Can a motorbike out brake a car?

**rocketman1** · 29th April 2008, 22:13

Just riding behind a van on a tight back road coming down a hill, the van driver braked very heavily for a road off to the right, he couldnt turn right because of a car coming the other way that he had to give way to.
I only just managed to stop, ie the road was so narrow I could get by, I would have ended up in the ditch.
It got me thinking, my bike is new, older bikes probably dont have such good brakes, how would they got on in the same situation.
The question is can a motorbike out brake a new car with ABS etc
Ques. Do I have stay more than 10 car lengths behind a van/car at say 100kmh , can I safely stop in time?
It gave quite a fright actually, as I wasnt expecting such a quick stop,I was lucky to have my hand already with 2 fingers on the brake.
You live and learn another lesson aye

**skidMark** · 29th April 2008, 22:16

Not a hope in hell.... less weight pinning it down and a bike has about 4 inches total tread on the gorund maximum at any time a car has 4x 8-10 inches.

The only reason a bike is quicker through a corner than your average car (not talking porsches etc), it because on the centrifugal forces.... leaning blah blah...

Anyways not too relevant buy short answer no.

**homer** · 29th April 2008, 22:17

Think your asking it wrong
more to the point , you knew what may happend and you stoped .
The next car wouldnt have would they
cars do stop very quick
its the same principal
but how many have actually had to stop in a hurry

**Gubb** · 29th April 2008, 22:18

2 second gap, 4 in the wet.

I'd imagine that A bike could out-brake a car, remember if your comparing cars with ABS, why not compare them with bikes that have ABS.

The stopping power of two wheels would have more effectiveness than 4 brakes on a car considering the extra weight they have to stop.

Always a good chance to go and practice emergency braking in an empty carpark though.

**Subike** · 29th April 2008, 22:21

yes in my opinion
it also depends upon the ability of the rider
But I have stopped quicker than cars many times,
Not a problem
Its all a mater of practice, and how to apply your brakes to get the max out of them without lock up.
If bikes brakes were not better than cars, there would be a heap more white crosses on the sides of the roads than there is.
Practice you emergency braking often, keep it in tune with your riding.

**homer** · 29th April 2008, 22:21

most people in a car couldnt stop in a 30 second gap
think about it

**skidMark** · 29th April 2008, 22:25

Originally Posted by Hubba Gubba

2 second gap, 4 in the wet.

I'd imagine that A bike could out-brake a car, remember if your comparing cars with ABS, why not compare them with bikes that have ABS.

The stopping power of two wheels would have more effectiveness than 4 brakes on a car considering the extra weight they have to stop.

Always a good chance to go and practice emergency braking in an empty carpark though.

Extra weight but less pinning them down though.

a bike hard on the picks, like a car is going to dive down.

but sa car has alot more tread on it, yes the bike is less weight to stop...hmmmm be interesting to hear from somebody who knows all the physics involved etc.

**Macstar** · 29th April 2008, 22:27

At the AWMR once I had about 6 runs at emergency braking at 100kph i.e. slam on the brakes and see how quick you can stop.

We didn't bust out a tape measure, but by the last couple of attempts I had managed to reduce my total stopping distance to between an estimated 12-15 metres at 100kph, in the dry with no ABS. I'd be surprised if your typical car could stop in that distance at 100kph...?

In the wet, I'd rate a car and would rather be in one too if i had to slam on the picks!

**skidMark** · 29th April 2008, 22:29

Originally Posted by Subike

yes in my opinion
it also depends upon the ability of the rider
But I have stopped quicker than cars many times,
Not a problem
Its all a mater of practice, and how to apply your brakes to get the max out of them without lock up.
If bikes brakes were not better than cars, there would be a heap more white crosses on the sides of the roads than there is.
Practice you emergency braking often, keep it in tune with your riding.

Well yeah i mean i can stop a bike from 60kph in 2 metres.

That is once reacted andd actually applying brakes.

But i have been in some cars that stop pretty bloodey fast.

As in hit the brakes and its stopped. 120 kph - 0 kph in err pass, a bloodey short distance thats for sure.

**homer** · 29th April 2008, 22:32

thats why they make abs
its for people who dont know how to break
dont know how to feel what the cars doing

**scracha** · 29th April 2008, 22:34

Lots of bike mags tested this. Generally a decent sprots bike slightly outbreaks the average family car in the dry on a decent road surface. A big factor is the stickier (but not so long wearing) rubber on bikes.

Try it in the wet or behind an expensive/modernish car and you're saying "hello" to the rear passengers.

MINIMUM 2 second gap in the dry. MINIMUM 4 seconds in the wet. Multiply that by 2 or 3 on gravel/snow/ice/mud. It's scary how many bike riders sit right up cars arses.

**scumdog** · 29th April 2008, 22:35

I've seen a bike stop in just over two metres from 100kmh.

Of course the truck it went into the side of kind of influenced its stopping distance

**jrandom** · 29th April 2008, 22:35

This question comes up reasonably often; Jim2 has mentioned some test results indicating that bikes can, in fact, out-brake cars in the wet and the dry.

I'm fairly sure that actually doing so takes balls and skill, though. It's easy to stomp on the brake pedal in a car, particularly one with ABS, but hauling a bike to a quick controlled stop is a maneuver requiring care and precision.