How to do an emergency stop?

[Rossage]

Does anyone mind if they just talk through the emergency stop on a motorbike? I know this could be a bit of a stupid question but I was looking through peoples experiences of their CBT's.

Do you just slam on the brakes? Or do you apply more pressure to either back or front brakes?

[Guest]

Just like in a car, simply apply MORE pressure to the brakes. But not too much, as the wheels will lock up, you'll skid, fall off, and die. Well, not exactly, but that can happen!

Start off with the back brake, THEN the front brake, and do it in a slow, fluid, but STRONG motion. Anything too quick will lock up the wheels, so keep it smooth. You should be taught this on your CBT...

[PhatDad]

Just like in a car, simply apply MORE pressure to the brakes. But not too much, as the wheels will lock up, you'll skid, fall off, and die. Well, not exactly, but that can happen!

Start off with the back brake, THEN the front brake, and do it in a slow, fluid, but STRONG motion. Anything too quick will lock up the wheels, so keep it smooth. You should be taught this on your CBT...

 

I was taught not to use the back brake due to the risk of locking up easily and skidding, failing the test.

[techno]

Just like in a car, simply apply MORE pressure to the brakes. But not too much, as the wheels will lock up, you'll skid, fall off, and die. Well, not exactly, but that can happen!

Start off with the back brake, THEN the front brake, and do it in a slow, fluid, but STRONG motion. Anything too quick will lock up the wheels, so keep it smooth. You should be taught this on your CBT...

 

I was taught not to use the back brake due to the risk of locking up easily and skidding, failing the test.

 

I didnt fail for locking the back in the rain as i still kept the bike under control!

You shouldnt really need the rear tho

[Guest]

Well, i'd rather lock up my back wheel than my front, and in bad conditions its worth seeing if you wheel will lock up by using the back first. I guess you fellas dont get taught the new way! I personally use my back quite a lot, as its not to drastic but still slows you down nicely.

[TC]

I try to

Roll off the power

Sqeeze the front brake, as the wieght of the bike moves to front wheel, increase the pressure on the front brake, and apply some (not to much) pressure on the rear brake.

all combined in one gentle movement

Also dont forget to check your mirrors in case anything is going to ram you from behind. (once you've stopped Obviously)

Someone will proberly be along and tell you this is not the way to do it but it works for me.

Edited February 22, 2010 by TC

[Guest]

Nah for e-stop dont need mirrors, just when you've stopped do your shoulder/mirror checks!

What i do is basically a 4stage thing; (read this under advanced riding thing i read some where)

1st; gentle pressure to allow the weight to move forward and tyre to grip

2nd; more pressure starting to have a real effect

3rd; giving it some now, really starting to slow the bike

4th; giving it all you got (although, even when stopping quickly i dont really use the 4th stage)

On your test its more of a controlled stop rather than an e-stop, aslong as you stop straight and dont lock tires then you are fine.

I always drag the rear brake a bit, as i feel every little helps, and it helps keep the bike steady (and as i once almost did on my ybr, stop a stoppie!!) I usually apply the rear brake as im in stage 2! Also i was tought to use the rear brake in my cbt so im going with it

Hope this helped!

[PhatDad]

Well, i'd rather lock up my back wheel than my front, and in bad conditions its worth seeing if you wheel will lock up by using the back first. I guess you fellas dont get taught the new way! I personally use my back quite a lot, as its not to drastic but still slows you down nicely.

 

After watching a video on youtube, which I can't find now, of someone pulling an endo in the pouring rain I don't think losing the front is that risky on a dry day as long as you increase the pressure gently instead of one almighty grab.

EDIT: Found it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuciq6kV ... re=related

[Rossage]

Cheers guys. I'll bare that in mind and have a little go on the bike tomorrow in the daylight.

