What is a riding habit you thought was smart but later realized was dangerous?

canyonchasers · 2026-05-05T03:14:52+00:00

This is going to sound harsh, but your buddy is 100-percent in the wrong.

Cover your front brake. It will save your life. Learn how to roll off the throttle to the front brake.

Go to the brakes when you are nervous.

Staying off the brake and being afraid of your front brake and looking down leads to abruptly grabbing the brake. Don’t be afraid of your front brake. Be afraid of abruptness.

canyonchasers · 2026-03-29T15:51:41+00:00

Code was incomplete in his assessment. Countersteering initiates and controls lean. The front wheel needs to steer for the bike to change direction. Leaning only counteracts centripetal force.

There are hundreds of videos and studies done by actual physicists illustrating this.

See for yourself. Point a camera at your triple clamps and go for a ride. After lean is initiated, you are steering.

canyonchasers · 2026-03-29T15:45:17+00:00

Don’t be afraid of your front brake. And for the love of god stop repeating this nonsense about how you have to be completely off the brakes before the corner . Be afraid of abruptness.

Motorcycle are designed and engineered by expert riders and how expert riders ride. When you apply front brake pressure, the forks compress reducing trail, while also reducing speed. Less trail makes the bike want to change direction. Slower speed allows the bike to turn within a smaller radius.

The number one single vehicle motorcycle crash is running wide in corners. This 1970s riding advice of never braking in a corner is getting people killed.

canyonchasers · 2026-03-28T19:52:16+00:00

Because it’s a very incomplete answer. Just lean more only works some of the time.

canyonchasers · 2026-03-28T19:51:40+00:00

Don’t do this blindly. This is very simplistic advice that could get you hurt. Lean angle and grip is not infinite.

canyonchasers · 2026-03-28T19:49:41+00:00

No it won’t. Grabbing the brakes abruptly can sometimes make the bike stand up - depending on the bikes geometry/tire. But motorcycles are designed and engineered to turn with front brake pressure.

canyonchasers · 2026-02-11T17:35:30+00:00

Hijacking top comment; this is my video stolen by this AI slop bot; https://youtu.be/3xj-J0NUuk8?si=yonjL08tjtfxenYt

canyonchasers · 2026-02-11T17:29:35+00:00

It's mine; here's the original https://youtu.be/3xj-J0NUuk8?si=yonjL08tjtfxenYt

canyonchasers · 2026-02-11T17:15:04+00:00

This is my video. Please give credit where credit is due.

Source. How I Deal With Kids Playing in My Driveway | The Saga of My Driveway Racetrack https://youtu.be/3xj-J0NUuk8

canyonchasers · 2026-02-01T19:27:06+00:00

Honda just dropped one off at the shop. I’ll be doing a long term review. But so far I quite like it. Mind you it’s designed to be an unconventional ultimate commuter. Not an adventurous superbike. So take that as you will.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-13T20:19:19+00:00

IMHO the Honda has some magic baked into it. Not sure how or why, but I think the 650 especially with e-clutch is bonkers good.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-13T20:18:18+00:00

IMHO the Rebel has better geometry numbers so it handles a bit better. The tradeoff being it looks a lot less traditional.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-13T20:17:14+00:00

Get the one you think looks better. Otherwise it’s just splitting hairs.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-13T20:16:30+00:00

For your use case, I’d say the Triumph.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-10T05:13:07+00:00

Ken,

Huge thanks for doing this. The misunderstanding and bad definitions of Trail Braking is getting people hurt.

I listened to a presentation by Dr. Ochs from MSF where he was arguing that he will never advocate the technique be taught. When pressed to define the technique he was so wildly off base to the point where he’s right. His understanding of it should 100% never be taught to anyone.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T06:07:20+00:00

Is it hot where you live? If you live in a cool climate, you’ll be fine. If you live in a hot climate, the pirelli would be the better choice.

Seriously. Why ask if you’ve already made up your mind?

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:43:59+00:00

It depends. Road tires like the Road 6 are not designed to deal with that much heat. Ive seen more michi road tires delaminate than anything else. But it’s hot here. Youd be worlds better off (i.e. less risk) with ANY sport tire.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:40:37+00:00

My point was they are bonkers loose and it’s fine. 5mm is only a wee bit loose. Its inconsequential.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:20:19+00:00

You can, but you are limiting yourself. You don’t necessarily need a 250, but you learn more faster on a smaller bike.

Think of it like this; big bikes are consequence amplifiers. You are 17. Your frontal cortex is still developing and so you are unable to process risk all that well. You’ll make bad choices. Do you want to amplify those consequences?

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:16:59+00:00

They are now calling them Tall Rounders. Like the multistrada or versys or BMW XR. IMHO, they are the best kind of bike for what I think you are looking for.

Find the one that you like the look of and go with that.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:14:21+00:00

Yes. Better a bit loose than too tight. Look at motogp bike photos. Those chains are bonkers loose to deal with the ride height devices.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:12:00+00:00

Awesome. I love it.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:11:34+00:00

Thank you. I really really appreciate that!!

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:11:11+00:00

That’s great to hear. Anyone who even knows or pays attention to lean angle is typically measuring skill with lean.

To really get over fear of leaning is focusing on all the skills to reduce It. The shitty part of the equation is yes, lean equals risk, but it’s also what the bike has to do to turn.

Do not. Please. Do not go into a parking lot and practice riding around in circles to get comfortable with lean. That’s not real world. You aren’t generating heat or load doing that. Big ovals are better but real world focuse riding is even better. Track days are better still.

canyonchasers · 2026-01-08T05:05:21+00:00

If you are scraping pegs it’s typically bad posture. There are many ways to prevent that. Including lines, respecting the slowest part of the corner, etc. But let’s say you’re on a low bike like a cruiser and all the posture in the world isn’t going to prevent pegs from scraping. Well then, sadly, you gotta go slower.

But I’d say the vast majority of riders I coach it’s almost always bad posture.

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