Bring on those brakes!

[Andrew]

In my recent handling skills course I was taught to apply the rear brake fractionally before the front brake. Reason? By applying the rear brake first the momentum or weight is shifted to the rear of the bike loading up the back spring. You then have maximum use of the front brake to use it effectivly as possible without the rear coming up off the ground. Hence quicker theoretical stopping distance.

[spudchucka]

Pretty much 90% front brake most of the time. The rear gets more use on gravel and at low speed.

But really everyone should get a decent V-Twin and just engine brake everywhere. I've riden with heaps of inline four riders who get spooked cos the brake lights never come on on my bike (because of engine braking) and they find they are going in too hot.

[spudchucka]

In my recent handling skills course I was taught to apply the rear brake fractionally before the front brake. Reason? By applying the rear brake first the momentum or weight is shifted to the rear of the bike loading up the back spring. You then have maximum use of the front brake to use it effectivly as possible without the rear coming up off the ground. Hence quicker theoretical stopping distance.

Makes good sense that does!!

[Skyryder]

Go too http://www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp

Read numbers 1 Highside Dynamics; 29 Braking Method; 39 handling Curves; 64 Brakes; 128 Braking in Curves.

There is also some additional stuff that may be of interest to you all.

Skyryder

[fzr400rr]

When approaching an orange light that's turning red, I find it's best to use the throttle to brake......

....to break the speed limit as I blow through it

[RiderInBlack]

Go too http://www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp

Read numbers 1 Highside Dynamics; 29 Braking Method; 39 handling Curves; 64 Brakes; 128 Braking in Curves.

There is also some additional stuff that may be of interest to you all.

Skyryder

F*cken Awesome Mate. The info in that site rocks Thanks heaps Skyryder

[jrandom]

After my first year on the FXR, I was using the rear brake quite a bit, trailing it into corners and all, getting on it pretty hard when stopping. Not a good idea on such a skittery wee bike, I crashed after locking the back in the wet. If I'd stuck to the front brake I may have stayed upright that time. I suspect 90% front brake does the job well for most bikes and most roads. Dirt and gravel are quite different naturally, you're not going to get the sudden breakaway as the rear loses traction since it's probably already sliding...

Hmmmm... on that note, I dunno what the Honda linked-brake system is like to ride with. Anyone here own(ed) or ridden a 'bird, ST1100 etc and care to comment? Don't the later-model VFR800s have it too?

[aff-man]

Front and rear simultaneously when heavy breaking required to settle the bike. During commuting mainly front though touching on back when i feel like it. When open road riding definatley both to settle bike in corners

[White trash]

Depends entirley on what I'm riding.

Never touch the back brake on the Gixxer. Don't use anything but on the Harley. Unless it's a V-Rod, not bad brakes those ones!

[Motu]

[QUOTE=jrandom
Hmmmm... on that note, I dunno what the Honda linked-brake system is like to ride with. Anyone here own(ed) or ridden a 'bird, ST1100 etc and care to comment? Don't the later-model VFR800s have it too?[/QUOTE]

When I first came across the Guzzi linked brake system I was full scorn - no way could this thing work,specially on wet or gravel roads,you need to be able to use both brake to get full control.After spending a fair bit of time on a mates S3 and a V50 I was kinda impressed and had to go back on my words - you could stomp as hard as you liked on the rear brake pedal and this thing just hauled in,forget the front lever which used the other disc.Never moved with super hard braking in the wet,but never got to use it in gravel.This was in around 1980 and I dunno how old the bikes were,but I don't think the concept has changed much.

[Two Smoker]

The linked braking system is supposed to be brilliant in the dry on the road, it keeps the bike very flat rather than diving as on most bikes, but the down fall is if u take it to a track day you can't trail brake. How bout Blackbird says some words........?

[MrMelon]

So how does trail braking work?

I always just use the front brake on mine unless i'm going pretty slowly. Whenever I've tried using the rear in combination with the front it's locked up on me. :/

[dangerous]

So how does trail braking work?

I think that this refures to adding a littly rear brake, when accerating hard out of a corner so as to keep the rear in control (from lighting up)

As for the linked brakes.......emmm don't like em, Having said that I've only ridden Guzzi's with this set up and I think that given a bit of time you would get used to them and find them bloody marvless.

The way I brake: I recon that the frount is for stopping and the rear is for maintaining control. This is why I realey use the back unless I'm getting into trouble. However remember that I ride Twins and therefore there is a lot of engine breaking which I use a lot, 1-2 3rds of the rev range (but not in 1st on a V2 thats very bad)

[Skyryder]

If you watch the racers you will see that they brake very hard as they approach the corner. The forks dip as they compress with load. This is before they lean into the corner. No matter what if you have to brake while you are leaning the bike over you have come in too fast. Now most of the time you can get out of this without too much trouble but if you are useing your brakes and you have to make an evasive manouvre while leaning into a curve, this is where things can go wrong fast. I either brake or use the engine to control the approach depending on the speed and sharpness of the bend then power out.

I had a couple of near misses in my youth and believe me there is nothing more scary than being out of control at speed.

Skyryder

[laRIKin]

I Guzzi linked brakes, started in 1975 on the 850T3 and then on the
1975 S3.
I like the system, because if you over cook a corner, or start to bobble in a
corner, you can put on alittle foot brake (which means that you also get
some front) and the bike just squats. You will get no wobble and can actully
give the bike some more gas and you will get around the corner save and sound.
It does take some time to get use to. I changed one of my Guzzi to a normal
system, when racing. And then changed it back to a linked system when I got
use to it on my road going Guzzi.
It has be reported to be, by at least afew testers, to be the best braking
system untill ABS.
I think that the Honda system is just over the top.
As it does the same thing as the Guzzi,s does with a simple proportioning
valve. But it needs alsorts of senses and a computer.