The rule is, don't grab, Squeeze. Same for the foot (rear) brake. Don't tromp on it, Press.
If you put too much pressure on the front, you can do what's called a Stoppie, where the back of the bike actually lifts off the ground. If you're not expecting this (or if the front wheel locks up entirely) this turns into an Endo, short for "end over end". In other words, get ready to get bucked off onto your face with the bike following after. The front brake provides most of the bike's stopping power though, so you need to use it.
As for the rear brake, it provides less stopping power, but can help stabilize the bike if you're going too fast into a curve. The problem with using the rear brake is, it's VERY easy to lock the rear wheel (and stall the engine if you haven't pulled the clutch in). Locking the rear wheel isn't that much of a problem really, unless you're leaned over in a turn. In this situation you'll lay the bike down (lowside) where you and the bike skid along sideways down the road. This is actually a very survivable incident, but may result in a bad case of "road rash" if you are not wearing good riding gear, such as leather, cordura, kevlar-lined jeans, etc.
If you're up straight, locking the rear wheel just brings you to a stop. I enjoy practicing this maneuver, just not in traffic. :)
If you DO lock the rear wheel, KEEP IT LOCKED and ride out the skid. Here's why you don't want to release that rear brake once you've locked the rear wheel at speed. The rear wheel acts like a gyroscope. It provides most of your stability and balance when it's spinning. Once it stops, if it starts to spinning again, it will slam the back of the bike up and sideways through gyroscopic precession (remember physics?) and vehemently buck you off. This is known as a "highside" and is VERY DANGEROUS if you happen to be in traffic at the time, or are on a hard surface without good impact protection.
I can't go into all the safety techniques for riding and barking here. That's for expert instructors. If you have any doubts, take a rider course through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, or your local state patrol or motorcycle association. The course will give you the theory (and the practice) to safely stop a bike without biffing it or yourself. |
