Fingers on brake?

[PhiSig1071]

I only use 1 finger on the brakes. I use four fingers on the clutch. My brakes are set-up so that I can only use one finger, steel lines, DOT5.1, and HH pads. Even braking down on the front straight at Jennings I only need one. In an emergency situation I use two, but that's it.

[was92v]

I grew up using 4 on the brake because you had to or the damn thing wouldn't stop. As brakes got better I started backing off. Now I use two most of the time. Track riding pretty much required it since I needed to blip the throttle between down shifts and brake at the same time and it just became natural. Sometimes in a panic or sudden braking situation 2 seems, for a millisecond, to not be enough, but it is.
I use 4 on the clutch. Always have and have ridden many bikes that required it. Always covered the clutch with at least two fingers when I raced 2-strokes, but not so much on4-strokes. 2-strokes have a nasty habit of seizing up just as you roll back into the throttle pulling out of the apex and spitting you off like a watermelon seed. Sometimes you can get the clutch in before the launch and mutter "shit" instead of "OH SHIT" in mid flight.

[HRCNICK11]

plus the other 2 could get in teh way under max braking.

Maybe if you have girlie man short fingers. I normally max out my adjusters forward.

Jeremy B. said the other day that Rossi's could be faster if he did not use his whole hand to brake. Said that he could get o the gas a split second faster if he used one or two fingers.

[rogue]

2 on both. I have small hands and have my levers adjusted accordingly too. I also keep both covered all the time. Just a habit I've gotten into.

[Smittie61984]

I use two fingers. I got that from my BMX past where I rode with two on the brake. That way I can brake and control the bike.

I know the MSF says to use 4 but that seems dangerous. I almost hit a deer and was on one wheel at 60mph hanging on by my remaining fingers. Plus I ride a 1996 CBR600 with ancient brake technology compared to today's bikes.

Instead of worrying about accidently grabbing a full brake iwth 4 fingers. Practice Emergency Stops with two fingers. You'll get use to two fingers.

[Phenix_Rider]

Two brake, two clutch. That's what I've always done, and what I'll always do unless some bike forces me to change- call it Newton's Law of Motorcycles. Whatever's comfortable for you is right. It's the same as batting left or right, riding snowboard regular or goofy- as long as it's natural, that's all that matters.

The MSF four finger thing hurts my hands- fuck it, I won't do it. Plus it takes forever to get all my fingers off the throttle and out around the lever, and I lose my grip on the bar which is the last thing I need in a panic brake situation.

I've had a few occasions on the bike that I needed four fingers on the clutch. Stupid clutch disengage whatever the fuck switch won't work unless the lever is against the bar. Which doesn't work unless all my fingers are out of the way. Simple solution- DON"T STALL!

[lauralynne]

Originally Posted by CrazyKell

But in a panic situation wouldn't you grab with all 4 no matter what so wouldn't it be better to know what that feels like?

Even in a panic, only 2. I've never used 4. 2 on on the throttle leaves me the option of a quick gas to swerve if need be.

[Particle Man]

depends... if it's cold out I use 2 cuz it hurts to move more. Otherwise I use 4.

[OneSickPsycho]

Two for the brake, three or four for the clutch. Just the way I've always done it.

[FT BSTRD]

Evidently, Two: