This Skill WILL Save Your Life!!!

[@MCrider]

Thanks for all the comments and likes on this video!!! 👍 If you want to practice emergency braking and a whole bunch of other vital motorcycle skills I have a book to help with that called the MCrider Field Guide. There are two ways to get the Field Guide. Become a member and get a digital version of the field guide: www.MCrider.com/Member Order a print version of the Field Guide: www.MCrider.com/FGBook This video is sponsored by our friends at Dairyland Motorcycle Insurance. Dairyland Insurance has been my personal insurance provider for several years. Give them a call at 1-855-383-1138 or visit www.MCrider.com/DL24 and see if they can save you money on your insurance needs.

[@paulwashington8863]

You will never know how many lives you have saved with this channel. You do great work, and I really appreciate what I have learned from watching.

[@MCrider]

Thank you!

[@peglegjim57]

I’ve been riding since the late 60’s, and I completely agree. And I still practice it all the time.

[@grantbradley5084]

As usual good advice. I’m leaving on a trip to Southern California tomorrow on a road trip, I plan on practicing my emergency braking in an empty parking lot today. 👍

[@Colwood22]

By far the most important skill is emergency braking, swerve and avoid at the same time is the next step. Your right, the slow speeds turns won't help you when a car turns left in front of you. You have the best channel for how to survive on a motorcycle with all the crazy drivers out there!

[@neonsamurai1348]

Absolutely the most important skill (that and emergency braking + swerving), even if your motorcycle has ABS, as you do not want to be relying on ABS but threshold breaking just below it's activation point. Proper threshold braking will slow you down in a shorter distance than letting the ABS handle it, due to the ABS pulsing the brakes. This does not mean though ABS is not useful, it can save you if you panic, or hit a slippery patch.

[@beepbop6697]

I agree. I think of ABS like insurance -- you don't want to ever use it, but thankful when it kicks in.

[@Old-n-slo-locked-n-leaned]

That’s “technically” true, but realistically BS. If you could actually practice threshold braking to the REAL threshold it’s true. But you can’t. Maybe you think you are but still actually have another 5% of traction left? How do you know? Further, even if you got it perfect in that one practice session it’s only good for that specific surface and temperature, tire pressure. And finally, Midwest Police Motorcycle training did real world tests and concluded that modern ABS systems out brake the same person using threshold braking. Of course that is caveated with the testing done by an experienced rider that did not “grab” the brakes but instead applied progressive pressure.

[@sparkyastwo]

Squeeze and release and re-apply. Threshold braking is a valuable tool in police motors and every day riders. Practice it!

[@elguitarTom]

Emergency swirling is the one that saved me. Sometimes breaking just isn't an option

[@scottturner-zm1vu]

Awesome reminder of the importance of practicing emergency braking! At 56 years old, I got back into motorcycling last September, and also found a guy that goes by "motojitsu" on KZbin. He goes into great detail and has multiple videos about the importance of routinely practicing emergency breaking. At the beginning of every ride I go on now, I practice a few slow turns, then at least a couple of panic stops before I leave my neighborhood. Making sure no one is behind me, I'll pick a driveway and see how close I can get to it at 25mph before a practice panic stop. I treat this as a warm up exercise before I start riding in traffic. Once on the road, I try to mentally remind myself as I approach any intersection the practice of smoothly and quickly applying pressure to the front brake in the event an emergency stop is required. I've since uncounted a deer on two separate late afternoon rides, and practice has payed off.

[@jnic2003]

Absolutely agree with you. Another one of the most important skills is predicting other people's actions.

[@whiskeyshots]

I'd love to ride like the moto cops. Unfortunately, my bike wasn't bought with taxpayer funds. 😬 Thanks for the reminder about emergency braking, Kevin. Great video.

[@jhask64]

Exactly

[@CrunchDramaNetwork]

DITO! We can't get that great expensive training like they get. We get a 16 hour good luck after course

[@markwhatley9955]

Without question. I’m grateful to be able to practice emergency braking and brake and escape drills every week on an empty parking lot with Metro Motor Skills.

