waiting,up hill,or hill start

ok, when you are going UP hill towards traffic lights, or what ever, that meens you have to stop, should you,be in first clutch in left foot on ground, right foot on rear brake,? or out of gear right foot on ground and left foot ready to go into first, holding bike on the front brake, for as much as possible I try and judge it so as not to stop, but some times you have to, so what IS the BEST what to do this manover????? and hope you can understand the question, been reading a thread like this on another site and no one looks like they have a "safe" answer, there must be some advanced instruction on this?? and I know that there are some well liked advanced riders on this site, so what do you say?????

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ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

A lot would depend on the severity of the incline, but what works for me is to arrive in first gear, right foot down, placed so the footpeg is resting against it but slightly to the front(foor peg that is), acts like a brake. Hold the front brake with two fingers ready for the throttle when its safe to move off. If I need to from that position I can knock it out of gear if its a long wait and vehicles behind are secure.

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done it dont want to do it again
COG#4 TIT120 SG82

Training in and around Oxfordshire

I do pretty much the same as Ells said although I'd be quite happy to pull up in first, both feet down, then get the balance firmly onto the right foot and snick it out of gear if it looks like a long wait. Reasonably happy to hold the bike on the front with 2 fingers and adjust the throttle until the bike starts pull against the braking.

Found another good reason to have both feet down today. Stopped, right foot down and whooooooosh....the wind nearly blew us over to the left. Left foot down sharpish!

Count Steer wrote

I do pretty much the same as Ells said although I'd be quite happy to pull up in first, both feet down, then get the balance firmly onto the right foot and snick it out of gear if it looks like a long wait. Reasonably happy to hold the bike on the front with 2 fingers and adjust the throttle until the bike starts pull against the braking.

Found another good reason to have both feet down today. Stopped, right foot down and whooooooosh....the wind nearly blew us over to the left. Left foot down sharpish!

Yea bit of two foot down as well today

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done it dont want to do it again
COG#4 TIT120 SG82

Training in and around Oxfordshire

Idiots guide to hill start.

Say you are in neutral...

You should be in the safety postion.. Left foot down - right foot firmly on rear brake.

Get your observations over and done with then..

Both hands on handlebars. Use front brake with all four fingers for tighter grip and then pull in clutch lever. Keeping front brake on come out of safey position - select first gear using your left foot of course. Once in first gear keep hand on front brake until you switch yer legs so right foot is using rear brake firmly (because you will want to take your hand off front brake in order to use the throttle efficiently - you do not want to roll back)!!

Keeping rear brake on take your hand off the front brake - you will now want to keep the throttle busy, so when you start to release the clutch slowly and smoothly you will find it gets to biting point

Look forward and increase throttle gently but not too much (or yer'll end up doing a wheelie)!

Ease off rear brake, providing biting point has been found the bike should pull up the hill.

Accelerate briskly and get into yer normal riding position on the road.

Its a bit long winded but hope that helps

Hi Pina noticed you havent got the drinks in yet. Nice glass of white to compliment the Stir Fry ta.

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done it dont want to do it again
COG#4 TIT120 SG82

Training in and around Oxfordshire

I'd leave it in first,right foot on back brake and do a proper hill start,as taught. These days I'd probably have a pillion on though...

Like a lot of these things... first question is "what do you want to achieve?" A safe stop and a controlled getaway.

If you're a relative novice, the "by the book" answer provided by Pina is probably the right way to go... but... it takes a significant amount of time to go thru the "Hendon Shuffle" and that might not be appropriate if you are only going to be there for a few seconds - perhaps waiting for someone to clear a crossing on a flashing amber - leaving it in gear avoids the need for the "hop, skip and jump" of selecting neutral and back again.

If you're a bit more experienced, then the two fingers on the throtte/two fingers on the brake can work... but needs a delicate touch

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"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

If it is for lights where a quick getaway is unlikely I snick neutral just as I come to the stop. Left foot down, right foot on brake.

For me, Im left handed/left footed this is a lot easier than the right foor down hold bike on front brake. Even if it does get derided for its Hendon overtones. .

Otherwise its the throttle/brake balance and clutch in.

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Hey ho!

An alternative... FWIW - the 2 fingers thing Sorry, again...

I don't use the back brake at all. I stop at the lights using the font brake and keep it held on (with 2 fingers). If the lights re about to change I keep the bike in gear, otherwise I change into neutral. When the lights change I (change into 1st if I' in neutral) up the revs a bit and the clutch goes out to the biting point, as I'm releasing the front brake I pull away with slightly more revs and let the clutch out slightly more slowly than on the flat.

It needs a bit of practice to do it in one smooth movement I reckon but it works for me.

i have to admit, with a pillion on the back, i prefer foot on back brake. i find it allows me more control with clutch and throttle when starting off. although again due to pillion passenger, while standing still waiting for lights to change etc. i do tend to switch to front brake and both feet down.

Mike

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Two fingers on the front brake for me too.

I thought this was covered eXtensively on General recently.....

It's never left foot down, but if it's a real big deal for you .... do what you want

One, two finger front brake; left foot at leisure to select ...... deep breath..... and OFF.


As an aside..... I've been watching out for it.... and have to say..... no-one is stepping on the rear brake!!! regardless: right foot/brake argument is a total lost cause.

If you are going into neutral then right foot down makes sense - but if you're not, e.g. queueing traffic but lights are green, or waiting for a right turn, then left foot down and foot on back brake makes sense to me. When you move off you're instantly into slow control type position, which might be useful. I do both depending on the circs.