California Motorcycle Handbook - Antevia

shy about using the front brake,but don’t “grab” it either.Squeeze the brake lever firmlywith continuing steady pressure.If the front wheel locks, releasethe front brake immediately andthen reapply it firmly. At the sametime, press down on the rearbrake. If you accidentally lock therear brake on a good tractionsurface, you can keep it lockeduntil you have completelystopped.NOTE: Even with a locked rearwheel, you can control themotorcycle on a straightaway ifit is upright and going in astraight line.Always use both brakes at thesame time to stop. The front brakecan provide almost threequartersof your stopping power.If you must stop quickly whileturning or riding a curve, the besttechnique is to straighten themotorcycle first and then brake.However, it may not always bepossible to straighten themotorcycle and then stop. If youmust brake while leaning, applythe brakes lightly and reduce thethrottle. As you slow, reduceyour lean angle and apply morebrake pressure until themotorcycle is straight andmaximum brake pressure ispossible. Then in the last few feetof stopping, you should“straighten” the handlebars. Themotorcycle should now bestraight up and in balance.Swerving or TurningQuicklySometimes you may not haveenough room to stop, even if youuse both brakes properly. Anobject might appear suddenly inyour path. Or the car ahead mightsqueal to a stop. The only way toavoid a crash may be to turnquickly or swerve around it.A swerve is any sudden changein direction. It can be two quickturns, or a rapid shift to the side.To swerve, apply a small amountof hand pressure to thehandlegrip on the side of yourintended direction of escape.This causes the motorcycle tolean quickly. The sharper theturn(s), the more the motorcyclemust lean.Keep your body upright andallow the motorcycle to lean inthe direction of the turn. Keepyour knees against the tank andyour feet solidly on the pegs. Letthe motorcycle move underneathyou. Make your escape route thetarget of your vision. Press onthe opposite handlegrip onceyou clear the obstacle and areready to return to your originaldirection of travel. To swerve tothe left, press the left handlegrip,then press the right to recover.To swerve to the right, pressright, then left.If braking is required, separateit from swerving. Brake before orafter—never while swerving.24