Better Riding Advice: brakes can make you faster, better and smoother

In episode nine of the Better Riding Series, along with professional motorbike coach, Mark McVeigh, we look at the importance of brakes beyond slowing down. Mark explains that the front brake provides most stopping power and aids agility, while the rear brake stabilises the bike. We delve into grip generation, steering geometry, and the concept of trail braking, which involves maintaining brake pressure into a turn to enhance control and stability. Mark emphasises the need for riders to understand and practice these techniques for better cornering and safety. This episode also touches on the advancements in braking technology, such as Cornering ABS and autonomous braking systems.

Better Riding – brakes aren’t just for braking

Top tips on how to use your brakes to improve your grip. Honestly. With Motorbike Coach, Mark McVeigh, and BikeSocial’s Michael Mann.

In association with Honda Motorcycles UK and MotorbikeCoach.com, we bring you our Better Riding series – a program of self-help videos as well as written content packed full of tips, advice and simple-but-useful exercises designed to help motorcycle riders of all experiences or ability to get more from their riding. It provides expert information and practice drills that help increase rider confidence and machine control skills that supplement traditional post-test training techniques.

What are the benefits of a motorcycle’s brakes?

In previous episodes of this Better Riding series, Mark has spoken about the volume of motorcycle accidents caused by loss of control in a corner which is backed up by some staggering/worrying research data. So, let’s cover some braking basics: most of the stopping power is generated from the front brakes – sometimes a single disc, sometimes a pair. And that depends on the bike’s power and/or weight because a pair offer double the braking prowess. There are some not-so-obvious benefits to using the front brake in addition to slowing or stopping like helping with agility, direction and grip. We’ll get into more detail further down. And then the rear brake is more about stability and fine tuning. So, to try and understand these elements we need to know a little more about grip and the steering geometry of a motorbike.

See how the contact patch of a tyre increases under braking

How brakes affect grip on a motorcycle? 

Once a rider is moving, elements such as road surface, tyre compound, tyre temperature and pressure are outside of their control. The main contributor to grip while a rider is moving is the weight or load on each tyre. Taking the above images as an example, we look at the difference in the tyre’s ‘footprint’ or contact patch with the road surface based on how much the suspension is being compressed under braking using the front brakes. The action of the bike pitching forwards under braking increases the amount of tyre that’s in contact with the road, thus increasing the level of grip.

As the weight of the bike transfers towards the front wheel/tyre/suspension, the opposite is found at the rear, of course. The rear tyre has less contact with the road and therefore less grip.

Naturally, the reverse occurs as we accelerate. The more torque or power the bike has, the more effect it has on the moveable elements of a bike which will squat or sit on the rear suspension as you roll the throttle on under acceleration, therefore the front suspension will extend and less of the front tyre will be in contact with the ground.

See how the trail of the bike changes as the suspension compresses under braking

What is trail, and does it affect grip on a motorcycle? 

It’s not only brakes that affect grip. Steering geometry is also known as trail (nothing to do with trail braking, but sometimes includes the term ‘rake’ when being defined) and is measured by finding the difference between two points on the ground between two imaginery lines as seen in the above graphic. Line one is vertical and is taken straight through the front wheel axel, whereas the second angled line is taken from the steering head, hidden behind the fairing here, projecting down the suspension leg to the ground. The difference between where those two lines touch the ground is known as the trail. In this case the measurement is 100mm, typical of what you would see on a sports bike.

Motorcycle designers use trail as a compromise to give stability. The longer that trail is the more stable the bike is though slower to turn as a result, e.g. the trail on a cruiser could measure 140mm as opposed to the 100mm of a sports bike which is more agile, dynamic and affected by suspension movement. Under braking the suspension compresses which increases the tyre’s contact patch and shortens the trail making the bike turn quicker but with less stability.

Too much speed equals a wider radius, i.e. you run wide if you’re going too fast

Why do so many riders run wide in a corner?

Speed equals radius, so as we look at the above image, Mark tells us the more speed that you have, the more radius you need for the same lean angle. The faster we go into a corner, the larger the radius we need to get around it – or the greater the lean angle. And conversely reducing the throttle will tighten the line which is where the brake comes in. That'll tighten your line even more than simply rolling off the throttle, particularly helpful if you’ve gone in too hot. If you can't precisely control your speed in a corner, then you're actually not controlling that corner radius.

And then if you add in a surprise such as a bit of gravel or an animal in the road or a car across a white line heading in your direction, then a rider’s knowledge and ability to react will automatically drop to the level of their training. If they’ve not practiced hazard avoidance or understood braking or how grip works then there’s no control and no understanding of how riding skill or the ability of the bike’s technology can save them.

By understanding grip and a bike’s steering geometry, the rider can trust the brakes in that situation. At the most basic level of motorcycle training riders are taught to do most of the braking before the corner then release the brake and lean in before accelerating through the rest of the turn. Now, that's fine for novice and inexperienced riders because they're going relatively slowly, but as riders gain experience and confidence their speed increases and that's where the traditional training habit starts to unfold because you're having the opposite of what's needed in the corner. 

When leaning in and applying the throttle that takes the weight off the front tyre which equals less grip, and because the forks are extending the bike becomes less agile and it wants to run wide. So you're essentially fighting the bike. You're trying to steer the bike with the handlebars while you're using the throttle, and that's why the bike wants to run wide in the corner.

Can you brake while cornering? 

The phrase 'trial braking' has been used for many years and relates to carrying some brake pressure, or even engine braking through the corner from before you tip in, and then as your lean increases into the corner you can reduce or trail off that front brake pressure.

