Rear brake usage?

[Ixion]

Oh, and with BMWs all bets are off, whole different ball game.

[homer]

Does it follow that, if your rear tyre breaks contact with the road, you're using too much front brake?

um no

having done this yesterday
i suggest you go try it .

yes both breaks will work ,thats why there there

but if you have to stop in a hurry , i mean from 100km in like 30 meters backs are a waste of time .

Yes i use both ,i cant not do , i learnt to ride dirt bikes .
but i know exactly when the rear starts to lock up , i feel it

think about it , if your hard on the front then what weights on the rear to even get grip .

exactly ......fuck all
you only need touch the rear break a little and it near locks up

[Mikkel]

Depending on the circumstances (how hard you are braking) and the bike you are riding (i.e bike configuration) it can sometimes be rendered 'useless'.

Indeed, as with just about everything else, it depends on the circumstance.

If you are braking *hard* on a sportsbike you won't gain anything by using your rear. The only thing you achieve is to risk locking up the rear and loosing stability...

Trying to brake too hard can also cause an accident... Trust me, you don't want to lock your front up if you can avoid it!
Better to hit that stationary truck at 10 km/h than "dismounting" your bike because you come too hard onto the brakes.
Stoppies might be the fastest way to stop - but most people can't maneuver in a desirable fashion if their rear wheel is in the air.

[homer]

Indeed, as with just about everything else, it depends on the circumstance.

If you are braking *hard* on a sportsbike you won't gain anything by using your rear. The only thing you achieve is to risk locking up the rear and loosing stability...

Trying to brake too hard can also cause an accident... Trust me, you don't want to lock your front up if you can avoid it!
Better to hit that stationary truck at 10 km/h than "dismounting" your bike because you come too hard onto the brakes.
Stoppies might be the fastest way to stop - but most people can't maneuver in a desirable fashion if their rear wheel is in the air.

Hows you today mate
hope you not to sore

[Mikkel]

Hows you today mate
hope you not to sore

Slightly off-topic. The HTFU pills (Voltaren 25 mg) works to some degree. But I have had better days for sure. The whiskey also helped a bit...

[sugilite:Me]

Agreed. I don't use brakes much. Front is for when I NEED to stop , like , NOW. With the rear added to help keep things steady. The argument that the rear has less effect than the front ignores the fact that the front brake destabilises, whereas the rear stablises.

Normal riding I just use the brakes to adjust speed on entry a wee bit, or to steady the bike through the corner (exspecially the old style hinged frame bikes, by now the hinge is usually well worn). And for that the rear brake is much better.

And the "ignore the rear" argument 'may' be valid on sprots bikes, in the dry. But the wet is another matter. Especially wet and oil in town. So I think it wise to get in the habit of using the front and rear for serious stopping, and the rear for fine adjustment.

+1. Perfect

[All]

No. It could also be too much rear brake.

I tend to say its better be near max of front braking potential, and only be using say 3/4 rear brake than, near max of rear and only enough front to keep the rear at full.

Physics (and practice) says that the front brake is generally* the most efficient out of the two when only one is used.

This is for straight line emergency braking where wiping off as much speed is your main goal.


*will vary dependant on bike type and braking equipment.

um no

having done this yesterday
i suggest you go try it .

yes both breaks will work ,thats why there there

but if you have to stop in a hurry , i mean from 100km in like 30 meters backs are a waste of time .

Yes i use both ,i cant not do , i learnt to ride dirt bikes .
but i know exactly when the rear starts to lock up , i feel it

think about it , if your hard on the front then what weights on the rear to even get grip .

exactly ......fuck all
you only need touch the rear break a little and it near locks up

I should have been clearer, this is what I meant: if your rear wheel raises above the road due to heavy use of the front brake, does this automatically mean that you're not getting as much braking as if you relaxed the front a bit and utilised the rear, too? [I'm talking about on a sports bike here, obviously cruisers are a different story]

[All]

Trying to brake too hard can also cause an accident... Trust me, you don't want to lock your front up if you can avoid it!
Better to hit that stationary truck at 10 km/h than "dismounting" your bike because you come too hard onto the brakes.
Stoppies might be the fastest way to stop - but most people can't maneuver in a desirable fashion if their rear wheel is in the air.

It's quite possible to recover from locking the front wheel (provided you're not turning at the time ). I was encouraged to do just that at an advanced course. You just have to immediately relax the pressure as soon as you realize it's locked up.

[Mikkel]

I should have been clearer, this is what I meant: if your rear wheel raises above the road due to heavy use of the front brake, does this automatically mean that you're not getting as much braking as if you relaxed the front a bit and utilised the rear, too? [I'm talking about on a sports bike here, obviously cruisers are a different story]

It shouldn't affect your stopping distance whether you do a stoppie or manage to keep the rear down, but still utilising all of your weight to provide friction at the contact patch.

If your rear wheel is carrying any weight and you don't use the rear brake at all - then there is still an amount of braking potential untapped, no matter how small it is.

It's quite possible to recover from locking the front wheel (provided you're not turning at the time ). I was encouraged to do just that at an advanced course. You just have to immediately relax the pressure as soon as you realize it's locked up.

I don't doubt that. But one might be tempted to look down at the non-rotating wheel and think "hmmm, isn't that supposed to go round and round and... OUCH!" Besides, you brake faster with a rotating wheel than one that is locked up (static vs. kinetic friction).

[All]

It shouldn't affect your stopping distance whether you do a stoppie or manage to keep the rear down

There seem to be many here that disagree with your contention.

I don't doubt that. But one might be tempted to look down at the non-rotating wheel and think "hmmm, isn't that supposed to go round and round and... OUCH!"

You should feel it lock up. I don't recommend looking down at your wheels when you're braking.

Besides, you brake faster with a rotating wheel than one that is locked up (static vs. kinetic friction).

Of course, locking the front wheel should always be avoided. My point was only that it is possible to recover from.

[R6_kid:Me]

I don't doubt that. But one might be tempted to look down at the non-rotating wheel and think "hmmm, isn't that supposed to go round and round and... OUCH!" Besides, you brake faster with a rotating wheel than one that is locked up (static vs. kinetic friction).

according to HDTboy, and some others - hard on the gas can actually save a slipping/locked front - of course this is in a racing cirmustance, not stopping for an inanimate object.

[Duc]

All modern development for MCs has been in front brake systems eg MonoBloc. Bike reviewers constantly remark on the improvement and performance in these systems over previous ones. (Check out Ducati and Augusta latest reviews).

I do not know of any major developments in rear brake systems apart from maybe linked systems.

I am sure this development and the cost of it is because the manufacturerers have worked out on the track and road, which brake is the main brake to use if you want to stop effectively.

For the record . I use front mostly and a bit of rear trail brake (occassionaly and down hill) on my Ducati. On my '76 Honda CB550 Cafe Racer its mostly Back brake because the front brakes have always been crap on these ( ie.virtually ineffective !) . The back brakes on this are ver efective butr require a different riding caution. Namely ....space.

[Swoop]

The rear brake is also handy when you are stopped in traffic - on a hill...
At least you can have your hands free for carrying on with your knitting or whatever.


Nobody has mentioned linked-brakes yet either. Bugger for trail braking though.

[All]

At least you can have your hands free for carrying on with your knitting or whatever.

Or texting! [Apparently there are some clowns that actually do this...]

[Hitcher]

The dude that taught me to ride said that you get more stopping power using both.

The dude that taught you to ride was 100% correct.