Newbie-itis ... brake lever adjustment?

[LA Strom]

Hi -

I'm new to motorcycling ... I've done the MSF course, took a couple of private lessons, also rented a Honda 250 Nighthawk and a 750 Shadow before deciding to buy a DL650, which I love! It's a 2008 w/ABS. 'm 5'10", 34" inseam, and spending 100 miles on a 250 was very uncomfortable so I decided to go with a bike that was more comfortable for my long legs. I know it'll be a steeper learning curve. My husband's been riding 35 years so I have the benefit of riding with him. I'm practicing slow speed riding, coming to stops ... that is the hardest for me, but I'm getting there. On the positive side, riding & cornering the Wee is so much fun. I took it on the freeway for the 1st time this weekend and I was surprised how comfortable it was at higher speeds. I don't want to do a lot of fwy driving yet, I need more practice on quiet streets, but the experience this weekend was a good one.

I'm having a newbie-itis issue. Well, more than one, but I'll start with this one. Has anyone had problems with accidentally hitting the throttle when applying the front brake? In my MSF class when I accidentally hit the throttle it was because my wrist was too high & not flat. On an MSF 250 with the brake levers adjusted a little higher, it was an easy fix. I'm thinking my hands are just a little bit too small for the 650 reach so I have to rotate my hand over & my wrist up to get a good grip on the front brake lever.

Do you know if the brake lever can be rotated a little more up so my wrist will be flatter? And any other suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Christy

[greywolf]

There is a small range of adjustment available. The big thing though is parking lot practice. Braking practice is possibly the most important thing you can do. You are basically training your muscles to act so you don't take time to think about what you are doing. Having an ABS bike means you don't have to worry about locking up a wheel so go for it. Do wait until your brake discs take on a uniform appearance indicating the pads are bedded in before doing maximum effort stops.

[568v8]

Christy:
INMHO .... I can't imagine a situation where you would need more than 2 fingers on the front brake. The rest of your fingers give you much better control of the throttle and the steering. Adjust the brake lever for you hand, but do not get in the habit of releasing and adjusting your hand position.

By the way, I'm envious of your leg length. I'm also 5'10" but with only 29" stubs in comparison.

[LA Strom]

Wow, thank you all for your great suggestions! I can't wait to get back on my bike & practice! :D

[Motofan]

I taught my wife how to use the front brake like this:
It's not the way they taught me at riding school, my buddy Ian showed me this, and he taught me way more than them.

DO NOT SQUEEZE IT, make a claw with your fingers and roll forward to actuate the lever. this ensures that you roll the throttle shut and makes brake pressure adjustments very precise. it also prevents you from applying too much brake at once and locking the wheel up.

Just squeezing normally means you risk rolling the throttle on with your thumb... especially when your forearm is on the same plane as the back of your hand (wrist is flat)

The "rolling the claw forward" is fool proof..
here's a video my wife found where the guy could have benefited from it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVNnp-OEzxY
please note the brightly lit brake light when he realises he's losing it...
he's just grabbing the brake with his fingers, and his thumb is rolling the throttle on... my guess is it's exactly what is happening to you.

learn the "rolling the claw" technique, you'll be glad when you get on a bike that has more motor than brakes. it's the first thing I teach people before they get the bike moving under its own power.

ps: 568: you said "I can't imagine a situation where you would need more than 2 fingers on the front brake" I need all 4 in case i'm going to brake hard, i keep my reach adjusted at the 5 position, and if i only use 2 fingers, the lever contacts my other 2 fingers (i have short and thick fingers). for that reason it's a good idea to use all 4 fingers.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIGw2Exx3Gg&feature=related>