Why You Need to Be Trail Braking | Motorcycle Trail Braking Explained 

We have an updated version of this video that goes into a little bit more detail and answers some of the most common questions. Check it out! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fuoYUYFNkGI.html

Been riding for 40+ years and was an MSF instructor way back in the early days, I must admit that I had no understanding of what trail braking really meant. Thank you for the clear explanation. Old Dogs can learn new tricks. Now to get out there and practice.

MotoGP rider Bradley Smith was asked once in an interview, "What advice would you give street riders?". Smith's response was to practice pushing your bike around, like, on your feet and off the bike pushing, and engage the front brake as softly as possible, learn to feel the first bite and get to know it well. He was advocating trail braking.

THANKS FOR SAVING MY ARSE TODAY!!! Been riding 15 years. Getting complacent. Saw this video a year or so back. Today, on a road I know A BIT, curvy, trees both sides. Hammering along at 70/80 because I know I can along here. No nasty surprises along here. I remember. Then I find myself right on top of a sharp left hander. SH1T!! Where'd THAT come from?? Lean angle wasn't going to do it. Presence of mind to remember progressive breaking.... Now it's lean in time - still too fast! Then I remembered trail breaking - ease off lever a bit, tip in...thank christ, heading towards apex, gradually ease off lever some more, apex, ease throttle back on... Enter in terror - exit grinning like a fool. Home to Her in one piece & having a lovely Friday evening. THANK YOU!!

I was never taught this - I think I did it intuitively but always felt like I was breaking a rule or something based on what I was taught. Good to know I’m not crazy for doing it this way.

Coasting is engine braking, which is rear wheel braking. This was the aha moment of the video for me.

"by using the brakes we are the ones in charge" The best piece of motorcycle advice I've heard. Some riders I see are on a motorcycle but not really in control of it. Knowing you have the knowledge and skill to command your motorcycle in any scenario makes riding much more enjoyable. Yes, the more you know the better it gets.

Im currently a MSF RiderCoach and you highlight a very problematic part of this curriculum that needs to change.

I watched this video when you 1st uploaded it back in 2018, I took the bike out that very afternoon and practised trail braking, over the next few day I spoke to my friends about it and they ALL said "nah rubbish, never trail brake" but I carried on for a few more days trying it out.... 2 years later I can honestly say it's made me a better rider and given me so much confidence in corners, now I wouldn't ride any other way and even recommend this video to my new rider friends... Thank you....

Being one of those who got hammered with the "kill all speed for a turn and accelerate out of it regardless" , I found myself well impressed with the clarity and common sense you guys showed in this video. Thank you ever so much for sharing this. Even though I've been driving a motorcycle for decades now, I learned something new today. For which I'm gratefull. Thanks guys!

point #2.... "why would you want to accelerate when you can't see what's ahead" ? because you have never crashed before, and think you're invincible.

Seems like many of you who believe trail braking is dangerous think it means maximum braking into the turn. No, you missed the fundamental message that you brake earlier and longer into the bend and gradually feather off of it as you transition to throttle. You don't whang on the brake and hold that pressure the entire time into the curve. The entire point is to leave a greater margin or "traction budget". You don't just brake deeper into the turn, you brake earlier - *not harder*. It also means you apex later and get a better view. Trail braking does not mean, "rushing the corner".

Been doing this for years - both onroad and offroad. This is probably the best instructional video of trailbraking I've ever seen ! +1

I learned trail braking before I took my first MSF course, I was told I was wrong and to never keep my fingers on the brake lever, sorry but trail braking saved me more than once and I even taught my wife way before watching this video and finding out I was correct after years of being told I was wrong by 7 different instructors ... I have had some terrible instructors, this video needs to be seen by all MSF instructors.

Used trail braking inadvertently when I got my bike last year. Was still recovering from knee surgery and found it was literally uncomfortable to move my ankle when riding. As a result I found that using the front brake was much more suitable for me until my knee (and ankle) felt better. Now I'm feeling more in control thru the corners using the trail braking technique. Thanks for a great description thru your video! Only thing I would add (as more of a reminder) is to not become fixated on the hazard spots of the corners (ie: guard rails, other vehicles, objects, etc). Keep looking as far ahead as you can in the direction you want to go and not at the perceived obstacles. Thx.

