Triumphrat

Junipero

Yes, completely joking and playing on a prior controversial thread about whether to put down only one foot or both at a light and whether the bike should be in neutral at a stop or in gear. No worries Rose!

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dogtired

I got so paranoid about which foot to put down, I started not putting any feet down.
This in turn forced me to add a third wheel to the bike.





A hell of a lot less than it would cost you for the equivalent cover your paying some insurance company for.
<--- smug look knowing that I am right.

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Boldor

I do - if I know that the lights are going to take forever. I don't see the harm - since safety switches installed in the stand to prevent you from putting it in gear. It allows me to put my feet back up on the pegs and relax - my legs aren't especially long.

Good on you for giving the right foot down thing a go too Rose.

I found another advantage to putting my right foot down. As I take off, when I am accelerating the hardest, I don't fully raise my right foot. Instead I hook it behind the right peg and use it to stop my upper body from flying backwards off the bike. This allows me to not have to pull on the bars and therefore have a more neural grip for throttle control and steering while ripping through the gears.

And lastly, if you pull up briskly and have not gone down through all the gears in the usual manner, by instinctively putting the right foot down, you can instinctively learn to check that you are back in first ready to take off again.

The only time I feel it necessary to swap feet is on steep uphill take offs from stopped when using the rear brake to anchor the bike so you can give the throttle of the attention from your right hand.

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sstenner

Thanks, Rose. Always looking for new sources!

Sharon

BrewDudeBob

It should be habit for you to be in 1st gear whenever you stop with your clutch engaged in case you have to escape in an emergency. "Getaway Gear". That is why it is habit for me to have my left foot down with my right foot on the brake.


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Boldor

BDB should is wonderful, and you are right, BUT, what happens when you have to stop sharp like and you just pull the clutch and the brakes to stop from third gear f'rinstance?

Plus if you put your left foot down, how do you change into neutral while waiting for the lights to change or the train to finish crossing etc?

Your solution is the one taught to most people, the standard way, but I don't like it.

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ccrider77

No...

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saphena

The much better and safer habit is for you to continuously sweep for threats while you're waiting at the light. Being in gear for a quick getaway is worse than useless if you didn't notice the impending collision.

Like Rose (and all the UK traffic police) I'm a right foot down, bike in neutral sort of chap.

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jonkster

I keep both feet on the pegs at lights. That way I am ready for anything.

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williamr

Two issues here - on the staying in gear, the book says no, because if you get rear ended the jerk will probably cause you to release the clutch and twist the throttle open. That's a good way to die.

That said, the book isn't always right and sometimes it makes sense to stay in gear provided that (a) you have a clear and safe escape route and (b) you watch your mirror instead of what's happening in front of you. Be prepared for loud horns when you fail to notice that the lights have changed.

As for stopping, one of the biggest causes of embarassing, plastic scratching low speed drops is the front wheel locking up at or below walking speed - especially when the car in fromt starts to move off, changes its mind and you grab the front brake.

So you always have the right foot on the peg when starting and stopping as long as the wheels are turning, and below walking speed you use the rear brake - not the front. 99 times out of a hundred the front brake is OK. The time it isn't, the only thing guaranteed is that there'll be an audience to watch you fall off.

So if the right foot is on the peg, the left foot has to go down. It's easy enough to swap feet if you've failed to sort out your gears (I stay in first, not because it's right, or safer - it isn't - but because I'm lazy.)

As for sitting on a bike when it's on the side stand, my mechanical sympathy is wincing. I won't do those side stand turns in the workshop either.

Rob