Braking 100% on a bike is a learned skill that a savoy rider hones 100% of the time...
Step 1
Sort your bike out tire pressures and condition, suspension settings,
brake condition, then find a smooth, straight, clean bit of road
without too much camber. Do a few runs,braking fairly hard, to warm
the tires and get a feel for how it handles. As you line up for your
first hard stop, you need to be relaxed. If you need to stop yourself
pitching forward, grip the tank with your knees...
Step 2
The initial phase is important - how you first apply the brakes
determines how the bike reacts. Your brakes are not an on/off switch.
You're looking for a smooth initial application that transfers weight
on to the front tire without suddenly compressing the suspension. If
you just grab on the lever, the suspension bottoms out, and then can't
absorb any more movement. Something has to give, and it's the tire,
which will break traction. So smooth and firm is the key.
Step 3
Having transferred the weight onto the front tire, you've given
yourself bags of extra grip. To use it, you need to increase the
pressure on the lever progressively. On any modern Sportsbike and most
all Standards you should be able brake hard enough for the rear wheel
to lift off the ground. If it starts hopping that's because the engine
is locking it up... clutch in or slipped and it should stop, or rear
brake locks up, that's a good indication. This is hard as you can
brake in normal conditions. At this point, the rear brake's no use to
you at all. This is not a stoppie, by the way, that's a separate
stunt...
Step 4
Once you're up to full braking effort, you still have to assess what's
going on. If you're about to cross a patch of oil or go through a
puddle, you'll want to release the lever pressure slightly, then
increase it again as the extra risk is passed. You need to be relaxed
enough so that if you feel the wheel locking, you can let lever off
until it spins again, then get back up to braking pressure. The only
way to make this an instinctive reaction is to practice deliberately
locking and releasing the brake...
Step 5
As you come almost to the point of stopping, you'll obviously need to
actuate the clutch lever in to avoid stalling you can do this as soon
as you start to brake, but why not use the engine braking it'll help
you keep control. Secondly, slightly slightly release the braking
pressure at the very last moment. This gives the suspension a chance
to return to normal otherwise you come to a halt, and the forks bounce
up from full travel, which can unbalance you as try to put your foot
down and stop - you don't want to avoid an accident and then drop the
bike anyway do you?
BIKE
In good shape, well-adjusted, and with plenty of life left in brake
pads and tires. Wrong tires pressures or worn tires can destroy
braking feel and performance
HANDS
Some people use all four fingers on the brake lever, and some prefer
two or three. One is a possible with a modern race bike brakes, but
it's harder to get the fine control you need...
SURFACE
Constantly changing, so you need to keep changing your braking
pressure, and be prepared to let the brakes off altogether over really
slippery bits
ARMS
Don't lock them straight - you'll lose feel and control. Brace your
body weight by taking weight through the foot pegs and gripping the
tank between your knees
CLUTCH
Leave it engaged until the very last moment it should help you stop
quicker and more in control if you use the engine braking. If the
engine starts to lock the back wheel up, slip the clutch slightly
exactly as you would when you pull away...
BRAIN
Thinking to itself, "Do I need to stop? Couldn't I just bleed off a
little speed and ride round the problem? Where are my escape routes?"
If you plan ahead enough, you should hardly ever need to do an I
emergency stop. You should always be aware of your position in
relation to the perverted traffic..
EYES
Constantly looking for another way out of trouble - don't look at the
problem or you'll ride straight towards it rather focus on your escape
route... because where ever your eyes focus so goes the bike.