What should the position of the motorcycle be in order to achieve optimum effectiveness of braking?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. Vertical.
Explanation
In the photo a motorcyclist is waiting in front of a pedestrian crossing in town, with the motorcycle upright next to a car. You get optimum braking effectiveness with the motorcycle in the vertical (upright) position - answer A.
The Road Traffic Act requires you to brake in a way that does not cause danger, and a motorcycle brakes most effectively when it is upright. The reason lies in the physics of the tyre: the contact between the wheel and the road surface can transmit only a limited force, and in the upright position all of it can go into braking. When the motorcycle is leaning to the left or to the right, part of the grip is used to hold the line through the bend, so less of it is left for braking - the wheel locks more easily, and the motorcycle straightens up and runs to the outside of the bend. That is why in an emergency in a bend you first bring the motorcycle upright, and only then do you brake with full force, using both brakes, with your body weight shifted backwards. ABS systems with a lean sensor in newer motorcycles help, but they do not change the principle: upright means the shortest braking distance.
Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 2 point 2 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym)