Trail- braking is basically the difference between being scared of corners (especially blind ones), and being confident -taking on any corner the roads throw at you… As they say in Yamaha Champ Street, ‘Trail Braking is HOW you Corner; It’s how your control the radius of a turn’… Practice the technique and use it always when turning the bike… Trail-braking even works really well for riding and filtering through traffic if/when you need to quickly and sharply turn your bike. Spend an afternoon practicing it in a large empty parking lot, and you’ll feel more in control of your bike when you’re on the road. Even practice trail braking with your rear break, as it sometimes comes jn handy when it comes to cornering up a crest of hill. Another piece of advice, don’t release the brake abruptly mid-turn, since your forks will rebound too quickly and you can lose traction on your front wheel. Ride safe. ✌️😎
I was initially taught to never break in a corner. As a result, when I came in a turn too fast and ran out of lean angle. I crashed. While recuperating I discovered your channel and learned about trail breaking. After recuperating I traveled the same road and applied the trail breaking technique I learned with great success.
Sorry you crashed, but we all have a similar story, right? I'm willing to bet that corner where you fell, for the rider you are today is a mellow, boring corner.
This exact thing happened to me also… I forced myself to overcome that & trail braking was the safest way to brake while cornering to guarantee I’ve properly adjusted my speed
@@crash86ed Autocorrect is terrible. In the auto-captioning files I have to chase down every "Brake/Break" and every "Writer/Rider". It's exhausting and I know I miss them all the time.
I have been trial braking for over 45 years, zero throttle, gentle one finger pressure to compress the suspension slightly to push the tyre into the tarmac, never had a problem, still upright!
I've been riding a similar amount of time. I was taught never to brake in a corner, but that was with those godawful tyres of the 70s. Even as early as the early 80s, tyre technology and compounds had improved so much that braking all the way to the apex could be considered under good conditions, but it wasn't something I would do in the pretty habitual rainy, potholed and slimy conditions in the UK. Modern riders have no idea of how good modern tyres are.
Great video - as always. A lot of my corners go like this though: 1. Roll off the throttle 2. Reach to the front brake 3. Sneak/Squeeze the front brake 4. Feel the weight transfer 5. Realise I’ve over slowed as a kid on a push bike nearly runs into the back of me. 6. Have to get back onto a neutral throttle to go through the corner 7. Think CanyonChasers would be so disappointed in me. 8. Repeat on the next corner. Rolling off the throttle completely, and loading the front, I think only works if you are going into the corner faster than you are in fact comfortable travelling through it at ..
"Don't be afraid of corners, be afraid of doing something abrupt in corners!" I had a big accident on track in 2018. Just about lost my foot. I became really slow after that. I was terrified of corners for like 3 years. Focusing my fear on being abrupt, instead of generically on the corner made all the difference for me. I'm fast again. I'm safer and corners are fun again. Thanks Dave!
I was riding with a friend and his son recently. I ride a goldwing, they both were on FJRs. The son mentioned he had trouble understanding why I was braking for every corner but he was having trouble keeping up. I laughed and sent him one of your videos. He now gets it.
For years, I rode where my right hand was either gripping the throttle or gripping the front brake. This meant having to reposition my fingers between these two, reducing my response time. It was either throttle or brake, with a gap of time as my hand changed grip. When I learned to trail break, I first needed to learn how to have two fingers over the brake while also gripping the throttle. Street riders are never taught this technique but it has dramatically changed my riding for the better. The transition from rolling off the throttle to braking is so much smoother and allows more nuanced control. Thank you for the great video, I'd love to see one that is on this grip technique.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="417">6:57</a> I love that tire grip loading demonstration. It explains the concept perfectly. Stay smooth on the brakes!
The problem is that on normal roads the hit can come from the opposite side. If you hard turn in to corners, you are stiffening your suspensions, now you get a hole or a crack on the road, suspension can't copy the surface, there comes the hit and loose grip.
@@Wolfox360You never load your suspension to the maximum, and if you do you should change it for a harder one or just loose some weight 😅 your tires can handle way more then 99% of riders. Hitting a potthole or a piece of wood mid high lean is no problem. I was at a safety training 2 times and we rode over a wood plank 2-3cm high, or around 1inch. 1inch= 2,54cm? Something like that, mid high lean of corse and it worked perfectly. Matter fact I rode over it with more lean then others did without the wooden plank. Like many many thinks when riding: most of the time you and your brain are the problem
Ya, good riding used to be so natural. Now, seems you have to read 12 books and watch 52 videos to just get out the driveway. That said, with the power and speed capabilities and all the track hype these days, i can see how a bit more coaching could be a good thing. But it still comes down to the mindset of the rider.
Best description of trailbraking I've heard so far. All the other videos I've watched are just too confusing, but this video pares it down to its fundamental structure. Thanks so much for posting.
You got me trail braking several years ago and I consider it one of the most helpful skills I've learned. I use it on every ride and I am shocked at the resistance I receive when I bring up the subject. It's saved my bacon a few times when turns have been sharper than I thought, simply by gently applying a bit more brake pressure while already trail braking.. Thanks so much.
Exactly, it is an option if needed or wanted to do. I spent a few months exercising trail braking (and I really like it) in nearly every corner. So my front tire ended up “v” shaped very fast. Nice skill to have but not for every corner.
@@kwakithailand I've wondered about that; I use the rear brake consistently when not trail braking but don't touch the rear brake at all when trail braking. Dunno if that's right, but I've had sideways skids from very light trail braking.
@@kwakithailand Yes, we can trail brake with the rear brake. It's possible. It works, but the front brake works better. It's not _just_ about slowing down, its also about controlling the bikes geometry, the front tire contact patch, etc.
New rider of 8 months here and I've been consuming your content with glee. Love these trail braking and "anti" going wide videos! Please keep them coming! Not enough people can articulate the how to drive a motorcycle adeptly!
I constantly trail brake….been doing it for decades. The only thing you need to remember while taking corners at the maximum safe speed, is eyes on where you want to go, and no abrupt anything, braking, getting off the gas, getting on the gas, cranking the bike aggressively into a corner. Riding at an elevated speed is a wisdom thing, and a lesson on being patient and pick your spots. I prefer not to ride in groups, for the simple reason, that others around, take your level of concentration down, and it adds variables to safe riding. Having said that, a couple of experienced riders. Who have wisdom can enhance a ride. The advice given here is solid, and really nothing to add. The sport of riding should always involve everyone getting home safely, and there is nothing like experience, and a lifelong interest in learning just how to make the bike do what you want it to do.