I had many moments of terror every time I rode for past 10 years until I tried trail braking. No more being scared. I always preferred following someone, buy now I love to lead. Thank you!!

Amazing to have this free information available to us. I learned this the hard way... but man to hear it in words would have saved me lots of money and a broken shoulder. Thank you for the video! It's extremely helpful and I guarantee many accidents and injuries have been avoided because of this team.

Remember all trail braking is light and very steady. You are not stopping your bike or chopping speed, you are slowly grinding down your speed. Practice first with a feather touch.

Not only does trail braking: -change the geometry so the bike wants to turn more, -but also loads the front tire increasing contact patch -AND reduces speed at the same time.

no one taught me the term 'trail braking' but as i gained experience on the bike, this technique saved me numerous times when i went into corners bit too hot.

Thanks for this pro tip. I've always been taught to get all things in order prior to the corner, and not mess with brakes with bike at lean. You talked about the struggle that I've always had on roads that I'm not familiar with. On a known road I know the gear \ braking needed to feel safe going through a corner, but as soon as I end up on a new road I'm in learning mode. My riding style completely changes as I try to guess what gear \ braking is needed. This is usually fine on the corners that allow for a little more room for error, but on those corners where there's a hair pin type turn it can get unsettling. I'm going to start holding the brake a little longer, and give this a try on my "home" roads that I'm familiar with. The hard part for me is being on the brake, and holding the throttle steady as well.

Smoothness in operating all the controls is the biggest deal in riding a bike, even more so on a high power one...

after many years, I've in the last year started doing this. It's by far one of the very best techniques I've EVER done. So much more control and confidence in corners.

Thank you, my dear friend, this saved me today, and I saw this video yesterday. I was riding a tight corner and it was a blind corner, I had a little front brake on when I entered a corner and all of a sudden an SUV was riding in opposite direction in my lane ( it's. Two line country road ) and I managed to brake effiflciently and slow down enough to maneuver safely through. ( My motorcycle is a classic 350 and don't have abs) Thank you

Finally someone who's says "Slow down".

So I commented on this video over a year ago asking for additional clarification which I received. I then commenced to practicing the technique a lot under controlled and concentrated conditions. I now use it all the time and consider it especially helpful when approaching downhill curves. I can directly attribute this knowledge and subsequent practice to saving my bacon on a couple of misjudged curves. All I did was delicately apply a touch more brake while trail braking. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. It's the best explanation of trail braking I have been able to find.

I am a 50 year old man who has just purchased his first bike SV650 LAMS in Australia, I can’t even ride yet because of Covid, however I have been watching your content and it’s is so informative and I think when I do get to start riding I will have good habits because of what I’m learning from you! Thank you

I rode without trail breaking on I first got my license on my Ninja 250 however once I got a bigger bike I had hard time turning specially at roundabouts. After a while I searched breaking safely while turning and thats when I learned about trail breaking and now riding and turning is not scary anymore.

It’s what we would call “risky” lmao had me crying.... was waiting for a technical term

That graphic with the rake and trail was really well done!

I dont even own a motorcycle lol

This is pure motorcycling gold! Great video.

This is the third time I have watched this video in the last year. Congratulations one making one of the best motorcycle videos on RU-vid. Trail braking changed everything for me on the street. Thank you 🙏

I'm new to riding on the street, and I find corners intimidating sometimes. The way I've been taught just doesn't always feel good. A few times I've come out of a difficult corner and realized I've instinctively done just what you're describing - I'll notice that it worked really well, but then I'd think "wow I was lucky, better not do that again!" Now I understand why. From now on I'll work on it on purpose! Thanks for reminding us how braking and accelerating affects bike geometry.

I'm a very new rider , I've only been out a couple of times but I applied this and all I can say is wow....made cornering much easier and I felt much more comfortable..great video ..thanks

I just watched the vid.. after years of riding, I started doing this a couple of months ago.. where I live the twisties are sometimes bumpy and can go off-camber in the corners... so after I started 'trail-braking' I was able to keep my line in the corner and maintain my speed throughout the corner and exit easily... without 'trail-braking', the corners were a bit dangerous and unpredictable to ride through... often I would have to back-off or brake fast which made each of the corners really hairy... so thanx for the vid .. awesome stuff explained easily.

