| Anyone can twist a throttle to the stop, but not so | | | | half of what it is in the dry, and dirt and gravel roads |
| many know the principles behind safe and effective | | | | should also be treated with extreme care. Similarly, |
| braking. | | | | keep an eye out for spilled petrol or diesel, which will |
| If you engage in the former often but aren't so hot | | | | be a rainbow colour if it's wet, and greasy areas in |
| on the latter, you're just playing a waiting game | | | | general - like white painted road markings, or when |
| before push comes to shove, and end up going | | | | you're approaching an intersection or a set of traffic |
| down the road next to your bike, instead of on it. | | | | lights. |
| Braking skills should be mastered to a competent | | | | The type of motor bike you ride can also affect how |
| degree from the outset of anyone's riding career, | | | | you approach your braking. Most standard road bikes, |
| and then refined as time goes by, but what's the | | | | including sportsbikes, commuters and tourers, derive |
| best way to brake anyway? | | | | around 80 per cent of their braking force from the |
| Set up, squeeze, ease - as in set up your brakes by | | | | front brake, and 20 per cent from the rear. Jump on |
| applying them gently, but enough to get the front | | | | a cruiser however, with its greater rake, longer |
| forks to compress a little; squeeze the lever with | | | | wheelbase and different weight distribution, and you'll |
| progressive force to achieve the desired | | | | find the rear brake plays a larger role. |
| deceleration; and then ease them off smoothly once | | | | Scooters can be somewhere between the two. |
| your speed has been set to the required level. | | | | Whatever you ride, eye direction is vitally important - |
| It's only through constant practice that you can | | | | keep looking ahead of you when braking, and don't |
| develop a sense of how close you are to your front | | | | let your eyes drop. The moment you do you've got |
| and rear tyres' limits of adhesion, so make a | | | | much less chance of saving a locked front end, as |
| conscious effort to practice your braking, and in | | | | without the horizon as a point of reference it's easier |
| particular your emergency braking, often. | | | | to lose your balance. |
| Instructional ride schools can be a huge help here | | | | On the road, try and get all your braking out of the |
| with scooters, road bikes or sportsbikes; with training | | | | way before you enter a turn. Racers may brake |
| ranges and trained experts on hand to get you | | | | deep into a corner, but they're on the absolute limit - |
| braking harder and more safely than ever before, in | | | | and that's no place for road rider who wants to stick |
| the controlled environment of a training range. | | | | around. |
| Ideally, you should be able to develop your braking to | | | | Finally, your braking performance will also be |
| a point where you can nearly reach the limit of | | | | adversely affected if your tyres are worn out, or |
| adhesion, when the tyres start to 'chirp', but not | | | | you're running the wrong pressures in them - you've |
| exceed it - this isn't easy, even before you throw in | | | | only got two small contact patches the size of the |
| bumps, potholes and greasy surfaces, which more | | | | palm of your hand between you and the road, so |
| often than not are the reality on Aussie roads. | | | | make sure both these areas are in top shape. |
| Bear in mind that in wet weather your grip is around | | | | |