This will save your life! How to trail brake on the street.
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- Опубліковано 19 тра 2024
- Master trailbraking to stay alive on public roads, ride better in corners, master the curves and never get surprised again.
ridelikeachampion.com/champ-school/
BretTkacs.com
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Bret, I think that this is the best and most practical explanation of trail braking that I've ever come across. It's clear, not overly simplified, application oriented, and well illustrated. Thanks for your work.
How would you do it on a trike?
Riding the brakes is my term..
11:32 excellent camera angle to see the technique
Why are you going into oncoming traffic?
Even the simple rule mentioned at the end: we're never riding faster than the apparent and visible braking distance available to us, has saved me too often when I've seen other folks get surprised. You're right : these should be the MOST basic fundamentals taught to beginners. It just sets them up with the best tools to stay alive. Good one, Bret!
Had a pretty bad crash about three years ago. Ever since I mastered trailbraking and use it even corners i can see thru. Dramatically changed and improved my riding. Im never taken by surprise and can make last minute adjustments with no drama.
Nice explanation. The critical point, to me, is carrying brakes to the point where you can assess when you will not be needing them - when you can see the corner and, importantly, the condition it is in and whether there are hazards. I see many riders riding roads they know well, committing to a well known corner and they know their speed and line is appropriate although deliberately close to the maximum for them and their skill - which is great until it is not, and they have painted themselves in to a corner where they have little in the way of options - diesel/mud mid corner, a pothole or related gravel, a dead or live animal on the road, a stalled car. Even on the track committing to a race line in to a blind corner means you are relying on a flag Marshall to warn you of dropped oil, a bike or parts of a bike, or a rider in the path you are blindly
Committing to.
Thanks, this is the best explanation of trail braking for the street that I’ve heard.
Best Trail Braking Explanation I have heard and seen. If you see only 1 this is it!
Returning to Ride at 70 after a 6 year hiatus (hitting a deer at 60 miles an hour. Returning includes a lot of introspection. Airbags will remove "bad luck" of another deer darting in my way and breaking 6 ribs and a clavicule. Trail Braking will remove anxiety about "enjoying the twisties".NEVER BLOW A CORNER.NEVER COMMIT TO AN EXIT UNTILL I SEE IT. That's it...the secret sauce simply explained.
Thank you for the best lesson on trail Braking
PostScript: Thinking about it this beats any book i read on the subject,any online course and sure beats spening several thousand going to champ school....So I paid for the advice with a Patreon Subscription.Keep enhancing our skills!
Trailbraking was a game changer. No guesswork and a lot more confidence in corners...
Trail breaking explained perfectly. 73 years old, sold my bike 5 years ago, just bought another and I can tell it's all about practice, and if you don't do that every time your out you're not doing it enough. Drive defensively. I like the fact that you talked about using the rear break as well which I always did.
Hi from the chaotic, crazy streets of India! I cannot tell you HOW many times trail braking has saved my ass, especially when hazards have jumped out mid corner, no warning, no vision, just boom. And I was ready. And could shave speed instantly and swerve out of the way. It also keeps you psychologically prepared to react QUICKLY to potentially fatal incidents.
Note on rear brakes: again, since we're all human and some long sweepers just don't allow you to trail the brakes beyond a point, or if you've over slowed corner entry: I've got on the throttle but kept a very light foot on the rear brake, and when the radius has surprised me, just a little tap on the rear brake has helped me tighten up the corner considerably without losing the traction that being on the throttle gave me and I didn't need to lean further. Just kept everything else constant and added some rear brake. Amazing.
Oh and Champ U saves lives. Legit.
This technique is SO obvious on bicycle, e.g “10 speeds” with their caliper brakes. I say this because bicyclists pick it up almost instinctively. I did it during my basic rider course and of course was scolded. But I continued doing it after I passed the class. It was too me, at least as instinctive as it had been on my bicycle. On the bike we used to say we were “scrubbing off some speed.” We all knew it took a light touch and we all knew that a hard grab could lead to a broken collar bone. So guess what? We used 2 fingers to operate the the front brake.
100%. Why you wouldn’t use this technique instinctively is beyond me!
Agreed, it's just a natural thing to do if you've spent any significant time riding bicycles, it's all about modulating the front brake. As a kid if you were smart you only grabbed the front brake once, I remember it well.
