I was also always told if the back locks up, stay on it. But if the front locks, let up and re-apply. Hope you both heal quickly...

 

I agree with most of the others, that you do not want the either of the tires to lock up, but if the rear does you have to stay with what you got, if the front does let go, then grab it again...

Good luck to you guys, I hope that you get better soon.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Phil

 

If the rear locks keep it locked so you don't do into a high side.

 

Direct from MSF experienced riders course: "if you lock up the rear tire, stay on it, otherwise you will change sliding friction to rolling friction while the rear tire is off center and it will throw you off the bike" - I don't think there is anything to do with "speed of the tire catching up" but if the front is still on line and the rear fishtails, as it does when you lock it up, then when you let off the rear it starts going a different direction than the front and the momentum of the bike. You can often get a high side fall that way.

 

I disagree strongly.
The whole purpose of ABS is to not let the tire(s) lock up.
If you have locked up the rear tire so badly that the bike is sideways, you are no longer just trying to stop the bike quickly. You are now trying to survive a very bad mistake.
The back end only comes around because the front end with more weight on it is applying more stopping force than the skidding rear tire. The locked rear tire, now with little directional or stopping friction tries to go around the harder braking front end.
The correct answer is to do everything to avoid this condition. Modulate the rear brakes (human ABS) release the rear brakes on the first hint of the rear end starting lock up or come around. The bike will always stop fastest in a straight line with the maximum amount of braking power before the tires start to skid being applied.
I just went through an emergency braking situation.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/gener...-accident.html
I was luckier or maybe a little faster than the OP.
I would be interested to read what any professionals have to say....
Any Motor Cops out there willing to chime in?
God knows I sure don't know it all...

 

[QUOTE=murd;7255674 ...Sometimes looking for an escape route rather than braking is another alternative.[/QUOTE]

Braking to avoid a collision is an automatic response we learned on 4 wheels.
A narrow & nimble motorcycle offers another alternative—swerve & go.

I hope you & your wife & your bike can get together again this season.
You’ve paid your dues, now go have fun.

 

Sorry to hear about this incident. All the best to both you and your wife for a speedy recovery.

 

Sounds like a good idea, if you are thinking these things up in the living room. Let off the rear as it comes around on an actual motorcycle and you're going off the high side. Seems like bad advice to me.

 

I agree. If the back end is starting to come around you need to stay on the rear brake. If you let go of the rear brake you will high side. Now if the bike is going straight you can let off and pump the rear if you want to, but I would not attempt that if the back end is sliding around.

I do agree that you do not want to lock up the rear, and you do get more stopping power at the point just before lockup (thats the ponit of ABS). Me personally though, if I lock it up, I'm sticking with it...

Phil

 

Glad you're around to tell us about it not someone else posting another rider down/dead thread