Earlier this year, we covered what drivers don't realize about motorcycle braking when it comes to the motorcycles they share the road with. Now, we realize that a lot of information we feel to be second-nature might not actually be to newer riders—and in the interest of safety—we'd like to lay it all out.
If you're a new motorcycle rider trying to understand the difference between braking on a motorcycle and braking in a car (with 4 wheels and a ton of steel surrounding you), you're in the right spot. Braking in a car is based on entirely different principles and primarily serves the purpose to reduce speed and bring the vehicle to a stop by applying pressure to the brakes. Braking on a motorcycle, however, does all that—and a lot more—and requires a significant amount of practice to develop a skillset surrounding such.
Here's what new riders get wrong about motorcycle braking—and tips for new riders on how to fix the issue.
Mistake: Overuse Of The Rear Brake
A habit new riders tend to lean towards is over-reliance on the rear brake. Whether this stems from a fear of flipping over the front by over-applying the front or a lack of understanding of weight transfer during braking—the reality is that the rear brake provides significantly less stopping power than the front brake.
Additionally, it is better used as a tool to assist in emergency braking situations as well as slight decreases in speed through turns—although that is a more advanced technique.
Weight Transfer During Motorcycle Braking
When you decelerate or brake on a motorcycle, inertia forces your center of gravity forward and compresses your front suspension, shifting your total weight onto your front tire. As your weight shifts forward over your front axle, your front tire sees a significant increase in traction. Now, two things are happening.
1) Your rear tire has significantly less traction. Applying significant pressure to the rear brake while your center mass has shifted forward can cause the rear tire to start skidding.
2) Your front tire is now your largest point of contact with the ground. If you now grab—rather than squeeze—the front brake lever, you risk locking up your front wheel.
So, unlike a car that operates with a single brake pedal to reduce speed, braking on a motorcycle is a comprehensive, multi-faceted skill that takes time and practice to master effectively. It isn't quite as simple as 'push the pedal and you're good.'
Developing a balance between rolling off the throttle, applying progressive pressure on your front brake, and gentle use of your rear brake is the key to smooth, safe braking on a motorcycle.
Which brings us to our next point that we'd like to flesh out a little further.
Mistake: Grabbing The Front Brake
Without muscle memory and consistent practice—emergency braking situations can become disastrous. Such as when you've started using your front brake as your primary tool for deceleration, but haven't mastered progressive braking yet.
A common mistake is grabbing—rather than squeezing—the front brake as a reaction. When the front brake is applied rapidly and suddenly without letting suspension compress, the weight transfer we discussed above is rapid.
If you have enough available traction, the sudden weight transfer can lift your rear wheel entirely off the ground (also known as a stoppie or endo—which can be awesome if you're prepared for it and know what you're doing). If there isn't enough grip, however, the front tire locks up instead which can cause you to lose control entirely and crash.
So the important takeaway here is called progressive braking. A smooth, gradual application of your front brake allows you to use much more of your available traction safely to come to a stop while maintaining stability.
Mistake: Braking Through Turns
This is a big one—and can be the result of a number of factors. Whether you've gone into a turn too fast, missed the apex, or started to target fixate, braking through a turn can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
Going Into A Turn Too Fast
This is one of the most common mistakes new motorcycle riders make—excessive speed in low-speed situations. We learned how to ride with the adage "go in slow, come out fast." That holds true to this day.
The best way to prevent this from happening? Go slow. Simple. But obviously that isn't the point here. So when you've hit a turn too fast, you can lightly ride the rear brake while maintaining throttle to reduce your speed through the turn.
When you apply front brake pressure through a turn—you're applying braking pressure to a significantly smaller point of contact with the road. Your tire is ostensibly on its side and is connected to the asphalt with much less surface area, causing an increased risk of locking up the front and washing out when applying braking pressure.
Maintaining power to the rear wheel is important to maintain your lean angle and chosen line, while letting off the throttle entirely can compress your front forks, steepening your steering geometry and can cause your bike to stand up entirely and go wide (as outlined in Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist). Riding the rear brake allows you to reduce your speed while keeping the bike's forward momentum—allowing the bike to continue moving forward while effectively reducing your speed.
Mistake: Not Understanding Non-Brake-Light Deceleration
As you develop your riding skill, you'll learn that applying either the front or rear brake isn't the ideal way to reduce your speed in every situation. Letting off the throttle and downshifting are effective ways to adjust your speed to your environment—but neither of these techniques actuate your brake light.
This can be a big problem when drivers behind you don't know you're reducing your speed. This can be mitigated in a few ways.
Lightly Actuating Your Front Brake Lever
When you downshift or let off the throttle, gently depressing your front brake without actually engaging the brake mechanism will illuminate your tail light. This doesn't come without its complications, though: you're now trying to manipulate the throttle while gently balancing a finger on your brake lever. A bump in the road or a shift in weight can cause you to increase pressure, engaging your front brake in a situation where you don't actually want to.
Additionally, even if you do all of these things correctly, your motorcycle's tail light sits below driver eye level. It's hard to see in the best of cases, which brings us to our next point.
Adding Brake Free To Your Motorcycle Gear
The most seamless way to let drivers behind you know you're slowing down, no matter how you're doing it: Brake Free. 100 ultra-bright LEDs light up any time you're reducing your speed through engine, emergency, and regular braking. A Bosch IMU along with our patented algorithm detect braking of any kind. Right at drivers' eye level and at the highest point on your motorcycle (your helmet), Brake Free is your instant visibility upgrade.
Another benefit of Brake Free is that you can switch seamlessly between helmets with additional mounts. Brake Free is a standalone unit that doesn't need any apps or wires spliced into your bike—just pop it on to your helmet of choice for the day and go.
Combine Proper Gear With Proper Technique When You Brake
Developing proper braking technique takes time, and most importantly, practice. Taking advanced MSF courses can improve your skill, along with dedicated time in a parking lot practicing braking techniques.
Beyond knowing which braking technique to apply in the appropriate circumstance, it's important that drivers behind you are aware of when you're slowing down—even when you aren't hitting a brake lever to activate your brake light. Stop by, grab a Brake Free, and be seen on the road.
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