Great video…I’ve learned today. Another great tactic for cornering is pushing with your inside hand against the bars. It really stabilizes your angle when cornering. Did wonders for me in the way that my cornering was in a better line and more stabile for when coming into and out of corners.

The feeling when you ride into the corner too fast. 💩👎💩👎💩👎💩💩💩💩

Generally, I agree with you. The motorcycles I learned on were old, top-heavy bikes with narrow tires. Before I took a safety coarse, I learned on city areas and narrow, and bumpy, twisted watershed roads that often had loose asphalt from road patches. I will not recommend anyone do anything, but I found that where conditions were good, and at very slow speeds, while the bike was upright, I practiced feeling just what it took to make the rear tire skid. I found that even with a lowly 450cc engine, that skid threshold was very dependent on engine rpm. Engine compression braking during de-acceleration is something I like to get a feel for--while modulating the rear brake. Especially at low RPMs, if the engine wants to stall, surely, it alone wants to skid the rear tire. What I wanted to learn: at each given engine RPM, at varying surface and tire conditions, how much rear brake must I subtract to make the rear tire microskid on compression strokes. Obviously, cornering and braking forces are applied to the same tire contact patch. Obviously, as you slow, much of the weight comes forward, and as you said, compressing the forks, and changing the suspension geometry. By its nature, like a shopping cart wheel, trail keeps the front wheel stable, and I do think that your assertion that keeping the bike level/from not diving, so the trail does not diminish is a handy technique. Still, I feel one of the most important mantras to use, is to look where I am going, and if I cannot see, then slow down. You mentioned something to that effect. Not riding your bike into the unknown may take the fun out of it, but where I rode, I never knew where branches might have come down. I never new where a pile of wet leaves might have been. I never knew where the pot holes might have formed, that day. Not all the blind-driveways where marked. I don't trust the public-works people to have built any stretch of road--until I see it for myself. Sport-bikes are so fast now. Is there any reason why someone couldn't speed up later, when they can finally see?

This video has made all the difference !! As a beginner rider with less than five hours on the bike and reviewing this video a couple times it brought control and confidence and joy into turns. Thank you for sharing. I just did a 40 mile canyon ride yesterday and it was smooth sailing.

Been doing that for about 20 years. I ride Harleys hard and learned from a really good sport bike guy. Respect!

I watched this video yesterday and tried Trail braking out today. It really helped me taking corners better and riding through them more stable. It also helped me correcting my line when i took a corner faster than usual. You earned a sub, good content and good videos!

I taught myself how to ride a motorcycle, and I guess I've naturally been doing this technique. Never knew some people don't brake during the turn. Seems much more dangerous.

I have watched this again after your personal experience on the benefits it gave you to your riding. It has made it a lot clearer looking at this again. Thank you for sharing, clearly backed by the science.

Some years ago, when I bought my first bike, I watched this video. Later I bought a book but until now I wasn't able to understand trail breaking. KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE and WORK are necessary. Thanks for such quality on your material.

I am so glad you explained this technique to me as I already practice this and feel save and in controle. As my riding buddies always tell me not to brake into a corner (they see my break light) I was beginning to question my technique..... But I was unable to explain it to them as I only knew it felt right. Now I know why and I can further practice and master the technique, Thanks!!!

New to riding a sport bike/any bike. Was having trouble judging speed into corners. Either went a little wide or cut the corner much too short. Watched this guy say the complete opposite to my instructors when I took my test. Amazing, 1 week of practicing this technique at every corner, tight or no so tight, works for them all really). Slowly off the brake as you lean the bike into the corner, at the same time as you add throttle you let go of the rest of the brake (all one motion). I've never been more confident going into a tighter corner, I'm quicker and more confident. works 100%

Thanks for this public service. Suddenly I'm seeing trail braking videos all over the place, but yours was the first, and I like the approach you used. I've ridden bikes for almost 20 years, and I was always timid about corners, apparently because I was trying to follow the old dogma you mentioned. So many close calls due to coming out of the corner wide, sometimes crossing the center line. As a result, I haven't put many miles on my bikes, simply because the fear factor interfered so much with the fun factor. I'm looking forward to getting back on the Bonneville and experimenting with this technique.

