How fast can you stop. Have you tried?

[vifferman]

How fast can you stop? Have you tried?

Dunno. Yes.
Last year, I was momentarily distracted and when the traffic in front of me stopped, I stopped about 75mm too late. Scratched/cracked the front mudguard, and bent under the rear plastic bumper on the Peugeot in front, but it popped out, so no 'real' damage. Could've been worse.
Really shook me up, so I started practicing emergency stopping, which was nearly as scary as the incident that provoked it, as it's quite violent (though admittedly not as violent as a crash).

I have just started practicing emergency breaking
Reminds me, I must get out and do it again.

It's not a good - bike parts are expensive. Best you practice emergency braking so you don't break anything in an emergency.

[mowgli]

I don't think it's sensible discussing emergency braking without also discussing safe following. Safe following involves leaving space in front, scanning well ahead for hazards and most importantly being constantly aware of your best escape route.

Rule #1: Be prepared. As soon as you detect any hint of a hazard, throttle off a little and cover the front brake.

Rule #2: Slow down early. Slowing early will increase the space between you and the vehicle in front. Space translates to time to react for both you and the drivers behind you.

Rule #3: Emergency braking. Keep your eyes up and look through your escape route - your bike will follow your eyes even under brakes. Don't stare at the hazard.

Rule #4: Escape. In the event that braking wont be enough then escape. If you were looking to your escape while braking then chances are you're already headed this way. Don't forget to release the brakes before manoeuvring.

Rule #5: Get the hell out of the way! Bikes are invisible. Once you've got your speed under control get to the side of your lane. Don't become a hood ornament simply because the driver behind wasn't concentrating.

Rule #6: Stay focussed. While following in traffic regularly ask yourself 'what if' questions. Which way would you go? How close is that vehicle behind?

[Jantar]

So, I think we have successfully demolished Skiddies myth about stopping in 2 m from 60 kmh. Whether we can manage 1 G or only 0.7 G in an emergency stop is a matter of type of tyres, braking ability of the bike and road surface and will vary dramatically. The main point of th OP as I see it is "are we aware of just how much room we need to stop?"

Obviously some of us are and some aren't. That is to be expected.

Yesterday I went for a wee pootle around the block (Home - Ranfurly - Outram - Waipori Falls - Lawrence - Home), and while cruising the lovely sweeping twisties on the Hyde hill I got to thinking about where emergency braking is most likely to be needed. I figured that if we are looking 9 to 12 seconds ahead for hazards that emergency braking is most likely needed in those places where we can't see 9 - 12 seconds ahead. Many of those bends marked at 75 kmh that I was cruising through at 100 kmh, I could only see 5 - 6 seconds ahead. So I asked myself "can I react and stop in 5 seconds from 100 kmh while cranked over in a left hand bend?" Including the reaction time (I allowed one second) I could do it on the straight, but when cranked over I couldn't. Through a 75 kmh left hand bend from 100 kmh to 0 took me 6 full seconds while staying on my side of the road. That's 0.56 G. If I straightened up then I could stop in the 5 seconds I allowed, but that put me on the wrong side of the road.

So how many have tried emergency braking while heeled over in a bend?

[The Stranger:Me]

So, I think we have successfully demolished Skiddies myth about stopping in 2 m from 60 kmh.

Don't be so sure. Skidmark exists in a very different reality to the rest of us.

[nodrog:Me]

.... i could haul the zxr250 to a stop from 60kph in 2 metres.

so the speedo was fucked on that bike? explains your other bullshit story about 140kph around 45kph corners.

[NordieBoy]

Not only that - the poor fella quotes people out of context and makes himself look like a right idiot.

He also crashes barbeques uninvited......

At what speed does he crash said bbq's?

Video footage?

[slowpoke]

I did a track day with Brian Bernard organised by the Wanganui Ulysses club and I was struck by two things.

1. For a mostly older group that spent a lot of time covering a lot of miles I was dumb founded at the lack of knowledge some riders had regarding the use of front and/or rear brake for emergency braking. These men/women ride a lot of miles, so how much worse is the average rider?

2. ABS and linked braking systems are the schizz! The BMW's and Pan Europeans etc shat all over everything when it came to stopping in a hurry. Unless you are Andrew Stroud good, forget thinking you will be able to brake better using your own judgement....believe it. If you aren't going to go on the track, and get the opportunity, go with ABS you can't beat it.

[jrandom]

For a mostly older group that spent a lot of time covering a lot of miles I was dumb founded at the lack of knowledge some riders had regarding the use of front and/or rear brake for emergency braking. These men/women ride a lot of miles, so how much worse is the average rider?

Those men and women probably are the 'average rider'.

Doing the same easy stuff over and over again teaches you nothing.

Many riders never explore their bike's handling capabilities or expand their understanding of its control beyond what's required to ride around the block or up and down the motorway.

If you aren't going to go on the track...

With the prevalence of accessible and well-run trackdays now, nobody has any good excuse for not training on the track.

[GaZBur]

....1. For a mostly older group that spent a lot of time covering a lot of miles I was dumb founded at the lack of knowledge some riders had regarding the use of front and/or rear brake for emergency braking. These men/women ride a lot of miles, so how much worse is the average rider? ...

I helped out at the Brass Monkey sign in that was on a slight slope. There were riders with dozens of rally badges on thier jackets that were incapable of co-ordinating brake throttle and clutch for a simple slope start, dont expect them to not run up your arse if you brake hard in front of them. The experience put me off riding in groups of others of unknown abilities.

[DMNTD:Me]

I successfully came to a full stop from 40kmph in 10cm a couple of weekends ago. However it wasn't the mighty power of my Brembo's or the 20+ years worth of riding that helped me...it was a truck.
So surely Skiddy can't be BS'n...surely!

[vifferman]

I successfully came to a full stop from 40kmph in 10cm a couple of weekends ago.

Huh.. is THAT all?!?
When I was 17, I successfully brought my bike to a stop from 40mph (that's 70km/h) in the same distance.
However, I wasn't holding on tight enough and continued on, somersaulting elegantly on the dismount (9.5) but losing points (and skin) on the landing (-12.3).
I suspect I also lost points for non-approved gymnastic attire, in the form of jandalled feet.



What does this prove?
You can't make a fool of Professor Fizzicks. Conservation of momentum, and like that there....

[DMNTD:Me]

I suspect I also lost points for non-approved gymnastic attire, in the form of jandalled feet.

I hobble here in pure n00bness, sir!
You sir were jandelled!

[Spyke]

The calculations fly from most that haven't gone out and tried in the true world. 1 up to the guys analysing their real world data they got from actually going out there and doing it.

[Badjelly]

The calculations fly from most that haven't gone out and tried in the true world. 1 up to the guys analysing their real world data they got from actually going out there and doing it.

The most effective way to gain knowledge is to use a combination of both.

[Jantar]

I would agree with Badjelly. I am probably the one person on KB who uses maths more than anyone. But then I go and put it into practice.

Theory (and math) is great to work out what is possible. Putting it into practice is where it really counts.

The riders who make rediculous claims are the ones who don't bother even seeing if what they claim is possible with today's technology.