I've always wondered why some people on motorcycles only put their left foot down, it doesn't make sense to me why they'd do it, unless they were using their rear brake to keep from rolling away...I normally rock the right foot down, or sometimes both.

But maybe people have their reasons.

When you come to a stop, what do you do, and why? I'm curious to know the reasons, if any.

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I put one foot down as opposed to both because I have better footing. At 5'6" I'm on my toes if I put both feet down.

As for left or right; if it's a quick stop the left goes down and bike stays in gear with the clutch in. If the light just turned and someone has already stopped behind me, the right goes down with the bike in neutral and left foot on the the shifter. No can do the poll

I'll put my left foot out (I watch for gravel) but have my right one ready to swing out in case I lose my balance. I like to keep my right foot on the brake, just in case some knothead decides to come up fast behind me and I need to gun it to get out of the way (right foot on brake to counteract wheelie from said gunning).

HA! Like you have any chances of counteracting wheelies on the T

Depends on circumstance for me. If I'm using rear brake to hold bike in place so I can mess with something (phone, gloves, etc), left foot. Typically the foot goes down to the side that best balances the bike due to road surfaces. For example in the far right lane, right foot would likely go down due to the road being crowned and would give the best balance point.

If both feet goes down, both feet do not go up at the same time when I get underway. Its a total noob thing and cracks me up when other people do it. Especially on those heavy harleys and they've barely cracked 1 mph before the feet hit the floorboards.

If its a stop sign or a quick stop/turn with no traffic or potential hazards, usually no feet goes down. I like to practice balance.

Usually it's the brake for me, but depends on the wind or the slope of the road.

I'm a fairly new rider, and I've always been told its 'best practice' to put the left foot down so you can be in gear and cover the rear brake

with me being me, I tend to do the opposite

98% of the time the left foot goes down, if any. I'm with pvster, I usually try to slow down far enough back from a stop light or a stopped car to creep up till the light turns green. Popo round thez parts call dat a California Roll, don't let 'em catch ya.

Normally both feet, unless on a hill. Primarily just to stretch my legs. If on a hill, left foot so I can cover the rear brake.

+1

One of the fellows I used to ride with in the mid 60's had a Ducati 250 scrambler, he stood all of 4'11"and couldn't really straddle it. As he came to a stop he'd pop the side stand out and sit there, light changes he yanks it straight get's it going and folds the stand. Wish I had pics.

Rich

Totally not pertinent to the discussion, i just woke up and herd this loud crunch from outside my window, thought with dread, oh no! The bike!

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Waaaat?

Edit: I just went to go talk to the lady driving the car to offer to push it to the side, but the bus driver yells in almost perfect southern drawl "Don't move it! The cops are comin, my supervisor's comin! Don't move it! Don't move it now!"

I felt bad for the lady, she's tottally strung out now either because she pulled away from a street parking spot and hit a giant green bus :/, or because her car wouldn't start afterwards, and shes been cranking the thing over nonstop since it hit...maybe trying to get away, shes practically bawling...maybe f'ed up on something i dunno.

DOUBLE EDIT: the whole situation is making tons of noise and today is my day off, and now i don't get my extra sleep in (prolly a good thing) so i go out and offer to move the car to get traffic flowing again, but it looks like somehow the lady managed to completely wedge the right front wheel under the bus! lol

Well, I screwed up my own poll...I voted for left down, even though I generally use my right foot. I don't know why, somehow i just clicked left.

Would someone who hasn't voted, who would vote left foot down, vote right foot for me? and post it up right afterwards to not waste a additional vote?

I like the reasons up here for foot use, especially Googleits wheelieing management

Ya it pretty much varies situation to situation, so maybe what we do more often just reelects what sort of riding situations we're in. Out here in Lala land, riding a bike through non highway traffic is like being a series chaser. I catch up to a school of cars, get to the light, sit, then repeat the process.