Ive watched a bunch of these trailbrraking videos but this is the first one to illustrate the concept so so well. I fully get it now. Thank you!

Loved the fork pressing and wheelbase graphic. Amazing video

I did this the entire time and i just thought it was the way to keep your line as smooth as possible. This takes away the intimidation of bikes for me. I do this in my cars too. I learned how to do this cuz my first project car was lacking ABS, TC, SC and allat and this helped the car handle amazing with me driving, so ima do it with my bike too

As usual, it's all about being smooth. Smooth is fast and smooth is safe.

« Do you add more coast » is the best thing I’ve ever heard

just completed a three day adventure riding course in the hills of Oregon and we practiced this braking relentlessly. Then I rode 5 hours back to my house and practiced this on every moderate to tight corner I took and the response was almost magical. Great video and instructional advice.

Hmm. I was kind of excited about this video. Thought I was going to learn something new. Turns out I've been doing this instinctually already. Still watched the video though. Very informative.

Since I passed my UK bike test in 1980 before it got difficult, nobody has ever mentioned anything like this to me. Not even when I much later passed the IAM so called advanced test! I’m now subscribed and I’ll start practicing straight away. Many thanks.

More lean angle is my preferred solution to most overcooked corner entries. Most of us punters out there are not using anywhere near the full potential of our bike or tires. I've found that any time I've needed to dip it in harder than I like, the bikes I ride have just taken it in their stride. Conversely, the times I've tried to manage the situation with brakes are some of my more memorably sketchy moments. So I'm a fan of spot the desired exit and counter-steer like ya life depends on it lol But I must admit, I don't really brake unless I'm trying to go flat out. Or a wallaby tries to get onboard.

Great video Dave! I wish all riders would be able to drop their pride and get some advance training on their bike. Being able to hold 3% front brakes really changed my riding.

As someone who was taught to trail brake from day-one... I no longer preach this... To this day, people continue to think I'm lying, so I just do it and not tell.

It is worth noting that the esteemed Lee Parks dedicated a section of his book, Total Control, to trail braking for the streets, as well as coaching the technique in his safety classes which have been officially adopted by numerous states as well as the US military.

I remember from 55 years ago a piece of advice I was given, slow in fast out. I think that was aimed mainly at rear wheel drive vehicles which were the predominant drive in those days. Used it in cars and motor cycles ever since without any problem. This sounds pretty similar, but it's really good to hear the reasoning for it.

Against everything I was told in MSF. Glad to see this early in my riding..

I thought I was a good rider, but that's ignoring I that have issues in some curves.. this is enlightening! thanks

I love your channel. I am back on the two wheel road. I started practicing trail braking very early. I only have 3600 miles on my bike (klx 230) but can honestly say this practice has made me a far better rider. By trail braking through every and all turns I have saved myself from countless spills. By having a gentle touch you can feel the motorcycle drop in the front. You can feel the sure-footedness right away. How many times I have had to brake to a crawl so that I could safely pass through an area of the road with bad traction or even gravel. It definitely takes practice. And you can definitely find yourself feeling over confident. However, I am faster and safer and I can feel it. I have had to come to a near stop so many times. I have a pretty good idea of how those scenarios would have ended if I had not been practicing this technique. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Ride safe compatriots!✌️

Great video, I was always told "trail braking is bad" 👎 and only novices trail brake into corners. Since I've watched this& started to use the techniques, my riding is smoother, bends so much better and turning into side roads is now far more confident.. many thanks guys..

Brakes are always a fundamental aspect in increasing the average speed. Thanks a ton. I had a vague idea about it and I use this technique but still you totally opened up that Pendora's box to me.

I think it's important to understand that your not jamming on the break, but only using one or two finger low strength. I found adding baby and I mean super baby pressure on the rear break as well helps.

