Excerpt from: Happenings
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| October 31, 2007 | | Practice Reduces Stopping Times Dramatically | BIKE published a great article on braking as part of their ongoing regular content aimed at making better riders of their readers.
Rarely do even experienced riders isolate the braking part of their riding skills, and consider how often this part of your skill set can come into play.
Obviously, since so many accidents happen when a car cuts in front of a motorcycle, this is something very important.
The article points out that even 20 minutes spent practicing your braking will have a dramatic effect.
This reminds me of the old Keith Code drill, where he would get riders to lock up the brakes at 50 mph, so that they would know what it feels like.
As a ABS rider, it is all too easy to rely on the equipment. On the other hand, just the other day I had to very briefly lock the brakes. It reminded me of just how important this skill is. [Yes, you read that correctly. I believe that the brakes locked for a split second, even though I have ABS. Maybe I'm wrong, but at least I did not notice the "banging" I am used to when the ABS kicks in. And yes, the ABS is functioning properly.]
The real key is that you must apply the brakes smoothly. You can apply them hard, but only if you do so smoothly. Of course, the other main concept is that the rear wheel is easy to lock up, especially if the weight is all on the front of the bike.
Practicing braking is a scary concept, but not as scary as practicing braking hard for the first time when a car cuts you off.
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