how many fingers??

do you use cover your front brakes? if so how many fingers? and when? all the time or just in traffic? or ???

I don't cover the front brake. Never have.

Jon

Two-finger cover, situational.

Three. In heavy traffic.

I use all four, when things look a little iffy around me. Like during rush hour or at busy intersections. Using a throttle rocker helps smooth out throttle response, when hand is flat on throttle.

Kenny Jay
'95 R1100GS

Two fingers 90% of the time. Busy watchin' for lane changers on the commute and driveway pull outs on the backroads.

two...maybe more per situation.

two- depending on the situation. Never more off-road as I like to keep a handle on the bars.

-BS

Never have covered the front brake.............but ALLWAYS cover the clutch lever with one finger.......

Ever been spat off a bike when the engine siezes....?


.....so, cough, splutter........pull clutch & glide safely to the verge...

I don't cover the front brake very often, but when I do, I use 2 fingers!

Two, whenever I think there might be an idiot in a cage using a cell phone in the vicinity (90% of the time).

2 fingers here - less likely to over-react and leaves one for the salute.

Developing a habit of covering the brake with two fingers is BAD - I had seen it discussed on some websites, but disregarded it... till I felt the (almost) pain myself.

Problem is, if you get used to riding with two fingers on the lever, when an emergency situation calls for full brakes, you are not going to make it!

Bullshit, I'm hearing. But here's the facts, at least true in my case:

- If you are used to do light braking with two fingers, when you need to really squeeze, you'll do it with two fingers too! one, because of habit, and the fact that those fingers are already there, second, because you can't really "add fingers" when you're braking without partly releasing (go ahead and try to do it fast, see what I mean). It's a difficult hand motion.

- You don't have enough strenght in those two fingers to really stop the bike NOW!. Because you're using index and middle, no? and they grab the inside of the lever, so not enough leverage... again, go ahead and try a couple emergency stops from say 40 mph with 2 fingers vs 4. If you use the other two, you'll crush the inner ones.

- If for some reason you brake hard enough, and the lever goes deep enough, you'll crush the other fingers on the grip (VERY painful!) and worse, you'll prevent the lever from going any further. Yes, I know. Don't ask.

I used to have this habit on my previous bikes, but a couple scares taught me you need FOUR and a "bare grip" (no fingers there) to STOP NOW! It took awfully long to unlearn the bad habit, and just a little while ago I caught myself doing it again on the GS - it came back when I changed my main ride. So I had to do an effort to unlearn it again... it's specially bad if you ride in city traffic a lot, 'cause with the frequent, light braking, you tend to leave them there. But it will bite back, even in city traffic. Hey, I may seem emotional about this, but I'm still unlearning it and just this morning riding to work I almost don't make it in time when I failed to see a "yield" sign and got in the way of a careening cage... Yep, my fault, bikers ain't perfect either. Yep, I had just inches to spare. And yep, when I looked down, I saw the dreaded two finger grip on the lever...

Two-finger braking is bad...

The SFIS.

However many I don't have up my nose at the time...

I must be a weirdo using 3 fingers when I cover but my question is: How many of you who normally cover find that you don't when you have your heated grips on and it's cold?

Inquiring minds want to know? (maybe I'm weirder than I thought?)

Two fingers... and to anyone that needs more, perhaps you might want to play with the adjustment on your levers. I seem to have some sort of callus on the inside thumb area from all the "hang-on's" but thw two fingers work great. I can not even think the last time I needed a whole hand load on the levers. If you are trying to look "pro" you will most likely see the racers are also two-finger's on the triggers!

In heavy dirt rides, I often need to really grip tight, but stiill try to have two-fingers on the levers.

Small hands. I've adjusted the lever as much as it allows.

Hum, I am sorry to hear about your experiance. Something must be wrong with your controls. I can, (and have done), full on stoppies (ouch!) with two fingers, and when "inspired" I think I could snap-off the lever entirely! (Kidding ouf course)

In a moment of "insperation" I have closed the clutch down on my other fingers, (ouch) but that was not the part that hurt after wards!

Perhaps it's a debated subject on the web... but I do not really care. The wonderful heated grips often encurage all my fingers on the grip, but I am VERY aware of this choice. Having a strong grip is really essencial for any off-road rider, and a GS, you got to be MANLY.

I am suprised that anyone needs more than two fingers, but I guess this is why it's poll. Let the stats speak for themselves.

howevr many I need on whatever bike I am riding.

the VTR only needs one but I use two. all modern bikes should only need two. or you have shitty brakes.

I don't think we are arguing how many fingers we NEED to cover the brake here but rather our individual riding styles and what we CHOOSE to cover with (I won't get kicked off this site for ending a sentence with a preposition, will I?) <could be the next poll?>. The Cubs have a pitcher with 12 fingers and 12 toes they call "El Pulpo" (the octopus). I wonder how many fingers he covers with whe he rides??????

Circus Bear Over & Out....
"I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy"

Joe Walsh