Nice technique to add to my arsenal. Me and my sv650 thank you

I agree with what you are saying. Although there is a nurd response to the term acceleration, applying acceleration maintains speed when doing advanced driving and riding for emergency services. Let me explain: when a vehicle goes into a corner under the same acceleration, there are additional frictional forces. (The vehicle slows.) You are required to add a slight accelerator to maintain speed. This does not increase velocity. So we are taught that you need to add acceleration to maintain speed. You only increase velocity when the way is clear and the vanishing point starts to move away. I hope that helps people. It's akin to people believing that the handlebars cause a motorcycle to turn when, in fact, it is lean.

Holy crap! I've been riding for years and was a MSF rider coach myself and their technique was just a part of how I rode, until I saw this video. I will be honest and tell you that I had heard of it but didn't understand what it was to the point that I made assumptions it was with the back brake so I steered far from that. It does take some getting used to and conditioning to understand how good/bad your brakes are but it works!

One of the best tips for cornering. Having watched this sometime ago I started to practice this technique and you can definitely benefit from it. It gives you way more confidence if you need to slow in a corner as you brake in a more relaxed way as opposed to grabbing a handful and washing out in a panic as shown on shed loads of RU-vid vids.

So basically what I'm seeing is that I should start applying the front brake before the corner, even if ever so lightly, and ride the front brake through the corner until I'm confident I can exit safely. If the corner tightens unexpectedly, I can slowly apply more pressure to the front brake regardless of what point of the corner I'm in, since I already started the turn with my front brake depressed, allowing me to tighten my lean angle. Am I getting this right?

I love playing with the geometry of my bike it's like a different motorcycle each time. Getting a feel for how each change makes a difference is key in being a motorcyclist

When I started riding I automatically just started trail braking. It just ‘physics-ly’ made sense to me. But more so, it settles the suspension into the corner and causes it to want to ‘grip’ better.

Wow, finally a video with actual specific techniques that I can go out and try out on the road. Cool, thanks!

As a Rider Coach, we teach the sequence of cornering - Slow, Look Press and Roll because new riders have a tendency to panic and grab the brake in the corner and crash cause they do not slow or brake enough. They also have a tendancy to rush the corner and turn in early causing them to run wide. Both are coached during the weekend. Students are taught to brake hard, ease off the brakes and enter the corner slowly. Now if the turn is wider or less tighter than expect slightly roll the throttle on until you see the exit then accelerate out of the corner. If the corner is a decreasing radius, again you should have entered the corner slowly, off the brakes and roll on slightly or neutral throttle until you see the exit, then roll on and accelerate out. Here you are delaying acceleration until you see the exit. I actually tell my students about trail braking and that it's a technique you should learn once you have developed a brake feel on your motorcycle. I think trail braking is a vauable techinque for riders with some experience but not for a new rider on a training motorcycle. Just my opinion.

This has to be the best explanation of trail braking I've found yet on RU-vid. I've seen a few. None of the others make it clear that this is a front brake technique. They show using the front brakes, but never declare it. Thanks for that.

I've been doing this unknowingly for years, it all makes sense now

I’m Still trying to break the habit of using the rear break only, coming from dirt, I’ve always power slides into corners, can’t do that on street, trail breaking has allowed me gain confidence in my Cornering, and entering speed.

Very nice vid! I started doing this years ago without even knowing about the technique. A lot of people that have been riding for years don't really know this. What happened to me is that, after a lot of practice I had really polished this technique for with my previous ducati monster. I'd go in quick into any tight corner and use this technique to then do corrections if needed, brake, then lean more. A few months ago, I changed to a new bike, MT09 SP. The brakes have a different feeling to them but I had too much confidence from my previous bike that on my first rides I automatically started trail braking without even noticing. ABS switched on in middle of the corner and I almost shit myself xD Its all cool now, I got the used to the new brakes and I'm back to normal :P

I recently had a refresher course after not riding for 35 years. The instructor, who was an ex Australian road race champion, teaches on corners and roundabout, to drag the rear brake slightly( not actually braking) and keep a constant throttle opening through them until your exit, he says it is what they all used to do when racing and it steadies the bike.

Best explanation and teaching style. Light bulb moment.

