1 Simple Change Could Save Your Life

Intersections are one of the most common places for motorcycle accidents. Everything from a Touring Motorcycle to a Sport Bike. To give us an edge in these critical areas of for riding motorcycles, we need to change the way we interact with our front brake lever. This one simple habit, literally, could make the difference between a great ride and a serious injury.

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#coverthebrakes #worldpeace #ridingtips #saferfaster #howto

[TMCmakes]

Roll off the gas, fingers on the lever. every time. even if i don't think i need it. The improvement in confidence and control took me from being "surprised" when something happens to being "smug" that i already have the control i need in my hand to resolve the situation. Adding 2% to the brakes when you're already using them at 5% is way easier than going from my whole hand on the grip, rushing and trying to magically find exactly 7%

[DanDanTheFireman]

Almost lost my best bud to an intersection crash. One big reason why I do what I do.

[Zookeeper]

I cover the front brake with two fingers probably 90% of the time. I also tend to be hyper aware and when I see a vehicle approaching from the side at an intersection, whether controlled or not, I roll off the throttle a tad and get myself ready for them to pull out just in case. When I was learning to drive a car my dad always told me "it came out of nowhere" is an excuse for "I wasn't paying attention close enough".
Covering the brake is a very important fundamental skill, it's the first step in being able to stop quickly. Learning to progressively brake smoothly is much easier once you are comfortable covering the brake.

[monsterslayer]

I've ridden with the front brake "covered" for thirty years or more. I'm sure that is what the pros like Keith Code and Jason Pridmore always taught. I'm shocked to hear that is not what they teach in the "motorcycle safety" courses. Glad I never bothered. Talk of percentages has never been useful for me, either for traction or braking. The key is squeezing, not grabbing. I like to look for an opportunity to practice emergency stopping on every ride, just to establish muscle memory. I do three sequential stops, starting with an easy one, and braking harder with each of the second and third stops. Keeps me ready. No, I don't do this in town. It may seem extreme, but I really don't want to hit something if practice can prevent it. With intersections, another key is expecting trouble. It is not always possible, but I try to prepare for trouble at every intersection, get in ready, set state, and try to look for cross traffic not stopping. I watch for traffic approaching from behind when I'm stopped. Riding is dangerous. That's why I like it. But I try to reduce the danger where I can.

[alanbal]

I have been grinding gears for fifty years and I have always used this configuration to cover my front break. I tend to cover my rear break too when I roll up on an intersection. I have been trail breaking to line up my corners as long as I can remember, but had no idea what it was called until I saw this guys videos! The fighter pilot analogy is spot on. Situational awareness (along with sobriety and a little hi viz action) is what will save your life. Ride safe!

[Ch-iwi]

Oddly enough, that's what I have always done on my mountain bike, especially on single track or downhill. When I did this during my very first motorcycle course I was told, no no no, bad. Let's see if I can unlearn what felt unnatural for me to begin with. Love your content btw, I've learnt heaps!

[MCrider]

Great video Dave, thanks for sharing!

[Lee-in-oz]

another great video Dave.

Yep, I am a massive proponent of covering the front brake. I got into an argument recently with an instructor when I went to do a refresher course.
He tried to tell me that covering the brake was a track only thing and had zero place on the street.
I responded that I felt sorry for any of his new students and left.

[rszewczyk]

On my MSF equivalent course we were told (repeatedly over 40 hours mandatory training!) that we should not cover break to avoid panic-break. And to keep motorcycle in neutral on stop lights. I really really quickly realized were dumbest ideas ever...

[lukaslombardo]

I use this exact braking technique. I can feel the front weight transfer, and once that happens I know I can squeeze the front brake slightly harder.The other thing I do is grab the bike with my legs and tighten my core. This way my weight isn’t slung onto my arms. The claw technique is perfect.

[davidbesant]

Holding the brake lever with the index and middle fingers means you apply force close to the pivot point; limiting the power. Some Dog-leg levers bring these finger further to the right but I can understand why so many people use all 4 fingers so they can apply force further from the pivot point. Remember, not every bike is fitted with top-of-range Brembos. There were bikes with brakes that had the pivot on the outside (at the bar end). Wonder why this wasn't continued.

[CubanRider]

On point as usual, excellent video. I've been covering the front brake intuitively since very early on before I started having discussions with more advanced riders. Some of my buddies said their track instructor told them not to cover the front brake, and that may work fine at the track with unchanging corners and no intersections, but they're taking this knowledge to the street and that's where the disconnect exists.

[snappycattimesten]

I was scolded for pistol gripping during my final licence practice. To pass I had to only hold the throttle. Being competent I complied to pass, but back on the road it was covering break most of the time.