My right foot down policy reflects how as i approach a stop, i small click the bike into neutral, sit and relax if possible with all hands off the brake(s) to relax a bit, since I'm splitting lanes, I'm usually clear from the rear. I do this partly because way back in the day when i was learning to drive, an old friend of my fathers told me, if your'e not shifting or getting ready to shift, don't use your clutch, it'll last longer that way. This way I'm ready to put it into first 2 seconds before light change and then i'm off.

When I'm riding solo its usually just the left foot keeping the right foot on the rear brake and eyes on the mirror. With Conor on the back its left foot down then if it looks like its going to be a long light the right foot hoes down because Conors 11 and he starts to fidget

I'm from Los Angeles, and I can tell you that a California Roll normally is referred to as a "California stop," and makes reference more to how we like to approach stop signs slowly, slowing down just shy of stopping, and then vrooming off, or slowing down just a tad, ie; showing any potential popo behind us that "yes, i used my brake a bit, see?" and then running the stop sign all together

Yep, that's exactly what I'm talkin about. I guess the popo round these parts call it the roll cause, just like you said, you never really stop.

I personally like the Alaska and spicy tuna rolls better.

bam!

depends on what I'm on. 919 or ZZR, both. TMax, left first and then maybe right. I'm short and the seat is tall.

Bike in gear, left foot down, right foot covering brake, eyes (and ears) scanning all possible scenerios.
That's how I was taught at the motorcycle safety course (and a few buddies) and I feel comfortable doing what I was taught.

if it's a long light, and I have a few buffer cars behind me, I'll pop into N and put both feet down. but only when I feel comfortable doing so.. which isn't very often seeing as how people tend to drive around here.

left foot down with the right on the rear brake, bike in gear until a car has come to a complete stop behind me. Then, if I know it's a long light, bike into neutral both feet down.

Not talking about a California roll/stop. I literally stop for 1-2 seconds without feet touching pavement and if everything's clear, I'll get going again. Just takes practice.

Yeah, I'll attempt to do that from time to time too. A lot of the time it turns into a slight roll thru though.

Where is the riff filled land?

I know what you mean, i do this sometimes practicing balance, but a full 2 second stop no feet? VIDEO!

I do it all the time. Full stop for 1-2 seconds, then start moving again. The trick is to slightly drag the rear brake, no front brake (just near the very end, not while slowing down, of course).

Video.

All I do is come to a slow stop....then wobble my handle bars back a forth with my feet still on the pegs.

here hi is

Oldest son on dirt bike with training wheels - YouTube

LOL ^^ at least he can ride on the grass without falling down!!!

Is this your kid? I don't use the word very often, but that's adorable.

Use front brake all the time. Can turn the handlebars from left to right if needed to maintain balance.

Wow Zaq, your kid is better at riding in the grass than you are

it really depends, honestly i never really have taken the thought to notice, sometimes both sometimes left sometimes right, most times i flip flop back between the two.... sometimes none as i get bored at a stop light and see how long i can balance there for without touching the ground.

Most of the time I think I put my left foot down first because my right is on the brake, but then the right goes down too. So, both down, and I'll put it in neutral if it's going to be a little while and there's somebody already stopped behind me.

Probably wont start do to ford fuel cut off mechanism. Any good shock will set it of just have to push the button to reset.

I put the left down right on the brake always ready to move out of the way of danger with clutch in 1 st gear engaged and throttle hand ready. Saved my arse more than once.

Those are NOT my kids. Some random utube vid. My kids won't be getting any motorcycles from me, they are too dangerous.

Left mostly.

Well, lots of good replies here, and some good reasons, thought processes behind them as well.

I rarely cover my rear brake, but perhaps i should do it more.

I always check my mirrors if I'm solo at the front of an intersection, always worried some nut job will ram into me, but after i achieve a good buffer i usually relax.

Thanks for participating!

I took my MST course with a county motorcycle deputy as my instructor. Pretty much ingrained it in our brain at the end of the second day of riding that LEFT foot goes down first. He said city and county cops look for that as local laws say you should be braking with BOTH the hand and foot brakes, so if you right foot went down first you weren't obeying the law and they can give you a ticket. So I'm a left footer or both.

It may or may not be true but I never looked it up and just took his word for it.

thats kind of a stupid law if it exist.