Nicely stated and the most important instructions are at the end. Slow gently squeeze, not a "I grabbed the brakes and fell". Young riders need to learn the gradual application of throttle, brakes and sometimes clutch. Learn gradual building and releasing pressure on controls first and this method will work. I ride mountains constantly (live here) and when going downhill on curve stacked on curve stacked again and again, you have to trail brake sometimes. Otherwise if accelerating through every curve you'd be doing a ton through the fourth switchback.

how does this video have 988 dislikes? it's telling you how to ride well and brake safely in a corner. i don't get how you dislike a video like this

Glad to find all these good technique videos before I start riding so I can have a baseline of knowledge when I begin. The less bad habits I pick up early the better.

Amazing. This has changed everything for me.

well u learn something new every day cheers .

Is anyone here familiar with The Brake Light Initiative? I understand trail braking involves doing most of the braking while upright, but instead of releasing the brakes before turning in and leaning the bike, slowly releasing the brakes as you lean the bike. Trail braking is not about applying the front brake while turning. It's about keeping pressure on the front brake to begin with, before leaning, and slowly releasing it as you begin to lean and continue to approach the appropriate lean angle. Trail braking as used in racing aims to maximize the use of available traction as often as possible. By doing so, a racer can brake later, but longer, yet carry more speed through the corner. Trail braking as applied to street riding is the opposite. You don't brake any later, but you do brake longer, effectively slowing down more for the corner. Slower means safer. If you find trail braking interfering with your steering or line, that just means you're braking too hard, which in turn means you didn't brake enough while upright in a straight line, which means you either didn't brake hard enough or you braked too late. The technique is not at fault here. It's its execution.

I’m just around the corner from my GOLDEN anniversary on motorbikes and want to say THANKS for taking so much time to show and explain how to make my ride so much more fun and much safer. In my late 30’s and early 40’s all you young whipper-snappers were just full of opinions, was I way off on that train of thought. Each time you do one of these videos it makes my next ride more challenging but so so much more fun. Between this video and the face you fear video I now have a whole summers worth of practicing to do. So thank you for putting things in terms we can all understand.

"Add more Coast!" Love it! (And Guilty of doing it! lol) Seriously though, Great Video. And I'm totally going to go out and try this.

Thanks Dave so much I recently starting doing this as after many miles covered now I was getting bad and a bit scared going into to corners after recently running wide, i did think i was wrong breaking into a corner but couldn’t understand how right and safer it felt until i found this video and now understand it was a technique😀👍 called trail breaking😮out practising it even more cant thank you enough, working through all your videos and subscribed ride well🙏👍

I trail braked and the Harley guy behind me freaked out. I think he was just jealous that my brakes work.

Trying trail braking without learning the basic skills will cause problems. Most of these problems can be avoided if you avoid entering a corner faster than your skill set and not paying attention ahead to determine if a decreasing radius is about to hit. Trail braking is best mastered when you have sufficient skills under your belt. I have trail braked as well but very judiciously; in 20 years of riding I seldom needed to. Great video.

It's kinda interesting to realize I've been trail breaking this whole time without consciously realizing what I was doing. It just felt intuitive to apply some front break when I realize I need to tighten my arc. But now understanding the mechanics of it I feel like I can definitely apply it better.

I actually do this "all the time" (when needed) unconsciously and I *never* coast, it makes the bike all loose and it's dangerous. Anyway, for some reason it has always felt better doing this then the "traditional" slow-look-press thing..! It was good to watch this video as I now have learnt the essentials of Trail Braking so I can improve more something I was making out of instinct!!!

“What are you going to do, add more coast?” LOL Great quote.

Buy the recommend book if your still struggling to understand trail breaking. A superb read with very clear advice for road and track.

Same concept in a car, load front suspension, then slowly release till apex where you transition on to throttle.

Never heard this term before. First I thought this vid was gonna tell everyone to brake with the rear and I was ready to be triggered. Regards from Germany

This technique is for more advanced riders. Most riders need to first master countersteering and throttle control first. Controlling the throttle and the front brake at the same time takes practice. I have been trail braking for a long time just didn't know there was a name for it. Remember stay within your skill ability and the bikes ability. Ride on brothers and be safe. JMO