Agree. Always the obvious thing to do.
Got a bike with ABS... I've tried so hard to overcome my built-in instincts to never fully grab the front brakes but I can't do it lol.
@@Kamel419 one thing that might relax you a bit - your ABS! Test it in the parking lot first, of course. But once you see how it performs, you can trust it when you panic. ABS does way faster than a human this “speed scrubbing” technique. Plus, anytime you hear the ABS “chatter” you know you have work on brake even softer. Don’t use ABS INSTEAD of trail braking! Only a handful of modern bikes have ABS that works in corners. But it might help you develop the confidence to work hard at developing your soft touch. PS; so does a bicycle, even a cheap, battered up one!
Probably the best explanation for real world road trail braking out there. Love that you included “stop on your side of the road in the distance you can see” that is often misunderstood or never applied. IMO, one thing you have missed is having the correct gear selection prior to corner entry. If you are in the correct gear, then using throttle control instead of the brakes will also slow you down. Another tool to have in the belt
Good work Bret
Riding downhill, use the same gear you would to ride uphill (engine braking prevents brake fade downhill)🕊
Using the throttle and appropriate gear to slow down results in significant weight transfer to the front and instability whereas trail braking loads the front end and maintains stability through the bend.
@@ernier9033 That's not necessarily the case, just use the appropriate gear that works
I love how concise your videos are. Although I know and use trail braking, watching this video was a great refresher. Definitely worth 17 minutes of my day.
Trail braking is a life saver! I never ran wide since I learned how to trailbrake. Thanx for your explanations, Bret!
Great video. One point I might stress more emphatically is the consequence of getting off the brakes completely on corner entry and then suddenly reaching for the lever AGAIN mid-corner if there is a surprise in the corner... which can often result in an overly aggressive grabbing motion with the brakes thus overwhelming and washing out the front tire. You mention loading the tire & being able to react to surprises & such, but this point could perhaps be stressed more, PANIC GRABBING THE BRAKES MID CORNER CAUSES CRASHES, whereas easing off and back on the brakes while maintaining light pressure on the brake lever the entire time (trail braking) does not.
Champ School teaches you to apply light braking to load the front forks, load the front tire's contact patch and to get you ready in case there's sand, gravel, deer or a downed rider up ahead in the corner. With the front suspension and tire already loaded, applying more gradual braking pressure won't cause the front tire to lose traction.
On the other hand, going from zero braking to full braking causes a sudden load on the forks and front tire and *will* cause the front to tuck. There's a great Champ School video that shows a tire being leaned over and pushed with varying amounts of force to simulate loss of traction.
Hi Bret. Great topic. I have had a motorcycle license since 1979. I do on average over 25,000 km every year. I was taught the technique of trailbraking very early in my riding career. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. I have always thought however that instead of calling it Trail breaking we should be calling it dragging the break because essentially I feel that’s what is happening. Just saying. Again thank you for the video :-))
Bret, great video and explanation of trail braking. As a retired highway engineer I recognize many many times the curves we ride into are compound curves where the radius does change and for a motorcycle the problem is when the second half of the curve is tighter, smaller radius. Another reason for the trail braking, awareness, and understanding that the pressure applied might have to increase, alot, and quickly.
Hear, hear. Retired civil engineer here, too.
An optimist sees the glass half full, the pessimist sees it as half empty. The engineer sees a glass that is twice as big as it needs to be.
@@lovelessissimotosh 0:35
@@lovelessissimo actually you are wrong. The engineer sees the glass as always full (half filled with liquid, half filled with gas.) You're welcome.
Right there at the end before the outro, you put down what was one of the most important rules of driving that my dad taught me when I was a teenager; never outdrive your line of sight. I teach people how to drive school busses now, and same thing, if you cant stop in the distance you can see, you need to slow down, and this applies to corners, but also other low visibility situations like weather events, or lighting problems in the dark. I've had a few close calls riding where keeping that rule in mind is very possibly the reason im alive today.
I was taught that brakes in the corner = upright bike going wide. 25 years of riding and just learned something new. Thanks for this excellent explanation, will be practicing and applying this.
I've watched a million trail braking videos and never really, truly felt like I understood it until this one. Fantastic explanation. I really appreciate that you applied the technique to street riding in an easy to understand and straightforward way.
