You may be doing the most simple thing WRONG! - Episode 5 MCrider

[@MCrider]

If you are a new rider or a rider who wants to continue to grow (That should be all of us ;) ) and you are not a Member at MCrider you are missing out on the best part of MCrider. Go to www.MCrider.com/Member and get access to the Forums and Field Guide. - The Forum is an active, friendly place where riders share riding tips, ideas, travel photos, and show off their new motorcycles. Riders and instructors from all over the world are active on the forums and ready to share in the adventure with you. - The Field Guide is a section of the forums that have very specific training exercises that you can work on in any open parking lot to develop your riding skills. In addition to these resources, you can discuss every MCrider video, suggest future training videos, read and share gear reviews, and more. By becoming a member you help support MCrider and keep the weekly videos coming but you also get access to a world of riders who share tips and techniques to help us all enjoy the ride and increase our skills. www.MCrider.com/Member

[@gastonlavigne7824]

Used front brake

[@MatiasNorman]

Tips for correcting subtle habits like this are exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks so much for your continued work on educating people and keeping us safe, brother.

[@ridermak4111]

If I was ever guilty of this, I was completely cured of it by the mental rewind/replay of an event that kinda stopped my heart. Topping a hill on a straight, nice highway at 60 mph. Coming into view simultaneously was an oncoming semi and a deer, standing still in the center of my lane. Oh, and I had a passenger. Upon replaying in my head, the most prominent thing was the load my arms took when my 105 lb. passenger slammed into my back. She now weighed more than that.....horizontally. I was sooo thankful that I have always practiced emergency stopping occasionally. I knew not to swerve. There was no good solution in swerving. If my wrist had been high on the throttle I would not have able to support the load on my back. I stopped so hard I later discovered a leak in a fork and a bubble in a brake line. She said she had no idea that a motorcycle could stop that violently. I had bruises from her grip. The deer threw sparks from it’s hole shot. Thankfully it was facing away from the truck’s path. As my throttle hand missed the deer’s tail by maybe a foot, I got a flash glimpse of the truck driver. His mouth was wide open. My heart started back up.

[@tomthompson7400]

any one who spotted that wrist thing from the first clip should have been the look out in the crows nest on the titanic ,,,,

[@MCrider]

That's funny! It probably was a little hard to spot.

[@tomthompson7400]

but good points you raise in the video ,,, well done

[@nebbom]

The black gloves and black panels on his jacket make this very difficult to spot. Kind of cheating in his little game. Also, as many have said, he should have been covering the brake lever.

[@kristyncooper3619]

Priceless comment! ;)

[@robphillips4296]

Well, first thing is you didn't take a life saver look o re your shoulder !

[@tdplumer]

My guess: I keep the front brake lever covered at all times once moving. Doing so will cut down on your reaction time and allow you to stop in a shorter distance. (Great topic and a great way to present it. Thank you.) Happy trails! :-D

[@slowerthansound]

Interesting comments, mostly about covering the front brake. I thought lack of rear observation before moving off was the issue. Both on my pushbikes and motorcycles, I set the levers to be in natural line with my wrist, giving the most effective control on the levers. I only cover the front brake if I anticipate needing it.

[@davidmegeath1353]

Awesome info... thanks, Kevin.

[@jeffslade1892]

You get a huge fork dive and rebound by coming to a stop on the front brake. You will get a smoother controlled stop by braking with both but releasing the front brake shortly before the stop and coming to a halt on the rear alone. For normal stop-start riding, you can see and plan the stop without having to reduce the braking distance as in an emergency.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Interesting. I remember when I first started riding that sometimes I'd be at a stop and I'd release my front brake and the front end would rise. I didn't realize that was what was going on. These days I can't remember the last time I noticed that happening, but in the early days it would be quite a bit.

