The Emergency Straight-Path Braking Behaviour of Skilled versus Less-skilled Motorcycle Riders

A detailed investigation of the emergency straight-path braking behaviour of a sample of 59 volunteer motorcycle riders with a wide range of riding experience and skill has been performed on the test track with the aid of a motorcycle instrumented to measure and record a number of variables related to the braking task. Analysis of the data revealed that the skilled riders applied larger front and rear brake-lever force inputs, had shorter reaction times, and were able to proportion their front and rear brake force inputs in the manner required for optimum utilization of the available tyre/road friction. By contrast, the braking behaviour of the less-skilled riders could lead to early “lock-up” of the rear wheel. This finding suggests that less proficient riders could brake a motorcycle more effectively if it was equipped with an integrated and/or anti-lock braking system.