Back wheel lockup

 It sounds like there are 2 primary ways to lockup the back wheel.  #1
braking too hard or #2 downshifting too abruptly.

If the back wheel does lock up on the road, my Motorcycle Safety
Course instructor said to keep it locked up and come to a complete
stop.  Otherwise, there is a danger of a "high side fall".

Do you agree with this advice?  What would you do if you back wheel
locks up?

 

I've never met a MSF instructor that impressed me with their
understanding of motorcycle technology yet.

On older motorcycles, like the UJM's of thirty years ago, the hard
rubber rear tire didn't have much traction, and if the rear end
started coming around under heavy braking, conventional wisdom among
cops riding police bikes was to keep the rear tire sliding and ride
the bike until it stopped or crashed.

(Or crashed and stopped.)

Older motorcycles had rear drum brakes that would lock up, but the
front brake wasn't doing much because the disks were made of slippery
stainless steel and the large diameter 19-inch front wheel would keep
rolling while the rear tire was sliding sideways.

When the rear end slid too far sideways and the cop released the rear
brake, the large diameter wheel and long front forks would lever the
bike vertical and the cop would be pitched over the handlebars and get
his neck broken or get a broken collar bone.

So the police motorcycle training academies started training motor
cops to keep the rear brake locked. The MSF boys picked up on what the
cops were doing.

Modern sportbikes have better tires  on smaller diameter wheels,
shorter forks and more weight on the front tire and wider rear tires
with more traction that don't break loose easily. The rear brake is
smaller and it's a disk brake that doesn't lock easily.

The front tire has more weight on it and better traction and it does
most of the braking. Sportbike riders will say that they never even
touch the rear brake, but I like to use the rear brake to make the
bike turn sharper on really twisty roads.

The really neat thing about modern sportbikes is the way you can get
both front and rear tires to start sliding at the same time and sto
sliding at the same time. So you don't get spit over the handlebars
from having the rear end come around.


I would consider the source. I would release the rear brake pedal.

But, you can ask your MSF instructor to *prove* his claims, lock the
rear brake on a range bike at 45 mph and ride out the slide...

 
(Snipped typical Krusty Kritter  total bullshit)


Yeah, that was a great little lunch time demo.   The students always
seem to appreciate it.

 


You must have a video to share with us, no?

 


You must have a video to share with us, no?
-----------------------------

I stuffed the chain on a Yamaha enduro while going 70 or so on a gravel
road.  The rear wheel locked up instantly.  Things got a bit hectic, but I
rode it out with no damage to me or bike.

I've also gone 90 with a flat rear tire on my Goldwing.  I *thought* the
back end seemed squirmy.  No real problem until I slowed down.  Then the
rear end was all over the road.  It do get yer attention....