Front Brake on the Right for Motorcycle Training?
08-24-23, 11:05 AM
#51
Senior Member
negative, in situations when you must react instinctively. Having your brain not trying to differ between the two helps. I ride both motorcycles and bicycles. all my bicycles ive riden, ive switched front brake to the right coming from motorcyles first. IT MAY work for some. its easier for your brain to default to one vs remembering and picking from two.
anyways. WHY would you want to run a motorcycle with a front brake actuated with your right hand and then ride a bicycle and have the left hand for the front brake?
you arent switching the motorcyle. So why not run your cycle setup the same as your motorcycle? less issue, less hiccups. Why train for two movements vs one?
anyways. WHY would you want to run a motorcycle with a front brake actuated with your right hand and then ride a bicycle and have the left hand for the front brake?
you arent switching the motorcyle. So why not run your cycle setup the same as your motorcycle? less issue, less hiccups. Why train for two movements vs one?
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08-24-23, 11:13 AM
#52
Senior Member
Assuming the motorcycle has the hand clutch on the left and the rear brake on the foot, I never had one bit of issue going between that and a bike with the front brake on the left. Its been years since I rode a motorcycle, though.
The two are just such different animals. For me
there was no ”adaptation” going from one to the other, any more than adapting from a foot accelerator on a car to a twist throttle on a motorcycle.
I think you are far more likely to F yourself up switching your bike brakes around, because now anytime you ride any other bike the brake will be backwards. And THAT is something that is sketchy.
The two are just such different animals. For me
there was no ”adaptation” going from one to the other, any more than adapting from a foot accelerator on a car to a twist throttle on a motorcycle.
I think you are far more likely to F yourself up switching your bike brakes around, because now anytime you ride any other bike the brake will be backwards. And THAT is something that is sketchy.
its like running 1 up 5 down vs 1 down 5 up. If you run track regularly you would run the same as to NOT worry about forgetting or trying to work outside what youve trained with and are used to. you can run gp shift on track and regular on your street bike but why?run what you train with that also means if youve learned on regular, dont switch to gp shift because you think its "cool". if learned on one, stick with it. learned movement patterns are a thing.
have someone whos raced left hand drive cars and never a rhd car. see even though he can and has experience racing, he will not be as fast in the beginning with a rhd car.
Last edited by GENESTARWIND; 08-24-23 at 11:18 AM.
08-24-23, 11:21 AM
#53
Senior Member
I'm fixing to join a local motorcycle riding training course one of these days and was wondering how conducive it would be to switch my bike's brakes between sides. Will it help to condition my muscle memory to have the front brake lever on the right side of the handlebar and flatten the learning curve somewhat? I should note that I'm a complete noob who's never ridden a motorcycle of any type, ever.
08-26-23, 03:28 AM
#54
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Ride your bicycle like a bicycle, and a motorcycle like a motorcycle;
If you have to operate your bicycle by rote memorization, maybe motorcycles aren’t for you.
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08-26-23, 08:36 PM
#55
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except it wont. if you train for something and do it regularly using similar movements across two platforms leads to less confusion for muscle memory. experience, adaptation and muscle memory are things that can work together or against.
its like running 1 up 5 down vs 1 down 5 up. If you run track regularly you would run the same as to NOT worry about forgetting or trying to work outside what youve trained with and are used to. you can run gp shift on track and regular on your street bike but why?run what you train with that also means if youve learned on regular, dont switch to gp shift because you think its "cool". if learned on one, stick with it. learned movement patterns are a thing.
have someone whos raced left hand drive cars and never a rhd car. see even though he can and has experience racing, he will not be as fast in the beginning with a rhd car.
its like running 1 up 5 down vs 1 down 5 up. If you run track regularly you would run the same as to NOT worry about forgetting or trying to work outside what youve trained with and are used to. you can run gp shift on track and regular on your street bike but why?run what you train with that also means if youve learned on regular, dont switch to gp shift because you think its "cool". if learned on one, stick with it. learned movement patterns are a thing.
have someone whos raced left hand drive cars and never a rhd car. see even though he can and has experience racing, he will not be as fast in the beginning with a rhd car.
08-26-23, 08:51 PM
#56
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Better mount the shifter on your left pedal, then so you won’t accidentally WFO when you really want to switch gears. Mount your rear brake on your right pedal, so you don’t accidentally dump the clutch when you’re just trying to scrub some speed.
