How many fingers?

[themeatmanlandry]

Originally Posted by eb77k

Do what you want. Don't sweat the little stuff. What makes you comfortable usually makes you safe. Keep your focus way, way out in front of you. Don't be concentrating too much on stuff like that. The use of the controls should be instinctive by the time you are actually out on the road. Right when you are being all unsure about your fingers an incident will crop up that you should have been looking out for.

Not to disagree, but just to point out, when I started playing the guitar, I was self-taught. By the time I got a lesson or two, I had several bad habits firmly engrained in my technique. Nearly ALL involved grip and hand placement.

That said, maybe a person's better off in the long run if they learn the proper technique from the beginning. Eventually, you may be more comfortable than you would have been if you'd done it the 'comfortable' way.

[KD57]

It also depends on the bike you have. The Harley would stop pretty good w/ one finger on the brake, the ZZR will spit you over the bars w/ anything more than a slight touch, and the V-star requires a good 2 finger pull if you really want to stop. Disk brakes, especially dual rotor ones, are night / day different than drum brakes.

[Uncle B]

clutch 4

break middle & ring fingers unless panic stopping then all I can get on the break.

[JmalB]

I was told 2 fingers by the MSF BRC instructors. But 4 fingering a modern sportbike or standard is a good case for stoppie gone too far.

[Spartanfan23]

2 and 2

[baltimorebayside]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

Hmmm, well, I guess I'll jump in. Sooo many instructors get a little too anal about things at times. I had to teach four fingers too. Usually I emphasized the importance of learning the feel of four fingers. More nerve endings on the lever {better feel!}, less fatigue with braking chores being spread across more muscle. I have heard of people getting into trouble in emergency situations, when they are used to using two or three fingers, they overbrake using four. Simply because they weren't used to the extra force available with the extra digit{s}. When I'm on the track playing, I'll start off with two, and go to four as I get tuckered out. I think it is important to be able to use all four for the reasons I stated, but is it a mortal sin not to? I don't think so. Especially considering how good todays brakes are in general. The clutch?? If you have enough finger strength to use two or three on the clutch consistently, good on ya. I have heavier springs on my clutch, so you can guess how many I have to use.

Oh, and to answer baltimorebayside, I use four fingers when I'm doing a burn out, and have no problem rolling the throttle with my thumb and part of my palm

Interesting........I'll admit, at 53 I'm too much of a chicken **** to do a burnout.

dan

[CaptCrashIdaho]

Clutch 3 (dog legs).

Brakes? 2 when modulating in traffic. 3.5 when banzai braking (dog leg on teh brake too)! I feel like using all the grip I can when doing high perfromance gives me better control...

[LCA_koolaid37]

How many fingers?

Depends on how well I know her.

[Tab B.]

Originally Posted by LCA_koolaid37

How many fingers?

Depends on how well I know her.

Ahhhh,,,, jeeeez. Didn't need to know that.

[pinky44]

Use four fingers on the clutch two on the brake and sometimes all four.

[robertc729]

4 and 4

[blackie1491]

Originally Posted by baltimorebayside

Interesting........I'll admit, at 53 I'm too much of a chicken **** to do a burnout.

dan

Come on Dan, you are starting to sound like an "Old Man".

[frostbitevinnie]

Depends on the panic status but under "normal" conditions, 4 on the clutch and 2 on brake.

[Davecm203]

2 and 2. I have tried using 4 on the clutch. It feels really weird. With 4 on the brake, I have trouble modulating it. I have been riding like that for 30 years. Hard to change now. I feel like I have better control using two because I never really let go of the bar. In a panic stop, I use 2 and 2 because that is the way I do it every time.

[inspiron]

Originally Posted by baltimorebayside

Interesting........I'll admit, at 53 I'm too much of a chicken **** to do a burnout.

dan

LOL! And I'm much too cheap to try it! Thinking that a rear tire costs me upwards of $200, plus the risk that I'll drop the bike and do even more damage ... no thanks. I don't need that %%%%.

[baltimorebayside]

Originally Posted by inspiron

LOL! And I'm much too cheap to try it! Thinking that a rear tire costs me upwards of $200, plus the risk that I'll drop the bike and do even more damage ... no thanks. I don't need that %%%%.

That was my thinking as well......

Had fun driving home last night from the firehouse where my son and daughter were with their friends in a band.. The kids sounded good!

My driving lights are great!!!! maaan! can I see at night!!! The OEM light bar was a good investment.....Had the wife on the back this time....her first ride....Nice pair of jeans, a black boot with a slight heel,....nice textile jacket with armor.....dayum!! she looks good!!!

She's a good passenger, knows how to ride as a passenger. I keep telling her, at least put one hand on me so I know your back there!!!!

The C50T handled great riding two up......very nice evening run.....

Ooops.....what was the subject of this thread? Oh yea, how many fingers.....

Last night I had two resting on my break and two resting on my clutch...seems comfortable for me....sometimes my left arm is resting on my wife's leg.....

dan

[amvince]

Originally Posted by eb77k

Do what you want. Don't sweat the little stuff. What makes you comfortable usually makes you safe. Keep your focus way, way out in front of you. Don't be concentrating too much on stuff like that. The use of the controls should be instinctive by the time you are actually out on the road. Right when you are being all unsure about your fingers an incident will crop up that you should have been looking out for.

[AZRyder]

I always use 4. Been doing it the same way for 30 years. What do you do with the others? Might as well use em and keep more control of the situation.

[ORBrit]

4 and 4
When I first started riding I dropped to 2 on the brake and when I went back for a refresher course realized that I couldn't emergency brake as effectively as I was used to only using two fingers on the brake.
I had to reprogram my muscle memory to grab the brake with all four fingers so I can always count on braking the way I intended to.

Oh and I don't cover either unless I see something ahead that makes me think I may need to brake suddenly.

[SNAFU]

The safety instructor taught us to use four fingers on clutch and brake, same reasons also. Might get your fingers caught etc. I have been using four and four.

From reading this article it says it might have something to do with reaction time and throttle control for beginner riders.
Panic Braking - Surviving the Streets - Motorcycle Cruiser