[@jeffslade1892]

It's something we get used to and so don't notice but braking can be finessed to stop smoothly at a line, plus gliding to a halt feels good and looks really cool. Obviously to stop in a hurry we use both anchors to the full. Braking for a casual stop should not be using the full power of the brakes; there's more wear as well as increased chance of a mishap.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I think you misunderstood. The bike's front end always lowers a bit when coming to a stop, it's just a matter of degrees. When I first started it was quite a bit more and I'd actually notice the front suspension unload if I'd briefly release the front brake while stopped. It still seems rather odd to me that the front brake would somehow be keeping the front end down while stopped.

[@humzilla707]

Chris L that is because of the head angle of the bike. The geometry changes as the front wheel tucks into the bike and your keeping that geometry locked in by holding the brake. The front wheel needs to roll slightly forward or the bike back to return to the static hieght

[@jeffslade1892]

Yeah, there's no real reason to pogo coming to an ordinary unhurried stop, you just let go of the front as you're putting your foot out. If you do that coming to a line and use the rear to finish the stop, the forks don't plunge as seen in this video and you come to a smooth halt.

[@NewYorkCityonTwoWheels]

This was fantastic. The MSF course emphasizes a flat wrist, and now I see how truly important that is.

[@leighahmke]

I wrestled with this problem forever! Thank you for explaining the consequences of poor wrist position so clearly.

[@thecrowcvg2]

I do not know... watched it several times though ...

[@doulos77]

i watched on my phone - couldn't see your hands that well. BUT, I'm with the guy who covers the clutch and brake with two fingers ALL THE TIME.

[@saxoplayer11]

Thank you Kevin !! I really found your videos very educational and greatly useful for any level rider. I m back riding after 5 years your videos helped me a lot to recover the groove and refresh Thanks again !!

[@thirdhandman]

Being a student of yours for about 6 months and really appreciating your tips, It didn't look like you checked your mirrors before taking off or stopping.

[@BEEBEE159]

I guess I should have known it wouldn't be that obvious. Well, I learned something new. Thanks for making this video.

[@dennismatteo8668]

engaged the clutch , prior to the brake

[@johnpersonage7220]

I have no idea why I do it myself, but I always cover my front brake with 2 fingers and my clutch with 3. I like your videos a lot mate.

[@sbwebster]

Thank You very good tip. I will definitely be looking at my hand position....

[@Awatchandy]

Lifesaver / shoulder checks & Mirrors!

[@cwbaldwin61]

Older video - but just watched it. New rider and I found it very helpful!

[@bernwilliamson4142]

every vid you put up Kev is valuable, when we think about these things before we ride , we ride better, hope this make sense, to those that gave this thumbs down, Please expain why

[@SpeakerBuilder]

A really cool device I discovered a long time ago is called a throttle rocker, and it attaches to the end of the throttle grip. It provides a flap that the right side of your palm rests on and aids and working the throttle without the need to grab and twist the throttle hand grip. It was designed for those of us who travel long distances and is primarily intended to eliminate fatigue in your right hand, but also helps with the problem presented in this video.

[@wwvette]

Looks Like A Good Stop!

[@indycarr3964]

I keep reading your tip, "Find out how your body posture...". Then I remembered this from class, when braking, the front tire has more traction since the weight of the cycle is shifting to the front tire, leaning forward slightly will increase the use of the front tire traction, thus slowing you quicker.

[@germansestopal6167]

Thanks. I follow your vídeos. They are excellents !! Respect at this video I don't know what you do wrong.

[@Brian-ie2un]

First time I have heard this after watching dozens of braking videos. Makes sense so must check myself.

[@COMB0RICO]

I've never heard of this. Thanks from Texas!

[@Steve-ho2mx]

Blooming heck Kevin...as we say in Yorkshire! Yep, guilty as predicted, I will correct that one...thank you, Steve

[@squirrelag]

I think most of my stops look like that. Something did look a bit awkward though. I will keep watching to shed some light on the issue...

[@theeaselrider4032]

I always try to teach our students by sitting more forward than back on the bike ( depending on the bike of course ) and sitting more upright, puts your arms naturally in a position so you don't have to consciously think about whether your wrist is horizontal, or slightly lowered. it's also one of the reasons why a bike where you sit more upright ( not leaning too far forward or back), is going to be much easier to ride, but is a better bike for new riders to learn on. Sitting up straight gives you more leverage in the steering and requires less effort by the rider to do what ever is required while riding. It also allows more minor adjustments as you are riding, instead of being locked into a position where your feet are out near the front axle, or you are leaned directly overtop of the front forks.