[@JamesExcell-InterJex]

💯 % braking is THE most important skill. And its not even close. It can be fun too downshifting, blipping the throttle and braking.

[@martinhiner2059]

I've had a motorist pull out in front of me, and literally had to swerve onto a sideways skid to avoid going over a hood.

[@BradinManheim]

Thank you, finally. It seems most utube videos are about parking lot maneuvering around cones. While admirable, it pales in importance to emergency braking. I had an incident the other day that brought up a new to me observation. I was at a four way stop and at my turn I proceeded into the intersection. An impatient car driver turned left to cut me off. It happened very quickly and after emergency stopping I realized my right hand braking response time is much quicker than my right leg rear brake response time. In fact, till my foot hit the brake pedal I had already stopped with the front brake. I have ABS but it did not deploy as I did not surpass its deployment pressure.

[@allenhuling598]

It can't be emphasized enough, thanks Kevin!!

[@jimfarnell5813]

MOST IMPORTANT: “smooth progressive squeeze” does not mean slow… in my view, practice to become not just smooth but quick, too… as quick as you can be… this takes regular, consistent practice… I agree that controlled emergency braking is the single most important skill to master so as not to ignite ABS…

[@revfree]

Slow speed motor Officer skills might save you a write up on the job-mastering emergency braking will save your LIFE. Excellent truth brother! -Jonathan

[@johnrborges2363]

Thank you Kevin! Emergency breaking saved my life and my bike several times; better than "laying it down." Peace in Christ! JB 34205usa

[@FXTRT-ec9lz]

Thanks for all of your very informative and helpful videos. im a disabled veteran on a very fixed income. But as soon as I am able I will become a member. Much respect and gratitude for your experience and wisdom.

[@MrTbirkett]

An equally important skill is observation and anticipation of what might happen. Planning far ahead can buy you a lot of time and you can avoid bad situations altogether.

[@davidpowell3540]

Every time I ride there's always an instance where other vehicles or pedestrian are jumping out there,causing me to practice e-braking. The best in my opinion is to expect the expected with the 1000 yard stare. Being already prepared to take action at all times requires focus and situation awareness. An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.

[@andykober2283]

One of your best videos. Emergency braking is needed much more often than new riders can imagine, especially in city traffic.

[@oldgeezerproductions]

Spot on Kevin. Once again you have identified an important safety topic and perhaps THE most important. This is one we all need more skill at and yet it is one that gets neglected the most and indeed, it may be impossible to practice for. We can be ready to know when to put our leg out (which one to use) and how to catch the bike if it starts going down one side or the other and we know to downshift to be ready for an emergency escape once we are stopped, but by knowing when to make the "emergency stop," we cheat, subconsciously we cheat. A practice emergency stop is nothing, absolutely nothing like what goes on when the emergency is on us, that AAAAAA!! moment when we have to react instantaneously. Something hard to impossible to practice for. The reason I will only ride a bike with ABS.

[@lonely_trans_girl]

I start work insanely early! I turn that negative into a positive by using the empty roads to practice emergency braking and swerving on my commute! Avoid those manhole covers! 😂❤

[@joek81981]

8:40 this shot is fantastic. I have the keys to the parking lot at work. This is what I was JUST doing on this lovely Saturday morning, not 45 minutes ago.

[@garyfeltman4482]

Knowing how to use the front brake properly.

[@roystenzel80]

Thanks Kevin. Good reminder and review. 76 and still enjoy long distance.

[@ArtD2368]

You are absolutely right emergency breaking and swerving very important great advice exlant video thank you for sharing ride safe brother

[@blandrooker6541]

Yep, had to utilize that skill last weekend WHEN A COP PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. Pissed me off, I'm running aux running lights, bright on, a BIG HONKING HI VIZ ADV JACKET and this cop STILL didn't see me. Cop wasn't running with lights nor sirens, but I noticed him but didn't anticipate him NOT noticing me under the assumption that cops are trained to be safe drivers. One of the very few times I had ABS kick in.