[houltmac]

The test should be teaching you to:

1. Off throttle

2. Apply rear brake

3. Apply front brake

4. Assertively increase pressure

At no stage should you grab a handful of front brake, and don't lean on the rear, just apply it and squeeze them slowly but firmly. As mentioned before, it's not an emergency stop, just a controlled stop. You don't even have to do it in a set distance, just from a set speed. Example:

I did my Mod1 and stopped way before the instructor without locking a wheel or anything. Fine. Just over the set speed (32mph or whatever it is). I stayed around a while and watched the guy after me (the army sent him through his training). He gunned it, and went way faster than he had to. The examiner even took a step backward to not get hit (he probably would have got away with not moving... just) but the guy stopped in a short distance for the speed, and was controlled. Also a pass.

[spunky1976]

i was taught not to use the rear brake at all, just cover it so it looks like you are cos the examiner can't tell if your not using it, did my test in the pooring rain and had no problems although it was before all this new euro S***

[Ingah]

Does anyone mind if they just talk through the emergency stop on a motorbike? I know this could be a bit of a stupid question but I was looking through peoples experiences of their CBT's.

Do you just slam on the brakes? Or do you apply more pressure to either back or front brakes?

 

Just wanted to point out, that from reading the OP's message carefully, he is asking how to do an emergency stop (that is, stop a motorbike as quick as he can, safely), not how to pass a test / CBT (although i do understand it's part of the test). There is a crucial difference in some techniques.

For Rossage's benefit (i'm assuming you're a newbie, apologies if you aren't), there's a few things come to my mind that you do for the test than an experienced motorcyclist will not be doing or will be doing differently (but if you do these things on the test they probably won't like it and it could cost you a pass).

However, i think if you're going to learn something (especially something as important as the emergency stop - if you don't know exactly how important yet you will soon out on the road with the multitudes of complete and total incompetant morons you have to share it with), you may as well learn it properly first time around as it's much harder to unlearn something you've learned to do automatically, and then learn something different!

I think the advanced guide referred to is this one here: http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/braking-tips.htm

If so, i second the recommendation wholeheartedly and am in the process of learning to do it in the way stated in that guide (and i can tell you, i'm finding it quite hard to get out of my habitual braking technique!) Note: It's worth reading the guide properly as stopping a bike is not something you want to mess up or you'll eat road (as i've found numerous times :confused: )

Although for the full license test at least, i think if you do skid that real wheel, although it's perfectly safe if controlled, it *could* get you that fail, as it does appear you're losing control (which makes that guide maybe something that should wait until after your test )

I personally do not recommend to start with the rear brake in a real emergency situation (NB: I've been riding a couple of years so i'm not the voice of huge experience, but i am quite up to date as a result of having been through it all recently enough ). Time is of the essence in a real emergency stop, and the time you're testing the rear brake is time you could be actually taking a good few mph off your speed.

Oh, and don't e-brake over a manhole cover (the places they put those anti-bike deadtraps, honestly ). I'll save you that lesson at least

[Rossage]

I think tomorrow I will try and do a bit of braking practice on my 125. And try and ease it up so that I know what I'm doing when it comes to having to do that big emergency stop. Because personally I think its one of the most important things in keeping you safe on the road. I will try each of the techniques you have all stated and see how they feel at slow speeds for now. Thank you all for the help you have offered and given.

[mealexme]

The test should be teaching you to:

1. Off throttle

2. Apply rear brake

3. Apply front brake

4. Assertively increase pressure

 

 

Do you not need to pull in the clutch in aswell? If so, when? because if you dont, surely it would stall or lurch forwards? (mayb wrong as have only just got into bikes.

[PhatDad]

The test should be teaching you to:

1. Off throttle

2. Apply rear brake

3. Apply front brake

4. Assertively increase pressure

 

 

Do you not need to pull in the clutch in aswell? If so, when? because if you dont, surely it would stall or lurch forwards? (mayb wrong as have only just got into bikes.

 

I was told that you won't fail the test if you stall. It is all about staying in control and being aware. If you stall but do the mirror and shoulder checks you can paddle to the curb. But yeah, it's wise to get the clutch in at some point so it doesn't stall. This was just before the new tests came in though so not sure what they expect from the emergency stop now.

