3 Tips For Handling A Skid

In a car, you’re taught to steer into a skid. On a bike, things are considerably more complicated. If your rear wheel starts to skid when you brake, the easiest solution is just to release the rear brake. But if you can’t do that, here are some things to remember.

KEEP YOUR EYES UP Watch the horizon and where you want to go. The bike's natural tendency is to follow the front wheel. If the rear is loose, but the front still has steering authority and is pointed in the correct direction, you're in good shape.

SHIFT YOUR WEIGHT Putting more weight on the rear wheel may reduce the skid. Sliding forward, on the other hand, will probably give you more control by putting more weight on the front wheel—the one that's doing the steering, and not skidding.

GET ON THE FOOTPEGS Here sportbike, enduro, and dirtbike riders are at a big advantage because footpeg placement lets them "post" as on a horse—stand or weight the pegs to relieve the dead load on the chassis. You don't have to be fully standing, but getting the balls of your feet on the footpegs will give you and your bike better balance.