[@Meganstoy]

Situational awareness will help you not get into situations where you need to stop real fast.

[@aldolajak1267]

Even before I started the video or read any comments, I concluded "emergency braking" as the topic.

[@michaelmullen2991]

This is an absolute must have skill, you never know where or when you'll need to employ it. In '17 I had an encounter with a moose and her calf while riding the Beartooth highway which could've gone badly if I didn't know how to emergency stop on that bike, you should practice enough that it become instinctual.

[@monsterslayer4317]

Great vid! A couple comments follow. Practicing is critical because every bike behaves differently based on weight distribution. My bike has a significant forward center of gravity, and the rear locks up almost immediately under hard braking with the front brake. The rear fishtails, and this triggers a panic reflex to release both brakes. So in a true emergency stop, I practice hardly touching the rear at all. Second is target fixation. In a true emergency, the given is that you are about to hit something. You need to train yourself to look for paths around the obstacle. Don't get fixated on the obstacle. Look for escape paths on the shoulder or the left lane. DO NOT distract yourself with any complex motor movement other than braking and steering. Do not honk the horn! Do not concern yourself with downshifting! Just brake and steer! For what it's worth...If you have time to do all those things safely, it's a controlled stop, not an emergency stop.

[@Old-n-slo-locked-n-leaned]

Agreed and will add that complimenting emergency braking with 90 degree pull outs from a stop will also help if you need to escape after emergency braking. It also helps - especially pull outs to the right- reduce exposure when pulling into the road. And if you could only do one more, add swerving at 35-40 mph. If a rider can do all 3 of those, then who cares if he/she duckwalks a u turn.

[@jasonstclair1329]

Excellent advice. Thank you to all who served in the military as well !

[@marcmcdaniel7559]

Thank you! As a former MSF RiderCoach many people have no idea what their emergency braking capabilities are personally and equipment wise.

[@ginadonica9717]

I love your videos! I struggle with U-Turns! So I really like the information you stated here! I have your field guide and I have started practicing! I am not going to stress about the U-Turns so much. I’ll still keep trying but I’m going to focus on my Emergency braking and cornering! I also liked how you said I can work at my own pace! That helps because it will help me to get better at my riding skills! I also liked how you showed and explained how to practice. Thank you for all your hard work! If you ever offer classes. I’d be happy to take one!

[@wadeblake3451]

Covered all the key steps. Can’t hear these steps too often. Thanks Kevin.

[@lonniegrimes4179]

Also in breaking you got to know the ability of your bike like you said some have abs and some don't so you have to know what your bike is capable of and that does take a lot of practice

[@30pvfd]

Thanks Kevin just took a refresher course called share the Road put on by Springfield PD motor officers with special emphasis on emergency breaking was great course , thanks for all you do God bless ride safe, if it’s predictable it’s preventable

[@musikerman52]

Thanks, agreed! Still, being able to avoid thouse situations is likewise important. Visibility (bright colored helmets and clothes), following enviroment 360°, adjusting speed.

[@RonDoiron-pz3ee]

Well, I rode an average of 10,000 miles a year ( in Canada, May to October) I rode from 1964 to 2003. Sold my last bike, for $800., helmets and all. Had one accident, a lot of close calls, but never my fault. The only accident I had was on the highway, on a foggy morning. I met a transport passing another, guardrail on my side, rode between them! The passing one moved closer to the shoulder, as I came out, the updraft from both semis was so strong that it shoved the bike sideways, leaning then back up again, got the wheel wobble and couldn’t straighten, so, I laid it down on its side and let it come to a stop. Sprained my wrist and broke the heel of my boot. Bike was a mess. Drivers kept going. Finally managed to lift the bike up. Broken mirror, bent handle bars , broken signal lights, bench shifter, fender rubbing against front tire. I patched it up enough to make it to the next town. I was 132 miles from home. Called someone to pick me up. We met on the way, I was determined to keep riding as long as I could. Finally, brother in law shows up with his truck, no ramp, no tie down. Got help from locals to lay it down on the truck bed. Finally made it home!