[josepcidraque]

Very good video. I cover the front brake with two fingers too and, in top of that, I brake a little with the rear brake when release the throttle. It helps to keep the geometry of the bike more stable and the transition of weights smoother. Thanks Dave!

[ninjaguysith]

Amazing video on a small but important detail. I learned and refined the "peace sign" method of covering the brakes from lane filtering in downtown L.A. freeway traffic. There are times where my work commute requires me to cover the front brake for 30-40 minutes at a time with intense focus on my surroundings as I filter. The "peace sign" method gives me the most feeling of control, reaction time and reduced hand fatigue. I also noticed that this grip gives me the most leverage to turn my handlebars for swerving, since the gripping fingers are on the outside creating a long lever.

[zeplin]

Might sound silly, but I saw this method of keeping the front brake covered on you tube when still learning and at an early stage it became natural for me to cover the front brake whenever on a bike, even when moving it around my driveway and it has saved me on occasions, great advice, stay safe.

[The]

Bravo! Too many channels spend way too much time discussing why new riders cannot be taught certain techniques, analyzing crash videos ad nauseum or beating their chests about how they can get a knee down in a parking lot. Your channel consistently provides the best advice for safe practical street riding that all riding levels should learn and apply. Excellent post.

[alasdairmacdonald]

I’ve always been one to cover my brakes 24/7. Comes naturally for riding bikes all my life. I also like to engine brake with rear brake and I stop crazy fast if needed. I practice to not just get the muscle memory or fluid reactions and movement but to fully master the feel and capabilities of my motorcycle. It’s all second nature. Every season I always practice some more, one should never stop learning to better themselves for the ride :)

[eastcoastrider]

Another very good video Dave with lots of helpful information. 6 months ago I returned to riding a motorcycle after a 35 year break.
I definitely try to cover my front brake for most of the time, but not all the time i.e. when I’m out a good clear road, as here in the UK when it’s cold I need to feel the heated grips on those two fingers!
I know that I definitely need to keep practising getting that first 5% of front brake right and not grab it so fast in a panic. I can do this no problem when I practice but not so well otherwise. Hopefully over time I’ll get it. I think one of the reasons for this is that I’ve been riding bicycles for so long and I’ve had a habit of grabbing both brakes when needing to stop quickly. Thanks again for passing on your knowledge and hopefully helping us all to learn more and become better riders.

[darrencanady]

As a new rider, this technique was "inadvertently" shown to me, while shopping for a motorcycle, after having the completed the MSF course.
I was honestly a bit more convinced I didn't want to ride, after having "successfully passed" the course. My "biggest issue" in the class was actually rolling on the throttle while applying the front brake. I "knew" what was going wrong, tokd the instructir about it, and got no feedback on how to correct it. I realized that, perhaps, when I got my own bike, (if I chose to do so), was to rotate the front brake lever up, so that pulling on the lever would cause me to roll the throttle back. While the instructor agreed this would be helpful, it wasn't until visiting a motorcycle store and talking to a salesman and through some demonstration, I saw out the corner if my eye that he only used two fingers to pull the brake lever. (I, by the way, was using all 4 fingers, whhile my thumb was still wrapped around the throttle). I, in amazement, and having a lightbulb moment when my eye caught that, asked him to do it again. He did, and again used 2 fingers! OMG! The mental connection!!! I then explained to him why I asked him to do it and the problem I had in the course, because I realized, my issue could actually "kill me" on the road!
The primary videos of yours I've watched were about running wide in corners because I would say, that has been my biggest issue, probably also partly because of that lesson in class about NOT braking in corners. Honestly, I didn't heed that advice in class, because to and for me, i felt safer doing so. It was after getting my own bike, then getting in the road, that I went back to their technique and began having that very frustrating problem, (fortunately, in safe spaces, where my methid of corrctiin was slowing more before and into the turns - which was also problematic, because to make that type of turn, caused me to slow too much when I was actually out in traffic and STILL had me run wide a few times).
I realize after watching your videos, that trail braking was what I was doing in class, (which was a term I don't believe we even covered - but also had me kinda flying through turns in class), but is also my solution out here in the road. And using 2 fingers is the proper method of doing that and applying the front brake!
I have found that I can effectively brake and control the throttle using the 2 fingers and the rear brake simultaneously, where appropriate and truly appreciate the wisdom and common sense techniques shared in your videos!
THANKS for what you do!
Though I acknowledge I'm still a new rider with skills to build, you help build my confidence indoing so each time I go out to ride and each ride is skill building practice!
Thanks again!