On my first set of 50/50 tires ever (Mitas E-07) what a different feel on the road when turning. Thanks for the lesson!
Great explaination.. We have such a downer in the UK on trail, mainly because we have few 90 degree + curves, and also because it's sooo misunderstood here.
I'm glad I'm not put off by this attitude and your video helps me keep the faith.. Thank you 😊😊
I'm from the UK and agree 100%. There's so much dogma against trail braking. Many of the Advanced community are too hung up with IPSGA to entertain the thought that other techniques can be valid in certain situations. Fortunately my Advanced instructor had a more open mind and encouraged trail braking on steep tight downhill bends.
Great advice even for a veteran rider, Too many things are taken for granted, "always improving"
Another great video for a new rider, cheers Bret. Thanks for taking the time to make all you great videos. Cheers Mike from the UK
Been waiting for a video on trail braking and proper lines on tight and blind curves. Thank you!
Love the description of rolling off the throttle while applying increasing pressure on the brake and carrying it through the corner that same way. Very intuitive.
Appreciated the repeated point that trail braking is not just for high performance riding. Really appreciated that first example corner too--it helped illustrate how trail braking is the logical option for making it through the corner.
One of the best "Trail Braking " video content. You have put a lot of effort into explaining and showing on the handlebar (throttle and brake levers). You highlighted very well the importance of "Rear Braking" as a secondary tool on the street. But a lot of professional riders on the race track use it as well (gliding technic). Congrats and have a safe ride. European Ninja 1000SX biker.
Thank you Bret. I like your videos. They are well done, with clear explanations always.
Thanks Bret . Very timely .. I thought I have been doing this for years but did not know what to call it ... Being a back road rider and on a lot of roads with gravel or sand mid turn I have practiced many different ways to get around problems and set a line that works .. As a ski racer as a young-un we learned how to stay neutral when hitting ice and how to get off ones edges till there was something to grab traction from .. I have worked at staying loose enough to reset my line in a curve on the bike when needed or stand the bike up if a pile of sand is mid curve .. Keeping the frame stable and the front wheel loaded enough to do its job can be a wonderful dance . Thanks for the clarity here ... All the best from New England ..
This is the best explanation of trail breaking I've ever heard & seen. Made the light bulb light up. The Eureka moment. Thank you!
You’re driving on the wrong side of the road 😂 …sorry
Excellent video👍 I live and ride in the French Alps and learning to trail brake has been a game changer in terms confident and safer riding for me. Every rider should learn this technique from the get go
Thanks for the clarification on what is trail braking. I’ve heard numerous versions. What you are describing is exactly what I have been doing for 25 years of riding two up exploring new to us roads in the Pacific Northwest and Europe. The technique works well.
This is the best explanation I have ever heard. I’ve actually been doing this for about 45 years. The very name trail braking is counterintuitive - we don’t ever talk about ‘trailing off’ the brakes elsewhere. You release them. My ancient 750 Bonneville loves this technique and I can ride her through the twisties faster than my bigger bikes, confidently knowing all is set up to feed her all 45hp on exit. The phrase “trail braking” kind of implies to my simple way of looking at things, the extensive use of the rear brake and we know that’s not always a good thing.
But the rules don’t change: never ride into something you can’t see without making sure you can haul up before you get to that stationary van full of tourists taking pics around the blind corner! 👍🏻
I've seen many videos about this topic but as some people already pointed out here this has to be the best explanatory video i've seen about it. This is the one I'll recommend to whoever needs it from now on. Thanks a lot for the great free content. Greetings from Germany :D
As a new rider, that was clear and great information! This will help me smile while I ride 😁 Thank you Bret!
Hi Brett! I really enjoyed this. It helped me think about trail braking in a different way and I'm looking forward to practicing the next time I'm out. Well done, thank you.
A week and a half ago I had opportunity to put my trail braking skills to work when I was exploring the Black Hills of South Dakota.
It made my ride so much more enjoyable and relaxing on roads I have never ridden before and completely unfamiliar with.
That is one of your best ever on road benifits to motorcyclists Bret, well described and much appreciated
Definitely has saved my life more than once.
Now I always ride covering the front brake with two fingers.
