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Braking distances - Cars vs. Bikes

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11K views 37 replies 17 participants last post by  snailman153624  
#1 ·
Found while browsing on reddit.com/r/motorcycles. All are 60mph to 0mph stopping distances.


Minivans:
•2015 Kia Sedona: 118 ft
•2015 Toyota Sienna: 121 ft
•2014 Chrysler T&C: 126 ft
•2015 Honda Odyssey: 126 ft

Sedans & Hatchbacks:
•2014 Honda Civic: 118 ft
•2012 Kia Rio: 119 ft
•2013 Honda Accord: 117 ft
•2014 Mazda 6: 121ft
•2013 Toyota Camry: 120 ft
•2014 BMW i3 eDrive: 108 ft
•2015 Honda Fit: 127 ft

Pickups:
•2013 Ford F-150: 132 ft
•2013 GMC Sierra 1500: 137 ft
•2013 Chevy Silverado: 138 ft
•2013 Ram 1500: 142 ft
•2013 Nissan Titan: 144 ft
•2013 Toyota Tundra: 150 ft

Cars that will always win:
•2011 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Carbon: 93 ft
•2008 Ferrari 430 Scuderia: 93 ft
•2012 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Centennial: 94 ft
•2012 Lexus LFA: 94 ft
•2010 Porsche 911 GT3: 94 ft
•2010 Ferrari 16m Scuderia Spyder: 96 ft
•2009 Audi R8 5.2: 96 ft
•2008 Audi R8: 96 ft
•2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 97 ft
•2008 Dodge Viper ACR: 97 ft
•2003 Dodge Viper SRT10: 97 ft
•2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: 98 ft
•2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SV: 98 ft
•2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 98 ft
•2008 Porsche 911 GT2: 98 ft
•2011 Nissan GT-R: 99 ft
•2010 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: 99 ft
•2010 Ferrari 458 Italia: 99 ft
•2010 Porsche 911 Turbo: 99 ft
•2009 Porsche Boxster S: 99 ft
•2007 Porsche 911 GT3: 99 ft

Superbikes:
•2011 BMW S1000RR: 129 ft
•2011 Ducati 1198: 141 ft
•2011 Honda CBR1000RR: 134 ft
•2011 Suzuki GSXR-1000: 140 ft
•2011 KTM RC8R: 135 ft
•2011 Kawasaki ZX10R: 129 ft
•2011 Yamaha R1: 137 ft

Supersports:
•2011 Yamaha R6: 124 ft
•2011 Honda CBR600RR: 126 ft
•2011 Ducati 848 EVO: 127 ft
•2011 Triumph 675R: 126 ft
•2011 Suzuki GSXR-600: 122 ft

Other bikes:
•2015 Harley Street 750: 152 ft
•2011 Harley StreetGlide: 129 ft
•2011 Star Stratoliner: 142 ft
•2011 Kawasaki Vulcan Vaquero: 144 ft
•2013 BMW R1200-RTP: 144 ft
•2013 Harley Electra Glide: 144 ft
•2010 Star Raider S: 124 ft
•2010 Harley Softail Rocker C: 125 ft
•2010 Victory Vegas Jackpot: 129 ft
 
#2 ·
Yep. From a physics standpoint a bike simply cannot outbrake a small car, or even a minivan, apparently.

Even though bikes are smaller and lighter, they only have two (or one, for sport bikes) teeny tiny contact patches doing the stopping whereas cars have 4 relatively huge contact patches to work with.

In addition to that, sporty bikes have to deal with the stoppie phenomenon when using maximum braking. It's (obviously) the opposite of the wheelie problem, which is why 600s can accelerate at virtually the same rate as a 1000 until around 100-120 mph - the 1000 has boatloads more power but can't use it without flipping the bike over.

And then there's another major factor - hammering the brakes. Do it in a car and it doesn't do anything interesting, ABS or not. Grab a fistful of front brake all at once on a bike without ABS and it will lock up and fall over. Painfully.
 
#3 ·
One of the most enduring lies we tell ourselves as sportbike riders is that our little mounts can stop more quickly than the soccer mom in her minivan. But inherently limited contact patches and general lack of panic braking skill are often against us. The soccer mom's minivan isn't going to low-side if she mismanages pedal pressure and steering wheel angle, like a motorcycle will. (Also, no matter how bad-ass the graphics on your new helmet are, she doesn't want to sleep with you, either.)
 