[@gwynnromano5881]

I would apply the front brake first then the rear, easing off the front as the bike stops and using the rear to hold the bike still..

[@OmegaTryce]

idk but looking forward to find out

[@michaelggriffiths]

Priceless!

[@itsjustme5022]

as for me, to fix that problem when i got my motorcycle, before i start my bike, i always make sure that i set my middle finger comfortably and leveled on top of the front break lever not pointing down coz if it is, after awhile your shoulders gonna feel a bit stressed... i only use my mid finger for the front brakes but if i need to do emergency or hard breaking i kinda instinctively use my index finger w/ my mid finger for a better squeeze...

[@port566]

I, too, make sure my middle finger is in a comfortable position, and not pointing down. However, this position once made my jaw feel stressed. :-)

[@chibinyra]

I tell my students about this in the class before and they look at me funny. It's finally when I have them on the range when I can teach it. Another giveaway is that the sudden throttle roll on scares the poo out of them and they forget to brake while they try to figure out how to control the engine.

[@vadimmakarov4286]

Habit of always keeping two fingers on the brake lever does help with wrist positioning.

[@baronburgamot243]

That's really interesting. I have never done this, I always try to maintain a relaxed a neutral grip in the bars. I think this kind of thing extends from people who want to be able to open the throttle a lot (?) I dunno. But not something I've done. But good to look out for in case I end up developing a bad habit like this.

[@plinkbottle]

I had to adjust the angle of my handlebars, they were too far away from me.This is a Sym Symba postmans bike which is set up for riding in an upright position and has a centrifugal auto clutch. Every time I did a really fast stop using the front brake, my hand was clamping the throttle in the open position. I brought the bars just a little closer to give me more wrist movement....The clamps on the handlebars are grooved so adjustment requires quite a bit of slackening off the bolts. Also needs removal of plastic bolt covers that look daunting but just flip off, then the plastic components cover and readjustment of headlamp to complete the job.

[@JelgerMuylaert]

You have to reach for your front brake lever. I (try to) keep two fingers on the lever.

[@aliservan7188]

Using the front break to stop rather than the back break for the final bit? The bike dipped.easy to do, especially if you don't leave yourelf enough time or ride a little too close to the vehicle ahead. High wrist!? I didn't even know that could be a problem! You should do more of these "what am I doing wrong" videos. Brillianty engageing idea

[@robertbrunston5406]

I don't think I would ever have my wrist in that position for any reason.

[@birdbreaker]

wrist position on the frnt brake. cool

[@cakeshoe]

I always ride with two fingers on the front brake lever, but it's my habit to have 3 fingers on the clutch -- I guess it's just what feels comfortable. Thinking back, I seem to remember that I STILL moved all fingers to the brake level before performing an emergency stop, anyway! Odd!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

It's good to constantly cover the brake, but if you wait to move the other fingers on it while doing a panic stop, then you're giving up almost all the benefit of covering it. It's still better than nothing as you'll be less likely to lose your grip on the bar if you're stopping and hit a bump, but it's probably something to work on. Or, not, you could also just get shorty levers that won't fit the extra fingers and not have to worry about it.

[@IBDaddyO]

Always good info here! 👍

[@mollygrubber]

Imagine if you were riding covering the front brake all the time - save another 5 feet. I ride like that at all times. ALL times.

[@scottm1972]

Exactly. I always have two fingers on the front brake.

[@Newspaperman57]

You risk braking a bit all the time and overheating your brake and causing a lot of wear and risk boiling your brakefluid leaving you with no brake at all. + your brakelight might be on also, so when you do eventually brake, the cars behind you wont get warned and might hit you from behind because they didn't see you were braking until too late

[@mollygrubber]

I'm not pulling the lever, just have my fingers resting on the lever.

