Happy to hear you were able to get out of this bad situation unhurt.

 

In my experience on many, many miles of twisty and curvy roads, on a bike with linked brakes, it has never been an issue. Has it for you?

 

In the 10 years I rode my old R1150RT (linked, ABS brakes) I never had the ABS activate (even with more than a few panic slowdowns) and never had a problem with trail braking. I have yet to activate the ABS on my RG, but had to use a bit of trail braking once and had no problem getting through the corner. Trail braking is a light touch of the rear brake. What has helped me tremendously over the years is counter-steering. Push the handlebars right go right, push the handlebars left go left. I find the bike falls into the corner much better. When I first got the RG I was on a hilly, twisty, bumpy road and came into a downhill left hander a little hot. I felt the bike drifting toward the center line, pushed left even harder to increase the lean angle, and got through the corner without crossing into the other side.

Hitting the brakes mid-corner will absolutely stand the bike up, the last thing you want to have happen, as the bike will track straight where the front tire is aiming, which is no doubt heading to the opposite side of the road. As others have mentioned, most of us had brain farts or senior moments and did something stupid on the road. And speaking of stupid moments, riding with my wife on the back of the Beemer, I was stuck behind a slow car on a 2 lane twisty road. The driver put the left directional on indicating he was going left at a fork, exactly where I was going. A passing zone started right after the corner, so I got on the throttle and went for the pass. Problem was the driver put the left directional on because he was turning left into a driveway. I hit the brakes really hard (no ABS action though) and aborted the pass. That happened around 5 or 6 years ago and my wife still brings it up. Big lesson learned there!

OP, you lived to talk about it, so I am sure there was a lesson learned for all of us. If not already using counter-steering go out and try it. You'll be amazed how well the bike corners.

 

I don't think I ever heard of Trail Braking before, watched the video and some others and will try it next time I'm out.

Thanks for posting this GTG.

 

Myself and a couple others would organize a group ride to the Twisted Sisters annually from a church group.
Did this for a number of years. Everyone was welcome____ Grrrr LOL
My wife could get motion sickness easily so I got assigned the slower / inexperienced riders. I really didn't mind in most instances. I'm for the most part a people person.
WITH LIMITS
My tailgunner came to me on a ride with a fella that crossed the center line 7-8 times on FM 335.
We were at Camp Wood and I went to find him and 3 others had him cornered up.
The poor gut had no clue. I got M to stay with him at the back till we got to Kerrville TX.
He had family there and told me he was going to visit them and not to worry about him.

Felt bad but he had no business on that bike.
I did ck on him a few days latter and he got his family to trailer his bike back home.
Never seen or heard from him again.

WP

 

 

The fact that you did not panic and rode it out tells me you can ride. It is not over until it is over... Let the bike do what it gets paid to do until it stops listenign to you.

 

Lots of great comments, thanks for all of them...and ya, an important lesson was learned and be assured, it ain't happ'n again. When you get older you wise up faster...'cause you heal slower...lol.
I have many years of experience, it was just competitive spirit with a riding pardner getting the best of me.

 

I tell everyone I ride with that I am not there to race. I have nothing to prove.
I just want to go for a ride with some friends, not get into a pissing match.
It is God’s country, don’t ride through it like hell.