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

[onearmedbandit]

Indeed, it's all about letting your suspension do one job, and in a corner the most important job it has got is keeping the wheel in contact with the road. Using your suspension for two jobs, braking and road contact, places a higher workload on it, and it can't do its most important job properly.

[cowboyz]

just re read what i posted and thats not what I meant.. kinda.

Start with the premise that you should never brake mid corner. Brake with front to setup entrance speed for the corner. Lay the bike over. If at this point the speed is not right then the rear brake is valuable for scrubbing off speed without loading the front of the bike up. Thats more or less my thorey anyway. Well that and trying to ride without the use of brakes at all developing a smooth controlled ride that is enjoyable and keeping corner speed up rather than stop start action.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

what about bikes with linked brakes what ratio do they use

I don't know but I don't think I would like them (personally) I want control of when I apply the front, rear or both brakes

[Hitcher]

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

You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you.

[stevedee]

The use of the rear brake can on some occasions "straighten out" the bike as it starts to move around on reasonably severe braking. I use it, not a lot and not hard. Not using the rear brake leaves you with one less tool up your sleeve. Max braking is obviously from the front, but if that is all that motorcycling was about competence would be attained as of right by ALWAYS using the front brake only, and there would be no rear brake on all motorcycles.

Sometimes the back brake is the only option, and I mean if you use the front in certain situations you will drop it. Have a think. Sometimes trailing a rear braked wheel is better than sliding a front. Especially in slower manoeuvres. Even for doing a U turn as boring as it might sound.

That's my 10 cents for what it is worth. Maybe 9 cents.

spd:-)

[cowboyz]

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

This method works great for you but not so well for the guy following you.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

This method works great for you but not so well for the guy following you.

[onearmedbandit]

how does trailing ur rear break tighten ur line?

By reducing your speed and not upsetting the geometry of the chassis. And by trailing I mean only lightly applying it. But essentially you should have all your braking done before you're in the corner. Using the back brake is a sign you've overcooked it.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Sometimes the back brake is the only option, and I mean if you use the front in certain situations you will drop it. Have a think. Sometimes trailing a rear braked wheel is better than sliding a front. Especially in slower manoeuvres. Even for doing a U turn as boring as it might sound.

I find I use the rear more riding on gravel roads, would rather have a rear wheel skid than a front wheel skid or lock in gravel...

[moT]

By reducing your speed and not upsetting the geometry of the chassis. And by trailing I mean only lightly applying it. But essentially you should have all your braking done before you're in the corner. Using the back brake is a sign you've overcooked it.

in that situation i still dont use the rear i just slightly use the front it slightly shifts the weight but if done smoothly its fine i would rather have that than a rear tyre starting to slide..

[moT]

i admit rear break does have uses like slowing me down if ive run off the track or in traffic but i dont feel there is a need for it in raceing apart from going off the track

[cowboyz]

the rear can slide a LONG way before losing control. Front, not so much. I'll take a rear wheel slide everytime.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

the rear can slide a LONG way before losing control. Front, not so much. I'll take a rear wheel slide everytime.

me too...

[onearmedbandit]

but i dont feel there is a need for it in raceing apart from going off the track

There are a number of professional racers out there who I think would argue that.

And as far as the rear locking up mid corner if you 'trail' it, sure, if you're hamfisted at the controls.

[yod]

i use both pretty much all the time (unless im feeling lazy/at slow speeds) and only use either in a corner if i've ballsed it up, but i'd rather use the rear, im not really keen on the front letting go when the bike is in a corner, the back i can handle

as far as 'the geometry of the chassis, etc", buggered if i know, i just ride the damn thing

i aint no expert, thats just what i do