Which Foot Down? Motorcycle Training

This video gives information about a question often asked by trainee motorcyclists which is what foot do you put down when stopping on a motorcycle?

[aussiemotolife]

If you are short and ride in a country like the UK and Australia the camber of the road makes the right foot a better foot to put down to reach the ground. If you are normal height or have decently long legs no doubt this doesn't matter. No way would I put my left foot down all the time because I'd end up dropping my bike. I have also ridden for 35 years. There's no such thing as a right way except for a given individual under their own circumstances.

[ItsBeenDanBefore]

IAM observer and daily commuter with my bike as my only transport here: it's yet another case of "it depends". Traffic light I have just seen turn red? Right foot and neutral. Traffic light I cannot determine time/phase? Right foot but keep in gear for at least 10 seconds. Any sort of filtering? Left foot ONLY: I may need to set off slowly or f'ing quick, depending on how traffic responds to the situation and having the ability to go quick and dedicate my right hand to focus only on the throttle is what I need. With associates, I always try to encourage using any foot that feels comfortable but to become proficient in all methods: left down, right down, both down or even at times to balance with no feet down, do all checks and then move off. Mostly because I want people to stop doing the "rush up to the give way then BRAKE", more use "plan to stop, look to go"

[alanharvey]

I was always taught in various courses to have my foot on the rear brake when stopped momentarily, displaying the brake light to those behind, and to have the bike in gear ... so the left foot goes down. If, as in the video, it is a fairly long stop I don't wanna wear the clutch out so I put the right foot down. Right foot down is the usual for me.
Great point made regarding the camber of the road ... that caught me out decades ago!

[josephlarmor]

As ever, a well thought out and intelligent presentation, thank you.

For me, the “left foot down” technique should be the default, and if it means doing the “Hendon Shuffle”, that’s fine, nothing wrong with it. Starting off again with the right foot down, by releasing the front brake while simultaneously twisting the throttle makes things unnecessarily complicated, particularly on an uphill gradient ( which you may not have appreciated when coming to a stop!). And even more problematic in wet and/or cold conditions.

Yes, there are situations like adverse camber where you will be obliged to put the right foot down, but out of necessity, not choice.

So I will continue to do my “little dance” at stops most of the time, I’m not worried about getting laughs from “ advanced” riders 45 years after getting my first bike!

Thanks again and keep up the great work!

[montypythonish]

UK rider since 1984. I always put my right foot down, hold the bike on the front break & in neutral until it's time to go. I can get first gear in an instant, roll on the throttle and off the break in one with motion so even hill starts aren't an issue. Personally😊 I dislike leaving my bike in gear while stationary.
If you prefer doing things differently, and you are comfy doing it your way, and your way isn't dangerous or damaging to your machine, carry on with what keeps you happy and safe on the road.

[markhall]

With advanced ABS I land on the right foot. That way I can diddle the gear shift or put down the kick stand. I never understood landing left foot.

[mick]

I prefer to put the right foot down. Mainly to be sure I'm in first gear. I change to neutral and check the neutral light, then change to 1st and let the clutch out a bit to make sure I can pull away without stalling. Then I can change to the rear brake.

[goldenchild]

Like your thinking. As a rider of a taller, heavier adventure bike (with hill-hold), I'm always considering the fall-away of the outside carriageway when caming to a stop, it's sometimes steeper, so in those circumstances better option can be the brake foot down - would be better if I was two inches taller. An increasing issue is being shunted from the rear. Drivers prairie-dogging their phones in busy peak-hour traffic, (I tap the rear brake when I'm stopped in traffic, or at lights and cross walks and keep an eye on the heads of the approaching drivers, having an escape route planned).

[biggles]

A good tip for learners is to slightly tilt your head before you stop towards the side of the bike you want to put your foot down and the bike will lean in that direction!

[hugopnabais]

@10:31, I never park by motorcycle on neutral! I've seen some "disasters" like someone bumping the motorcycle and it falling of the side stand!

[dennisbuckley]

I owe a massive thanks to my instructor for my first scooter-based CBT for his persistence in getting me to break a fifty-year cycling habit of left foot up, right foot down. I asked him why it was such a big deal - he turned, smiled, and said I’d be back in a matter of months to redo all this training on a motorcycle, he could just tell I wasn’t going to ride a scooter on L-plates for long. His intuition was spookily spot on! Ok, it was three years with lockdown, but I was back for geared bike CBT and again six month later for my full motorcycle licence. I still consider myself a very new rider, so have stuck with brake foot up, but yeah, a couple of steep cambers have nearly caught me ought… Great insight into biking mindset, twenty minutes well spent! Thank you 👍

[carsyoungtimerfreak]

Excellent video, thank you. May I add my 2 cents? There may be physical reasons to use one or the other leg when putting your foot down. I'm an old geezer and the left knee is no longer in pristine condition... I tend to put my right foot down. I just got myself an older RT, yet it does have ABS, linked and power assisted brakes. These big boxers are an acquired taste and the linked, power assisted brakes makes them rather different. The first 500 miles or so were a bit of a disaster. Yet by now I'm used to both brakes being linked and power assisted. I tend to use the footbrake much more than on my other bikes, when you press a bit harder the front brake will be activated as well. Probably not the right way, it suits me. I believe that is important: put left, right or both feet down does not matter that much, as long as you do what makes you feel safe and comfortable.

[docthebiker]

Right foot down always for me. My left knee is made of c/fibre, metal and clever electronics, but it's pants at holding my bikes up.

[scartheCat]

I’m always nervous of being bumped from a car behind, I’m always in gear at lights and junctions looking for a car coming up behind too quick.

[kevhunta]

Been watching your vids for a while now and would just like to thank you for doing them as they have helped me pass my d a s 2 today great videos

[phillipwilliams]

Always keep your brake foot up - yeah! I'm with you on this one.
There are going to be times when you're going to want to change down to 1st or neutral while stood still, and there are even going to be times when the road camber will dictate which foot gives the better stability. Point being, riding a bike is dynamic, and it is up to the rider to use whichever foot feels most comfortable to stabilise the bike.
There are even times when putting both feet down is preferable.
For my part, I ride a Honda VFR1200x Crosstourer which has an automatic DCT gearbox, so my left foot is the foot of choice to put down in most situations, but that doesn't mean I won't use my right foot to stabilise the bike when needed.

[sarahlivingstone]

Stopping, holding front brake, right foot down, into neutral, release clutch, left foot down, , foot brake on, release front brake then reverse procedure I'd heard referred to as the Hendon Shuffle about thirty years ago. It's best if riders learn to pull away and release front brake at same time though on very steep gradients rear brake might help.

[jonathansimmonds]

It's so sad to read comments challenging Advanced riding techniques, it shows there's a lot of ignorance on the roads.

[sfayers]

Good to hear a sensible, balanced view on this subject rather than the left foot down only doctrine. I use the rear brake for control and balance at low speeds often making the final stop on the back brake. But, there are many times that I prefer to hold the bike on the front brake with my right foot down. Due to a fairly recent back injury killing my left L5 nerve, I have a very week left calf, ankle, foot and toes. This makes holding a heavy tourer on the balance point for long periods with the left foot difficult, particularly on heavily cambered roads, hills etc. I enjoy your videos and I have strongly recommended your channel to my youngest who is currently on a 125cc between his CBT and Direct Access Modules.

[panel]

As a shorter rider I often have to put my right foot down due to the camber in the road.