Very well explained... thanks. As a newbie in the world of motorcycles (been riding for only 2 months now), i keep my speed down in all corners so that i don't need/have to trail brake. As a former truck driver for over 20 years, i learned to reduce speeds and to anticipate potential problems and this is helping me as a new rider out there. One thing i do as a rider is what i had to do as a truck driver : respect the suggested yellow speed limit signs before corners. As i'm gaining experience, i can take some corners a little faster than before. Example : the yellow speed limit sign says 75km in a 90km zone (i'm in Canada - km not miles), i now know i can take it at 80km or 85km as 2 months ago, i would slow down to 75km. But i only take some corners faster... those that i know. Whenever i ride on a new road, i still respect the yellow speed limit signs. Better safe than sorry !! :)
@@sleemanman9188 I can usually double and add 10 mph to the yellow suggested speed sign but only on rare occasions and NEVER in blind turns…visibility and being able to stop within the distance you can see is crucial to safety be careful about increasing speed beyond the yellow sign in blind corners…sometimes the suggested speed would be too fast if there is an obstacle in the road such as a break down or accident or the idiot hanging a u turn…
@@izzysykopth Try that on a mountain road and you’ll be in a ditch in no time. We have lots of switchbacks by me. The Yellow signs are there for a reason!
@@GodzillaGoesGaga ride the high mountains (San Gabriels Angeles Crest Hwy)all the time. I didn’t say it’s a regular practice. I’m not that aggressive off track. But if there’s visibility and I know the road I’m not timid either. Note that I warned the new rider that the suggested speed could even be higher than safe if there’s debris or other obstacles? Why does everyone online try to make a pissing contest out of every topic? Ffs chill Karen…
Excellent advice. One thing I wish more coaches would teach is covering the front brake at all times with 1 or 2 fingers - thank you Andy! It only took me a week to get used to after 30+ years and > 250K miles of road riding. That ~250-500ms of reaction time has saved me from sketchy situations multiple times on the road since. Bought ChampU and so many safety techniques transfer from the track to the road it blew my mind. I use trail-braking, 100 pts of grip, load tire before working it, body position, etc. on the road nearly every day. No where near the levels on the track but that application of safe-modulation, situational awareness and prep on corner sequence is muscle memory now. Keep up the fantastic content! 👍
The more I ride and the older I get.... ( 68 ) the more I cover my levers. It's hardly ever the ROAD that concerns me. It's the other drivers especially in 35-45 mph zones !
A perfect refresher course! You’re still the best riding instructor on RU-vid, Dave. Make more vids, please. Also, where is the Moar Coast? Good riding there? Nice beaches? 😉
When I first started driving I was self taught mainly at first blasting around an empty field in an old beater and later with oversight by my father. After I got my license a friend who had done the driver's training in school was riding with me, when I applied the brakes in a corner he had a fit. He told me in school he had been taught to never use the brakes in a corner. I continued to use the brakes in a corner all be it carefully. When I started to ride a motorcycle cycle a couple of years I continued the practice and still do it to this day. I didn't know there was a term for it until recently. Excellent video as usual.
I was a nervous wreck new rider fresh out of msf and parking lots. I was great at slow speed stuff even better than my cousin who had been riding for 6 years, but on the streets going fast just wasn't something I was comfortable with. I signed up for champs school at Laguna Seca and took my rs660. Great experience, met a lot of nice people and was a very. fun and exciting 2 day course. I came out of that class maybe 5-10 times better rider. I am now the safer faster cousin rider, he still refuses to go to school or listen to any advice probably why we just high sided at willow springs. Trail braking completely changed my riding style, always having the front brake lever covered with my 2 fingers pointed and ready to go on the brakes has made me a very confident rider. Learn how to brake to be able to go fast!
Another great video! I'll add this: I don't think a lot of people understand just how much engine braking plays into their deceleration until they pop into a false neutral and have a near-heart attack at their entry speed..... speaking from experience, of course 😅
The converse is also true; I rode 2-stroke street bikes and scooters for years before getting my first 4-stroke bike, and was disturbed by how much engine braking there is. I currently have a Yamaha XSR900 which does NOT have user settings for engine braking, but the newer MT09 does. I can see myself cranking that engine braking figure all the way down.
@@langhamp8912 I was listening to the Oxley Bom podcast and they were saying the best MotoGP racers come up riding two-strokes because it teaches them so much more about how to work within the physics of how motorcycles turn and whatnot. Like you, I tend to turn-down my engine braking, and it's amazing when a rider is struggling with a corner, getting them to enter it a gear (sometimes two) higher than they were and they find the corner to smoother, more controlled, etc. Engine braking is kinda like dragging a little bit of rear brake. A little bit is great, a whole lot can be unsettling.
what a great video! "never break in the corner" is the same bs like "hands off the front brake in situation xy"! the front brake is the most important brake in mostly every situation (even offroad!) and this bs myths only exist because instructors want to prevent beginners from hammering into the front break. instead, they should teach the right usage of the front break right from the beginning!
Front brakes and shifting, but in the video he's not saying to not brake in corners, is mostly like , be in the correct speed for the corner, by braking earlier.
Great job of removing the woo woo from trail braking and encouraging commonsense use of front brakes to stay safe in corners. Simple, straightforward and confidence inspiring.
I'm a new rider (less than a year) and was about to go wide in a corner the first time I went in faster than usual. Breaking gently in the turn saved me from an accident.
Three minutes into this video I knew you knew what you were doing. Subscribed. I’m 70yo. I learned on dirt 60 years ago and have always believed dirt made me a better street rider. This is now the best video I have seen. I believe we all have to learn, refresh and train.
I just finished a YCRS ChampSchool at NJMP and it's heavy on trail braking / progressive control inputs. Great stuff. Back home, riding hundreds of miles of twisties a day, I realized how few corners require any braking (beside engine braking on my big KTM V-twin). Unless I'm confronted with a 15 or 20 MPH hairpin, rolling off the throttle is all the braking I need because I didn't pin the throttle on the previous corner exit. Roll on. Roll off. Repeat. FWIW, I'm rolling along 10 to 20 over the speed limit (65 - 75 ish) and at least doubling the suggested corner speeds, so I'm not dawdling. Trail brake when needed, but the fingers are always covering the lever (just in case). If you ride public roads like a track day, that's different. But I ride "The Pace (2.0)" and it's just another tool in the toolbox. Apply when needed.
