What's better: just front breaking or both front and rear?

**moT** · 6th May 2007, 21:42

i believe front only is better because rear break only breaks up to 50% of bike where as front break used skillfully can break 100%(over 100% is stoppies) the front wheel caries all weight of bike there for its more efficient breaking its at 100% breaking if u touch the rear it will skid and its much harder to use both than just the front u can also skidd out the rear with the front by shifting the weight of the bike mid corner eg turnin into corner while breaking shifitng weight to front which lifts the rear and lightens the traction on rear more than the road traction. i know the road code said 80 20 but they dont race! the bike is breaking 100%of the weight on the front wheel if it was 80% u wld lock up the front before the stoppie.

**moT** · 6th May 2007, 21:49

in reference to a car if there was no rear breaks it would be shittier its because the front wheels cant break 100% of the weight of the car (otherwise cars could do stoppies)

**onearmedbandit** · 6th May 2007, 21:50

..........................

**mark247** · 6th May 2007, 21:52

In my opinion the rear brake is very important and effective, if you know how to use it properly. All the stoppie shows is that the front tyre isnt loosing grip with the road, and stoppie is defently not the quickest way of stopping.... applying both the front and rear braking properly will stop you much quicker than just apply the front brake. I agree in a corner the rear brake does cause a few problems, but i still believe if you use them both properly at the same time, you are much better of.

**onearmedbandit** · 6th May 2007, 21:57

Use of the rear brake in a corner can have the effect of tightening your line. Also combining the two before entering a corner, and even dragging them both into a corner can lower the bikes CoG giving a tighter line. I use mostly the front, on both the track and road but the rear is always covered. And from my experience the rear brake has nowhere near 50% of the overall stopping power. A 70/30 split I think would be closer.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 6th May 2007, 21:57

Originally Posted by Tom

i believe front only is better because rear break only breaks up to 50% of bike where as front break used skillfully can break 100%(over 100% is stoppies) the front wheel caries all weight of bike there for its more efficient breaking its at 100% breaking if u touch the rear it will skid and its much harder to use both than just the front u can also skidd out the rear with the front by shifting the weight of the bike mid corner eg turnin into corner while breaking shifitng weight to front which lifts the rear and lightens the traction on rear more than the road traction. i know the road code said 80 20 but they dont race! the bike is breaking 100%of the weight on the front wheel if it was 80% u wld lock up the front before the stoppie.

While I partly agree with your above statement... braking both together... front first then applying the the rear, it is probably the best form of braking while changing down for engine braking... (though doing all that in an emergency is next to impossible and is using just slamming on the anchors)

those on the big VTwins probably use more engine braking in general use than standard braking... I know I do and those that follow me know as well as I pull up fast with out actually using the standard brakes and I usually use the brakes just to do the final stop

I also trail the rear brake a little if I feel I am over cooking a corner to shave a bit of speed off....

Oh and releasing the the chute also helps, and if you have an anchor throw that over as as well

**cowboyz** · 6th May 2007, 21:57

The rear brake is good for scrubbing off speed. Front brake is for stopping. In saying that I find the most I use the rear brake is if I feel like I om going to overcook a corner I drag the rear to scrub off my speed. If you braked on the front you load the front up.

**merv** · 6th May 2007, 21:58

I always use both brakes (without breaking them) but not exactly always for the same length of time because once into a corner depending on how it all feels I do trail the back brake a bit. It all comes from experience - do what feels right at the time. The back brake in my view certainly helps you get around corners better.

**onearmedbandit** · 6th May 2007, 21:59

And by loading the front you reduce your suspension travel which changes the way the forks allow the front wheel to follow the road surface. Late model (and race spec) front suspenders allow you to get away with a fair bit of front braking while leant over.

**JimO** · 6th May 2007, 22:03

what about bikes with linked brakes what ratio do they use

**Hitcher** · 6th May 2007, 22:03

Both brakes to stop. Front only to lose speed for cornering. Sometimes a touch of rear only to to set up the bike for a corner.

**moT** · 6th May 2007, 22:06

yes true it would be hard to get 100% controled breaking on the front (not letting the rear lift) in emergencies but if it were second nature it wld be a lot more effective for controled stops rear break could be used to get a tighter line by producing oversteer but as for slowing down faster and more controled breaking front is better

**onearmedbandit** · 6th May 2007, 22:10

Using both brakes in an emergency is the best method, the braking forces 'pull' the bike closer to the ground, thereby increasing the contact patch available. You'd be suprised how much quicker you will stop with both brakes working hard. As far as using the back brake during corners it's not about provoking 'oversteer', especially on anything other than a motard/etc, but it's about tightening your line. 'Trailing' the rear brake has that effect, nothing to do with oversteer.

**moT** · 6th May 2007, 22:11

and even breaking into a corner as the angle of ur bike gets lower u can reduce the ammount of front break applied to cope with the strain on your tyres

**moT** · 6th May 2007, 22:12

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Using both brakes in an emergency is the best method, the braking forces 'pull' the bike closer to the ground, thereby increasing the contact patch available. You'd be suprised how much quicker you will stop with both brakes working hard. As far as using the back brake during corners it's not about provoking 'oversteer', especially on anything other than a motard/etc, but it's about tightening your line. 'Trailing' the rear brake has that effect, nothing to do with oversteer.

how does trailing ur rear break tighten ur line?