Trying to stop the LT with elegance

[claude2005]

Hi gang, I have being riding my Lt for a year now, I love this bike , but.... I have no trouble getting aroud at low speed and all that but can't get to stop at lights or stop signs with control. It is worst riding 2 up. I tried with one foot first on the ground , then both feet, I have difficulty stop the bike with out balancing before the stop. About you guys, how do you procede to stop with grace espacialy when the some HD are checking you out ? Thanks

[jorawro]

I have developed the habit of coming to "quick and definite" stop, rather than a slow & gradual. (jeez - I hope that makes sense). My left foot touches the ground at the same instant that the bike comes to a stand-still.
And ALWAYS keep the front wheel straight when stopping.

[dandiver]

Practice Practice Practice..... not trying to be smart, but I too had the same problem but it definitely got better, the more I rode. I ALWAYS look forward and up. Before stopping though, look down at the road to make sure you are not stopping on oil or gravel.

NEVER turn the wheel as you stop. Intersections are the worst. It is so easy to try to slow down and turn the wheel, thinking you'll be able to keep moving and then you have to stop. DONT !! I am sure there are exceptions but these are in general. I also find that it works to slow down to a stop, most of the time with my rear brake. I know that many use their front brake, but it does not work for me, as the front shock will not compress and absorb the momentum.

[grifscoots]

Keep your head up. Eventually, you should be able to stop and just sit there a bit without ever putting a foot down. BTW, good way to get a ticket.

[zippy_gg]

I usually slow down gently and get ready to get my left leg on the ground as I gently push the left bar (but not the point of steering). This is just enough to make the LT gently lean to the left where I receive her with my left leg now on the ground. Emphasis on the word "gently"!!! I am not steering or anything, just making the bike slowly slightly lean left when I am ready with my foot on the ground.
It is important to get at least one foot on the ground at traffic lights or Stop signs or... ar Grif said you'll get a ticket. You are not considered making a full stop until at least one foot is on the ground.

[fas]

Hi gang, I have being riding my Lt for a year now, I love this bike , but.... I have no trouble getting aroud at low speed and all that but can't get to stop at lights or stop signs with control. It is worst riding 2 up. ... Thanks

I rode my LT for four years, then got the '06 GT. Lower cg and almost 300# lighter and MUCH easier to manage. But, if you want to ride the 800+# brute, try some of these ideas.......

With the LT, as you stop pull a high decel initially, then as you are getting to slow speed ease of a bit. This settles the bike (wt. transfer is a good thing) and gives you better control, more finesse.

Stop straight.

Paint on the road is like grease, especially with water or oil or coolant. Always try to stop away from painted surfaces.

As for 2-up, ask your SO to try to be still at low speeds.

My wife and I visited Montreal in '67 for the Expo, our first over night! We rode our new GT to Niagara Falls Canada a few weeks ago. The Niagara Botanical is amazing!

Good luck with the LT.

[rixchard]

Well, here is how I handle it and I commute in Dallas traffic most everyday (weather permitting). My technique involves many of the points listed before me, Keep your head up, keep the front wheel straight, keep your feet on the peg until the bike stops. But I also do one other thing, as my speed dips below 10mph I rely on the rear brake more than the front brake. . And finally, I try to treat each stop sign and each stop light as a chance to practice stopping.

[mwnahas]

Sounds like you are stopping too slow.
Stop with a purpose. Not suggesting slamming on the breaks.
You are probalby tentative about stopping.
You don't stop you just keep slowing down.
When that happens you start to lose balance control.
So you stop slower the next time lose control earlier.
Stop with confidence, with a purpose, you will maintain better balance.
Also that will decrease the time you need to balance.
Put your foot down. Use both feet if you have to at first.
Good boots with good traction is a must with this heavy bike also.
My 2 cents :)

[kellenbenz]

I usually slow down gently and get ready to get my left leg on the ground as I gently push the left bar (but not the point of steering). This is just enough to make the LT gently lean to the left where I receive her with my left leg now on the ground. Emphasis on the word "gently"!!! I am not steering or anything, just making the bike slowly slightly lean left when I am ready with my foot on the ground.
It is important to get at least one foot on the ground at traffic lights or Stop signs or... ar Grif said you'll get a ticket. You are not considered making a full stop until at least one foot is on the ground.

I totally agree with Gilles..... the pressure on the left handlebar is just like a very slow speed countersteer. Just enough to make the bike lean left at the last second before the stop. It took me quite a while to stumble onto that. As many say it really just takes a lot of practice.

