Your Guide to Motorcycle Braking

There are a lot of things you need to learn when it comes to riding a motorcycle, and one of the most important tasks you must master is how to brake safely and correctly. Proper motorcycle braking techniques ensure the safety of you and other motorists around you, helping to prevent accidents and make your rides less stressful.

So what techniques are we talking about? Indian Motorcycle® of Orange County in Westminster is your southern California motorcycle dealer, serving Los Angeles and all of Orange County. Here are some motorcycle braking techniques you can practice to improve your stopping power on your bike.

Apply Brakes Judiciously

Your motorcycle has both a front and a rear brake on it, and your front brake is the more powerful brake that gives your bike most of its stopping power. When braking your bike, you’ll want to apply both brakes, but you may lean on one of them more heavily than the other. 

For example, in a typical braking situation, 70% of the stopping power should come from the front brake while 30% should come from the rear brake. In an emergency situation, 90% of the stopping power should come from the front brake and only 10% should come from the rear brake.

Don’t Lock the Rear Wheel

If you apply the brake to your rear wheel too heavily, this can shift a lot of your motorcycle’s weight towards the front of the bike and cause your rear wheel to lock up. This, in turn, can make your motorcycle start to skid, so you’ll need to keep your focus and remain steady as much as possible. Releasing pressure on the rear brake level should help to reduce or eliminate the skid.

Use Your Mirrors

Your rear-view mirrors will help you to keep an eye on surrounding traffic conditions. This way, you can see which motorists might not be paying attention or may be creeping up on you at an unsafe distance. This will help you to brake sensibly when needed.

Know How to Emergency-Brake

When you’re experiencing a crisis, your brain can become flooded with hormones and this can cause you to freeze up and fail to respond accurately and quickly. However, if you’ve practiced braking for emergencies, then it will be second-nature to you and you’ll be able to respond even amid that anxiety. Practice stopping very suddenly while you’re riding around an empty lot to get used to the feeling.

We hope these tips help you to brake safely on your bike. When you’re ready to shop motorcycles in Orange County, visit our Westminster, CA, dealership location to view what we have in stock. Indian Motorcycle® of Orange County proudly serves all of greater LA and surrounding areas.