Ride your bicycle like a bicycle, and a motorcycle like a motorcycle;
If you have to operate your bicycle by rote memorization, maybe motorcycles aren’t for you.
Ride your bicycle like a bicycle, and a motorcycle like a motorcycle;
If you have to operate your bicycle by rote memorization, maybe motorcycles aren’t for you.
This is all a made up problem.
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08-26-23, 09:17 PM
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True story: ages ago, I was looking at buying a MTB from a guy, and we went out for a ride, switching bikes. He had the brake switched because he rode dirt bikes, and thought it would be safer.
He crashes on my bike twice. Once badly. I had a few close calls.
So, in order to solve a problem that does not even exist, he made a mod to his bicycle that makes any other bike he rides (borrowed, rented, demoed) more dangerous for him.
He crashes on my bike twice. Once badly. I had a few close calls.
So, in order to solve a problem that does not even exist, he made a mod to his bicycle that makes any other bike he rides (borrowed, rented, demoed) more dangerous for him.
08-27-23, 02:54 AM
#58
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Triumph rider.. also Matchles G80 Dirt bike.. I think AMC gearbox.... 1 up 3 down... this always made more sense to me.... push forward to go faster, pull back to slow up....plus the forward downward press on the shifter resulted in a "more positive" shift.
And BTW.. prefer front brake on the right on a bicycle.
Why Brits drive on the left..... there are some reasons ... some might not fit.
1800 horse and buggy traffic.... you sat on the right of the buggy because most were right handed and used stronger right arm to control buggy whip.
Another thought... you are right handed and you go to the left in emergency to grab your sword... which is on your left.
How that all relates.....I don't know.
And BTW.. prefer front brake on the right on a bicycle.
Why Brits drive on the left..... there are some reasons ... some might not fit.
1800 horse and buggy traffic.... you sat on the right of the buggy because most were right handed and used stronger right arm to control buggy whip.
Another thought... you are right handed and you go to the left in emergency to grab your sword... which is on your left.
How that all relates.....I don't know.
- Most people are right handed
- Castles have spiral staircases because that's the only way to build for defense.
- Defending a castle you want to descend the spiral staicase (to fight invaders) standing near the middle with sword in the right hand (near the outside) so you can stab them first.
- So 'drive on the left' on spiral staircases.
- The rest is history.
(foot brake on left, right is 1 down + 3 up)
08-27-23, 11:41 AM
#59
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Explanation I've heard is:
(foot brake on left, right is 1 down + 3 up)
- Most people are right handed
- Castles have spiral staircases because that's the only way to build for defense.
- Defending a castle you want to descend the spiral staicase (to fight invaders) standing near the middle with sword in the right hand (near the outside) so you can stab them first.
- So 'drive on the left' on spiral staircases.
- The rest is history.
(foot brake on left, right is 1 down + 3 up)
08-27-23, 12:50 PM
#60
Banned
The point of having the left brake for the front wheel was to reduce the chance of a novice rider locking up the front wheel and sending themselves over the handlebar. As an alternative it is easy to adjust the brake for the front wheel so it cannot lock the wheel completely. I have never had a problem controlling the speed of a bicycle using only the rear brake on pavement. With mountain bikes on trails it is a very different proposition and front wheel braking and traction is very important.
08-28-23, 12:36 PM
#61
Senior Member
If you put the front brake on the right, are you going to somehow rig a foot control for the rear brake? If you really get into riding motorcycles, are you accidentally going to grab the rear brake as you downshift while coasting to a stop...?
I used to worry about this, too, being as avid a motorcyclist as a cyclist, but really, it made zero difference on a practical day to day basis.
If you want to keep it straight in your head - two hand levers on motorcycles, two hand levers on bicycles, two wheels below, all is good in the world.
I used to worry about this, too, being as avid a motorcyclist as a cyclist, but really, it made zero difference on a practical day to day basis.
If you want to keep it straight in your head - two hand levers on motorcycles, two hand levers on bicycles, two wheels below, all is good in the world.
08-28-23, 02:20 PM
#62
Full Member
The throttle, steering wheel, and cockpit for my boat are on the right side (starboard). The same for my car are on the left. Should I switch the controls from...
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08-31-23, 12:48 PM
#63
Junior Member
Been riding motorcycles and bicycles since deep in the last century and I've always left the rear brake on the right side of my bicycles. I've long since stopped trying to retrain my brain. It just seems to happen and I never confuse the right side on my bicycles. In fact I unconsciously say to myself rear brake anytime I use the right brake lever on a bicycle.