[@scottm1972]

Cover the front brake, don't ride it.

[@worawatli8952]

That's how bicyclist do it too, but out of town riding, no need to do it, it will be painful after an hour. lol

[@abelbabel8484]

Didn't know. Now I do. Cool! :)

[@morgando2]

there is a rear brake regardless of wrist position. a motorcycle is operated with 4 limbs in many combinations.

[@abc456f]

I had a problem in the msf course where when I would apply the front brake my hand would roll on the throttle. I was told to keep my hand closer to the inside of the grip, don't keep a death grip on it, and keep my wrist flat as you've shown here.

[@nkolchenko]

1) you've started moving without lookin back. If you do such thing on Exam in Poland - you fail to receive driver licence; 2) it is better to keep a few fingers on stop lever, rather to grab it with a hand. 3) you put your left heel and toe on ground. are you going to stay in neutral gear for ages? :) going to watch further now :-)

[@luzobjetiva]

I had no idea!!!

[@brucesantacory1390]

i used to be like that years ago, i fixed the hand to high with a clamp on throttle rocker, if my palm is on the rocker it's in the right place and i was in the right position, pretty soon it broke me of that bad habit

[@BEEBEE159]

I would say that you should have put both feet down on the ground, as you came to a full stop, but I'm a total newb. I have never even ridden a motorcycle before. I am thinking to get one, and I'm learning about the safety issues before I decide.

[@a.r.t.4611]

No blind spot check before you moved?

[@MCrider]

+Advanced Rider Training Good one! You get a bonus point. :)

[@madarther]

yep noticed that as well no life saver before setting off :)

[@madarther]

didnt notice the wrist but at low speed i,d use the back brake anyway gives me more control

[@imeddy]

@@MCrider in The Netherlands you'll fail your exam if you don't do a full mirror/over-the-shoulder check every time.

[@neilkinsella9680]

no indicaters or mirrors blind spot was pointed out but as you get of bike too and are they Jeans did you stop in a crossroad ? we should get hazard lights just for you lol

[@bharathg8072]

I think you squeezed the front brakes hard and fast, I'd do it hard but increase the squeeze gradually!

[@keithgill4299]

Might be artificially because of the slow speed.... but you're on the clutch before you apply the brake. The clutch should only be pulled just before the engine would stall. You also have your hand on the throttle at an awkward angle. Covering the brake should fix both these issues.

[@patwinders2894]

hey i noticed the throttle lock does that type work for you

[@KLP99]

Though you pulled the clutch, I didn't see your left foot mess with gears. Breaking liked fine.

[@user-tz3qc8ve4h]

I was always taught, rear brake only for low speed stops, much smoother than using front brake, front end doesn't dive forward

[@EnigmaGameMaster]

Pulling the clutch in while braking. Engine braking helps to brake and you should only pull in the clutch at the last moment before stopping.

[@Cds2000Channel]

Enigma Is it really necessary to engine brake during a emergency brake?

[@EnigmaGameMaster]

Yep, you also need to downshift as you slow down so you can get maximum engine braking at all times. It'll make you stop way quicker than without engine braking. Of course, if you can't downshift or engine brake, you'll have to make do with what you have, but always use engine braking when doing an emergency stop if you can, it makes you stop quicker.

[@mercycoughey4785]

I fully agree that down-shifting, as well as both brakes, is an important part of an emergency stop. It should be a natural instinct and can happen extremely quickly. If done properly, it will also help you keep control of the bike and the wheels from locking up as easily.

[@johnmadsen37]

AstroChristian no. The brakes are many times more powerful than the engine. In an emergency you won’t be trying to shift anything. You’ll be focusing on brakes and steering and calculating if you will stop in time. If you are doing an asshole maneuvered swerve around and gas it after while flipping them off, you’ll need to be in the right gear. But this was a complete stop. Clutch in or out, if it stalls on stop but you didn’t hit the back of a car, no one cares. This situation was just having your brakes ready. Brakes are way way more powerful than an engine. Downshifting too low will lock the backend rendering your abs useless. 90% of your braking is on the front. This is actually very dangerous advice. Never ever play around like that in an emergency.

