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POLICE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING.
In August of 2001 I wrote a memo to my Lieutenant about ABS and motorcycles. The motor unit was attempting to get new motorcycles and we where concerned about the old braking system that we had. We knew that there was new technology out there. I did a lot of research about ABS and motorcycles. I will share this information with you in a training article. ABS and motorcycles have been around since the 80s. ABS was not invented for cars at first, but first for airplanes. Engineers were trying to keep planes on the runway and skidding off . Some great engineer with a motorcycle thought this was a good idea to keep riders up right on a motorcycle. How ABS works. There is a little computer on the motorcycle that tells it when a wheel is about to lock. There are sensors on the front and rear wheel. If you look closely you can see them. The sensor is round, usual the size of the brake disc, and has gear teeth on it. A sensor will count the teeth and then match it up with the speed you are traveling. If you are still moving and the senor stops counting teeth, the wheel will lock up, send a message to the computer, which in turn will tell the hydraulic to release pressure and to unlock. It will then reapply, and if it stills senses lock up it will release again. This can happen hundreds of times in a couple of seconds. This is the quick version of it. What does this have to do with training? BMW has had ABS on their motorcycles since 1981 and Hondas a little after that. Harley finally offered ABS for the police motorcycle in 2005. When we got our BMWs in 2001 there was no training or education about ABS or how to use them. I had to educate myself and a couple of years later was trained by a retired Sergeant with the California Highway Patrol about the ABS system on a motorcycle. There are a couple of exercises that you can use to orient the motor officer with ABS brakes.
Set up a braking shoot where the motorcycle can get up to about 40 mph. First make sure the ABS is working, no blinking light. Have a cue cone set up and tell the motor officer for the first time, to do about 20 mph and to stomp on the rear brake. Hold it. ABS should kick in. Second time, 30 mph and up to 40. Do this again with front brake only. Again 20, 30 and 40 mph. Then do both brakes improper, grabbing and stomping. Again 20, 30, 40 mph. Once you have done that stop. Explain to the officer this exercise was to get the feel of ABS on dry payment. Now you are going to do proper braking, no ABS. Again start with the rear brake first, 20, 30, 40 mph, then front and both. No ABS, nice controlled braking. Remember we are trying for muscle memory. Once you feel comfortable with the braking go to the skid pan. Make a braking shoot with cones, with no turns, just a straight shot. Here you do not have to break it down front or rear both etc... Just both brakes with maximum stops in the wet on the skid pan. This gives the motor officer confidence that ABS will work and the front tire will not wash out. Do this for a couple of times. Next find a straight area with a run off. Here you are training braking hard on asphalt and then dirt. Make it as real as possible, example is attempting to stop a car and the person over reacts and slams on the brakes. You have no where to go and make evasive maneuver which in turn you run out of asphalt to stop. Next find a curve with asphalt and dirt. Brake in a curve as you would normally do and use some run off with dirt. Again, this exercise builds confidence, but should not build over confidence. It should be reminded that ABS is a tool. It does not prevent crashes, but help avoid one. Keep in mind when ABS kicks in, the stop distance gets longer. Why, because the computer is releasing and then reapply, and the releasing is causing the longer distance. That is better than a crash in the long run. Remember practice makes perfect or perfect practice makes prefect. Motor Officer John W. Pretti Tallahassee Police Department Motor Unit 12 years. Police officer 18 years. Motor instructor 8 years. MSF rider coach 7 years. Certificate Kevin Schwantz Suzuki motorcycle school If you are a police motorcycle instructor and would like to share some of your knowledge with your fellow officers, please let us know. |
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