Riding Downhill
  • User avatar
    JAWS
    Posts: 4449
    Joined: Fri Jun 16, 2006 6:59 am

    by JAWS » Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:32 pm

    K might stand for Kettle. I have heard Tea Kettle as well. Who the heck knows??

    Joe
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    '05 CRF450X,McClain suspension, Cycra Probends, Pastrana FMX Pro Tapers,BRP Sub mount & Scotts stabilizer.See carb sticky for more
  • Mr Smith

    by Mr Smith » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:56 am

    Thats interesting you would say that PG...Since Mrs Smith switched over to riding the 230 she cant seem to get on the rear brake either. Last weekend she almost slammed into the ground head first cause she grabbed a wholelotta front brake..I keep telling her to use it..She cant get the feel through her boot I think and locks up the tire.

    For the record..I do use the back brake on downhills along with the front..I balance them out to equal braking..Both wheels slowing down is more effective than just one. Think also..You're gonna get to the bottom no matter what!

    If all else fails...

    FULL THROTTLE UNTIL YOU SEE GAWD!
  • Mr Smith

    by Mr Smith » Fri Sep 08, 2006 5:13 pm

    I will! You know me telling her wont do it! :roll:
  • topgun
    Posts: 511
    Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:27 pm

    by topgun » Sun Sep 10, 2006 3:55 pm

    Tips on back brake ..

    #1 - For downhills its Ok to use back brake but for really steep greasy downhills I stay off the back brake - use engine braking and front brake where needed - if I am going really slow and the engine is about to stall I feather the clutch to stop stall - back wheel is still rolling and not slip sliding around as opposed to using ( too ) much back brake.

    #2 - For tight turns I use back brake to lock back wheel ( pull in clutch ) slide back end 90 degress so bike is lined up again in the direction you want to go and drop clutch and away you go. Quite often a lot quicker than actually riding around the corner ( as you have to slow down more ).

    #3 - For fun on wide sweepy type fire roads ( read gravel as we have a lot here in West Oz ) tap the back brake to step out the back end then crank the beast over and play speedway rider using throttle to steer ( more to turn tighter - less to straighten up )

    #4 - For really quick stops jump on the front brake - so long as the bike is straight and upright you can actually lock the front wheel but not really recommended ( front brake = more stopping power ) and use back brake up to the point of lock up but not quite - remember locked wheel = less traction = less stopping power.

    Find a nice straight flat bit of trail and really practice hard braking it will give you more confidence to go faster knowing you can stop quicker if needed ( like log or rock on track or unexpected corner ).

    Get the feel of your brakes of how much pressure it takes to lock then up - better to find out in a controlled situation than when you dont want any supriseslike in a hairy situation.

    Remember good braking techniques = more go fast capabilities.
  • crf450x
    Posts: 67
    Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:16 pm

    by crf450x » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:51 pm

    well i find the best way is not to just lean back but keep most of your weight over the pegs its the center of the bike u wont go back wards or over forwards brakin @ the right times is the key for sure and throttle position
    She says If I go ridin one more time shes gonna leave me..Im guna miss her.

    Live to ride, Ride to live
  • User avatar
    Riley
    Posts: 946
    Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:53 pm

    by Riley » Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:13 pm

    I hate steep downhills and when I take one, I suffer from severe target fixation, having gone of the edge...

    I do notice that when I can bring myself to get off the seat and move around, I do a lot better. For some reason, I'm nervous to get off the seat. Partly because I feel less connected to the machine.

    On the up side, getting off the seat and moving makes it much easier to get away from the bike...

    For front brake, I use one or two fingers only on the lever. That's enough to get it to clamp hard, but makes it harder to lock up and I have more control on the bars.

    I'm a little bit of a brake dragger on any down hill, but I do pretty well not locking the rear up and I'm getting better about using the front brake more and staying in 2nd gear. Second is more friendly with both throttle and engine brake.

    I've noticed that the rear brake is a lot harder to lock up on my 250x than was my 230. The drum brake on the 230 was almost an on or off deal, hard to modulate well for me.
    Do not send me to a heaven where there are no dogs.

    165 main, 42 pilot, JD Red needle 4th clip, R&D Flex fuel screw 2 turns out, open air box, FMF Q4. 4-9000ft, 50-100*

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