| There's nothing like the feeling you get when you're on | | | | dependant on) several other elements including |
| your favorite road with a familiar bike. You flow | | | | dynamics and physics, grip, and sudden inputs. These |
| through corners as if on a rail, senses peaked, | | | | elements are mastered only with practice and are the |
| adrenaline raging uncontrollably throughout your body. | | | | foundation for nearly every other element. |
| When it's done right, it's almost as though everything is | | | | Braking is probably the single most important element |
| moving in slow motion. | | | | used in controlling your bike in an emergency. When |
| You've done it dozens of times before; coming into the | | | | done correctly, it can produce several Gs of stopping |
| corner hard on the brakes. You feel the rear tire slide | | | | power, easily lifting the rear wheel completely off the |
| and skip slightly to the side as you approach the | | | | ground and flipping the bike over completely if you |
| corner. You ease off the brake as you push the | | | | have the grip. The front tire of a street bike is |
| opposite grip, forcing the bike to lean into the turn, with | | | | responsible for 70% to 90% of braking power under |
| your knee sticking out as if it were a wing. You | | | | normal or semi-hard braking, and up to 100% in |
| continue to slow until you reach full lean and approach | | | | emergency or stunting situations. The only exceptions |
| the apex, covering the brake and looking deep into the | | | | to this are in low traction conditions such as wet, dirty |
| turn. | | | | or oily roads, or while at high lean angles. |
| Then you see it. From the corner of your eye you see | | | | Under low traction conditions, the front brake can be |
| what appears to be a rabbit running towards the road. | | | | extremely dangerous and should be used with |
| In an instant your mind calculates paths between you | | | | extreme care, or not at all. When the brakes are |
| and the rabbit, and you realize they will intersect. | | | | applied (either front or rear), weight is transferred to |
| You've already committed to the corner, and you | | | | the front of the bike. If traction conditions are less than |
| know if you remain on your present line you'll hit the | | | | favorable, front braking will load the front tire which will |
| rabbit. You also know that at that speed and lean | | | | result in a skid and likely a crash. |
| angle, hitting even the smallest of animals will greatly | | | | Braking while leaning over in a corner will cause the |
| upset the bike and likely result in a crash for you. | | | | bike to either stand up, changing your line drastically, or |
| What happens next has many variables. Some were | | | | a loss of traction causing the bike to wash out from |
| determined before you ever entered the corner; | | | | under you. Which is often called a low-side. Be sure to |
| others will be determined by what you do next. | | | | allow yourself enough extra grip and lean angle |
| Motorcycling can be an absolutely great sport, but it | | | | reserved (not used) in case you need to get hard on |
| can also be frighteningly dangerous if you get into a | | | | the brakes in a turn. It's not a good idea to EVER go |
| situation like the one described above without the | | | | into a corner at max speed unless you're on a race |
| proper skills or preparation. | | | | track. You need to have an out in case of emergency, |
| Your riding skills are something to be mastered through | | | | like a rabbit running into your path. Changing course mid |
| practice, patience, and as you will (hopefully) soon find | | | | corner in a split second requires at least a small |
| out, common sense and natural reaction. These skills | | | | amount of reserve lean angle and/or braking ability. |
| should be honed into a natural reaction by those of us | | | | Going in at 100% doesn't leave you any wiggle room. |
| who weren't born with them. | | | | Get to know your brakes and your accelerator. They |
| The first and most important element of riding is | | | | can be your best friend if you get to know them well |
| acceleration and braking. They involve (and are largely | | | | or your worst enemy if you don't understand them. |