I always brake in corners if need be, and I always use trailbraking on public roads. It just makes sense on both counts. Those who think it's for a racetrack only don't have a clue what they're talking about, and obviously don't understand trailbraking. The key, as you said, is not to do so abruptly. I really love the "early, lighter, and longer" for brake usage. This is something that should be taught at the beginning in the MSF BRC classes, in my humble estimation. As always, Dave, you hit it out of the park with this phenomenal video! You're my hero of the riding world. I just told my wife that I wish I could spend like three months every single day with you and have you teach me. I've been riding a lot of years, but I'm never too proud to learn or recognize the incredible skills and knowledge of others, and you are at the top of the list, sir. I am riding a new Gold Wing and I trail brake every time I ride, but I'd love to have that close up and personal instruction where what I do can be seen and analyzed. Thing is, the nuances and handling characteristics of my new ride are much different than my old Suzuki Boulevard C90T cruiser, so I almost feel like a first-week MSF BRC rider again. LOL Anyway, thanks again for sharing your wisdom! I ALWAYS come away knowing more and also being challenged to get better as a rider! Ride safe, ride well, and ride often!!
@@soujrnr I’m jealous (not in a green eyed monster kinda way 🤣) of that new Gold Wing. I’ll be 62 in December and I haven’t given up sport bikes yet but if and when I do I won’t be riding a Harley. Gold Wing all the way…
I agree 100%. And I am really surprised that after 35 years of riding (and not watching much RU-vid until recently) I have learnt these techniques by myself. No classes attended. Like you said, it’s basic common sense. You slow down to turn. Same as a car. More finesse at the controls. I do use the rear brake at the same time as I find it calms the bike down but you are right in saying the rear traction is limited when braking with the front. The problem with all of this when it comes to beginners (my girlfriend started riding last year) is to make them understand that they have to be gentle with the controls. I rode in the winter up north on ice on a river when I was young. 2 wheels. No studs. Just rubber. 5 winters. You learn how to be smooth with the controls. Beginners don’t have that chance to learn what slipping and sliding feels like. You have to listen to what your front tire is trying to tell you. Feel is the name of the game. Hard to explain to someone just starting. Stay safe out there.
Man you really nailed it with the "then we were required to tell all of these new riders to ignore a lifetime of driving and bicycling experience..." My MSF course almost ruined riding for me. I've had to combat that msf course and remind myself that "I already know how to do this" from all those years of riding a bicycle. The only real difference is the speed and weight of the bike...
Exactly right. The argument has often been "you can't teach this to a new rider" - You've been doing this your entire life. Slowing into corners is the most intuitive thing in the world.
Thank you for your videos on the various aspects of trail braking. No surprise, it works! I originally started riding dirt bikes in the desert in my 20’s. Then I moved on to road bikes where I took a riding course to get my motorcycle endorsement for my license. In desert riding we always covered the front brake with two fingers. But in the street bike training our instructor said, “all you dirt bike guys get your fingers off the front brake!” Also, “never brake into a corner!” Bad advice. After watching your videos I applied the methods you taught. It took a while but I “unlearned” the bad advice I was taught in the riding course and your methods have given me more confidence, safety and control in the corners. Thank you!!
Late apex, Slow in, Fast out, access the corner way before getting to it and use maintenance throttle once into the corner to stabilise the bike, l like you explanation of trail braking it really makes sense.
I love your teaching style and how you take the time to make “complicated topics” easy to understand and remember. Never brake (abruptly) in corners is genius 👏👏👏
The concept you are missing is "turn-in point", which differs greatly depending on the corner. It's the point where the apex and exit can be identified, and the rider commits to the lean angle to steer through the corner, in one steering motion (theoretically one). An initial slighter lean is needed until the rider can see through the corner - this is where braking to set speed is done. In a DRB (decreasing radius bastard) that point is late into the corner. Speed should be set prior to turn-in initiation, brakes released prior to turn-in, and throttle applied after the bike is at the desired lean angle. Therefor, the throttle is NOT used to accelerate all the way through the corner. It is used after commitment to turn-in. The term "acceleration" is used lightly in the context as well. Initially only enough to take up driveline lash and settle the suspension, and gradually rolled on as the circumstance allows. Keith Code covered it well in 1993 with "twist of the Wrist ll", and years later commented to trail brake only when it's required.
Totally unrelated...man those cattle grates/guards in UT were not what I was expecting...nor cattle just out roaming around. :) But man, was the scenery gorgeous!
You are correct saying we trail brake already. We trailbrake coming to a red light. we see a red, we apply the brakes smoothly and ease off until we come to a stop under control. This is done without thinking about it, trailbraking for a corner is the same technique, ease on the brakes, then ease off the brakes as needed to keep the motorcycle under control and not go wide.
You explained this so well I've been riding just like this for over 45 years. People are afraid to use the front brake when cornering for fear of it sliding out but if loaded up when entering corner then pressure relieved and controlled with slight steady pressure you are better prepared for the unexpected variables when riding on unridden roads. plenty of time to power on when you can see where your going safely.
If traveling at legal speeds most often you will not need to use brakes in a corner at all. This assumes reducing your speed to legal limit before the corner. If there's an obstacle in the corner it is of course a different story and the reason why you should never open the throttle before you see the exit of the corner. When it comes to oil spills or ice and such on the road, the safest thing to do is to sit home and watch youtube rather then ride 😁 Good video, thank you.
That's because you take good lines. If you take good lines, you don't usually benefit from braking into a corner, even at more than double the speed limit. But go back to the speed limit and turn in too early. Now you have to brake into the corner to make it safely. If you routinely trail brake in street riding, it's mostly likely because you turn in too early.
Good stuff, Dave. While not the ideal way to learn about front braking, I was on a trip in Mexico when my rear brake failed and all I had was the front. I quickly found out that it wasn't the scary, "never do" scenario that had been drilled into me in my MSF course years ago. I've since have put front braking into my riding technique in the public road twisties. Your asterisk on "abruptly" is key. Thank you for that emphasis. You picked some great roads for this video. UT 72 and UT 12 are fantastic roads, with UT 72 being much less traveled (and with less deer than I've experienced on that aspen section of UT 12 between Boulder and Torrey).
@CanyonChasers after watching a lot of RU-vid videos on 'trail braking', most vloggers seem to agree that the principles of trail braking are (1)to load the front tire for more grip and (2)it may decrease the distance between the front and rear tires improving the cornering capability of the bike (forgot the better term for it). Basing from this, i practiced and applied these principles to every cornering i made at almost all moving speeds when not contraindicated and found out that the improvement in ease and control during cornering is applicable to any speed in my daily city commute making me wonder why this was not taught at all as a basic riding skill.
In a last case (really last!), it is possible to straighten the bike in a corner and brake as hard as possible (as much as there is places), then release the brakes and drop the engine through the rest of the corner. Twice in my driving career I saved myself from a crash/death that way, but I've been driving for 50 years, so it's only done when there's no other solution.
Thanks for this, I was wondering what the best technique would be if something unexpected happens in a corner. Have had a bike when I was 20 to 30 yrs old am 61 now and bought a bike recently.
Most every motorcycle answer starts with "It depends." So, yes, you can, but thats an pretty hard, technical, and unforgiving move. If you have the grip or have no other option then yeah. For example, I had to do that move at a recent track day where a rider came up underneath me in a corner to make a pass, but couldn't make it stick and started running wide. I had no place to go as he was blocking my turn, so my only option was to straighten and hammer the brakes. But because I was going much faster than 18mph, I promptly went off track. Because I was upright I was able to save it. But that was an extreme and rare case. I think that may be only the second time I've used it in well over 30 years of riding.
@@CanyonChasers That it should be used only when there is a situation where we have another way out, in 50 years, I only used it two times, but it probably saved my life twice. You should know that it can, but only a good experienced rider who will judge when to stop braking and "knock down" the motorcycle again. I once had to do it twice and it worked - I was left with a thrown bike leg when they didn't have an engine lock button on it, a long left curve about 120km/h, and a precipice of 200m on the right side. I braked hard, then hit the foot again and finally stopped on the edge of the precipice meybe 0,5-1,0m . Road around Adriatik sea 1980 year. Sorry for bad english.
It amazes me how many riders dont know about counter steering or trail braking. On a side note, ive ridden both of those roads numerous times. Hurricane, UT to Torrey, UT. Theyre awsome rides, but im back in Oregon now and there are some of the best roads in the country here... hidden gems. Love your content, every rider should be subscribed!!
I've been a biker since 1975. I believe your statement "Don't be afraid of corners, be afraid of doing something abrupt in corners!" is the very best advice for all riders. Keep up the good work sir!
They think it's an "advanced technique" because they see professional racers use it. When in reality, we are taught to be smooth with our controls which really what trail braking is.
Yes, in a private lesson, my instructor told me NOT to trail brake as it was an advanced technique for experienced riders. Yet, I did it naturally on the course.
Your still the best on RU-vid explaining CLEARLY what good motorcycle techniques really are. There are so many variations of the meaning of trail braking from the other “RU-vid experts” For instance Motojitsu makes everything so complicated in his explanations that it makes the relatively easy and simple skills on motorcycles so complex. Your simple explanation s are so much more easier to understand and without the “ego” other RU-vid “experts” try to portray. Another example on other channels are explanations on cornering - making an easy skill sound So Hard. It must make new riders feel so inadequate. Even I that have been riding my whole life find the explanations so complex and hard to understand. Thank you once again for simple easy to understand, great clear and concise accurate information!! Its a real credit listening to you and it’s obvious your are very highly experienced something I really look up to. Feel very privileged to watch your videos Thank you so much Cheers from “downunder Australia 🇦🇺 👍
This has completely transformed the way I ride. Going through the twisties has become even more enjoyable. Let’s be honest, at some point we all have been nervous riding on super twisty roads. Trail braking has put the fun back into it! Great video brother. Taking champ street in August!
Great video mate, makes so much sense, when I first got my license, instructors told us never brake in a corner, but in actual fact they should have told us don't brake abruptly in corner, thx
My father was a truck driver, i have learn to drive a car from 10 years old, the only think i remember is slow down before the corner !!! Am keeping it 20 years now as rider and i have zero accidents !!!! Am using my brakes even on the corners and am enjoying the rides way more cause i have confidence cause i feel safety !!!! That was and awsome video !!!!
Last weekend i was doing 65 around a backroad corner, four deer bolted across the road and I slammed on the brakes both front and back coming to a fast stop down to 5 mph. Luckily I have abs and came to a smooth straight in my lane position stop. My Voyager slightly straightened up as I quickly slowed to the 5 mph. The buy behind me who does not have abs smoked up his rear tire and skid sideways and past me up by a few yards. He's been riding for 65 years so he did well in preventing laying the bike down. Neither of us hit any of the deer. Me only riding for 4 years have the abs working on my behalf. So braking in corners can be done one way or the other, especially if you have no choice.
Another very interesting video on cornering. But, what I am still concerned about, which I have not seen anyone address on YT, is the danger of engaging the front brake and causing the bike to go out of control. I think the term is "binding", when you rapidly slow down the "forward" motion - i.e. the component of the bike's motion that is going in the direction of the curve - and cause the momentum of the rear 3/4 of the bike to go forward - i.e. in the direction it was pointed just before you hit the front brake. That means you have to go off the road, our of control. It also means you have lost traction so the tires are not gripping the road surface. This happens because you are in a curve going too fast. Canyon makes the case that you must at that point use the front brake delicately and with control, without panicing. But if you are going too fast at that point - too fast to make the curve without crashing - and if using either front or rear brakes will cause more compression of the front and more traction on the front tire and less on the rear - then I still think the only recourse you have other than panicing and wiping out - is to use more rear brakes as best you can and maybe slow your momentum so you have a slower crash.
It’s not addressed because the rider would have had to make a lot of mistakes to get to the point you are worried about. Going exceedingly fast and then waiting until mid corner to mash the front brake. This video focuses on a strategy so that never happens. Slowing into corners isn’t a reaction to bad judgement. It’s out strategy for every corner. We go to the brakes when we are nervous. We don’t wait until we are in panic mode. We go to the brakes earlier, lighter and for longer. This is how motorcycles are designed to turn so they turn better with more stability this way.
I learned years ago from Twist of the Wrist to essentially break the corner into 3 parts. The first is the slowing down, trail braking until my fork compression from braking matches the needed compression from cornering Part 2 is to catch the throttle and wait for the clear exit path. Part 3 is rolling on throttle to give me the acceleration I want. I found that this strategy even works in cars.
The MSF needs to update their outdated curriculum. There so much bureaucracy and egos the real focus on safety cant really be accomplished. Solid video thanks for sharing it!
The issue here in northern England is narrow roads with poor visibility on most corners, without this technique we wouldn’t make much progress. I’m an experienced rider but I think as usual you give some great advice to all levels of experience on the road. I use two fingers to front brake on my lovely Multistrada in nearly every corner but it’s gentle and progressive, to be honest I very seldom touch the rear brake apart from controlling front end dive in heavy traffic which is rare around here. My instructor told me slow and gentle into a bend and as the visibility reduces, and then accelerate as the ‘vanishing point’ moves away as the road straightens and the view opens up, eventually it becomes second nature.
I absolutely love the UK - especially Scotland and the highlands. Those single track roads with passing places are amazing. But you are exactly right. Except, I'm really soft of "vanishing point." I think it's a great clue, but it's wrong an awful lot. I've been in lots of corners where the vanishing point is moving away, but the corner is actually still getting tighter. So we coach to just wait until you can see the exit before actively accelerating.
@@CanyonChasers I’ve never really trusted it, my back yard is Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, all great biking roads that lead to the stunning west coast of Scotland and the Highlands, I’m a very lucky boy, keep up the great content👍.
Hello from Newfoundland. Before I heard practice than implemented trail braking I don't know how safe and in control I was !!!! It has changed and improved my riding ten folds easy the best tool I got throughout reading and taking advice from different outlets in my 25 years riding career . Try it implement it right and reap the rewards. Chuck
Very well said ....Thanks .I am a back road rider with roads that are beautiful and twisty but often in pour condition or covered in leaves or cow manuer or sand and gravel . Deer, bears or smaller amimals all add to the sport of the moment . At a slow enough speed one can acutually practice serpentines before setting ones line .Find a problem set another line .Understanding your options is the messsage and very well presented here ... All the best from New Engalnd ..
The big debate I've ever seen with trail braking is less whether it works (universal favor in my circles), and more where the etymology comes from. I was taught that it's because loading and tightening up the front suspension trims the front geometry, including the trail, in order to make for more precise steering input, rather than anything to do with "trailing on/off" the brake
It's a great question. Trailing off brake pressure vs. Reducing Trail. I kinda' wish it didn't have a name because we get "drag the trailing brake" "only on dirt trails" It's not an intuitive term.
Thats why i love my little nimble KTM 390 Adventure. I have always too fingers laying on the front break and with lean sensitiv ABS you can do craaazy things in a corner, if you want to. But only to know that its there, is such a win of confidence. And on top of that you can set your rebound (and compression-) damping of the fork while you ride...so much fun.
This is the same thing as heel/toe shifting while when you are approaching the maximum brake pressure for the corner in a car. Right hand instead of right foot instead of left hand to clutch instead of left foot. Slow to the safe speed for that corner while trailbraking until you are ready to start accelerating. Reducing risk in a controlled manner. Kyle Wyman does this with an almost 650lb bagger racebike on the track to maintain traction and load on the front tire. The suspensions and tires are literally designed to have traction during braking force in the corner and not before singularly. Good lesson sir.
What Kyle does on that bagger is such a great example of what _any_ motorcycle is capable of when the proper techniques are used. BTW, he does the same thing at Champ Schools in a passenger van full of students. It's amazing how it all kinda' works the same.
I’m really inspired by these videos about trail braking. I have practiced a little. It’s reassuring that the uncertainty about the corners is normal. I do worry about my bike at times as it has CBS - but this doesn’t seem to affect my trail braking efforts.
Get a BMW GS, it has combined brakes, with clever electronics distributing the brake power between front and rear breaks on demand. And the Telelever front suspension pretty much prevents the compression of forks when breaking. And the curve ABS does it's job, when needed. These all builds up your confidence in couple of years at a high level, because you learn that you can break in curve as much as needed (dry asphalt) safely, in case you enter in a curve too fast. I guess many other modern bikes too, except the Telelever. If you got a 25 years old Harley, be careful. :)
68 here/44 still riding; all sport. I was taught to SQUEEZE the front brake- NEVER EVER GRAB; Front= 80%+ of total braking available…to LOAD the front end, giving me LEAN. Also…dragging the rear brake through tight corners as needed. ***. I took a Braking Class decades ago- with the class bikes in cages- with outrigger caster wheels. We had to go 60 and lock it up. On purpose. Great lesson for stopping distances, ABS vs Non, etc.
As a biker with over 51 years riding experience and averaging over 330 days, a year on motorcycles, I-grade the presenter, a 95 out of 100. The only thing I add is that my bike weighs 800 pounds and I weigh 250 pounds and I have my rear brake lightly mimic my front brake action in fast curves. I feel this planes me out and anchors me once again thank you for the outstanding presentation.
You sir, are exactly on point! Yes, bigger, heavier, longer, lower bikes, the rear brake is much more useful because there is less weight shift to the front wheel.
Great video as always, thanks and this is very needed for so many new and old riders who still live in wrong impression that you should never touch front brake in corner. PS love your Strada, actually called dealership last week and wanted to order new V2S to hear and stay surprised that model cannot be ordered anymore as apparently they are coming up with the new model, for which there is still no info about as of yet.
@@Igor12822 I'm sure you saw the Panigale V2 final edition. Things are changing at Ducati and I don't know what to make of things. I'm going to need a new bike here - and really don't know which way to go.
An interesting video, and I agree with much of your emphasis. I think riders need to practice braking with the bike cranked-over, and your ideas focus on learning a feel for your front wheel grip. Here in the UK we have a lot of bends, usually with little forward visibility and little run-off (we call it "alternative course"). At advanced level we teach riders to 'ride' round corners rather than how to brake around them. Modern bikes are most stable when moving under sufficient power to maintain a constant speed - which means with a slight weight bias to the back wheel. You ask, "How do I know how fast I want to go/ what will the curve be like?" We teach 2 principles. The first is the 'vanishing point' (VP) - the point up the road where the nearside kerb meets the offside kerb. You probably know this - VP moving towards you = bend tightening, moving away = bend opening. So a key part of our teaching is to watch the VP, the aim being to ride under power, keeping the VP at a constant distance. The second principle is that the rider should be able to stop, on their side of the road, in the distance they can see to be clear. This allows you to judge the right distance from the VP and at which you track it round the corner. In summary, our approach is much more to do with teaching riders to read the road than with teaching specific braking techniques. In the UK, bends are the most frequent road hazard. We want riders to be in the gear and at the speed required to 'ride' the hazard as they reach it. Knowing your braking distances and watching the VP take away the guess-work you allude to in the video. It's not the fastest cornering method, but it is the safest - and I can guarantee that the majority of riders will have to work their brakes and motors a lot harder to keep up. (PS my background is Police-trained and formerly on the National Training Team for our national advanced riding body.
Right. There's one flaw with RoadCrafts entire theory: "Modern bikes are most stable when moving under sufficient power to maintain a constant speed - which means with a slight weight bias to the back wheel. " Not true and rather misleading as it implies a bike is unstable unless on the throttle. The obsession with needing to be on the gas in bends is getting people killed. Keep in mind, its the front tire that turns the bike - not the rear. We want weight over the tire that is turning the bike, not driving the bike. And it ignores a fundamental law of physics. Speed equals radius. The faster we go, the bigger the radius. The slower we go, the smaller the radius. Add to that how motorcylces are designed and engineerd to turn. The front brake makes the bike slow down and turn. The throttle makes the bike accelereate and go straight. So obsessing with being on the throttle while turning is fighting physics and giving the bike conflicing instructions. Turn, but go straight. The primary objective is to make it to corner exit. Not to be on the gas. Not to be off the brakes. The number one cause of single vehicle motorcycle crashes is running wide in corners - and we can draw a straight line back to this coaching idea that we need to be on the gas in corners. Every vehicle in the known universe slows down to turn, yet somehow we teach that motorcycles need to be on the gas to turn. And the claim that it gives us more cornering clearance. By what? A few mm's or extra lean angle. Why on earth do we want to be anywhere near max lean angle on a public road? But if we are slowing down, we lean less. Less lean means less risk. If we are slowing down and we need to slow more, we're already on the brake - we don't need to waste precious time and space to roll off the throttle, let the weight shift back to the front tire before we can begin to actively slow. I love the UK (and NZ, etc) Your roads are brilliant fun, but this old method of teaching is a huge problem. Its predicated on trying to predict the future - to predict which gear and which speed is correct without having all the information. It's not the safest by any stretch of the word. It's counterintuitive and gives the rider the fewest number of options to deal with the unexpected. The safer way is to slow until we have all the information and only accelearate when we are pointed out of the corner. LIke, just read your last sentence. We don't teach braking techniques. How crazy is that? I doubt that you are going to be receptive to any of this as this old method has been entrenched and repeated since the '70s, but I implore you to not look at the way we've always done it, and look instead at what the best riders in the world are doing. None of them are still riding the way you describe. BTW, I've been hired by our local motor officers (taught exactly the way you have been). Within a few hours of coaching they all come up to me saying the exact same thing. "I had no idea I could have this much control in corners!"
@CanyonChasers Thanks for your response. I suspect that given we are both experienced coaches we agree over a lot more than we disagree. If you have read the Roadcraft manual, then you will know you have misrepresented my position. Roadcraft is not about speed, but about "safe progress". Also, do not misunderstand me, because I am not saying don't brake in a corner. It is sometimes necessary (e.g. a tightening curve), so learning to feel for grip in a turn is important. You misrepresent my argument when you say I don't teach braking technique, when what I actually said was that I teach cornering as an exercise in 'reading the road' rather than an exercise in braking technique. Your understanding of bike physics is faulty on 3 counts. 1. A bike is more stable under power because the moving engine parts create a gyroscopic effect. 2. Bikes will tend to stand-up and travel in a straight line under braking, the exact degree depending on the front end geometry of a particular bike and the braking force applied. If you take away rider input bikes are designed to return to a straight line. 3. It is not the front wheel which steers the bike - otherwise counter steering to initiate a turn would not make sense! It is the shape of the tyres which turns the bike. Any point near the centre of a tyre will have a greater diameter than a point nearer the rim, and will thus rotate faster. With the bike leaning, the lower edge of the contact patch rotates faster than the upper edge. The difference in speed turns the bike - and this applies to both the front and the rear. The front wheel only controls the degree of lean. The principle behind Roadcraft is the rider selects course, speed and gear prior to negotiating a hazard. If you are in a bend (i.e. in the hazard) and still braking then you are already going too fast, possibly in the wrong gear, and with less grip available for cornering. Roadcraft is not predicated on "predicting the future" but on "reading the road" and responding to hazards before you reach them. If a rider is taught how to observe the road, they won't need to brake in a corner because they will already be travelling at the right speed. The Roadcraft method gives you a little more control and a little more margin for error.
Right. But you are incorrect in all your physics. 1. Speed equals radius. Try this yourself. Find an empty parking lot and ride in a big circle. Keep your lean angle consistent and then gently accelerate. The circle will get bigger. Get into the same circle again. Same speed. Same lean angle. Now roll off the throttle. The circle will gently get smaller. You can even take your hands off the handlebars and the circle will still get smaller. Now again. Same scenario. Only this time gently apply front brake. The circle will get smaller very quickly. We control the radius of a corner with speed inputs as much ad and even more than even steering inputs. What makes a bike stand up under braking is mashing the front brake mid corner because it deforms or folds the front tire over. The take away is. Don’t be afraid of your front brake. Be afraid of abruptness. Now, to all your other points. They are all also outdated and wrong. I did a very detailed video debunking all of them based on ongoing research in the Netherlands, the UK and South Africa. You should watch it. Coned tires don’t make the bike change direction. Countersteering doesn’t steer. It merely initiates lean to balance against centripetal force. And gyroscopic procession does not make the bike stable. Reading the road is very important but Roadcraft is about 50 years out of date and is locked into a position on physics that has long been debunked. So all of the cornering guidance is also incorrect. Can someone ride that way successfully. Absolutely. But again we can draw a straight line back from the leading cause of motorcycle accidents straight to these outdated concepts. In other words. We know more now and we have much better and safer and more controlled methods of cornering that offer greater reductions to risk and more precision than the Roadcraft way. I encourage you to check out the video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j8JEgkKMrcs.htmlsi=YBwB_mmjQLIRbWlY As well as the physics book Motorcycle Dynamics. amzn.to/49kfqqc In the description of that video I have about 30 different sources you can follow on your own.
At the risk of being slightly off topic, the best emergency braking technique is not to have to do emergency braking at all. And I found that a headlight modulator, a $50-75 gadget, that make your high beam headlight flash like that of a pursuing police car has been saving me quite a few hard/emergency breaking because I don't get cut-off as often. Strangely, this simple, cheap and effective safety device is seldom discussed in motorcycle safety video and very seldom seen on the road. Despite costing 5% of some muffler " upgrade" . One of the cheapest motorcycle accessory on the market.
@@CanyonChasers Yes, but being legalized, even encouraged, gradually. So people can check the current legislation in their area. Let's hope common sense prevail because they noticeably work.
@@yl9154 We shouldn't put too much faith in some of these laws. Right? It's illegal to wear a helmet in a car in some states. Like, who went to the trouble to make that one?