[@Henlarious]

During an EMERGENCY BRAKE who cares about engine braking? Stop the bike at all costs. Doesn’t matter how it’s done. Applying the clutch and both brakes will stop the bike fast. Done.

[@iquitmyjob6154]

You did not look behind you before you took off and you did not blink for takeoff and stopping?

[@peterfriedrich377]

I always ride with index finger and middle finger of both hands on the brake/clutch lever. Is this correct also?

[@niteshades_promise]

doing gods work n saving lives 🍻

[@tommy605]

Late to this party, but... I'm going to assume you were in first so there was no need to gear down in this scenario 1. Rear brake way before front 2. Did not check mirrors behind you to see if anything was coming up behind you while stopping 3. Didn't look before restarting. That's all I got

[@gmike912]

My guess: you only used the front brake. Fix: utilize the rear and front brake evenly and smoothly?

[@sweetcostarica]

You only used your front brake. To stop shorter we need to use both the rear (foot pedal) & front (lever) brakes. Hopefully I am right.

[@Ark1j]

You didn't get the rear wheel 2 ft. in the air- No stoppie! OK, so no stunt rider lesson for today. I'll keep watching. 😆 Another good how-to, keep on with it amigo. JL

[@MCrider]

Thank you James. Had a guy do a BIG over the top stoppie, not on purpose, in class last week on a Honda Grom. He was OK though. ;)

[@DeLaReyJunior]

Your foot hit the ground before the motorcycle came to a full stop?

[@jamesallen4050]

A lifesaver glance needed as you moved off?

[@etiennelouw9244]

wrist position can also cause whisky throttle

[@captainchaosqc4661]

You used all of your fingers for the brake and the clutch and the clutch foot was tucked out?

[@busdriver4Christ1]

You didn't have the front brake lever or clutch lever covered with at least a couple of fingers. That will increase your reaction time in an emergency event.

[@guszam1036]

Yep, that's the way I do it, and this guy does not recommend it that way wich is surprising =O You have ALWAYS have to have at least 2 fingers covering the front brake and the clutch, basic rinding tip.

[@JJ-rm7jw]

In an MSF course, they will tell you not to do that, especially as a newer rider, because you can "panic brake" unexpectedly and cause unwanted drama. Plus, it hurts like hell after several hours. 😅

[@Ducati_Dude]

gus zam --> Fingers on the levers ONLY when you are going to use them... all other times your fingers should be wrapped around the grips... ✔ In a car, do we use both feet to drive? One foot for the accelerator, and one foot for the brake??? No? Oh why is that I wonder... 😉

[@daaknait]

Tense on the handlebars or you manhandled the front brake?

[@olivo-viejo]

First begin with rear brake to put the weight on the front wheel and finish with front brake

[@robert89921]

Rene Van Eynde I think applying the front brake shifts the weight to the front. If I squeeze on my front brake lever the bike tilts forward thus weight is transferring to the front.

[@kristiangurholt59]

Put the foot down too early before stopping? Pulling in the clutch before the brakes? Lifting the foot of the brake pedal instead of applying rear brake?

[@thorstambaugh1520]

No pre ride check!

[@The_Touring_Jedi]

Two finger works maybe on the new motorcycle models. On the older one there is no chance to put enough force on brake lever with 2 fingers. I use the whole hand for emergency stop on my Touring bike. But then when I'm driving a bike with ABS and just 400 pounds weight 2 fingers will be just fine. Old practice in Europe does not recognize 2 finger braking, no wonder because a lot of people drives here older bikes with no ABS. I always use front-rear combination for emergency stop. Pulling brake lever with only 2 finger is not my choice anyway. Using the whole hand feel much safer.

[@richmondrk2]

I don't know, but I hope you explain.

[@jefmitchell7868]

Just curious, what is the name of the phone mount you have on your FZ-07?

[@larrybowers64]

You got me!

