From: alan@isg.llnl.gov (Alan J. Smith)
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.dirt
Subject: Downhill braking
Date: 10 Sep 92 16:16:39 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Lawrence Laboratory  Livermore, CA


The subject of downhill braking has gotten a lot of milage on the net
so I guess that I should put in my 2 cents worth.  Some of the article
below may have already been covered by other netters.  When I ride, I
use both brakes as much as I can.  Remember 70% of your braking
capacity is on the front.  The manufactures did not put a font disk
brake on dirt bikes just to look cool.

Before working on your downhills skills, you need to have the basics
of riding and braking on flat areas, don't rush it.  The only way to
do this is to get as much riding experience as possible.  Riding 3 or
4 times a year does not count.  You need to learn when the tire is
about to skid/slip.  Even under the best conditions, the tire can and
usually will loose traction at the worst possible time.  You need to
learn how to compensate for it.  Practice on short downhills with a
smooth runout at the bottom, then practice coming to a complete stop
under control on the steep sections, if you feel that the front tire
is about to washout then let off the front brake a little.  Also ride
with someone that is better than you, watch him/her ride and ask lots
of questions.

From what I've learned from the really good riders is to approach the
downhill sections as if they were flat, the same rules apply as riding
on flat ground.  The only major difference is that your bike has an
incredible acceleration that it did not have before.  The bike stays
airborne a lot longer on the downhill jumps.  Also be one gear higher
than you need to be, this will save the engine from over reviving if
you go to fast and possibly locking the rear tire causing it to skid
out of control.  Another reason for being in a higher gear is that the
engine won't over rev so fast it you need to wheelie the front tire
over a log or berm.

I don't mind keeping the front brake on going downhill, just let off
both brakes just before hitting a rut or rock.  This will unload the
front suspension and allow you to cross the tricky sections easily.  A
stiffer setting on the front forks helps a lot.  You have to tune the
suspension for the type of riding that you do.  The factory suspension
settings may not be right for you.  

On choppy downhills, be sure to be off the seat and knees bent.  I've
seen more people loose it just because they got knocked off the seat.

Now for the suicide downhills.  Your on a trail way over your head and
you don't want to look really bad in front of your friends.  Drop both
tires in a shallow rut (if possible), this will deep the tires from
slipping out from under you.  Kill the engine in gear and lock the
front tire, now you can slide down the hill, if you need traction to
change ruts or turn just pull in the clutch a little and let off the
front brake.  This technique has saved me lots of times.

Another technique for stopping my bike that I've used only in extreme
desperation.  For hills that are to steep, to slippery, no run out at
the bottom, your going way to fast, and your riding buddy just crashed
at the bottom of the hill blocking your only exit.  Lock both wheels
and get the bike sideways.  Once sideways start jamming the foot peg
and handle bar (bark busters help) into the ground.  I've only done
this a couple of times, I've always layed it down on the left side. 
For me its easier to restart on down the hill.  This technique saved
me from running over one of my friends on the side of the mountain.

Body armor really helps for those times when your best efforts fail
and you take off without your bike.

I'm sure that I will get some flames on some of these issues but this
works for me and that's what counts.


				Alan			| 1986 TT350