Safe travels. 🏍💨
Best video with explanation of Trail Braking I have ever seen on UA-cam. Well done! I use it while riding in Europe as well: the Ardennes in Belgium and Luxemburg, The mountainous regions in Germany, Austria, Switserland etc. They should teach it as soon as possible to new riders. It will save so many lives.
You continue to increase my "longevity", thank Bret
Great job as usual Bret - keep them coming...always learning!!!
You rock Bret! What a great video. Clear concise video
excellent explanation; this teaches me to practice/notice more of trail breaking on street and make sure no blind corner is gonna surprise me.
Thank you so much Bret. Excellent explanation of a life saving technique.
Best trail braking lesson for street riding , simply awesome
A awesome and practical explanation of trail braking. A skill worth mastering
Totally agree this is level one school stuff. When you think about how the steering geometry changes through the turn it really makes sense. Thanks again Bret.
Thanks Bret, I get so much from your content. I am a 100% street rider.
love the way you explain trail braking.. always wondered why i wasn't trail braking enough and now i know becoz not all corners are trail braking corners.
Thank you.
Fantastic video as always, best I ever seen... some guys did like 50 videos of trail braking, too long and confusing (won't say the name), but you do it so clear and to the point! You and Canyon chasers are top notch !
Stay tuned for follow videos on this subject. Why it works and 5 trail braking techniques are in the works
It seems so many have been taught 'only brake straight, never in the corner'. As long as your pace is very slow that practice can work, but always at the risk of the blind corner that is too tight for even that practice. Thanks for educating riders!
I live in the uk and where I live we have very technical roads a lot like a race track so I use trail braking most bends, but i take pressure of the front before apex and adjust the rear as I’m hitting the apex then on apex release rear and accelerate, after a while it comes naturally. This is an excellent video
"live to ride another day" that is an excellent thesis statement. I enjoy your videos and the in person training for the adventure bikes in GA. keep it up and stay on the throttle. BTW let Paul know he looks good on his GS even on street tires.
Ok, this guy is worth listening to.
I've seen so much online riding 'advice' which will get people into trouble.
Thanks 🙏🏼
Thanks Bret! I have been trying to get my head around trail braking for years, and as others have already said, this is by far the best instructional video. Really do appreciate your time and advice. Thanks again! 👏👏👏
There is nothing like actually seeing his hand on the throttle and brake ! Moto Juitso did at least one great video on this.
Absolutely fantastic explanation as always! Thank you sir !
I've never heard of trail braking and I've been riding over 40 years.. I definitely will apply it Thank you so much for explaining it...
Great life-saving advice, thank you!
Chumstick Highway in Plain, WA. Love that corner! It also is exceptionally off camber, beat up pavement with divots, loose gravel much of the time and deceptively steep.
This is a very good explanation of trail breaking. I ride a lot in the alps, and use this in every serpentine. Even if it is not an emergency technique it is possible to increase the breaking a lot in a curve if something unexpected happens - an animal, dirt on road etc. If you don’t trail brake and grab the brake in a curve it is difficult to do a smoth break and it is difficult to increase the pressure on the steering smooth - to avoid the bike rising up and going straight…
very good visual explanation of trail braking ! trail braking when practiced enough it tends to keep people from snapping there brakes and if you are not going to use the rear brake at least always cover it just it case you need more braking power
Excellent video, Bret! I appreciate that you emphasize all riders, regardless of experience, should be using this technique. It’s interesting that when I went through the training course here in Washington, we were penalized for ANY braking in a corner. Speed had to be set before the corner and they drilled that into us. A friend of mine is a former instructor at the Yamaha Champions school, and he taught me this technique early on and told me to quickly forget what the Endorsement class taught me. It’s helped me a great deal. You explained it beautifully in this video.
It's interesting that the class you took in Washington taugh Slow Look Lean Throttle but your instructor coached Slow Look Throttle Lean.... Hmmmm
@@BretTkacshere in Oregon I was taught slow,look, roll then press.. so you are rolling on the throttle even before pressing. They drilled into as absolutely no braking in the corner as well.
Excellent coaching video. I developed my trail breaking skills on a late 80’s K100RS that provided me the best solution for controlling the squat and rise of the shaft reaction prior to the days of paralever. 35 years later it’s a technique as natural as using the clutch without having to think about the process. An every technique that enhances your control and safety.
