Advice: Overcoming a fear of braking

**Ralph** · 2nd November 2007, 14:15

Originally Posted by MotoGirl

Yup, we've got both of those books. I should read them at some point...

Hell, can I borrow those please if your not using them?
Think I'll ask Santa for the set

There is some great advise here but why wait to a track day.
The best thing I did was go out and practice on a quite piece of road.
When I go out to practice I'll let you know, see if want to join me, up to you.

**Goblin** · 2nd November 2007, 14:30

Braking is so over-rated.

Just go so slow that you only need to throttle off to slow more for the corner. Then throttle on and away ya go.

**MotoGirl** · 2nd November 2007, 14:46

Originally Posted by Ralph

Hell, can I borrow those please if your not using them?
Think I'll ask Santa for the set

There is some great advise here but why wait to a track day.
The best thing I did was go out and practice on a quite piece of road.
When I go out to practice I'll let you know, see if want to join me, up to you.

Cheers Mike! Let me know next time you're heading out (021 114 7397).
Oh yeah, the books, I'll check with Cajun but I can't see it being a problem!

**DEATH_INC.** · 3rd November 2007, 06:24

Originally Posted by jrandom

Yes it is, when I'm fiddling with the front brake and don't get around to cracking the throttle on before the apex. The jolt going from a shut throttle to 1/4 open is much more unsettling than winding 1/3 throttle on when it's already cracked open. The twitchy EFI on GSXRs doesn't help. Lazy burbly carburetion makes a sloppy throttle hand so much less problematic.

I have no issues with the back end squirming a little on the gas in corners; I quite like it, as a matter of fact.

Edit: Just to make it clear, my issue is not with winding the throttle on once I'm heading out of a corner; it's with setting the bike up to drive out of it smoothly.

My old shitta does this, easily fixed by winding the idle up to 3000rpm or so. It makes the transition way smoother....

**DEATH_INC.** · 3rd November 2007, 06:33

I remember that off Motogirl.....
I'd suggest some sticky rubber for a start, then go out and find a more gentle corner somewhere and practice braking around it, slowly at first, then faster as your confidence increases, you should be much better by the end of the day if you keep at it......
I need to work on this too, years of riding on the dirt and bikes with crossplys has made it real hard to overcome.....
The brake on the straight thing is sweet on the road, but is damn slow on the track.....

**MotoGirl** · 3rd November 2007, 07:02

Originally Posted by DEATH_INC.

I remember that off Motogirl.....
I'd suggest some sticky rubber for a start, then go out and find a more gentle corner somewhere and practice braking around it, slowly at first, then faster as your confidence increases, you should be much better by the end of the day if you keep at it......
I need to work on this too, years of riding on the dirt and bikes with crossplys has made it real hard to overcome.....
The brake on the straight thing is sweet on the road, but is damn slow on the track.....

Yeah that VTR sure wasn't a race bike but that never stopped me wanting to keep up you on your Gixxer! Of course it wasn't your superior riding that kept you in front of me

At Manfield last weekend my speed was basically restricted to how fast I could corner, which I found a bit frustrating because I wanted to go for it!
I'm heading to Taupo again in Dec and sure won't be practicing braking at the end of the back straight because it gives me the shits!

Anyone have any recommendations for a corner to practice on?