Ron

[robasay]

Ditto's to all the above suggestions. I am always trying to slow before I reach the red light or stop sign or line of stopped cars. I practice going as slow as I can and try to keep it moving very slow keeping my balance, hoping to be able to start as soon as the light turns green. On stop signs I come in slow looking for traffic then make a quick stop (to be legal) then start off without putting my foot down. You ask "Why?" I like practicing so when I go to bike rally's I can participate in the Hot dog bites, ball on the cone, etc. Have I fell? I am not going to answer that one cause as sure as I do I will be jinxed.

[ksailor]

I always use both breaks to slow the bike down. But stopping completely takes something different into consideration; forward momentum of the bike and weight on the forks.

First; I always make sure that the bike is straight and upright. Once the bike is slowed down, use the REAR brake to come to a complete stop. This keeps the steerage on the front and also the forks will not be compressed as I stop (keeps the bike upright). Glide to a stop using only the REAR brake; left foot down. Much more control. (you can't help but lean the bike to the left a lil to stop when you left foot is down and the right is on the break) And what Dan said Practice.

[George_S]

I agree 100% with Chuck in the above post. The only thing I would add from my personal perspective (I am a recent LT owner) is to plan ahead and choose a stopping point earlier than you would normally choose. IOW- if you normally stop 6 to 10 feet behind a stopped car at a light or stop sign, choose a spot 12 or 15 or even 20 feet behind instead. I dunno if its bike momentum or what, but with the LT I catch myself "playing catchup" and trying to suddendly stop in time.

What I'm trying to say is to think about slowing more gradually and use a longer space to do it in. On my R1200C and most other bikes I've owned I didn't have to think about it, I just grabbed the brakes and stopped. The LT requires more thinking about maintaining control at slow speeds, IMO.

[dencla]

Be sure you stop the bike completely before you put your foot to the pavement, this may sound silly but some bikers will put the foot down and try to "walk" the bike to a stop, I have done that untill, as someone has said , I learned to stop "with a purpose" if you stop quick enough, you will not have time to lose your balance.Bonne chance et bonne route!

[space_coast_lt]

There are some posts on this forum that explain how to make turns at dead slow speeds, such as a u-turn. The procedure includes keeping your head up, keeping the engine speed up a little, applying pressure to the rear brake and feathering the clutch for control. Doing this will allow you to make slow turns with the bars turned turned to the stop.

If you master that, the graceful stops will come naturally. Applying the brake and forward power may seem wrong. But you learn to balance the braking force and forward force using the clutch. With the revs up, the gyro effect of the engine will keep the bike more stable.

Finally, just as the bike is coming to a complete stop, that gentle steer to the right described above will get the bike to lean left so you can put the left foot down. Leave the right on the peg/brake pedal.

At least that is worked for me. I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Jeff

[BrianD]

I am a "both feet on the ground" stopper.

Rules for stopping gracefully.
1. Handlebars straight.
2. Head up, look forward (not down).
3. Come to a stop quickly and smoothly.
(do not try to slowly creep to a stop.)
4. Both feet touch down as bike stops.

If you are comfortable with the bike, it is possible to virtually come to a complete stop momentarily at corners or round-a-bouts without putting a foot down.

[Schweintechnik]

I have to agree with what Grif said earlier - the one thing I took away from my MSF courses is "Keep your head up." I've found that on any bike, as long as I stay focused on the horizon and not the bumper of the car in front of me, I can come to an "elegant" stop every time. Doesn't matter if I'm stopping "with a purpose" or if I was creeping to a stop like I was trying to keep an egg from rolling off the passenger seat. I like what zippy said too - just a touch of left grip pressure right as the left foot goes down. With this technique, I can gently lower my left foot to the pavement just as the speedo hits zero.

[NascaLT]

I use my front brake a lot; almost exclusively. As I stop (planned stops, not because someone just violated my ROW) I use my front brake and when at a slow walking pace engage the clutch a little. That provides a little "pull" to keep me straight; then both feet touch down. I'm not tall enough to flat foot it so this works best for me. I have yet to be able to "slow ride" the LT as I did the HD, but, I'm pretty darn close. Engaging the clutch seems provide stability for me. (rear brake is a squealer; the noise is enough to draw all the attention I need for "observers" - and the noise doesn't fit the quality of the LT).