Trail braking whist entering a corner of bend is best left to those that have been trained professionally to handle their machine on the highway. It makes no sense to enter a bend where it’s essential to adjust speed using the brakes, it simply illustrates you are travelling too fast and takes little into account of tar banding, undulations in the surface, cracks in the tarmac, metal covers, gravel, oil spills and the odd decomposing carcass. When you’ve pulled motorcyclists out of ditches, scraped their leather clad lifeless bodies from the bark of a particularly large oak, collected limbs after they’ve guillotined themselves on the safety barriers you may begin to understand why. It also fails to take into account the other irresponsible users of the highway who overcook the bend in the opposite direction leaving little if any room to manoeuvre. The highway is not a racetrack, reduce your speed, enter the bend with sufficient visibility to cope with the unexpected and accelerate out and enjoy the ride. When you’ve knocked on the door, greeted by a young wife and her two daughters who were packing for an overseas holiday the next day and witnessed uncontrollable grief when you ask her to identify the corpse now resting in the mortuary you will understand, braking whilst manoeuvring a motorcycle on a bend is not the wisest option for those that have simply taken the test to ride safely in traffic and adhering to the speed limits as set out in bye laws and other such legislation. This is one of the better videos on the subject but it is best practised on a track before putting life at risk on the highway. There are so many hazards out there, a thirty minute video on RU-vid can only scratch the surface and the training must be done with a qualified instructor and the riding technique scrutinised/corrected/praised afterwards. I had occasion to attend the local hospital some two years ago with a small rust particle in one eye. During my wait I spoke with two motorcyclists that had totalled their bikes ( unrelated incidents) and was told by the medics the emergency ambulances were on their way with casualties from yet another traffic accident involving two motorcycles and a car and the air ambulance were bringing another casualty. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, a glorious opportunity to get out there on two wheels and have some fun but the medics didn’t agree, they were all looking forward to the autumn and winter and the drop in traffic accidents involving motorcyclists. Fellow riders, learn advanced motorcycling skills, gain experience on bike control, observation skills re hazards before you begin to push that front tyre down on to gravel on a bend. Remember ….. best keep those big round black rubbery things attached to the tarmac at all times, ride safely and enjoy the journey…..that doesn’t mean slow….far from it.
Okay. What’s the appropriate entrance speed for a corner with a cow in the middle of corner that you don’t know about? If it’s a failure to adjust speed in a corner with the brakes, then what is the correct answer?
@@CanyonChasers Initially, a suggestion would be to read (again) the third paragraph of my response which in very simple terms provides an answer to your question. After some consideration, proceed further by reading again the entire content and try if possible to digest the contents.
1.28 in , I brake in corners . I downshift in corners , the worse that happens if I don t match rev enough the ass end kicks out a bit , and its fun. As a kid I rode my bmx in the canadian winter , it was a blast.
If all other ways of braking are taught correctly , [other then trail braking ]and that is anything like the slow lean press ands roll. then there is no added danger to any bend What goes with that system is that as one approaches any bend and slows using throttle and or braking on is looking for the limit point. That is as far a the eye can see into any bend. You can't see further and it's that limit point that give you the correct entry speed for that bend. Its simply a fact that you should only be able to brake in the distance that you can see to be clear [ that limit point] and on you side of the road. Others who advocate trail braking try to miss that one thing that will keep us all safe on any bend. The limit point is the distance that you can stop in so it becomes your speed limit for that bend. if you are still approaching that bend and the limit point is staying in one place then you need to slow more. If and when the limit point starts to move away from you and round the bend with you that is your safe distance and thus speed to take that bend in. Then you remain a constant from it and ride round the bend. If at any time the limit point is moving closer it means that the bend is tightening and one must slow accordingly. Usually after the apex the limit point goes away from one and it can be seen that and the road is straightening out and then you are coming out of the bend. At all times whilst in the bend with the bike leaning over you should be keeping the same distance to your limit point, you are on an open and steady throttle and constant speed, not accelerating. That is until the limit point opens up at the end of the bend ahead,. then and only then when your bike is almost upright and the road is straight ahead then can you open her up. to your required speed the bend now being behind you.
Cool. So the limit point is getting closer to me? What do I do if I’m supposed be on the throttle throughout the entire corner? Limit point is a great tool. But it’s not the absolute answer to every cornering problem. Just like countersteering isn’t the answer to every cornering problem.
@@CanyonChasers Agreed but unlike the advice of being on the throttle and accelerating throughout a bend in with use of the limit point one maintains merely a constant throttle, a positive one but without any acceleration. When a bike is leant over and counter steered into a bend its contact patch goes from its original state being central to the tyre to being one on the sidewall of a tyre and thus on that sidewall one would be circumnavigating a lesser circumference per revs done. That means travelling less distance per revs being done thus slowing down slightly which is what one doesn't really want to do, So the slight increase of revs at the time of the turn is to counteract that natural slowing mechanism and to maintain that now constant speed throughout the bend. That is until after the apex and standing the bike up and when one now has a straight ahead and then one can accelerate out of that bend. If one sees the limit point getting closer one knows that it is necessary to slow and one can do several things like de accelerate or counter steer, change course etc. to alleviate the danger of over shooting said bend.
I think you will enjoy this video as I debunk all those misunderstood physics you are talking about with lots of sources from researchers in the netherlands, the UK and South Africa: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-j8JEgkKMrcs.htmlsi=V4ue9kIaEylob6yG
Interesting and makes complete sense. I remember as a child flying down hills on my pedal bike enjoying the speed whilst gently squeezing the front brake into the bends and we never came off ! Surely a motorbike is the same …
I’m from Switzerland. People who say ‘never brake in a corner’ must be from places with straight, flat roads. Full-braking-before-tipin is trained and tested here, but in practice I believe trail braking is much better.
