Hazard Avoidance and Emergency Maneuvers
SEE
Search ahead and to the sides, Evaluate what could become a problem, Execute one action decisively. Riders get hurt by hesitation, not by choosing the second-best escape.
Quick stop
Keep the bars straight, apply both brakes, and squeeze the front progressively harder as weight transfers forward. Pull the clutch in as you come to a stop and keep your eyes up - looking down tips the bike.
Swerving
Treat swerving and braking as separate maneuvers: brake first if there is room, release, then swerve; or swerve and then brake. Push both grips toward the direction of the swerve (countersteering), hold the lean briefly, then straighten. Hard braking during a hard swerve will cost you the front tire.
Surface hazards
Gravel, sand, wet leaves, painted lines, manhole covers, steel plates, and railroad tracks all reduce traction. Cross tracks at about 90 degrees with the bike upright - no braking or turning on them. If a track crosses at a diagonal, straighten before you cross.
Skids
Rear wheel locked: keep it locked, stay off the front brake, and hold the bike straight until you stop. Front wheel locked: ease off the front lever so the wheel can spin and steering returns.
Worked example
A car turns left across your path when you are 60 feet away at 35 mph. Reasoning: braking distance at that speed exceeds the gap, so braking alone loses. Pick the escape path behind or around the car, commit, and keep your eyes on the gap - not on the car.
Traps
- Braking and swerving at the same time.
- Target fixation on the hazard.
- Grabbing a fistful of front brake on gravel.