Braking and left foot position

[spklbuk]

When you are stopping and have finished downshifting, where is your left foot...Still on the foot peg or hanging off motard style ready to steady the bike? What is your logic?

 

[squeezer]

When you are stopping and have finished downshifting, where is your left foot...Still on the foot peg or hanging off motard style ready to steady the bike? What is your logic?

It's on the foot peg 90% of the time. I don't need to put my foot down until I'm completely stopped so there's no sense in having it hang out there where it doesn't belong. And anything else makes you look like those newbie riders who paddle foot into and out of stops.

 

[Scab]

Foot on the peg until stopped. As the front suspension begins the rebound, the foot leaves the peg.

Logic? I defy logic.

 

[EODSarge]

The guy who taught me how to ride made it a fetish to leave his feet on the pegs as long as possible, and it rubbed off on me. I start twitching when I see someone dragging their feet as they leave a stop. The FJR is so easy to balance that I've been able to completely stop at stop signs and go again without putting my feet down... so put me down as keeping my feet on the pegs as long as possible.

 

[spklbuk]

Thanks gentlemen.

EODSarge, maybe that's my difficulty. I am self taught since age of 10 and on my dirt bikes, I had feet hanging off one side or the other under a myriad of conditions. Guess I just never saw it as an issue. I've been told by others that I anticipate the stop by the foot leaving the peg.

Logic? I defy logic.

More true words were never uttered my friend!

 

[JRO]

You'll get used to riding a heavier street bike, soon enough. Don't worry about your feet, or what others do. You'll adapt.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Keep your feet on the pegs until otherwise needed elsewhere.

 

[spklbuk]

Didn't I just answer this on another post of yours???
Man after reading the other few things you posted of how do you... I think you may want to buy a book on riding styles. Ask Bust and odot, they have some great information on this .....

Bluesman,

I brought this over from the duplicate post (sorry, not sure how I managed it twice).

Things like what? After 30 years on the street + another 10 before that on dirt and a few hundred thousand miles later, I let myself get caught up in the moment once on 311...is that what you are talking about? It can happen to the best amongst us at any given time my friend.

BTW, I've read Code (I & II), Parks, and Ienastch (spell).

I'm no rookie here guys. It just that right now, I'm just doing a little self-evaluation by investigating some old bad habits with y'all's much appreciated help. :drinks:

 

[jekirby]

I have not, but a friend of mine who took a MSF class said they had ?drills? to practice keeping foot on peg until stopped, like Scab and others have said.

 

[spklbuk]

John,

What precipitated two postings about braking was this: Just before we met you in Rich Creek last weekend, a guy in a cage signalled left late and stopped very short. I was leading going downhill and with Creta on behind, side bags full and full dry bag on rear rack I stopped (a quite well-executed one at that) well in time though both of us ended up practically sitting on the tank together. I just got to playing it back in my mind and wondering (mostly trying to see it from Creta's perspective) if the stop could have been smoother had I used better technique.

Jim

 

[noob]

I have not, but a friend of mine who took a MSF class said they had ?drills? to practice keeping foot on peg until stopped, like Scab and others have said.

Actually, the MSF teaches you to have the left foot ready to balance the bike, because the right is on the rear brake. The point for them is to always use both brakes to stop, to make it a habit.

So it's left foot down first, then right, after stopping.

And if you don't do this, you'll probably die and go to motorcycle hell, where all the bikes are less then 50cc's, and they have governors :blink:

 

[cougar8000]

Actually, the MSF teaches you to have the left foot ready to balance the bike, because the right is on the rear brake. The point for them is to always use both brakes to stop, to make it a habit.

Actually MSF has no stand on how soon to put the left down.

You should try to keep your feet on the pegs as long as possible. Reason is simple. The minute you start moving your foot you start changing the center of the body mass. Plus, if you drag them for more then few feet you loose many cool points. :yahoo:

 

[noob]

Actually they do, I teach it in both the BRC and ERC.

