Smooth stopping tricks?

[sportsluvr]

I have been riding off and on for a while. One skill that I need to improve is being able to stop the bike very smoothly, like police officers. How do they do that? Smooth braking? Being relaxed? Looking far ahead? What else?

 

[dtrides]

Lightly drag the back brake can help with a smooth stop..
DT

 

[dittoalex]

Squeeze those knees.

 

[fraz]

Less fingers! Varying braking systems permitted, most modern braking systems can give more than enough input with 3 fingers and optimally two. The less piggies you squeeze with, the less ham-fisted your stops.

Most good riders I know opt for 2 finger braking and I'm the odd one and have always liked 1-finger sensitivity so I tend to tune my brakes, pads, fluids, rotors to get me more reaction. I just realized this may be a holdover from BMX days LOL. The other benefit, more fingers on the bars/grips and more input where you need it.

Oh one other thing that is key... plan ahead! I know it may sound fantastical but learning to ride with shitty cars and motorcycles sure taught me how to plan for stopping and escape plans at a young age. I'm sure there are plenty of the older crew here who had old VWs you had to pump the crusty drum brakes a bunch and then start praying?

 

[DataDan]

It's in controlling the force you apply and perceiving the feedback.

When practicing, try to squeeze the lever to gently compress the forks. When learning the skill, don't try for quick application; you're developing a touch to control the rate of compression. As you master it, apply more quickly but equally smoothly.

Also work on smooth release to gently decompress as you come to a stop.

The best lesson I ever had in smooth brake application was riding on the back of Reg Pridmore's K100RS at Sears Point (I think that was 30 years ago :afm199).

 

[kuksul08]

1 finger braking
Smooth pressure on, smooth release

 

[phil turdwater]

just like in a car, aim to stop a bit before actual 'line' and unload the brakes of the full force of the stop before vehicle actually stops. what i mean is let off the brakes a bit before you stop.

 

[berth]

just like in a car, aim to stop a bit before actual 'line' and unload the brakes of the full force of the stop before vehicle actually stops. what i mean is let off the brakes a bit before you stop.

Yea ditto. Part of the "hard stop" is simply the bike unloading when it is, indeed, stopped. Slowing down the actual "stop" part at the ends smooths out the entire thing.

Regarding the whole fingers thing, honestly I've always used four. I've never been comfortable with fewer. I'm sure there are other advantages that I'm simply not missing, but I don't find it difficult to control the force of four fingers vs less.

 

[superhawk]

How are you stopping the bike now? Front only? Rear only? Both? What is the bike doing now when you stop?

I have been riding off and on for a while. One skill that I need to improve is being able to stop the bike very smoothly, like police officers. How do they do that? Smooth braking? Being relaxed? Looking far ahead? What else?

 

[Beanzy]

How about braking at different (x) speeds, using both brakes and then the front only and the rear only, and observing how your front end reacts to each method at x speed? That might teach you what it takes to brake smoothly at speed.

So no tricks. Just practice and observation.

 

[HadesOmega]

Engine braking? That's how I try to stop my bike more so on my electric one, I double clutch/rev match also then when I'm getting close to my stopping point I'll progressively squeeze on the brake.

 

[LakeMerrit]

ditto. Try to be completely off the brakes when you come to a full stop at the line, and focus on smoothly releasing the brakes as you slow.

 

[mrmarklin]

I have been riding off and on for a while. One skill that I need to improve is being able to stop the bike very smoothly, like police officers. How do they do that? Smooth braking? Being relaxed? Looking far ahead? What else?

ABS brakes. That’s what the cops use. :thumbup

 

[Bumpits]

Ride a bike with shitty brakes.

 

[motomania2007]

Let's set up a time and we can meet and I will coach you through it. It is really pretty simple to teach the correct technique in person. I need to see what you are doing and I can correct and improve you from there. Probably won't take very long

 

[NorCalBusa]

Methinks the key of stopping is to be balanced/ride it all the way to the stop- as if you planned to "hover" motionless. With some practice, don't even take your feet off the pegs until they go right to the ground, and then its not a wild stab to save a tip over- its off the peg and just straight down while staying vertical.

We've all seen the wild gesticulations of folks duck walking to a stop (and start), planting feet and they slide out- essentially using one's legs to stop, not the brakes and good technique. Balance first and always.

 

[Frisco]

Don’t look down, head and eyes up while you brake.

 

[clutchslip]

Squeezing the brake and gradually increasing pressure as needed. Gradually release the brake before a full stop.

You need to trust your bike's stopping ability, so you don't panic in an emergency and apply too much brake too quickly. That means practicing when it is safe and learn how long it takes to stop. You can flip over the handlebars on a modern sportbike because the brakes are that strong. The number of fingers probably doesn't matter - Rossi uses 4, Marquez uses 1. I'm a tweener and use 2 middle fingers. Practice.

 

[sportsluvr]

How are you stopping the bike now? Front only? Rear only? Both? What is the bike doing now when you stop?

Front only. I mostly tend to engage front brakes too suddenly, leading to a jerky stop. Sometimes, it works well, meaning that I come to a gentle stop, which is what I want to see happen all the time.

 

[afm199]

The smoother you are, the smoother the stop is. IF you GRAB the front lever and JAM it on, you get a super bumpy, jumpy, stabby, crappy stop.

If you touch the lever with two fingers, squeeze it in a bit until the front pads contract the rotor, and then increase pressure, you get a smooth stop. Any sudden movement will translate into an upset bike.