[@timothywinkelman7198]

Great instruction video with awesome demo skills! Having been an MSF/Riders Edge coach, you've nailed all the key points and I applaud you for making these easily accessible videos. Thank you!! We never stop learning!

[@carlantonson7760]

I'm buying a 'new to me' bike tomorrow. I will be in an empty parking lot getting used to the different braking characteristics compared to my current bike.

[@ronniedleo3907]

Heard about strom in Texas hope u r fine

I just trashed a my bike on the left side by breaking and blocking my front wheel (no ABS)... The thing was not a badly applied "technique"... it was lack of attention (I was checking the scenery) and getting scared and brain immediately reacted to block and the fall was even faster than the time I took to understand what was happening... to apply the technique). Even if you train this progressive breaking (that I continuously do even when on the traffic), when your brain locks... you are bound to do stupid mistakes. One thing is to do it correctly when your brain ask you to do it. Other thing is to do it when your brain is thinking if it should go left or right. Meaning you miss the "surprise" factor with this training. But yes... undoubtedly the most important thing to understand

[@MrBoogyman1988]

Great point and I would also suggest practicing on a bicycle or an e-bike too since it the same concept

[@stevemoore9951]

GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC GREAT VIDEO,PRACTICE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF STOPS ON MOST RIDES.🇺🇸🏍️

[@rockymtnbri]

Thanks for this! I have a three wheel Spyder but I still follow your safety guidance regardless. One thing I like about my Spyder is that I have one brake pedal that's tandem for all wheels. I also always downthrottle when I brake.

[@bentronparker5441]

Great video

[@rufovitela920]

Always very good videos. I always learn a lot. One point: you mention that if the rear brake locks when braking, it is best to leave it locked, otherwise we could have a fall. Could you make a video commenting more broadly on these kind of situations?

[@427Ron]

Great information

[@peterdrolet3592]

Agreed!

[@tomfillmore9710]

Thanks buddy for the great advice good video

[@tvalecic]

Support from Croatia! Hope to become member soon 😀

[@MCrider]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@joeszeto8859]

Love your channel and all the knowledge you share with us. And yes I do have a question. While this emergency braking skill is definitely a must-have, what if it needs to be done mid turn and there's no available "emergency exits"?? I'm a total beginner and apologize if this is too "obvious". Thanks in advance and look forward to learning a lot more from you!!!

[@fr.timothyhall3082]

Great advice brother. You're a kind of philosopher and psychologist. Questions: it appears as though you put your left foot on the pavement first when stopping. Am I correct? Is that by design?

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

There is a reason I kept my engine brake, matched with my dual Brembo's My GSXR stops at 3 O clock in a very short distance. I am sure you know what I mean.

[@kidlatazul]

There’s one additional step that should be practiced so that it’s automatic anytime you need to use emergency braking, and that is to downshift the motorcycle to first gear. This step was emphasized both in the MSF course (free in my state!) and by a professional instructor (former Pittsburgh motorcycle officer who trains the city’s police and EMT riders as well as Hollywood stuntmen) whose weekend course I paid for. By the time you come to a full stop the motorcycle should be in first gear, and the reason for this is because there may be other vehicles behind you that are also making an emergency stop, and very likely, because they are not motorcycles, taking a much greater distance to do it. You must be prepared to move into an exit lane to avoid being struck from behind, and to do so you must be in first gear. The professional instructor had us practice over and over: Emergency breaking while simultaneously downshifting, come to a complete stop, look in the mirror to see what is behind you, within a few seconds move forward either right or left to an exit area. Obviously there’s a lot going on in this procedure and it has to be practiced so that you don’t have to think about it in an emergency.

