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SHORT RIDERS ONLY - Stopping/breaking Q

LittleBigGirl

LittleBigGirl

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Location
Vermont
Moto(s)
2024 Z500
Name
TJ
BARF perks
AMA #3322079
Since I got my taller bike I am curious about how others use the rear brake coming to a stop at a light/sign.

Do you -

Not use the rear at all and rely on front only so you can get both feet down quickly?

Use both, but take your foot off the back so you can try to get both feet down?

Stop one footed, so it doesn't matter?

Just curious how other short riders do it. Please be descriptive!

One reason I ask is bc I am trying to retrain myself to use both brakes and I am having a hard time with the timing at a stop - getting both feet down in a timely manner with my new heavier bike.

(I did buy the Daytona Lady Stars which give me a little height, but I am still tippy-toe on the 650.)
 
Front only, left foot down, right foot on brake to prevent the bike from rolling / getting away from me.

Cut down your seat foam if you're really short.
 
i'm pretty short and i use both brakes until i almost come to a stop.. then i put both my tippy toes down while maintaining pressure on the front brake.. On up or down hills i place my foot on the rear brake and left leg it.. There's also some places i can't even put the kick stand down because i'm so short.. It's good to learn how to stop with one leg down. both left and right especially when you're short.. I dropped my first bike several times learning these skills.
 
Hard to know, because "short" is fairly relative. I've seen people that are 5'8" complain of being "too short" for normal motorcycles and I've seen 5'2" people that learned to deal with it and is almost a non issue.



LittleBigGirl said:
Since I got my taller bike I am curious about how others use the rear brake coming to a stop at a light/sign.

Do you -

Not use the rear at all and rely on front only so you can get both feet down quickly?
Click to expand...

Absolutely not! The worst thing you can do.

Use both, but take your foot off the back so you can try to get both feet down?
Click to expand...

Still no.

Stop one footed, so it doesn't matter?

Just curious how other short riders do it. Please be descriptive!
Click to expand...

Yes, get comfortable to use the rear brake at low speed. Its important because it allows you to control the bike without upsetting the chassis.
When you use the front brakes the front forks dive. If your front wheel is turned it can create trouble.
I'm 5'5" myself with a 29" inseam and as a newb I've dropped a few bikes that way.
Since I've got comfortable using just one foot down at stoplights and using the rear brake for slow speed control I've been able to ride bikes far bigger and taller than I ever expected. Like stock height BMW 1200 GS and even KTM 950ADV

One reason I ask is bc I am trying to retrain myself to use both brakes and I am having a hard time with the timing at a stop - getting both feet down in a timely manner with my new heavier bike.

(I did buy the Daytona Lady Stars which give me a little height, but I am still tippy-toe on the 650.)
Click to expand...

Just work on having one foot down. My opinion you should have had that part figured out before steeping up to a bigger heavier bike.
You just made it that bit harder on yourself but you can still do it.
 
Both brakes, drop one foot only. Usually it is the left foot on the ground so I can hold the bike on the foot brake. Sometimes my balance is off, and i drop my right foot instead. I swap soon as possible.

I only put both feet on the ground to park, or to paddle through a super tight gap where I need extra care to miss mirrors. Mostly I paddle to make it obvious the space is tight, not necessarily because i can't balance.
 
CalculatedRisk said:
Front only, left foot down, right foot on brake to prevent the bike from rolling / getting away from me.

Cut down your seat foam if you're really short.
Click to expand...

That is what i do. I can't really touch both feet done on any of my bikes.
 
Aware said:
Both brakes, drop one foot only. Usually it is the left foot on the ground so I can hold the bike on the foot brake.
Click to expand...

This is what I do. If necessary, hike my butt off the seat towards the side where my foot will be down (do this move during the last few rolling seconds and not after coming to a stop). This allows me to flat-foot on the one side even though the other side is nowhere close to touching. It helps to check out the ground in advance to decide which side is best.
 
I am one cheek off the seat and one foot down on my daily rider. you just have to get used to it. practice riding it one mph.

watch when stopping on weird inclines especially falling to left or right side.

pay attention to clutching. unexpectedly stalling on incline is the main reason I drop

a boot with a thick sole helps alot
 
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Left foot always, hips scooted to the left side with the right foot in the rear brake. That should give you a solid foot down all the time.
 
I ride a Kawasaki ZR7s. I'm 5'5" with a 28" inseam.

I stop using both brakes using more force on the front and less on the rear combined with engine braking. When I'm at a stop it's usually left foot down, right foot on the rear brake, clutch in, bike in 1st gear. If it's a long light I might put the bike in neutral, front brake on, right foot down and left foot on the gear lever ready to shift into first.

When you're new to bikes they all tend to seem heavy until you get used to riding and handling them. Try walking the bike around so you can get used handling the weight and ride as much as possible. If they're not already installed, consider crash bars or crash mushrooms...they can save your bike from damage when you have tipovers..
 
I predominately use the front brake, and if there's an option I put the foot down that's uphill.

I'll even add a little twist to the bars just before complete stop to tip the bike over the foot I choose.

Push right bar to fall on the right and so on...

Get to a parking lot and brush up your skillz with your new hotness.
 
Front brake only, ass off the seat as the bike comes to a complete stop, right foot on the rear brake, clutch in, left foot on the ground. If I'm on an incline or weird terrain, I try to anticipate being "heavy" on my foot.

One weird trick (it makes tall people hate me!) that I often exploit is the way a bike behaves off the line. Basically, a bike won't tip over if the rear wheel is pushing the front forward. So if I'm not going to be able to "lift" my foot in any real sense, I'll make sure the bike gets some extra "oomph" off the line, and I'll use the bike's self-stabilization effect instead of my balance. If that makes any sense. Then I use weight on the bars and my right foot on the peg to lift myself back up into the saddle.
 
I am not a short rider, so my apologies if this is useless information and feel free to disregard.

However: I have found that applying a little rear brake while coming to a stop ensures the bike stops straighter and more smoothly. This makes it easier for me to put one foot down, whereas before I needed two to be sure the bike wasn't going to tip over to the wrong side if there was a little shimmy at the end of a front-brake only stop.
 
I am average height, but my Multistrada is really tall, so I know the feeling.

Left foot only on the ground, and I normally release the front brake the last bit before I stop so I am rear brake only for the last few feet. Much smoother since the fork is not compressed.

You do need to pay attention to slope and switch it up to the right foot if on an incline.
 
I think this thread has consensus. But what about popping into N at a stoplight? I see a lot of people do this, especially on vlogs where they adjust their gloves, stretch their hands or whatever. Seems awkward to have left foot down if you need to shift when the light turns green.
 
TonUpTimes said:
I think this thread has consensus. But what about popping into N at a stoplight? I see a lot of people do this, especially on vlogs where they adjust their gloves, stretch their hands or whatever. Seems awkward to have left foot down if you need to shift when the light turns green.
Click to expand...

Not at all. Its second nature for me. Stop left foot down, pop it in to neutral then switch legs, with left foot ready to engage first.
 
Z3n said:
Left foot always, hips scooted to the left side with the right foot in the rear brake. That should give you a solid foot down all the time.
Click to expand...

Rarely shift to neutral. Clutch in first gear and checking the rear view. just in case I gotta move out the way from distracted drivers.
 
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I am 5'7" on a wide as hell 32inch seat bike and I just use a mix of both brakes and put my left foot down most of the time. Occasionally though if I am stopped on a weird angle I'll use front brake with rear until almost stopped and right leg down.

I am tippy toes on my ninja 1000 if both feet are down and this thing weighs over 500lbs
 
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