Which brake to use?

[fz6nick]

It's a fact that you must apply both brakes in order to achieve the shortest stopping distance, so why would anyone get use to only using one brake or the other? It's a good habit to get use to. It just may save your life!

As your riding skills develop, you can start applying one or the other under certain situations that may benefit you under certain situations. Like trail braking.

Just remember what you need to do if either tire locks up. Not knowing what to do involving a front or rear tire skid, you have no business riding a motorcycle.

Riding a bike involves just as much mental skills as your riding ability, or if not more. Not only do you need to have the skills and ability to ride, but you have to have the knowledge as well.

If your front locks up, quickly relase and re apply pressure. (anytime )

Rear locks up. keep it locked. (straight line em. stop) REar locks in a turn. Wish for the best

 

[mglowe]

You should use both brakes all the time!

+1

You will, with time, manage your breaks better but if you get in a habit of never using the rear break it MAY hurt you in a bad way. Both are there for a reason!

 

[DefyInertia]

Does anyone recommend ONLY using one OR the other, period? Sounds crazy, right? I think "using both all the time" is just as bad.

Most of the time, for most riders, in most conditions: use both. The rest of the time, conditions, the situation, the desired outcome etc. etc. call for one or the other.

I bet the FZ6 is closer to 90/10. The 70/30 that you read in your state M-class guide is an average of all bikes and is probably somewhat outdated as well. Anyone have real facts to back any of the percentages up for an FZ6 or other similar modern/sporty bike with sticky tires?

 

[SovietRobot]

Does anyone recommend ONLY using one OR the other, period? Sounds crazy, right? I think "using both all the time" is just as bad.

Most of the time, for most riders, in most conditions: use both. The rest of the time, conditions, the situation, the desired outcome etc. etc. call for one or the other.

I bet the FZ6 is closer to 90/10. The 70/30 that you read in your state M-class guide is an average of all bikes and is probably somewhat outdated as well. Anyone have real facts to back any of the percentages up for an FZ6 or other similar modern/sporty bike with sticky tires?

Especially with 4 piston calipers, stainless lines, and sintered brake pads.

I agree 100% in theory and in practice that every situation calls for something different.

For 90% of braking situations, you should use both.
For emergency panic situations, you should use the front as trying to effectively use the rear while in an emergency is going to result in nothing but a locked rear brake, or if you're lucky, no effect at all.
Using the rear brake is great for cresting a hill or increasing turn in, and what I haven't heard anyone say yet, keeping the bike from stalling in low speed maneuvers by letting you stay on the throttle!

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Get two FZ6's, with two riders who are relatively the same weight and skill level. Ride side by side going 50 mph, and at a designated point, one applies only the front brake, and the other applies both brakes. Who do you think will have the shortest stopping distance?

 

[AcesLA07]

Thanks guys for all this advice. I laid the bike down cresting a hill when the guy I was riding with was nearly stopped and I definitely wasn't. I panicked and locked the rear wheel. I'm not sure what I did after that concerning the brakes.

So for future reference if I ever lock the rear wheel again, just keep it locked and ride it out? My bike was going sideways when I locked it down. If I had kept it locked would it have straightened up or would I have kept going sideways and stopped and put my foot down to keep from falling over?

 

[Jugro]

If your front locks up, quickly relase and re apply pressure. (anytime )

Rear locks up. keep it locked. (straight line em. stop) REar locks in a turn. Wish for the best

Why would you want to keep the rear locked up?
Wouldn't you increase your braking distance, since you are reducing the friction between road and tire, and have a rear with a mind of it's own because of the (now) dead weight.

AcesLA07 if your sideways and the rear locks up there is not a lot you can do about it IMHO since realising the brake could make the rear come round again and flick you of the bike, and keeping it locked would just send you down the road.

Glad your okay by the way it's never fun going down the road

 

[xgrafcorex]

Both all the time plus I engine brake a lot.

 

[haylo]

Technically I guess you should use both, but I've found myself only using the front when I'm in no rush to stop. When I have to stop in an emergency, always use both, but NEVER use the front while the bike is leant over on a corner. If you've gone too hot into a bend, don't panic, try to find your exit, don't look at what you might hit, use throttle control and tickle the rear brake. Soon as you hit the front brake on a bend the bike will sit up and you'll be going into the kerb and off the road before you know it.

 

[haylo]

Thanks guys for all this advice. I laid the bike down cresting a hill when the guy I was riding with was nearly stopped and I definitely wasn't. I panicked and locked the rear wheel. I'm not sure what I did after that concerning the brakes.

