to wobble or weave?

[dana_nishi]

Questions for you non-n00bs out there..
Last night I locked my brakes for the first time. It was so intense, I did a crazy weave but I managed to regain control of the bike and come to a stop (I decided last minute to not run through a light that was yellow).
My question for y'all is... does anyone have a clue as to which brake I abused? I've gotten into the habit of using both simultaneously (as MSF instructed me) and have no clue which one I locked up. I'm curious, you know, for future reference. Hell, I have no idea if it was a wobble or a weave, and whether I fixed it or it righted itself. There was no irregular diving of the front, no noise, smoke, or smell. It was on a regular dry asphalt road and I was going straight. The whole ordeal lasted about 40 feet, and I could have sworn that it started with the back wheel wandering and made its way to the front. Does this mean the front was locked and caused the back to wander, or vise versa? If I remember correctly, I let go of the brakes (front and back) and then applied them a little more gradually. Any experiences/intuitions you could offer me?

[Kerry]

You almost certainly locked the rear brake.  You will remember from the MSF course that the front brake provides something like 70 to 80% of the "braking power".  That's because (especially in an emergency stop) the weight of the bike -- and you -- transfers to the front, leaving the rear end quite light.  With a disc brake on the rear, it's pretty easy to lock up the rear wheel when there's next-to-no weight on it to provide friction with the pavement.

Perhaps you've noticed that the rear disc is quite a bit smaller than the front one?  That's a good thing!

The best advice I can offer is to do some braking drills in a deserted parking lot.  Front brake only, rear brake only, both brakes ... 10 mph, 20 mph, 30 mph, etc.  As David Hough says repeatedly in [Proficient Motorcycling], you should be able to apply "maximum" braking pressure in various situations ... "maximum" meaning just less than the amount that would cause a skid.

Good luck!  (And nice save.  Whew!)

[Oyama]

 You probably locked your rear brake. If you locked your front brake you probably would have crashed. If you lock your rear brake it is still fairly possible to control the bike and come to complete stop without crashing. With the locked rear wheel you can still turn your bike by moving your body weight left or right.
You did right by releasing and reapplying the brakes.  That is the same what some of the ABS equipped bikes would have done for you.

[Kasumi]

99.9% sure you locked the back, if you locked the front you would probably be talking to us from a hospital bed and or with some sort of bandage item on. Lock the front wheel and nearly everytime you will low side, where the front wheel "washes out" or disappears from beneath you and bike just crashes down to one side or the other.

The rear wheel when it locks up skates from side to side giving the illusion that its your front wheel weaving but it is actually you compensating for the rear flying off to one or t'other side, due to as kerry said very little weight over the tyre to keep traction. If you apply the rear brake too hard in a corner your most likely to skid (imagine sliding on a pushbike by locking the rear) or in worse situations skid then regain traction at which point the bike jerks horribly and 9-10 times you get a highside, where the bike flips over the opposite way to the way you were leant in, catapulting you into the air. Its all very dramatic.

However you did just the right thing letting go and then reapplying. Its a good instinct to develop, some have it some don't but it can save your skin, the action of being able to apply and release the brakes effectively can help you recover from locking up as well as help you in slipping situations in cars and bikes without ABS.

Nice recovery! now you have felt out the limit you know just how far you can go next time until you have it perfected!. In practice when your very good you should be able to just lift the back wheel off the floor half a centimeter when you stop, then just back it off a touch and your at your limit.

[Absolute Rescue]

Trust me you would know if you locked the front. I tell you this from experience. I locked up the fronts on my Harley last summer....somehow kept the bike up and avoided a wreck. I guess those bells really do work. I learned a valuble lesson that day, one I won't soon forget.

[simon79]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1.
Happened to me last summer, too.
Didn't keep enough safety distance from some cars ahead of me, 1st in row suddenly braked, and I squeezed the lever maybe too hard. I felt the front tyre skidding and weaving.
But eventually released it and the bike and I managed to stay upright.
So I got to work safe&sane, and more danger-conscious, albeit with some nice damage to my coronaric arteries.
(and immaculate underwear )

[ohgood]

+1 on locking the rear. You recovered, just as you described you -thought- you had. Everyone else already agreed.

+1 bazillion on going and playing in a parking lot. Having a good idea just how fast you can stop makes for a much more fun ride. I've been amazed at just how stabile the gs is under my best attempt at full braking. Sure, the front end dives and the rear will lock, but it does a fantastic job of not smearing me.

[dana_nishi]

Haha, thanks for all your tips!

As I was describing the ordeal to my boyfriend, I realized that riding is the one thing you get proportionally better and worse at as time goes on. You get better in that your ability increases, but worse in that as your confidence increases as well, pretty soon you think you are invincible. Months back I would not have been going so fast on a signaled street, and would not have just assumed I could have stopped as easily.

It's amazing how aware of things I have become, SEEing aside, I swear riding a bike has made me more perceptive.

[mach1]

Haha, thanks for all your tips!

As I was describing the ordeal to my boyfriend, I realized that riding is the one thing you get proportionally better and worse at as time goes on. You get better in that your ability increases, but worse in that as your confidence increases as well, pretty soon you think you are invincible. Months back I would not have been going so fast on a signaled street, and would not have just assumed I could have stopped as easily.

It's amazing how aware of things I have become, SEEing aside, I swear riding a bike has made me more perceptive.

yeah thats me Im invincable on two wheels and nothing can touch me.........exept a 4 wheeled cehical or a wall or assfault or the ground beating my ass after I pulled the clutch in reved to high and poped it ooopppppppppppppsssssssss rear brake oh wait it doesnt work close throrrle.ok off for more beer

[bobthebiker]

you most likely locked up the back. I've done it and had that weaving happen.    I can honestly say, had you locked the front, you would know it.  I did with a crappy tire on my CB550, HOLY CRAP. lowside central.   

[Teek]

I locked the rear up twice on my light dual sport when it had crappy knobbies on it and I was newer to it; both times for sudden light changes when I was at some speed on the street. Usually I know if a light is stale, but I was also following someone who decided to go through the light, and I decided he was nuts and to NOT go through. NOW I slow down 10-15mph before intersections to bleed speed in case of a left turner or a yellow going red. But both times I just sat up straight and rode the thing with the rear end a little sideways keeping my front wheel straight until it stopped, because I knew I could and that it would stop in time at the speed it was sliding in back. Moto had really stiff, crappy brakes too (and a rear drum). On the GS I think that would be a much different story, it's about 170 pounds heavier, has a lower center of gravity, and has much better brakes and new sticky tires. But yeah, I practice braking on side streets regularly now so I have a good feel for how long it takes to slow down or stop both time and distance wise, and also how hard I can use the brakes.  (I have NOT popped my back wheel up yet!  ) I also added a pull and release practice as well as making sure application is smooooooth. Like everything else, practice parctice practice.

It's a really good thing to have that added awareness and to be using your head all the time when riding, keeps one safer and also transfers to driving cars well, so one can be safer there too!   

When I feel really confident I remind myself I'm an old fart and I can't do wheelies or stoppies... that always gives me lots of perspective.   

[Affschnozel]

........, I realized that riding is the one thing you get proportionally better and worse at as time goes on. You get better in that your ability increases, but worse in that as your confidence increases as well, pretty soon you think you are invincible......

+1
Was true for me , a little lesson in humility straightened me out but bent my forks at the same time 

How I weaved and wobbled that time