Left foot first. If the right is being used to brake, it's last, and they recommend using both brakes. there is nothing in either the instruction cards on the range or the classroom video's or the handbook suggesting keeping both feet on the pegs as long as possible. nary a word.

Nor do they say you drag your left leg, simply that it goes down first, after shifting to first and keeping the clutch in, your left then becomes ready to balance the bike after stopping.

(some should remember this from the "emergency stopping" exercises).

 

[wfooshee]

Yeah, once you're past walking the clutch in the MSF course, nearly every exercise ends in a both-brakes downshift-to-first left-foot-down-when-stopped all-four-fingers-on-both-levers bike-better-be-in-first-before-you're-stopped. And that's one of the riding exams, too.

I'm always left foot down once stopped, then the other foot if I need it, unless I get off balance somehow and no trees are nearby.

 

[HaulinAshe]

...I'm just doing a little self-evaluation by visiting some old bad habits with y'all's much appreciated help. :drinks:

I don't recall seeing you at my house?!



My rule is never put the foot down anytime you are likely to travel further than one "duck walk" stride. In other words, my goal is to put the left foot down so that there is no chance I would ever have to pick it up again while the bike is still moving.

Where braking is concerned, your most effective braking is when you can keep your body mass pushed back. The sudden CG shift is best prevented by using your arms and your legs to push yourself (and often the passenger) backwards, while you manage maximum braking on the levers. The less bar pressure you exhibit, the more "in control" you feel and typically are. So push HARD with your feet to avoid so much upper body force.

I can still remember that time as a kid, when I thought it was cool to drag my feet along on the stop, UNTIL I grabbed a toe and it jerked me completely off the bike.

You will adapt just fine to a new skill set. Even us old dirt dogs can learn new tricks.

 

[Tenchi]

Foot on the peg as long as possible. I wanna keep my CoG over the center of the bike as much as possible. Makes it easier to ride at low speeds. I usually put my foot out just as the bike is coming to a stop - foot hits the ground at the same time the bike comes to a complete stop.

 

[Bustanut joker]

When you are stopping and have finished downshifting, where is your left foot ...Still on the foot peg 1 or hanging off motard style ready to steady the bike? 2 What is your logic?

????????????????????????????

Damn I miss the"old" days... Guess ya do what ya do to increase yer post count eh?

:jester:

 

[Knifemaker]

Well, I think there is some delay in the whole timing of foot off peg, foot on ground , bike stopped thing..

Basicly I don't take my feet of the pegs until I am about to stop, and I seem to have it timed so the feet hit the ground at just the right time to hold up the bike.

When I take off, they retract like landing gears, usualy fairly quickly once the bike begins moving forward.

I am a two footer however...I put both feet down when I stop..this is due to my short legs, and to the fact that I ride with a passenger alot. The bike is just easier to manage if I keep it upright when stopped and not leaned over any.

In Missouri, when you take the motorcycle test to get your licence, they take points off your score for removing either foot off the pegs when doing any manuvers other than stopping.... So I think alot of new riders here got into the habit of keeping their feet glued to the pegs until the last possible second....lol

KM

 

[cougar8000]

Actually they do, I teach it in both the BRC and ERC.
Left foot first. If the right is being used to brake, it's last, and they recommend using both brakes. there is nothing in either the instruction cards on the range or the classroom video's or the handbook suggesting keeping both feet on the pegs as long as possible. nary a word.

Nor do they say you drag your left leg, simply that it goes down first, after shifting to first and keeping the clutch in, your left then becomes ready to balance the bike after stopping.

(some should remember this from the "emergency stopping" exercises).

Noob, reread my post. I teach BRC as well. And My point MSF has no stand how EARLY to stick the foot out. Yes, we do teach to put left down first while right is on the brake. But NOT how EARLY. I think that is the original question. Every person has its own comfort level, but it is preferred to keep both feet on the pegs to avoid early shift of balance. And too keep scoring those cool points.

I am not disputing that the right foot should be on the brake.