Good fortune was with me today after a mental lapse on my part. As I mentioned earlier in another thread, this past weekend I installed the Moto-Pro .44kg fork springs when I replaced my front tire. Little did I know how much they would help save my a$$ today. So, with ~80 miles on a brand new Dunlop 606 on front and about 1200 miles on the rear, I did an emergency stop for real.

I was riding about 35mph behind a blue van and decided it was time to go around (the road was 3 lanes wide). I started accelerating as I did a head check to my left to clear traffic. About the time my view cleared the van, I saw a HUGE RED firetruck making left across traffic and realized the blue van in front of me started stopping before I did.

I was hard on the brakes and realized I wasn't going to stop in time. I had the presence of mind to let off the pressure on the rear brake when I locked it and assessed my options (it's strange how life slows down when you're in an OH **** moment while you assess your mortality). I was close to the left (driver's) side of the van so I split the lane divider and the side of the van with my motorcycle. When I leaned my motorcycle over under hard braking to avoid the back of the van, my rear tire swung out on me but, I was slow enough to recover when I released the rear brake and maintained a good balance on my motorcycle. I ended up stopping with my front axle about even with the bumper of the van so, everything ended well.

Would things have ended the same with factory fork springs? I don't really know. However, I'm really glad I had them. The factory fork springs would have nose dived on me badly making it much more difficult for me to have the happy ending I did. I should also note that the Dunlop 606 front exceeded my expectations.

If you haven't taken the MSF basic course ... DO IT NOW! Myself, it's time for the advanced course.

 

8 lives left.
Take it easy on the black top.
Those 4 wheelers are real sharks.

 

Glad you made it Sid....No Stoppie??? You did not mention the rear tire coming off the ground during your emergency stop.

In S. FL I have had to do a couple emergency stoppies. But you do stop on a dime.

 

I hear what you're saying. However, I can't really fault the cars too much today because my mental lapse is what got me in trouble. Situational awareness will save you and a mental lapse can kill you.

 

I ride with my weight pretty far back on the street but, the rear locked up pretty easy so while I didn't do a stoppie I was probably pretty close.

 

Hey Sid this may not be msf approved ..... but during an emergency stop I am way back on the seat and can easily bring up the rear.....please practice this.

But I hear what you are sayin about awareness even the best stoppie in a bad situation will just give you a face plant into someone's hood or sumthin.

 

I hate driving behind something I cant see through or around....I feel for ya been there done that....Instant monkey butt...

 

I completely agree, I 've been in a situation were there was a fire truck, and a situation where some poor dumb bastard thought the lane was clear because of the big f*ing SUV in front of me turning left. I tried to be visible in the lane, but an Expedition in front, what can I do on my Klx 250S except pay attention. Thankfully, you can jack that bike up on it's front wheel like a high school bmx'er.

The IRT is what saved me though, I recognized that the situation was turning against me, and was a little careful. Thankfully, a huge countersteer along the median gave me enough room to scoot through instead of a chest slide across the hood. I guess the moral is training pays off. And lack of training pays... deductibles? I don't know, but I'm glad I could save my a$$ on the road.

 

With the previous Dunlop factory front, I had it wash out on me too many times to "grab a handful of brake" so, I may not have been as agressive as I should have been with the front brake. I did get a good bite on the asphalt though. I had been practicing some harder low speed braking on the front trying to get a feel for the new front suspension. However, none of it was from as high a speed to a dead stop.

Emergency stop practice was one of the things my MSF instructors recommended so, the message wasn't lost or forgotten but, probably not as agressively practiced as it should have been.

Stoppie's look good on Television but, in an emergency stop I don't see them being helpful. Both wheels on the ground are going to give me control to "steer my way clear" of trouble when I can't brake my way out of trouble which is essentially how I avoided contact with the van today. I do agree that agressive stops are something I should practice more often and from higher speeds to a total stop.

 

Yeah, I agree, but it's hard to practice those aggressive stops. I've been surprised to find my sack on the gas cap. I guess that's a stoppie, but I never really considered it more that saving my BUTTOCKS.