Cornering is about understanding and maximising the grip on your tyres at the right moment. Trail braking is a technique that carries all the benefits of braking and for a turn into the steering phase. It allows the bike to steer quicker with more grip and done well, trail braking, gives you more control and stability through the corner.

Trail braking is sometimes misunderstood as beginning to brake while already committed to the corner and therefore lean. By affecting the bike’s geometry through suspension movement and tyre grip, the bike can become more difficult to steer and less predictable.

The stages of a motorcycle cornering

Where should you brake in a corner and with how much pressure? 

Taking the above right-handed corner graphic, we have the different phases demonstrated:

1. As the rider comes along the straight on the approach to the corner they begin the braking phase.

2. They're slowing down and typically should be going at a speed appropriate for their skill level, i.e. they should be able to stop within the distance they can see on their side of the road, which is a riding fundamental. Experienced riders will typically use about 30% of the brake performance, which is roughly 0.3 or 0.4 G, and that's enough force to load that tyre, increase grip, compress the forks and reducing that front wheel trail, which improves the turning performance. Because the rider is only using 0.3/0.4 G, there’s still plenty of grip in reserve.

3. As they get a closer to the corner, they start thinking about turning in and therefore reducing the brake pressure. But not completely releasing the lever.

4. As they reducing front brake pressure, they add lean angle. They can't have full braking and full lean.

5. As they slow down, they’re allowing the bike to turn on a smaller radius still with the front forks compressed, which is why the bike wants to turn tighter. Remember; speed equals radius, so the slower speed then gives us that tighter radius.

6. The next phase is the middle of the corner. At this stage the rider is off the brake and balancing the weight distribution of the bike and therefore there’s grip on the front and the rear tyre.

7. A neutral throttle and neutral steering while maintaining corner speed until the exit phase. And this is kind of where the rider needs to be patient.

8. If they open the throttle too soon that'll increase the corner radius, and the bike will want to run wide.

9. Once the rider can see clearly around the corner and is happy with their speed and direction, they can start accelerating. Remember, the bike will naturally want to run wide. Which is a good thing when the rider has an exit point.

Are there many benefits to trail braking on the road? 

Trail braking is both fun and also safe, but one of the main benefits is to assist a rider react quicker to an unexpected hazard in a corner. It might be the gravel example, or an oncoming vehicle across the central white line, or it could be because the rider’s entered the corner too quickly, but by having brake pressure already applied, the forks are compressed, there’s more grip on the front tyre and the bike is more agile too. Racers and professional riders often refer to this as ‘front end feel’ and confidence. It’s particularly useful in tighter turns, corners with a higher kind of approach speed or downhill hairpins. But trail braking is an advanced skill and should be practiced in a controlled environment until it’s intuitive and becomes second nature before you want to use it on the road. It’s not necessary for all corners, after all rolling off the throttle might be enough to offer the correct entry speed and give some weight transfer and associated benefits.

How useful can the rear brake be?

Mark’s riding school in Australia has taught over 10,000 riders over the last 20 years and he’s seen a lot of riders ignore the rear brake, but it can be super useful. While it doesn't stop the bike as quickly as the front it helps the bike remain composed. Some riders think of it as fine tuning to keep the bike more stable with an obvious benefit to low-speed control. Using the rear brake with some throttle helps with the balance with U turns or slow speed manoeuvres.

Downhill braking is another example of where the rear braking can help flatten the bike out and prevent it from pitching forward and therefore losing the rear tyre’s contact patch.

Applying the rear brake just before the front is a useful technique that can also help flatten the back before the front suspension compresses. Mark also uses the rear brake a lot in corners, “I essentially trail brake most of the time. And so I'm on the front brake, and then when I come off the front brake, and I'm on the neutral throttle phase, but if the corner's tight, add just a little bit of rear brake pressure can help tighten your line as you accelerate out.”

How is braking technology advancing as bikes get more electronics?

 “The tech is moving so fast now”, says Mark, “Obviously we've got ABS, that's been around for a long time, and that really is a fantastic it's a no brainer for a road bike. We just don't know what the surfaces is going to be like so it just reduces that risk. And then there’s Cornering ABS where essentially you can apply full brake pressure while leaning and the bike will just track around the corner. And the interesting thing with that, though, is that the rider still has to use the brakes which is important because we’ve seen plenty of rider’s who have a fear of the front brake especially in a corner.”

At Mark’s school, he and his trainers teach a cornering drill and more specifically a corner avoidance drill where riders area taught to brake and swerve in a corner. But 90% of the students can't do it especially in a left-handed corner. This is one example of a quote we’ve used before in this series, and it might sound harsh, but hi-tech bikes are being operated by low-skilled riders, because you’ve got to know what this technology can do before understanding how to use it and developing the required skill and confidence to do it as second-nature in the event of an emergency. 

Mark continues, “The crazy stuff coming in now is this autonomous braking. The bike is braking by itself, and we've done a bit of research on this as well as working with motorbike OEMs and stakeholders around this technology and while the bike’s capable of stopping at over 1G, if that kind of pressure is applied, the rider won’t be attached to the bike! The simply won’t expect it.” 

Some manufacturers have systems that allow the bike to begin braking, others have automated cruise control systems that fluctuate the speed to maintain an exact predetermined gap to the vehicle in front. Is it safer? Yes. Even if this technology acts as an alert for the rider to then take over then we’re all for it. And if it prevents accidents, then it’s a no-brainer, despite many riders not wanting technology to interfere. 

We all want to be better at the passions or hobbies we spend our time and money on, so how about becoming a Better Rider? Those who play golf, ski, horse ride all practice to get better, but motorcyclists somehow just assume greatness. We don’t aspire to be safer riders so let’s rebrand that to become ‘better’ riders.

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