[@lonniegrimes4179]

If you got to stop real fast and you are leaning the bike you got to use more rib right in the front brake cuz if you just use front brake you're going to drop

[@johnhartley3022]

Maybe this isn’t a skill…i think it is…but developing the habit of seeing, understanding and constantly updating road and traffic situational awareness in order to avoid trouble is the most important skill to develop. Then big thumbs up to this video

[@MCrider]

I separate skills and strategy. I would classify your comment as a very important strategy. 👍🏻

[@judeschexnyder8008]

If more riders would practice their skills as you have advocated, there would be a lot fewer crashes.

[@nikitasgidopoulos811]

Hi, thank you for this video. One thing was not clear. If the rear brake locks (obviously using mainly the front brake), do you recommend to keep the rear brake locked rather than releasing the pressure to the rear brake?

[@geraldwest3428]

Excellent, thank you!

[@MCrider]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gregorylauzon2059]

More than a third of the way through and you finally got to the point. And even then your explanations are just so wordy! I mean, who has the time?

[@BradS1958]

Boost your listening speed to 1.25 if you’re in that big of a hurry, mate!

[@markadkins9290]

Excellent!

[@MCrider]

Many thanks!

[@kencurtis228]

TY for Sharing

[@MCrider]

You bet

[@coplock6689]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@eddcurry501]

Good advice

[@markh.harris9271]

Fabulous; tnx

[@ianmackenzie686]

Amen!

[@oknevals]

Can somebody please explain to me how is ABS safer in emergency braking than locking brakes and sliding (properly). Not talking about locking front and flipping over. Just for the record, I'm pretty good at emergency braking. Got commened in the class. Have clean record over 30+ (7 on bike though) years on the road. I practice and I always try to leave room for me and others to make mistake. Btw, all advice seems to always be to mitigate agressive riding.

[@whiskeyshots]

As you've already figured out, locking up the front brake will toss you. Locking up the rear brake will make the back-end fishtail, causing diminished control of the bike. Not to mention that the skidding rear tire is only giving you about 20% stopping power. I do recommend intentionally locking up the rear brake on a safe area so you know what it feels like and how to handle it. The best way to stop is to get the braking just to the threshold of ABS activating, but ABS is there just in case you go over that.

[@oknevals]

@@whiskeyshots I honestly think that if motorcyclist doesn't have any sliding experience he/she should not be on the road. I'm all weather rider doing 100's of miles per day. I think it is stupid assuming that ABS is such life save as I hear everywhere. I rarely engage it but, seen it activate couple times when there was no need for it.

[@helenatyukodi5227]

Nice to have such empty parking area for practicing, not existing in Europe. Starting in second gear is possible with an Indian, l'm riding a Chieftain.

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

Trail braking is paramount to ALL RIDERS. It will save you in an over speed corner mistake.

[@ruckus48]

If you apply the rear brake a fraction of a second before the front brake, the front of the bike won't dive forward as much. Try it.

[@jhask64]

If you are aggressively braking the nose of the bike will always dip and return to normal once stopped. Letting off the front brake just before you stop will let the nose return more gently, but Kevin knows that as he had a training video on it a couple years ago.

[@ruckus48]

Read my comment again, and you will see that your comment is irrelevant with respect to my comment.

[@Homeward2019]

No classes in my area until next year. I'll practice my braking in a parking lot.

[@DollarGeneral_Is_a_Plague]

It's only May... What's up with that?

[@theslowride66]

What About engaged down shifting?

[@MCrider]

What do you mean by "engaged down shifting"?

[@theslowride66]

@@MCrider actively down shifting while applying both brakes simultaneously.

[@MCrider]

I shifted down from 2nd to 1st in this video and talked about it briefly, you may have missed it. I squeeze the clutch lever and keep it squeezed as I shift down through the gears. But, if you are talking about downshifting and releasing the clutch between shifts there is no need to do that. The brakes alone provide more than enough stopping power and greatly simplify the process.

[@jason-ed1uo]

You do this in a school parking lot in Mi. Cops will come code 3.

[@martinhiner2059]

Maybe you should practice, and teach that.

[@FREE_PUREBLOOD333]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@arjankroonen4319]

WHAT? It is not "revving"? 🤣