How to Stop a Motorcycle Smoothly

How to Stop a Motorcycle Smoothly?

Running a bike at high speed gives you a thrilling experience. But when we are stopping our bike, it many times hit by behind vehicles. Sometimes applying a break quickly will result in the sliding of your bike. You have to learn how to stop your motorcycle smoothly. 

As we know, a motorcycle has a sequential gearbox that makes it difficult for individuals or beginners to stop a bike rather than stop a transmission car. This required some practice to master stopping a motorcycle smoothly. 

Let’s understand it in simple words to ride your motorcycle safely without any disruption. 

Read Also: How to Choose the Right Gear to Beat the Summer Heat

Step-by-step Guide for Motorcycle Stopping

Practice makes a person perfect. But before practice, you can learn what step you have to follow first. 

Check Your Mirror 

One of the best learnings I have also received while stopping a bike is to check my mirror. Because when we hit a break, the person behind us runs their vehicle do not know what’s our next move. Whenever we stop our bike, it is important to check the mirror and side our bike from the road. 

Roll of the Throttle

When you are close to your destination, traffic lights, and a place where you want to stop while riding, use your right hand to roll the throttle away from you. This will provide you right control over the bike and help to slow down your bike.  

Use your clitch to release the gear and apply the brake wherever you want to stop it. Just roll down the throttle and slow down until the light turns green, then start moving again in a lower gear.

Use of Rear and Front Break at the same time

When you apply your front brake at high speed then it will result in a slide or bike fall. Whereas if you only rear brake then it will take time to slow your bike. You have to make sure to roll the throttle completely, use a clitch, and then apply both brakes at the same time. 

If you press the clutch without letting the engine help, you’ll depend only on the brakes to stop and that’s not good. You do not need to press the front brake too hard. Keep in mind do not use front break without the use of rear break first. 

Downshift Your Gears 

As a rider, you have to release your gears as per the speed of your bike and apply the rear brake slowly to slow down your speed. If your bike speed is in fifth gear and you want to stop it a few meters away then make sure to downshift your gears. 

New riders often make the mistake of quickly pulling the clutch and focusing only on the brakes. This will result in canceling out the advantages of engine braking. 

Gear downshifting is quite helpful when you just want to slow down your bike. Your bike should be in first gear if you completely stop it. 

Practice, Practice & Practice

If you just started learning how to ride, then practice riding until you will not master it. Start learning by practicing these things in a plane ground. You can also hire a coach to master riding skills at different places. 

You do not have to think a lot about the process of learning how to stop a motorcycle smoothly. The process of learning is adventurous, thrilling, and full of joy. 

Make sure to wear all the riding gear before start practice about it. 

Conclusion 

If we summarize all the things, you can see practice makes a rider perfect. Learning is also important to understand what steps are available to follow. You can learn from these small steps about stopping your motorcycle smoothly. During practice, you have to wear all the required riding protection. 

You can also hire a coach to learn riding skills and how to stop a motorcycle smoothly. 

FAQ’s

Should I use the clutch while braking?

Yes, you can use the clutch while braking, but it’s usually better to let it out gradually. This will help the engine to slow down the bike while providing some extra control.

What is the safest braking method?

The safest braking method is to use both brakes together – gently apply the front and rear brakes evenly. This will give better control over the bike to slow down smoothly.

What is the fastest way to stop a motorcycle?

The fastest way to stop is by using both brakes and gradually slowing down. You have to avoid sudden brakes and ensure complete control over the bike. 

Do you brake first or clutch first?

It’s generally better to start with the brakes first. Gradually apply both front and rear brakes, and then if needed use the clutch to help control the speed.

Which brake to apply first on a motorcycle?

You have to start by applying both brakes simultaneously. Make sure to use your fingers gently on the front brake lever to avoid grabbing too much. This balanced approach will provide effective and safe braking.