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Brake Or Get Broken - The Art Of Braking On A Motorcycle
My father instilled a line in my head before I could even think of getting onto a motorcycle, "Anyone can whack open a throttle; you should first learn how to press the brake!" He's not wrong!
Many people go for powerful bikes because they can afford them. Is it right? Simply put, no. When on a bike, safety is minimal, even if all the gear is available. A suit, helmet, gloves and boots will not save you if you crash at over 200km/h on a track!
But, before reaching those speeds, we should learn the art of braking - one of the key skills of being a good rider. We have to consider many factors when judging how to brake - the speed of the vehicle, distance to the obstacle, surface type, reason to brake and what gear the bike is on.
When found in a panic situation, the rider often grabs the clutch and then the brake, or both simultaneously. While there are instances where we can grab the clutch first, it is not ideal to do so.
Grabbing the clutch while moving de-stabilizes your bike and puts the bike in a free-flow motion. This significantly reduces the rider's control of the motorcycle.
Riding in India, we should always expect the unexpected, like a stray dog darting across the road, a cow deciding to come in the way of your path or even some person on a scooter weaving in and out of traffic. Anything can happen to get you to a standstill, especially in traffic. What do we do at this point? Here, it's alright to grab the clutch first as the bike is in a low gear and a low speed.
When the brakes are applied hard when moving slowly, there is a high chance of the bike stalling and jerking which may throw the rider off. This is why it's okay to press the clutch first in these instances.
Emergency braking is the ONLY time when both, the brake and clutch can be pressed at the same time while moving. What is emergency braking? Grabbing a handful of the front brake, rear brake and clutch - all at once. We tend to do this when a sudden obstacle appears in our path, regardless of the speed we are carrying and our surroundings.
Be it at a high speed or at a low speed, our goal at that time is to avoid the obstacle and focus on our well-being. The reason why we grab both together is at that moment, it is difficult for the average Joe to focus on braking, the distance to the obstacle, when to engage the clutch and where to manoeuvre all at once.
Now, let's say we're riding on some back roads and there's a slow corner coming up after a long straight. What do we do here? All that's needed to do is brake gradually, drop a couple of gears, get to your required speed and take the corner.
A slightly more advanced technique is rev-matching while dropping gears. It's nothing complicated, just give the throttle a slight blip before releasing the clutch on each gear and the bike will be a lot more stable. Practice makes perfect!
Learning how to brake well will make or break your experience on a bike. On a motorcycle, braking is done 80% through the front brakes and 20% through the rear brakes, though many may believe otherwise.
Thoughts on Braking on a Motorcycle
Confidence is key. Progressive braking is the keyhole. Turn the key, open the door and you've got yourself into a whole new world of riding!
When we learn to give our bike the respect it deserves, it will start treating us with respect and reward us with some of the best times in life we've had. Always remember, on a motorcycle, we aren't covered with a body, doors, seatbelt or anything except for the gear worn.
One small mistake or one small lapse of attention, and it could all be over. At the end of the day, it's just us, the bike and the open world!
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