[Aaron]

The test should be teaching you to:

1. Off throttle

2. Apply rear brake

3. Apply front brake

4. Assertively increase pressure

 

 

Do you not need to pull in the clutch in aswell? If so, when? because if you dont, surely it would stall or lurch forwards? (mayb wrong as have only just got into bikes.

 

If you're emergency stopping so you don't go head-first into something big and hard, then who cares if you stall. It's better if you dont though because the car or lorry behind won't slow as quickly as you and it would be nice to ride your bike out of the way instead of ditching it before you get flattened.

Leave the clutch to the latest moment because all the time you havel the clutch in you're losing out on engine braking. Having said that i'm not sure if it will add to the braking much if you're already applying back brake? Maybe you'll only get the same braking force before skidding, regardless of how much is engine and how much is rear brake. Not sure. it's easy to take something someone tells you as truth simply because they've been doing it longer than you.

[Smaug]

Off throttle (engine breaking)

apply FRONT BRAKE….progressive (1-2-3)Why front ( not a fist full)

because all the weight & energy is transferred down the shocks & applying down force into the wheel & tyre. This spreads the tyre slightly giving you a bigger contact area & increased grip. 
You follow it up almost at the same time with the rear brake (a second later if that)

Why not rear break first? Because the only contact force is your weight & if it already started moving forward then it is less.

If you start to skid, then off both breaks & re-apply same method. Don’t try to figure out which ones. 
If you can pull in clutch & down into 1st gear. It doesn’t matter if you can’t & you stall it ( it means you got full engine break ) it’s not a fail

Once you have come to a stop. Check your mirrors & both shoulders. Then clutch in start engine & make sure you are in first gear. Now same procedure as setting off

if it was in the wet you would adjust how much pressure you put on front just as you would in a normal stop. 
In CBT you will be taught to break 

In dry weather it’s 80 front / 20 rear at speeds. Changing to 50/50 for wet weather & just rear brake  below 10 mph

 

 

[Steve_M]

On 22/02/2010 at 17:01, Rossage said:

Does anyone mind if they just talk through the emergency stop on a motorbike? I know this could be a bit of a stupid question but I was looking through peoples experiences of their CBT's.

 

Do you just slam on the brakes? Or do you apply more pressure to either back or front brakes?

Attend an Essex firebikes session… 

[Pie man]

 

[Bender]

11 minutes ago, Pie man said:

 

It's easy to pickup an old post by accimedent

[Pie man]

11 minutes ago, Bender said:

It's easy to pickup an old post by accimedent

[Grumpy Old Git]

Trust your ABS and brake hard.

 

[RideWithStyles]

Funny enough of adding the gif but from memory MotoGP, wsbk, endurance, bsb dont have abs and all my bikes bar one didnt have abs. Not to state is a terrible thing to have mind.

Edited June 18, 2024 by RideWithStyles
Auto c

[Bungleaio]

It's also essential to shout some sort of profanity whilst undertaking an emergency stop.

[Steve_M]

On 18/06/2024 at 22:46, RideWithStyles said:

Funny enough of adding the gif but from memory MotoGP, wsbk, endurance, bsb dont have abs and all my bikes bar one didnt have abs. Not to state is a terrible thing to have mind.

Yup, but those riding gods have practiced hard braking thousands of times whereas we mere mortals have practiced it a few times, if ever.

 

I have attended numerous “Machine Skills” courses - most of them when I owned the linked brake, no ABS,  VFR800fi.
 

Irecall the emergency braking exercises on the first one quite vividly - one exercise to illustrate the effect of failing to load up the front tyre resulting in a short but scary front tyre slide. Then exercises to improve braking performance, repeated braking from a marker using progressively firmer application of the front brake as speed was scrubbed off (note, the VFR’s linked brakes managed any rear brake effects - other riders without linked brakes didn’t touch their rear brakes during this exercise).

 

By the end of the day I’d reduced my stopping distance by around a quarter. 
 

I do still, occasionally, find a clear but of road and practice…