Braking Fingers

[Lou Girardin]

Index and middle. Less chance of a lock up in those panicky moments.

[magnum]

one finger only.

[Cajun]

index and middle always have done, on every bike i ride, it gets annoying on the brm, big grips and long leverl reach

[Skyryder]

Braking isn't about strength of your hand. Using your little finger means you have to adjust your lever right in as you little finger is not only the shortest but also as the lever diverges from the throttle towards the end of the lever - you actually have LESS leverage. Try lifting a 10kg weight with your arm fully extended - then try doing it as close as possible to your body. Same principal applies in the brakes. Yes, whilst your others fingers are closer to the fulcrum on the lever - they are significantly stronger and can apply more force than the outside two fingers. I would rather trust my braking to my strongest and longest fingers (force and leverage) than the smallest and weakest?

As for braking a finger - this is why MotoGP gloves actually strap the little and next to little finger together. As the riders brake with their index and big fingers - as per this pic.


Hard to see - but the 3rd and 4th finger are joined.

I see the point that you are making wikd_one but it is not about 'indavidual' finger strength. You state that you would rather trust 'your' braking to the longest and strongest than the smallest and weakest. I trust my braking to all 'four' fingers of the hand. In this way I can control the brake lever to the desired force with both the minimum and maximum exertion depending on the situation and in the shortest space of time. If for any reason you realy have to exert maximum application to your front brake every thing is in place. This is impossiable to do if the little finger is not bought into the equation. Take a look at the site in my original post and will see why this is so. Alternitively try gripping something with the fingers that you use for braking and then do the same with all four and feel the difference in the pressure that you can exert.

Stay cool Stay sharp Stay alive

Skyryder

[BugSplat]

More fingers = better feel, I use all 4.

[Kwaka-Kid]

all ten fingers. Take my left hand off the bar and grab hold of my right hand and really squeeze in as hard as i possibly can, and often i can stop in time. But when im on any other bike then the GS1000 all 4 fingers even on the racebike.

[wkid_one]

I see the point that you are making wikd_one but it is not about 'indavidual' finger strength. You state that you would rather trust 'your' braking to the longest and strongest than the smallest and weakest. I trust my braking to all 'four' fingers of the hand. In this way I can control the brake lever to the desired force with both the minimum and maximum exertion depending on the situation and in the shortest space of time. If for any reason you realy have to exert maximum application to your front brake every thing is in place. This is impossiable to do if the little finger is not bought into the equation. Take a look at the site in my original post and will see why this is so. Alternitively try gripping something with the fingers that you use for braking and then do the same with all four and feel the difference in the pressure that you can exert.

Stay cool Stay sharp Stay alive

Skyryder

however if you brakes are set up correctly - the need to use all your fingers is moot - as you should be able to brake effectively with two.

The question relates to how many you use in your everyday riding - not in one off braking for emergencies. However, in an emergency I would be loathe to use all my fingers also - as I would be liable to go over the bars.

If you are using more than 2 fingers for your everyday riding, I would suggest you need to revisit your brakes - as any more than this just isn't needed.

[Kwaka-Kid]

Everyday riding aswell as racing, the whole hand, and yeah i think my brakes are good? Dont require much to lift rear wheel, but as the other dude said (my bad, cant be arsed looking up on this slow pc) its more controlled, or at least for us non-rossi's it is. Havnt flipped my bike in an emergency yet, and thats exactly what would happen if i did grab too much i guess. unless it was wet, then the front end would slide under- again i guess. sux not to be rossi.

[scumdog]

all ten fingers. Take my left hand off the bar and grab hold of my right hand and really squeeze in as hard as i possibly can, and often i can stop in time. But when im on any other bike then the GS1000 all 4 fingers even on the racebike.

Sounds like me old iron head sporty - came over a rise near Queenstown one wet night and lo and behold!! about eight cars waiting for another coming across the one way Kawarau bridge, hit the brakes for all I was worth and STILL had to pull out and pass the lot before I could stop!


Look at the bright side, I was now at the front of the line!!
That effort was a combination of old H-D brakes, wet discs, a rider bordering on hypothermic and an unexpected obstacle

[FROSTY:Me]

I had to think about that question--and go for a bike ride to make sure I was right. I seem mostly to ride with the 2 fingers closest to my thumb permanently on the brake lever.It reduces my reaction time to an emergency situation on the road -or even a slightly allarming situation.
I find myself stopped at lights with one finger holding the brake and my back brake foot on the ground.
In a planned braking situation I flick all 4 fingers out onto the brake lever.

[Milky]

I had to think about that question--and go for a bike ride to make sure I was right. I seem mostly to ride with the 2 fingers closest to my thumb permanently on the brake lever.It reduces my reaction time to an emergency situation on the road -or even a slightly allarming situation.
I find myself stopped at lights with one finger holding the brake and my back brake foot on the ground.
In a planned braking situation I flick all 4 fingers out onto the brake lever.

That is very similar to me.. especially the one finger on the front brake I find it a pain in the arse to put the rear brake on then have to swap feet to put the bike in gear and sometimes again to use the rear brake for hill starts... Most of the time i find i use front brake for hill starts and just follow the same motion as i would when blipping on downchanges. So much easier

[RiderInBlack]

I had to think about that question--and go for a bike ride to make sure I was right. I seem mostly to ride with the 2 fingers closest to my thumb permanently on the brake lever.It reduces my reaction time to an emergency situation on the road -or even a slightly allarming situation.
I find myself stopped at lights with one finger holding the brake and my back brake foot on the ground.
In a planned braking situation I flick all 4 fingers out onto the brake lever.

Very simialar. Also have my left index finger resting on the clutch handle most of the time (just encase the motor ceases, etc.).

[Kwaka-Kid]

Hmm, lots to think about i guess.
Well, im gonna keep my style, and allow you the privillage of keeping your styles KB'ers
kidding, nice 1 milky, now one thing i dont do is "blip" the throttle much, i find i prolly change gear too slow or something, but only when im really concentrating and chopping down fast do i get the need to "blip" the throttle, otherwise it blips and the revvs fall too fast before my clutch is released, and i like each and every change around town to be perfect so there is less wear on the clutch and less banging of any pillion on the bike behind me. A smooth rides a good ride in my books.

[pete376403]

now one thing i dont do is "blip" the throttle much, i find i prolly change gear too slow or something, but only when im really concentrating and chopping down fast do i get the need to "blip" the throttle, otherwise it blips and the revvs fall too fast before my clutch is released, and i like each and every change around town to be perfect so there is less wear on the clutch and less banging of any pillion on the bike behind me. A smooth rides a good ride in my books.

When you have a buttery smooth Suzuki gearbox you only need the clutch for starting, once you're rolling you can shift just by loading the pedal a bit and slightly rolling off the throttle.

[Deano]

Possibly depends on the bike, but I find the index and middle finger more than ample to lock the front (not that you would want to).

I can blip the throttle going down the gears with no problem, using my palm, thumb and two outside fingers.

Sometimes when I overcook it, I find my sphincter gets a bit of a workout too. lol