Motorcycle tips for safety and control.

[holden j caufield]

Little things to make the road safer for everybody. I'm new so no tip is trivial.

Silly question, I hear people recommend 2 fingers on the brake so you're less likely to high side. Well which two? In sports there is a correct way to hold golf club or racket is there such a thing in motorcycle riding? Or are all idiosyncrasies accepted? I'd rather learn the correct way/form as not to develop bad habits and my MSF class is still a few weeks away. I've ridden my friend's bikes for fun and did what was just natural but usually in anything that creates bad form.

Currently I use my index and thumb to control throttle, my middle and ring finger to cover the brake. Way wrong? My friend uses his index and middle to brake but he just says that's how he does it, no explanation of pros/cons.

 

[joesmoke]

the ring finger of both hands

 

[coxmaster]

In order to be a safe rider you must:

A: Always have a camera recording you.
B: Master the art of drifting

 

[Greenman]

Little things to make the road safer for everybody. I'm new so no tip is trivial.

Silly question, I hear people recommend 2 fingers on the brake so you're less likely to high side. Well which two? In sports there is a correct way to hold golf club or racket is there such a thing in motorcycle riding? Or are all idiosyncrasies accepted? I'd rather learn the correct way/form as not to develop bad habits and my MSF class is still a few weeks away. I've ridden my friend's bikes for fun and did what was just natural but usually in anything that creates bad form.

Currently I use my index and thumb to control throttle, my middle and ring finger to cover the brake. Way wrong? My friend uses his index and middle to brake but he just says that's how he does it, no explanation of pros/cons.

That's going to depend on the bike.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Loud pipes save lives.

 

[Fenixgoon]

the faster you ride through traffic, the more you'll avoid cars and get to your destination!

 

[madeuce]

In order to be a safe rider you must:

A: Always have a camera recording you.
B: Master the art of drifting

LOL :whiste:

 

[Greenman]

Loud pipes save lives.

I love that one. I'm careful not to read anything that disproves it. That way I can tool along in my little fantasy world making a lot of noise, telling myself that I'm being safe. I might be wearing a tee shirt and a half helmet, but I am by God doing my part for safety.

 

[SViper]

Little things to make the road safer for everybody. I'm new so no tip is trivial.

Silly question, I hear people recommend 2 fingers on the brake so you're less likely to high side. Well which two? In sports there is a correct way to hold golf club or racket is there such a thing in motorcycle riding? Or are all idiosyncrasies accepted? I'd rather learn the correct way/form as not to develop bad habits and my MSF class is still a few weeks away. I've ridden my friend's bikes for fun and did what was just natural but usually in anything that creates bad form.

Currently I use my index and thumb to control throttle, my middle and ring finger to cover the brake. Way wrong? My friend uses his index and middle to brake but he just says that's how he does it, no explanation of pros/cons.

Find out what is ok with your instructor. Mine said that he doesn't want anyone covering the brakes with any fingers throughout the entire course, mainly to prevent panic brake grabs, which would have you eating pavement in no time flat.

He personally said he uses the index and middle finger to cover the brakes. He said it gives you a better "feel" for the brakes. It allows you to make finer adjustments than if you used all 4 fingers.

After finishing the course, I'll cover the brake with the same 2 fingers when I see potential problems arising.

 

[MiataNC]

I always keep my index and middle fingers on the brake lever.

In my opinion it cuts down the reaction time needed to respond to an emergency. I don't have to move my fingers from the throttle onto the brake lever before I can begin to apply them.

Learning to properly apply the front brake in a panic situation is ALL about muscle memory and practice practice practice. You won't have time to think. When the fit hits the shan it doesn't matter where your hands/fingers are. What matters is what your body is going to do on auto-pilot.

 

[hanoverphist]

I love that one. I'm careful not to read anything that disproves it. That way I can tool along in my little fantasy world making a lot of noise, telling myself that I'm being safe. I might be wearing a tee shirt and a half helmet, but I am by God doing my part for safety.

i make lots of noise because i like the sound of my engine, not to be safe... that part never even occurred to me. if you want to be safe, dont ride in peoples blind spots. make sure they are aware of your presence. and for hells sake, dont be a dick and swoosh around the lanes like they are a road course.

Learning to properly apply the front brake in a panic situation is ALL about muscle memory and practice practice practice. You won't have time to think. When the fit hits the shan it doesn't matter where your hands/fingers are. What matters is what your body is going to do on auto-pilot.

i dont think i ever covered the brake unless i saw a need to be right on it. like coming up to an intersection, seeing a car nudging out of a parking lot and stuff like that. there are lots of things you can learn to anticipate and be ready for if you keep your eyes open. and the bolded part is true, your brain/ hand will do what it is trained for when its necessary, make sure you practice it a lot to get it down to an automatic response.

 

[mikej007]

Does not compute?

 

[JulesMaximus]

i make lots of noise because i like the sound of my engine, not to be safe... that part never even occurred to me. if you want to be safe, dont ride in peoples blind spots. make sure they are aware of your presence. and for hells sake, dont be a dick and swoosh around the lanes like they are a road course.



i dont think i ever covered the brake unless i saw a need to be right on it. like coming up to an intersection, seeing a car nudging out of a parking lot and stuff like that. there are lots of things you can learn to anticipate and be ready for if you keep your eyes open. and the bolded part is true, your brain/ hand will do what it is trained for when its necessary, make sure you practice it a lot to get it down to an automatic response.

I generally don't cover the clutch or the brake either. It is instinctive to move my fingers over the brake if I see something developing or if I need to slow down. I don't even think about it.

 

[jaha2000]

for a newbie covering the break is neat way to grab a fist full of breaks and end up eating pavement.

I am a firm believer that the MSF course should be longer and include one day of riding on dirt. You cover the break and panic on the dirt you eat it period. Bike control is also much more important on dirt IMO.

Flame away, but i think that people that start on dirt will generally speaking have better bike control skills.

 

[JulesMaximus]

for a newbie covering the break is neat way to grab a fist full of breaks and end up eating pavement.

I am a firm believer that the MSF course should be longer and include one day of riding on dirt. You cover the break and panic on the dirt you eat it period. Bike control is also much more important on dirt IMO.

Flame away, but i think that people that start on dirt will generally speaking have better bike control skills.

I've ridden a few miles on my street bike on a gravel road. No problem at all, it was kind of fun actually. You can kick the rear end out and do power slides with just a little blip of the throttle.

 

[lavaheadache]

A lot of time when I'm riding i use my middle finger to direct frustation toward somebody that wanted to squish me

 

[Fenixgoon]

I've ridden a few miles on my street bike on a gravel road. No problem at all, it was kind of fun actually. You can kick the rear end out and do power slides with just a little blip of the throttle.

i've been on dirt/gravel with my FZ6R (brother's farm)... it can get pretty tricky, especially with turns, but as long as you're not over-aggressive on the throttle things usually turn out just fine.

kicking out the rear sounds like fun, but i'm hesitant to actually try it

 

[speedy2]

for a newbie covering the break is neat way to grab a fist full of breaks and end up eating pavement.

I am a firm believer that the MSF course should be longer and include one day of riding on dirt. You cover the break and panic on the dirt you eat it period. Bike control is also much more important on dirt IMO.

Flame away, but i think that people that start on dirt will generally speaking have better bike control skills.

My dad used to race motorcross when he was young. He said the same thing to me a few times. He's had a few street bikes over the years and never laid any of them down.