had my first real oh **** moment tonight. | GTAMotorcycle.com

had my first real oh **** moment tonight.

S

silvrsurfr

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Heading north on university right after front st.
There is a slight right turn and as im making it and looking through the turn i see a lady in her car driving south in my lane. the left most lane.

I didnt want to swirve into oncoming traffic and ccouldn't swirve into my right lane as there was traffic slightly behind me in that lane.

I hit the brakes. obviously too hard. the bike's *** end swirves to the left - i felt like it was 90 degrees but im sure it was less - somehow i get the bike back straight and end up stopping right in front of the ****ing car going south in my lane.

Lesson learned. easy with the back brake. easier said than when ur in the heat of the moment.
Was wearing all my gear so if i did go down damage wouldn't have been too bad.

A funny thought ran through my head as i was kidding - wow im skiding and sliding my bike sideways for the first time.
 
did she stop? was she charged?
 
She stopped. I went around her and continued on my way. It didn't really hit me until further up University what actually just happened.
 
glad you dodged that.

i had my first left turner in front of me a few weeks ago. it was heart stopping.
 
i am watching twist of the wrist 2 ( not finished yet) but i am learning using the back brakes hard on a turn , hard enough that you have to stop the bike and you are guaranteed to side out the rear cuz all the weight goes to the front.

they recommend using the front to keep traction in the back. atleast this is how i understood it. anyone care to chip in?
 
I had a left turner start out on me tonight.....I had a feeling though and shed some speed as I approached and started the "Smidsy" weaving manouver. Sure enough they pulled out but slammed on the brakes before they took the entire lane.
I understand the panic braking that a driver does as a result of the "motion camoflage" and how we (on bikes) appear very small/distant and then all of a sudden appear large so it is natural reaction for them to stop in front of you. Just glad the swerving caught thier attention earlier.
Some guy in a car at the intersection witnessed the whole thing and caught up to me and gave me a thumbs up. Must be a fellow rider.:thumbleft:
 
cbcanada said:
i am watching twist of the wrist 2 ( not finished yet) but i am learning using the back brakes hard on a turn , hard enough that you have to stop the bike and you are guaranteed to side out the rear cuz all the weight goes to the front.

they recommend using the front to keep traction in the back. atleast this is how i understood it. anyone care to chip in?
Click to expand...

in a nutshell: true
 
Hey OP! Glad you came out okay. I know what that feeling is like when you see someone in your lane going the wrong way. Happened to me last week. The jerk didn't even care.
 
After a couple of similar braking experiences I stopped using the rear brake 25 years ago. And yeah, yeah I know some Rossi's out there find it essential for their amazing riding techniques but there's a reason my rear has one tiny disc with only one piston and my front has two ginormous discs with two piston each - front brakes stop the bike, the rear is for holding it on hills.

I have ABS on my current bike and still virtually never bother with the rear.

Maybe a different thing for cruisers but I dunno, I never ride them.
 
Griffin said:
After a couple of similar braking experiences I stopped using the rear brake 25 years ago. And yeah, yeah I know some Rossi's out there find it essential for their amazing riding techniques but there's a reason my rear has one tiny disc with only one piston and my front has two ginormous discs with two piston each - front brakes stop the bike, the rear is for holding it on hills.

I have ABS on my current bike and still virtually never bother with the rear.

Maybe a different thing for cruisers but I dunno, I never ride them.
Click to expand...

I hardly ever touch my rear brakes, maybe for stop and go traffic but I have combined braking on my bike so I don't worry about the rear brakes.
 
Griffin said:
After a couple of similar braking experiences I stopped using the rear brake 25 years ago. And yeah, yeah I know some Rossi's out there find it essential for their amazing riding techniques but there's a reason my rear has one tiny disc with only one piston and my front has two ginormous discs with two piston each - front brakes stop the bike, the rear is for holding it on hills.

I have ABS on my current bike and still virtually never bother with the rear.

Maybe a different thing for cruisers but I dunno, I never ride them.
Click to expand...

i never use mine either. only when making real tight turnd like a u turn.
but never for stopping
 
Not to nerd it up, but on four wheels, it's called loading. As you brake, the weight of the vehicle shifts towards the front (Which is why, under heavy braking, you often see the noses of vehicles dip downwards), and when you accelerate, the mass of the vehicle shifts to the back. The momentum of movement is transferred along the vehicle until it has no place to go, and then it acts just like mass. Long story short - Using your front brake too hard, just like on a bicycle, will flip you over the handlebars. Using your back brake too hard will pop the rear end out. Be gentle and balance the braking under load!

Though if I'm wrong, I'd appreciate the correction, or really, other opinions :)
 
Nwambe said:
Not to nerd it up, but on four wheels, it's called loading. As you brake, the weight of the vehicle shifts towards the front (Which is why, under heavy braking, you often see the noses of vehicles dip downwards), and when you accelerate, the mass of the vehicle shifts to the back. The momentum of movement is transferred along the vehicle until it has no place to go, and then it acts just like mass. Long story short - Using your front brake too hard, just like on a bicycle, will flip you over the handlebars. Using your back brake too hard will pop the rear end out. Be gentle and balance the braking under load!

Though if I'm wrong, I'd appreciate the correction, or really, other opinions :)
Click to expand...

You're not wrong, the three above you are.
 
OP don't give up on using your rear brake, it's another tool that can be used. I use it all the time coming to a stop or during slow manuvers because I am Rossi and it keeps the bike stabile at slow speeds.
 
The only bad thing about using your front in your situation is you will lose most of your turning capabilities and the bike will try to stand up straight and go wide in the turn (In your case head-on into the car).
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