Perhaps, you have seen riders who put down both their legs when stopping their motorbikes, others who put down their right foot, and others who put down their left foot. So, you might ask, which foot should you put down when stopping your motorcycle? The answer to this question is the left foot. A motorcyclist should keep down the left foot when stopping the bike and keep the right foot on the brakes. Furthermore, he/she should put the motorbike in gear and hold the clutch to disengage the clutch plates. That is important for immediate application of throttle in event of a threat.
Statistics show that most vehicle accidents, particularly those that happen at the stoplights, mainly happen due to rear-ending of bikes. Putting the left foot down and the right one on the rear brake provides you with an escape plan to avoid rear-ending.
Rear-braking also helps in hill-starting. To prevent rolling backward of the motorcycle, you just need to apply enough brake pressure and clutch out to overcome the pressure. Your bike will start moving after you let off the rear wheel brake.
Added Benefits of Putting the Left Foot Down:
In addition to helping you balance your motorcycle securely, hill-start easily, and escape to avoid rear-ending, putting the left foot down comes with other benefits. Here are some of them.
- The right foot will remain on the brake peg and you can therefore use it to control the rear brake. That will inform the traffic that you are planning to stop or remain stopped.
- You will use the right leg to apply the brake and therefore keep the right hand on the motorcycle throttle. That means you will start moving immediately the traffic light turns green.
- After your motorcycle starts moving, you can place the left foot back on the peg. Placing both feet on the pegs will lower the center of gravity and your bike will move without weaving from one side to the other.
- If something pulls in front of you necessitating an instant stop, you will apply the brakes easily. Starting with the right foot or both the right and left foot on the ground means that you will only have the front brake to apply. Unfortunately, the front brake is the wrong brake to apply during a right or left turn.
How to Stop Your Motorcycle without Stalling?
As we have already stated, you should put your left foot down when stopping and use the right foot to apply the brake. Moreover, you have to ensure that your motorcycle is in gear and hold the clutch to disengage the motorcycle’s clutch plates. The position will allow you to apply the throttle and release the clutch in event of a sudden threat.
Roll off the motorcycle throttle when approaching the stoplight and allow the revolutions to drop to the appropriate level. Apply the brake, pull in the clutch, and downshift the gears to match the engine revolutions. You can go down to the 1st, 2nd, or even the third gear before releasing the clutch.
You should avoid applying the clutch before the brakes because that may speed up the bike leading to loss of traction. That is for the reason that you will start decelerating after rolling off the throttle and the weight will shift forward. If your clutch is in immediately after that, you will free up the engine and the weight will shift backward again. So, start by throttling off with your right hand and then apply the brakes with the right foot. After that, you can apply the front brake smoothly with your right hand and clutch in. Lastly, put your left foot down.
How to Panic Brake at a Stop Light?
Normal stopping situations require you to apply the brakes so that the people behind you can know that you are slowing down the motorbike. After that, you can clutch in, downshift the gear, and clutch out. And depending on the speed of your motorbike and the road, you can skip the 3rd and 4th gear and shift straight to the 2nd.
Unlike normal stopping, emergency stops require you to apply the front brake first and the rear brake second. The third step involves clutching in and downshifting the gears until you are in the first. If the engine of your motorcycle stalls, check behind and move from the road immediately because drivers behind you might be still stopping or they might not be aware of the emergency stop.
Conclusion
When stopping your motorcycle, put the left leg down, the right foot on the rear brake, and ensure that your hands are on the grips. This is known as the “Ready Position” and it will help you escape easily in event of a threat. It will only take you a few rides up and down to master this stopping method.