So for future reference if I ever lock the rear wheel again, just keep it locked and ride it out? My bike was going sideways when I locked it down. If I had kept it locked would it have straightened up or would I have kept going sideways and stopped and put my foot down to keep from falling over?

If you keep it locked it would take abit of skill to keep the bike upright once the back end has started going, best bet imo would be to keep clutch in and rear brake off, then on again once the rear has corrected itself.

 

[sm00thpapa]

Other than applying both breaks the biggest thing to remember is use the 12 second rule. If you create enough time and space you should be able to overcome any obstacle. But I know there are times when stuff happens with in a few seconds but do your best to see it early.

 

[buzzbomb]

Why would you want to keep the rear locked up?

If you're braking in a straight line and lock up the rear, and it skews out of line, then releasing the brake could result in a highside (from what I've been taught by my riding instructor). So the idea is to keep the rear locked up until the bike is straight, and then release the rear brake, then reapply.

If the front wheel locks, then it's the opposite. You want to get off the front brake, then reapply, using the same Setup, and Squeeze technique. Squeezing the brake helps with weight transfer, and increases front wheel grip.

 

[Jugro]

Of course it's not a good idea to release the rear brake if your completely off the center line, but with a locked up rear you don't have control of the direction of your bike ergo no means of avoiding any obsticales in your way....

So wouldn't it be better to release the rear brake immediately if you feel it's starting to go and then reapply pressure on the brake/or avoid obsticale.

That would of course require that the person riding is skilled enough to still be in control of the given situation....

 

[AcesLA07]

AcesLA07 if your sideways and the rear locks up there is not a lot you can do about it IMHO since realising the brake could make the rear come round again and flick you of the bike, and keeping it locked would just send you down the road.

I'm afraid this is what happened to me.

 

[DefyInertia]

Get two FZ6's, with two riders who are relatively the same weight and skill level. Ride side by side going 50 mph, and at a designated point, one applies only the front brake, and the other applies both brakes. Who do you think will have the shortest stopping distance?

But it's not always that simple.

AND people will argue both sides of this. I don't know the answer. Common sense would say both brakes woudl work better but you have to be careful not to over simplify riding a motorcycle...there are a lot of factors that play into how fast you stop.

I'm going to set aside some time to do some testing with the video camera rolling. It won't proove anything, but I'll find it interesting.

keeping the bike from stalling in low speed maneuvers by letting you stay on the throttle!

+1

 

[xgrafcorex]

I use both brakes together but also do a lot of engine braking.

 

[buzzbomb]

So wouldn't it be better to release the rear brake immediately if you feel it's starting to go and then reapply pressure on the brake/or avoid obsticale.

That would of course require that the person riding is skilled enough to still be in control of the given situation....

Yeah if you can detect the rear wheel locked up and release and reapply the brake before it gets out of line then thats a good thing. Locked brakes are bad, either front or rear. In emergencies things happen so fast that you don't get time to think. The best thing is to go out and practice emergency braking. Doesn't matter if you're riding or driving. How many people test their ABS brakes in their cars, to see how the car will react? How many riders set aside time to practice their emergency braking, and learn the grip limit of their tires?

 

[Cmayer31]

I use both brakes most of the time, but it matters on the turn and the situation.
Also remember that braking hard on the front brake reduces the rear brake's efficiency, but as you let off the front brake and the weight transfers back a bit you actually pick up more rear brake efficiency again.

It often better that a rear brake that locks up accidentally is kept locked because most new riders don't have the skill to bring their tires back in line through weight transfer and other controls. A rear tire that is locked up and even slightly out of line with the front tire can snap back in line and cause a high side once the tire gets traction again because the rider let off the brake.

 

[lonesoldier84]

if u lock ur front u will crash ASAP. if you lock your rear you can recover if u handle it right.

but front gives you MOST ur braking. but rear gives you additional braking and some extra stability.

under heavy braking it is likely you will lock ur rear because weight of bike is forwards.

so when in emergency braking some people avoid rear brake altogether to avoid locking rear and give up the small amount of stopping power it gives. and just dont grab a fistful of front brake all at once. first you squeeze a little, then you squeeze a lot. smooth. dont lock the front. shift weight onto front wheel by rolling onto the front brake first gently. even in emergency situation.

 

[geetarhero]

I find the rear to lock so easy that I avoid it alot. coming up to a stop from a slow pace (under 40km/h) I use the rear as its much smoother.

In a true emergency I do use it, but I do not push on it even close to its threshold. I will pull on the front right up to its limits, and put pressure on the rear, but not very much at all.
even with practise it was still locking up once in a while which makes it a real gamble in a RL situation. It will either help you stop shorter, or if you lock it, make it a REAL messy situation. I want ABS.... gsx soon enough!