[@crashdrumschool1]

Clutch in before braking!? I didn’t cheat but did have to watch twice 😂👍

[@NoukiNoukable]

I still find it wrong not to have at least one finger always on the brake. I keep always two fingers on it.

[@ryanmccollum6754]

You were on the rear brake before the front. You only used the front at the end of your stop.

[@MCrider]

You get partial credit. I was probably late to the front brake...but there was another reason why.

[@mozzmann]

The reason for this is the initiation of weight transfer, a panic stop with mostly front brake is always going to be an issue, start the weight transfer with rear and then ease off the rear allowing the front to really bite but let of the front as you stop with just sufficient rear to hold the cycle allowing you to be in 1st gear if you need to move off immediately.

[@robert89921]

MCrider great video. However I don't think you or any of the commenters specified when precisely you first applied the brakes. I understand that particular instance or timing could very well be arbitrary but it could also mean the difference of perhaps anywhere from 5 - 10 linear feet of where the bike comes to a complete stop. Not being critical. I completely agree with all of your videos. Excellent quality and delivery of some very important information for both new and experienced riders. It was just something I was wanting to ask you. Thank you sir! Will continue watching all your videos!

[@AntonioBarba_TheKaneB]

I don't have a clue... :D (now I will watch the rest of the video)

[@pass1985]

Didn't notice!

[@MysteriousOoze]

I was taught that at very slow speeds you should only brake with the rear wheel, for better stability

[@JasonKutchma]

Yes, very low as in under 10mph.

[@Dickorla]

Did you brake just with rear brake?

[@AlexK]

Only use the rear brake?

[@rayconners1505]

No Shoulder Checks on Starting or Stopping or Changing Direction

[@cjchristian8935]

I'm thinking you pulled your shoulders back and locked your elbows. That not only keeps you from being able to adjust your direction smoothly but it also makes it impossible for your arms to absorb any force if an impact does occur. Or I could just be wrong. Either one.

[@gerardguitarist]

When in traffic and or driving in the city you need to cover your front brake with 2 fingers as much as possible. Furthmore I don't really use my rear brake at all. No need at lower speeds. Riding an 1100 Ninja you don't need much throttle at all in traffic. An inch maybe.

[@richwagner382]

pulled in the clutch

[@weimondo]

Clutch before brakes. Rear brake before front brake. No mirror checks prior to braking. No mirror checks prior to moving off. Not wearing full gear.

[@jggimi]

I don't know. I've looked at hand and foot movements, but do not see the error. All I can see is that rear brake leads the front brake. Now on to the rest of the video to discover what I've missed.

[@bandit446484]

jggimi I

[@chitza3270]

I have a unique situation. I have very small hands and also limited range of motion of my right wrist(45 degrees when the norm is between 70-90). If I am wearing winter gloves I have to take my hand off the grip to reach the clutch or the front brake. Summer gloves still require me to adjust for reach. If I start acceleration with my wrist straight, I don't have enough wrist extension to roll on the throttle. I do adjust to straight after I am cruising along. I have tried other lever positions and different levers. Haven't found the sweet spot yet. Any suggestions?

[@enochb601]

Chitza Mr. President?

[@chitza3270]

Enoch Bryant, hahaha. Not quite. Maybe "Mrs. President" 😁

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That might be something that you'd need to get a custom control for. There are companies out there that specialize in creating custom controls for people who can't use the standard set up for one reason or another. Just google for motorcycle mods for the disabled and you should find some. I'm not aware of anything for that, most of it is for things like losing a foot, but I'd be shocked if somebody didn't have something for wrist mobility as carpal tunnel has been a known thing for quite a while.

[@Carloscastro-dy6zb]

Hi i'm Carlos from México City, don't you think it's better have always a finger or two in the front brake?

[@mikelarochemusic4693]

Would have loved to seen a third stopping distance while covering the brake

[@parkerantoine8179]

did he stop with the front brake

[@AzerPaul]

Hmm, maybe you should be downshifting at the same time? You should apply both brakes at the same time.

[@robert89921]

Paul Miller most accurate response

[@eddieking2976]

I was thinking you should have had both feet on the ground when you come to a stop.