Great video. Best explanation of trail breaking.
Probably the BEST explanation of the entire process of trail braking & cause & effect. I would sooner make a mistake on a track than on a public road. Roads must be shared with all users, in all directions. Track time is the place to make your mistakes, correct & learn. Thank you Sir! Stay safe and keep up the excellent content. Signed: a 71 year old rider with 50 years of riding experience and some mistakes.🇨🇦
thanks for providing me skills to keep me riding another day. This trail braking instruction sunk in. Hey Champ School: thanks for sponsoring Bret. I'll be registering for a course soon.
Great vid covering an essential skill set. This technique should be a critical part of basic rider training yet inexplicably along with counter steering it remains a gaping hole in the basic rider syllabus here in the UK. Yes they are covered in advanced rider courses but that's like leaving potty training until senior school! I use counter steering and trail braking in almost every corner and when I see new riders who have clearly not been taught these skills I feel so concerned for them. Great vid as ever Bret.
Learning trail braking made me feel more confident. When I first learned to ride, I had a few "press and pray" instances. After I learned to trail brake curves became easier. I agree it should be taught from the beginning.
Oddly, I didn't even know this was a specific technique until seeing this video. I've done this since I first started riding, particularly in unfamiliar corners. Always seemed to me I always had much more control and stability with a mix of brakes, throttle (rarely), and lean to adjust my angle dynamically. Now I know the importance and will continue to use this in my toolkit. Thank you.
Awesome explanation! That was the corner I blew just before the final descent to Touratech 2023...
Best explanation of trail braking I've seen online.
You are correct. Trail braking is the most important technique to be used in any 2 wheel vehicles, including bicycles. When I grew up, I did not know all this terminology , I just did it by nature and it works to my advantage as if I am really good in making turning in any corners. Until I learned the terminology, I started to realize I did it right. This must be taught at the beginning of learning skill so it will incorporate in the early skill and later will blend as one technique and skill as a second nature.
I have been using it every time I am on 2 wheels. This is a great instructional video to anyone regardless of skill level. If you haven't done it or think it may be dangerous, think again, time to practice.
By the way, where is the view you took it? Nice corner. I like to be in that kind of location from time to time.
Thanks.
Love your content. As for skills riders need, I think distance management is one.
Your best video for all of us two wheelers out there. Thank you sir! (Bucharest, RO)
Wow, thanks!
I’m currently in the process of practising this method. Haven’t attempted additional rear brake yet but will. I’ve found trail braking a real eye opener and really does work, although I’ve found it occasionally ‘ruins’ my line thru the corner bringing me nearer the inside line too soon - but that’s simply because it is such a proficient way to tighten your cornering. I’ve also risked entering corners that I know extremely well a little bit faster than I would do with the press n roll technique & found when adding the necessary extra small amount of brake pressure mid-corner (as you would upon discovering an obstacle/spilt sand etc), that the trail brake cornering method will definitely be a life saver on unknown corners that are possibly mis-judged. A lot of practising yet to go before I’ve perfected the overall method but it’s proving a fantastic way to give you that confidence in corners, both known & unknown.
trally clear and to the point , make things and concepts crystal clear . very usefull
Legend, the best explanation of trail braking I’ve had in 2 yrs
Great explanation of the technique!
Just as learning the friction zone on the clutch is crucial when first starting out, developing front brake “feel” is equally important, and trail braking is often overlooked.
We all know bad stuff happens when a rider grabs a handful of brake, especially in a corner.
Great discussion of a VERY useful skill. I will often start to add throttle toward the end of my front brake release. I feel it adds stability and fun to the turn.
Yep… adding a little throttle releases the engine braking. I think the beauty of this technique is that you are in the the best balanced configuration with both throttle and brake available for any situation.
Good point. I never thought of it this way. Thanks for the insight.
Peter@@kdross6328
great video... thanks. Wathced a few on this topic but this is by far the best. As you say, we are not racing, just staying alive on public roads
I started off-road and then to Auto Cross, trail breaking was a no-brainer for me on my GSXR. It will fix fixation. You watch the corner leave you and fly off the road, or you can trim off the momentum.
As an experienced sport bike rider Excellent explanation nailed it!!
