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[phato1]

Let me be the first to say amen to that...

I never felt comfortable sitting in neutral/hand off the clutch at a traffic light.  I want to be on ready at all times...either to pull away (after looking both ways) or to get out of the way.

And to the engine/compression braking, absolutely!

And a hallelujah too 

One of my biggest fears while on the bike is being run into from behind at a traffic light, I make a conscious effort to watch my 6 at all times.

[Twolanerider]

And a hallelujah too 

One of my biggest fears while on the bike is being run into from behind at a traffic light, I make a conscious effort to watch my 6 at all times.

I know....  Too much time at a light and I pucker more and more.  Always watching and always leave a little room to go one way other other (or either) if need be.  Twice over the years have cut between vehicles in front me to avoid something I feared might be coming.  One locked his brakes up and ended just about where I was.  Don't know if I'd have gotten slapped or not.  But too damned closed to call.

[ultrafxr]

Good discussion and advice.  Many folks are oblivious to what is behind.  Kinda like that old movie, Cannoball Run, Gumball Rally, where the guy rips off the mirror from the windshield and says, 'whatsa behind me is not important.'  Ah but yes it is!  Most of us do a pretty good job of watching out front say from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock or thereabouts but don't pay enough attention to our six o'clock.  Whenever I come to an intersections and have to stop that is the very first thing I check and keep paying attention to.  Never needed to so far but you never know.  Better safe than sorry.   

[03Lightningrocks]

snip...  I don't keep a foot on the brake I use the front brake must be from the old Moto cross days.   
Todd

That is pretty common for those that have ridden dirt bikes. I had to break myself of it. It is probably not a big deal but you gain as much as 2 seconds by using the foot brake and keeping the clutch right at the start of the friction zone.

[CVODON]

Sorry, been riding for 50 years but I have no idea what using the brake pedal over the front brake has to do with the clutch engagement. I assume maybe you think you need your right hand to twist the throttle? I can hold the brake and twist the throttle at the same time, I think everyone can so?? Where does 2 seconds come from. I am being serious here, 2 seconds is a long time in traffic. And in the big scheme I am screwed, I never use the rear brake except in panic stops or rain.

[03Lightningrocks]

Sorry, been riding for 50 years but I have no idea what using the brake pedal over the front brake has to do with the clutch engagement. I assume maybe you think you need your right hand to twist the throttle? I can hold the brake and twist the throttle at the same time, I think everyone can so?? Where does 2 seconds come from. I am being serious here, 2 seconds is a long time in traffic. And in the big scheme I am screwed, I never use the rear brake except in panic stops or rain.

Police training.    It is possible to keep slight pressure on the clutch and hold the rear brake at the same time. Let foot off brake...go. All fingers on throttle for complete control No leg to lift off the ground and search for rear brake if a sudden stop while turning is called for after taking off. Hit front brake while emergency turning equals fork lock. Fifty years of riding and I still strive to improve my abilities. Always learning...
On a similar topic of time in seconds being critical.  It takes one second to go from throttle to brake. Keeping your hand laying over the top while riding can mean stopping quick enough to save around sixty feet. Which has been the difference for me in missing my target and smacking into the rear end of it.
Check out a feller called Jerry "Motorman" Palladino.

[J-Carr]

Check out a feller called Jerry "Motorman" Palladino.

Just don't let your wife watch his videos.  He's pretty insulting, at least in the old ones.  I think he's trying to be funny, but I've seen my lady riders get a bit POd at him.

I tend to do the front brake because of my racing days (I think).  But I will use the motorman's police techniques if I'm pulling out into an uphill tight turn.  To be honest usually I don't worry about it and just balance the clutch when the lights about to turn.  Then I'm not on either brake.

MSF tells you to brake with both hand and foot and as soon as you stop release the foot break and secure both feet on the ground.  I don't recall them saying either way for pulling out as to which break to hold.

[Rooster]

I used to keep in 1st with clutch pulled in. Now I drop in Neutral cause I have a Gold Diaphram spring on my Rivera clutch that you don't want to hold very long cause I might accidentely relax my grig for a split second and launch.

[03Lightningrocks]

I think the main rule with the front brake is "Don't engage it while trying to do a slow speed turn".

He actually shows an example of the one foot up in his video. He has a friend come up on his rear right fast. He simply lifts his foot off the rear brake and goes.

As far as one foot up on the brake goes, police motorcycle training teaches this for years. It is to gain every extra advantage in case one must leave quickly. Split seconds do count.

There is probably nothing harder for us bike riders to do than accepting our "doing it for X years that way" does not equate to doing it right for years.

Oh well. I did my part. I told the PROPER way to do it. I bet I will still watch 9 out of 10 riders do it wrong and even get away with it.  Until that one time... and then a post will pop up about how it was unavoidable.

By the way. My MSF training was with a police officer that trains police riders. That might explain why I was taught the Jerry way. Maybe  your MSF trained to put both feet on the ground to make it easier for novice riders to balance the bike. That would make sense.

[03Lightningrocks]

One more comment I would like to address. I am not sure what about Jerry Palladino any woman would find insulting. He has as many women riders in his videos as men and even his wife is on them. IMHO, there would be a real hard reach for anyone to find themselves "offended" by anything I watched or heard him say.

[CVODON]

This posting went all over the place. Police training vs MSF vs Palladino. Sorry, the one foot on rear brake and one foot on ground not going to work for me. Maybe a good idea, just not acceptable for me with 900# bike and me and wife. I have ridden enough to never grab front brake in turn, at least I never have & hopefully I won't. I think we all use rear brake and friction zone in traffic/low speed manuvers etc. I have enjoyed reading everybodies choices and will consider them all.  How to ride guy is local here, I have seen him a hundred times, I personally learned from him, but he can be "abrupt".

[willyB]

I learned my lesson many years ago.

I was sitting at a stoplight in 1st with the clutch in. I looked in my mirror (always) and I saw a car coming a little too quick. Twisted the throttle, let out the clutch and I got out of the way just in time as the car smashed into the rear of the car that was in front of me.

Danger doesn't just come from in front or left and right!

Head on a swivel because God gave you a neck and mirrors because God didn't give us eyes on the back of heads.

[J-Carr]

One more comment I would like to address. I am not sure what about Jerry Palladino any woman would find insulting. He has as many women riders in his videos as men and even his wife is on them. IMHO, there would be a real hard reach for anyone to find themselves "offended" by anything I watched or heard him say.

Then you haven't watched the version I have with a group of women who got offended.  I have.  I don't remember which version of Ride Like A Pro it was, but he was trying to be humorous with the lady (It may be his wife) who was riding the banana SEEG.  After a while it starting working on the nerves of some of the ladies of Harley riders who were watching it in our hog room.  No reaching... some people find gender based stereo types offensive, even if he was trying to be funny about it.  My wife and I are not offended by it or him.  I was simply passing along a warning so it didn't catch anyone off guard.  The newer versions of the DVD he may have stopped doing that.  Ours is around 10 years old.

[03Lightningrocks]

OH NO!!!??? That is funny. He must have learned his lesson because he plays it real straight in his newest ones. Yeah... that is something. I hate to admit it but I would get a kick out of watching him get in trouble like that.

I bet after bad backlash he settled it down.

[2015FLHTKSE]

I use both the front brake, rear brake and engine to slow down. I always leave space between a cage and myself and always check my mirrors just in case. When stopped, I always use both feet on the ground, use the front brake and clutch in with 1st gear engaged. Only 40 years experience.