. (video) - Harley Rider crash on the tail of the dragon -
A little counter steering and he would have made it.