Momentum

Deadly Sins of Riding	Catchphrase
Poor Machine Connection	Be fluent in the art of evasion by building a strong connection with your machine

Momentum is the energy contained within an object in motion.  It is the product of the object’s mass (machine + rider) multiplied by its speed.  A heavier cruiser rider (the extra weight is mostly in the beard) would have more momentum than a lighter sportbike rider travelling at the same speed.  Whatever the bike and no matter the beard size, it is important to understand that the more momentum you and your machine possess, the more it will resist changes to velocity (speed or direction).  More momentum coincides with a reduction in the ability to accelerate, decelerate or change your course left and right.  It also means that as momentum increases, Stability Hazards become more destabilizing and abrupt control inputs will be more likely to break traction. What is commonly neglected by many operators is to experiment with momentum as they achieve new levels of it.  Changing your velocity can be surprisingly difficult as your momentum increases.  This is one of the reasons why seasoned riders can travel at higher speeds safely compared to that of a baby APE.  They know the ramifications of their increased momentum and will tailor their risk management and operation to accommodate the decrease in agility.

Braking Physics

If you pile on the front or back brake there’s a good chance you’ll lock up your tire or get shot over the handlebars.  Endo!! Hey! What did I tell you about risky manoeuvres!? The braking capacity for your machine is split unevenly between the front brake (70%) and the back brake (30%). I highly recommend using your front brake for normal and emergency braking, saving your back brake for stability during low speed and cornering.  Once you have a larger Skill Bubble you can start integrating both brakes at the same time if you choose, but it is not necessary.  While integrating rear brake does reduce braking distance, it is my opinion that you can get by your whole riding career by using only the front brake as your primary braking source.  Motorcycles are extremely light compared to our cager counterparts which grants excellent stopping distances even for the amateur rider. With the small braking distances that motorcycles possess, a situation that “requires both brakes” means you did not have adequate foresight or you should be thinking about swerving, not braking. With the back brake providing lower amounts of braking force and locking up easily, this next section will focus on proper front brake application to apply maximum braking force without losing traction.  There are two phases in the braking cycle with regards to the front tire and available traction while braking.  At the beginning of the brake cycle, your mass will be evenly distributed between the front and back tire. 

As you begin to decelerate, the weight of you and your bike will be pitched forward.  The suspension will compress in the front, your weight will distribute unevenly with more weight now on your front tire.  Rejoice, this is good!  This increases pressure causing more friction between your front tire and the road, resulting in more traction.  Now you can pull the brakes harder without locking up.  You’re still able to lock up or flip your bike at this point but you will have more braking potential than when you started to brake.  The trick is a quick, but gradual application of the brake.  The more your forks compress, the more you can pull the front brake without losing traction.  This, like most manoeuvres with a motorcycle, should be done with Fluid Execution.  Considerable braking force can be applied to the front wheel but not all at once.

Acceleration Physics

One of the best parts of riding a motorcycle is cranking on that throttle!  While a lot of fun, there is a time and a place to satisfy that burning itch to vroom vroom.  The most driving force can be applied to the rear wheel when your motorcycle is completely upright.  As the lean angle of your motorcycle increases, less and less traction will be available for the application of brakes or throttle.  When making tight turns that result in moderate lean angle, ensure traction retention by applying a gentle throttle input, increasing accelerative force as you bring your motorcycle more and more upright.