I started riding as a teen back in the last 60's, quit when I turned 50 and then bought an adventure bike after a 20 year break. All my buddies were "you gotta learn how to trail brake"??? What? In all these years I've ridden street, dirt, quad, cafe, three wheelers, early sport bikes and old brit thumpers. And lately Ive gotten into side by sides and casual 4 wheeling. I raced for 1 season on my CR500 in the desert. The problem with trail braking is not only the definition but the wild mix of differing techniques across all the bikes we all ride. I'll go faster in the corner and use the rear wheel to turn the bike in dirt, and have even used that at high speed on dirt to save my life, literally. Using the front brake on downhills was not what I was learned as a teen and it took me a while to relearn that habit. So when a street rider gives me advice I have to consciously think about his experiences and blend what I know with what he's saying Of course it's been 45+ years since I rode my 750 Norton so my tarmac canyon carving was on old tech tires and drum front brakes and those experiences slow me down on todays road bikes. I guess what I'm actually saying is advice from other riders needs to be taken with caution as you might not know his level or type of experience which forms his opinion. I read about braking in a real paper magazine 30+ yrs ago and I still use this when I am not rushed or panicked, just play with this cornering technique, and on several corners with steeply decreasing radius, it's worked. Go into the corner, roll off throttle, lightly grab front brake then lightly drag rear brake while gently using more throttle. As you gain experience you can increase control pressures. This loads the front tire even more than normal trail braking and stiffens all the bikes suspension, front and rear and the bike can corner at higher speeds or turn in sharper. Of course this came from a professional sport bike racer for use on the track. So, should I use the experience gained from an experienced winning racer? Probably not on the street or the dirt for that matter. But, knowing and playing with this technique very lightly has given me another tool. Please remember this advice, advice is worth what you paid for it....
I find my entry speed based on what I can see, then drive through the corner from there. I find my entry speed, drag the brake and increase the throttle a bit to hold it while the front end is loaded before I enter the corner. I drive through the corner using the brake to adjust my speed and rarely move the throttle until I am releasing the brake and exiting the corner... I guess you think that's wrong but since bringing that off road technique to the street, I have not once overrun a corner and am a lot more confident with my bike. NOTE, sounds to me like CC doesn't endorse this full time braking in corners, readers and followers of CC should take his credentials and experience into consideration and probably stick to his recommended variation of the technique.
Right, there are some programs that endorse this. It's called "pressure braking" or "brottle" But, it's not just me who warns against it. All the top riding programs and top racers are against it. In fact, the idea first came about when someone misquoted Freeddy Spencer in their book. Freddy was talking about overlapping throttle and rear brake to control wheelspin and wheelies on 500GP two stroke race bikes. But because it was published - here we are. Freddy, as well as Sylvain Guintoli, Scott Russel and many others have said over and over again that we should NEVER overlap throttle and front brake. You can find many of these video's on RU-vid. We can get away with overlapping front brake and throttle at slower speeds and/or when we have good grip, but outside of ideal conditions it quickly falls apart. The throttle is telling the bike to accelerate and go straight. The front brake is telling the bike to slow down and turn. Putting these two forces against each other puts the bike in a state of imbalance where it doesn't want to do either. It's the cause of a lot of crashes in racing and track days when riders accidentially overlap throttle and front brake and because the bike doesn't want to slow down or turn, they end up crashing. Now, if you are talking about overlapping throttle and rear brake, thats a totally different thing. But I would STRONGLY encourage you to abandon overlapping with front brake. We really only want to invest in techniques that work when the speed is up or the grip is down, when things matter most, not just when conditions are ideal.
@@CanyonChasers Wow, this is gonna' be a task, trying to erase years of training myself to drive through corners with the front end dipped and the rear wheel pushing to decrease rake, length of bike, and help with the turning radius. We used this technique in motocross for years and I naturally brought it to the street. Not at first only after I over drove a couple of corners, something I have not done since transferring the technique to my Road King. I guess I am still trying to make excuses but I will surrender to your background and experience and try to change. I guess I am gonna' have to go back and watch the vid a few times then go out and see what happens. Since a life of racing I continually train when I am driving two or four wheels for that matter and have thousands of miles dedicated to the old ways, this is gonna' be a task. Willing to learn though, example, after 50 years of riding in shorts and sheaks, I finally armored up this year and didn't have to crash to make the decision. lol. Thanks for the guidance, see your vids soon...
Great video, thumps up! One addition from my personal point of view: never ever use front brake in a close serpentine when going upwards... because that will load the front, stiffen it up and in extreme situations, like Stelvio for example, it will make you going on the opposite lane.
All good, I have braked into corners on the road and downshifted because I had to, there can be many reasons, for example you spot an oil or damp patch on your path while you are at lean. When you close the throttle and coast, you have engine braking, but how much that depends on what kind of bike, the load, etc. When I am on the road, I ride exactly the same way I ride on the track, but less. It's not to show off, it's stuff that works, but less speed means less braking, less lean angle, less body movement and so on. But, what you didn't say in the video and I was expecting to see, is what to do to brake while you are already into a corner if you must. Sure, be gentle and don't snatch, but that's not all of it.
The big problem with trail braking is that more often than not you're going through the corner at a speed so low that you don't need to do it. It's hard to get good at something that you never get to experience or practice. I'm pretty good at it imo for the reasons you mention such as emergency stopping mid corner but for people new to it as a skill it's hard to teach.
Never brake in a corner? Absolutes are derived from the dark side. <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="147">2:27</a> OMG what a beautiful camera angle! Careful on roads you do not know as gravel is everywhere!
Speaking of slippery corners. One time I was riding in Northern Colorado in a Natl. Forest on a windy road in the rain. I was being cautious as I went around a curve and there was a pile of cow stuff in the road. My rear tire slipped out some but I regained control and when I looked up, there was a cow napping in the road. Good thing I was going slow enough. If I would have even touched my front brake I would have gone down. I never use my front brake in the rain on a curvy road.
I think braking while leaning up to emergency braking is a vital skill to learn and should be trained. Modern bikes and tires can take an astonishing amount of brake force without any risk if done properly. However, never ever abruptly as you say, that would spell bad news (which is the reason curve ABS is becoming increasingly common.
I experienced the lack of trail breaking on my Harley low rider on a closing radius corner in May 2023 thinking I could stay on the throttle and add lean angle. Bad idea and I had 49,000 miles on top of two bikes at the time. Two problems. Too much speed at 37 mph, the bracket for forward controls/floorboards. When I hit the bracket, I lost the rear tire and low sided across the lane into a ditch. Ouch. Time stands still, although you don’t…going horizontally at 37 mph BTW. Don’t try it. I Didn’t scratch myself due to extreme gear but broke 4 ribs (thank goodness in the front, not back). FYI, because of AGATT I went home put on a tux and went to a gala. Unreal day. Gear? Top of the line Harley leather jacket, fully armored. Kevlar jeans, leather knuckle protector gloves, Harley high ankle boots. Full face helmet. Lesson? Trail break, see the exit. What I saw was pavement. Embarrassing as hell and a bit painful. Informative? Incredibly.
Mindfulness when riding is an amazing thing. Feeling the road…feeling the front tyre contacting the road surface, feeling the road surface. That’s how you know become one with your bike .