Best explanation and demonstration of trail braking on youtube.
100% correct! If I may add I always make sure I am in the right gear too... I usually drop a gear or two to have the torque/rpm to pull me through if and when needed.
Thank you Bret, needed this.
That's exactly right Brett. If you can't stop in the distance you can see - you're going too damn' fast. Great vid and thanks
Well done, sir. Excellent presentation of the technique and the reasons that it is important. You showed the technique of late apexing too.
Thanks for the video, it helps many people to understand more and how to use the front brake properly as it was designed for it.
I have been using the front brake since I first learn how to ride a MC. The only thing I did not know is the terminology used as trail braking. But all the procedures and techniques have been in me since I was 16.
It helps a lot in any situation and honestly, in any of my ride, I would say 90% of my braking is the front brake. I use rear brake just to cover before taking off or to stabilize before stopping. Sometimes I use only front brake to stop completely but it has to be consistent distance away before it comes to a full stop and it is perfectly fine.
Thanks for the terminology and technical skills. It is funny, I remember the first time I learned and as long as I can balance it, and I figure it out the rest along the way. And the MC is our main transportation, carry cargoes, go to the market, put 2 bags of 50 lbs rice on the bike, one close to the tank and one at the back, tie it down and ready to go to any terrain, not a good road. If I started to think about it, I actually did the adventure riding without having a demand to have an adventure bike. :)
But I still have to pick your brain. I wish I can meet you for a local training or practice, I am here in Puyallup
Excellent vid, I learned very early on how much I hate scaring myself by running hot into corners. This is so important for new riders to learn. Mastering this well before going on sporty road rides will save you some skin or worse.
agree
I think about this a lot. Some of the hills around here are too steep to do all of your braking and then lean. It is physically impossible to do that. This needs to be taught more.
Good video thanks. In tight downhill twisties I'll trail break (usually just front but sometimes both front and rear brakes) through the curve. As a general rule slowly smoothly easing off the brake as lean angle increases (assuming no surprises) through the corner works well for me. If there is a surprise I have some brake applied and can just increase to slow further as needed. Accelerate only after I see and point the bike at the exit point of the curve.
From my experience - on a down hill turn ONLY use the front brake. Using even a little rear brake will result in a skid. You are already leaned forward going downhill, plus you apply the front brake which will compress the front shocks even more. So your rear wheel has very very little traction already. You apply the rear brake that rear wheel will lock up. I guess you could get away with it on a cruiser type bike but even a moderately leaned forward 'sportish' bike will lock up the rear wheel. I only use rear brakes when coming to a stop or slow speed maneuvers.
This was awesome and thank you for explaining and showing on the board concepts and situations. Who knew that trigonometry will save your life if you know how to use it irl.
Intriguing! I have constantly heard this term and wondered what it referred to and now I realise that I taught myself how to trail brake unwittingly in the short time that I have been back on the bike.
I plan to do a video on 5 trail braking techniques and one explaining why it works
@@BretTkacs looking forward to seeing the video.
Great video Bret. The difference in how the bike feels and performs with this technique becomes very apparent in an environment such as the Great Smokies or West Virginia where the curves come rapidly and are tight and/or have a compound or decreasing radius.
But they are Sooo much fun!
@@BretTkacs Yes they are, especially for a guy from the Midwest. 😆😮🤪
Hi Bret, thank you & your team for your intersting, informative and wonderfully entertaining. I'm Susanne (Lippstadt, Germany) reborn rider by G650GS after a 25-year-brake. Since I'm small and light I reach my physically limit to lift up the Single engine. You certainly know the foldable lifter which I ordered by Eastbound/NL. It's amazing because it's very handy!! Perhaps a lot of bikers don't know that its exists. Stay healthy and always good luck , regards
Thank you for another useful video! Especial thanks for showing true knowledge and concern about your audience by mentioning: 1) Trail braking should be practiced first in a controlled environment; 2) The various conditions of when trail braking should be used and accessory braking techniques; 3) The considerations to be used in public roads. Amazing job! Several UA-camrs fail to mention those critical points.
I have never heard that term until today. Have never seen it in 50 years. Have never been told to brake after entering a curve. Makes a lot of sense, and I will practice on my next ride. Only change will be driving on the right side if the road! 😂