by John Lloyd BMW MOA #236695

Published in BMW Owner’s News, December 2024

Solo motorcycle crashes are one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents and are unique in that typically, no other vehicles are involved. Oftentimes the root cause is rider error because motorcycles are considerably more complex to operate than passenger vehicles. Riders involved in a solo motorcycle crash are typically riding too fast or have inadequate experience.

Riding too fast for conditions reduces time and distance available to respond safely to potential hazards, such as other roadway users. Lack of experience includes lack of appropriate training or failure to maintain training. Many riders purchase an expensive motorcycle-a bike far too powerful and heavy for their riding abilities-and ride less than 3,000 miles per year-generally in a straight line. When they are faced with a hazard, they

Braking

Unlike cars, the front and rear brake systems on a motorcycle are typically independent from each other with the front brake operated by a lever on the right side of the handlebar and the rear brake is operated by a foot pedal. As car drivers, we learn that hard braking is performed by the right foot. However, doing so on a motorcycle can lead to trouble as about 70% of the braking power on a motorcycle comes from the front brake.

As front brake force increases, weight transfers to the front tire, increasing the tire force on the road surface, permitting even greater application of front brake force.

However, sudden over-braking on the front, on a motorcycle not equipped with ABS, can produce a front-tire skid, which can cause a loss of control. This can make it challenging for an inexperienced rider to find the sweet spot between hard braking and over-braking on the front tire.

By contrast, using the rear brake only offers 30% braking efficiency and can cause the rear end of the motorcycle to skid and “fishtail,” since there is generally less weight and a larger contact area on the rear tire.

Experienced motorcyclists learn to use both the front and rear brakes together and doing so, riders can outperform the stopping power of most other roadway vehicles.

Steering

Motorcycles also differ from other vehicles in the way they steer.

In a car if you want to go right you turn the steering wheel to the right and vice versa. Whereas, on a motorcycle if you want to go right, you turn the handlebar to the left. On the surface this appears to be counter intuitive. However, due to the geometry of motorcycles, when you turn the handlebar in one direction, the bike will lean in the opposite direction. It is this lean that causes the motorcycle to turn. This phenomenon is called counter-steering.

To turn through a tighter curve, riders simply increase the lean angle. Modern sport motorcycles are capable of lean angles up to 60 degrees which allows motorcycle racers to turn corners at high speeds. However, most curves on public roads don’t require more than 15-degree lean angle, which is generally the comfort limit of many novice riders.