#9 ·
...(Also, no matter how bad-ass the graphics on your new helmet are, she doesn't want to sleep with you, either.)
The bad-ass graphics may not win her over, but surely the sawed off D&D pipe will, right?? If not, she's just not worth having... :)
 
#4 ·
Add another 'never follow' car to the list: 2002-4 SVT Focus With good tires, they'll pull the back wheels off the ground in a stoppie.:) I think many riders get fooled into thinking their brakes are great just because they'll haul it down repeatedly from mid-hundreds without fading...which most cars won't do. (though the newer ones with carbon discs sure can) But that mini-van will stop once from 60 hard enough that you'd better be several seconds following distance back or you'll eat the back no matter what bike you're on for sure.
 
#5 ·
I remember taking my written test for a motorcycle permit and being upset with the DMV because of the question "In relation to cars, motorcycles can stop ...." with a few multiple choice answers (the same as, faster, slower). I had said faster (or shorter distance, i forget how it was worded) but they claimed the same. Go figure.


As an OCD side note: Couldn't have sorted each category by braking distance, could we?
 
#6 ·
If you take the "supercars" out of the list, the bikes and conventional automobiles are all about on par.

It has little to do with contact patch, and everything to do with wheel base (which is what causes the "stoppie") and tire compound. On automobiles, your axles are spread much further apart, meaning the mass of the vehicle and passengers isn't that close to the front axle. It takes more [braking] torque to lift the mass of the minivan over the front axle than some skinny 140 lb rider sitting 2 feet back from the front axle.
 
#11 ·
I don't believe I have seen a new car in the past 20 years that doesn't have ABS

A skilled operator may be able to outbrake older primitive ABS, doubtful better than modern ABS


most important precaution for overcoming differential in braking distance, is not following too close, be religious with the 3 second rule
 
#10 ·
Let's not forget that the soccer mom in the minivan is also on the phone and looking at the kids in the back seat while you are covering the brake with two fingers, so initial reaction time will play a big part in the real world. Watch your mirrors.
 
#17 ·
Not sure what you mean by 10x faster; embedded controllers from 25 years ago had no problem meeting the response requirements. Electrons today move just as fast as they did then. The difference between 50ns and 100ns in terms of stopping distance is negligible. Sure, it's gotten cheaper, smaller, and consumes less power, and with individual brake control perhaps slightly better performance in very specific scenarios where you'd have dramatically different traction to one wheel vs. another (i.e. hydroplaning). I don't see any of that significantly reducing stopping distance in normal conditions, though.
 
#22 ·
If the CG is very low the rear unloads less is my point. If it were right at the ground, the weight distribution wouldn't change at all during braking. You aren't going to generate extra traction by having a higher CG, you're just going to transfer the weight forward more. Having it lower shouldn't increase braking distance at all, unless the rear brake is undersized or under utilized.
 
#24 ·
So, you're saying the bike gets lighter when you brake? How can you have one wheel unload, and another not get the load? It doesn't float away like a unicorn. The total load on the wheels remains constant during braking, the distribution is what changes.

If you look at the list, the HDs actually perform OK. They generally don't have aggressive tire compounds, nor things like dual disc brakes for better braking modulation.
 
#27 ·
In theory low cog or com whatever you want to call it will give best stopping when you have equal power on both ends. It is also hardest to use, not easy to modulate both brakes to the maximum potential. And ratio changes depending on speed and load.
In practice we get most out of it with higher cog to wheelbase ratio. By loading front end more we get more power there and easier to use.
Maybe when we get electronics to control everything to very edge of traction we get better brakes :)
Ineedanap mentioned fancy stuff in the cars. They are getting pretty advanced with all abs, tc and active damping. I know my car will apply brakes before I put foot on it, it knows I am about to brake :). In same time I hate its abs when I come flying in to corners and pedal starts sinking when I jam on it. And I can't just keep same pressure, I have to jam on it hard when it does in order to keep slowing at same rate. In same time my track only car does not have abs and I like it, I get to modulate brake as I want.
 
#38 ·
Most people that upgrade their brakes don't know what the factory brakes are capable of, as evidenced by this thread. They buy them for the same reason ricers buy loud mufflers. They see some other kid with one and they want to be cool too. They then go to great lengths trying to convince their friends that a new muffler added 5 horsepower.

40 brake caliper pistons don't give you any more braking force than a single piston...they just distribute it over the pass more evenly, giving the lever or pedal a more linear feel. If you can lock the wheel up you already have more braking force than you can possibly use.

I'm still waiting to hear where the weight from that unloaded wheel goes if not to the other wheel...