Rear brake, do you use it?

[Iethius]

I find the rear brake on my FZ6 almost useless for anything but stopping me from rolling backwards on a hill or powersliding a flat spot in my tire.

I still engage it out of habit, but don't know if it is even helping, does it set weight in a certain direction or anything useful on the pro end of things?

I find it useless for me in stopping distance. My stopping is better and more accurate with only the front brake on the FZ6. This is not the case on the Kawasaki I ride, as I could ride it all day safely with only the rear brake and shifting, no exaggeration.

Is this just a side effect of the 49/51 percent weight dist. of theFZ6?

Anyone else?

 

[Dennis in NH]

I use for very slow speed -- e.g., at a traffic light and slow down real slow so that you don't have to put your foot down before it turns green. I can do this with the front brake too but because the rear is weaker, I can do it better. Plus with front, the bike will dive a little more.

Dennis

 

[krid80]

using both brakes will stop you faster. It is best to practice emergency stops using both. Saved my butt last fall when I slid the back tire and used the most of the front brakes too after finding a stopped truck in the road after rounding a corner.

 

[Falcon1220]

I find my rear brake useful at low speed and as you mentioned while stopped.
Twice now I "snake tailed" while applying the rear on a wet road.
I was able to keep my cool and correct for it.

I had a SV650 before and never a problem with rear sliding.

 

[DaveOTZ]

I find its a great modifier, I roll on the throttle just a lil too and much my toe squeezes a touch... I feel like my throttle control isn't smooth enough in a turn and I can temper it with a little rear friction...

I think we COULD do w/o it, but I find it refines my ride...

 

[Lefty]

I guess I'm guilty of only using the front brakes 95% of the time except like some others holding a stop on a hill and so forth. Actually on today's ride I worked on using the rear a little more often for some braking. I guess it's just a habit I've developed over all the years of riding.
A funny story about rear braking. A long time ago when I was renewing my m/c license that had lapsed, the woman watching me do the riding portion of the test made me redo my stop because I didn't use my back brake. Keep in mind that the skill test was driving down the middle of a center rain gutter at the DMV. She informed me if I only used my front brake I would flip over the handlebars. I started to educate her but decided just to do it again and use the rear brake to make her happy. I've never let my class M1 lapse ever again after that...

 

[Hellgate]

Every stop, and you should too.

 

[sublime0713]

I find the rear to be a good modulator so that not all that force is on the front alone. I've heard from various sources that between 75 and 100% of the braking force is on the front but it doesn't feel that way to me.

 

[Hutchmaster34]

I also use it all the time, i mean if you want to be able to do an emergency stop when the time comes why wouldn't you always practice using it. Chances are if you never use the rear brake and all the sudden need to use it in an emergency brake situation your probably gonna lock up the rear tire because your body doesn't know the correct pressure to apply. Practice makes (almost) perfect and may save your life

 

[Red Wazp]

This is a touchy subject. Many here claim you should use both brakes all the time but it is very easy to lock up the rear and I am not sure using the rear is good if it will cause you to lose the rear end and crash. Practice helps to a point but in a emergency stop it's also about control, a sliding rear end isn't control
What really helped me was to adjust the rear brake one spot lower on the spline. Now it is much harder to lock the rear as I have to put my foot much farther down to cause lock up. Worked for me but Damn, I sure wish we had ABS on Fizzers in the US.

 

[Kazza]

Emergency stops/fast braking, slow turns, slowing in traffic and on slopes. Always use my rear brake for these.

 

[krid80]

This is a touchy subject. Many here claim you should use both brakes all the time but it is very easy to lock up the rear and I am not sure using the rear is good if it will cause you to lose the rear end and crash. Practice helps to a point but in a emergency stop it's also about control, a sliding rear end isn't control
What really helped me was to adjust the rear brake one spot lower on the spline. Now it is much harder to lock the rear as I have to put my foot much farther down to cause lock up. Worked for me but Damn, I sure wish we had ABS on Fizzers in the US.

locking the rear is only really bad when you aren't going straight. I have locked (and released and then braked again) the rear several times without incident.

 

[d9spacecadet]

I always use my rear brake. It will load both the front and rear suspension. eliminates alot of dive. if used properly and lightly into a turn. you have a greater percent of braking available for the front tire.

 

[Wolfman]

I use the crear brake lots....especially when Sports riding, great way of settling the bike down.

Also use it lots at low speed, much nicer than having the front end dive, when your coming to a gentle stop at traffic lights.

:thumbup:

 

[trougnouf]

I use my rear brake exclusively (with engine braking).
My fork leaked all of its oil out onto the front rotor and brake callipers (oh joy)
and the parts (seal thingy, motul oil, and rain pant) are taking forever (2weeks so far, surely one more to come) to arrive, and the FZ6 is my only ride to school and work.
Don't be surprised if you don't see me around anymore =O

I also use the rear brake when I park my bike in the garage, the floor is so smooth and the wheel so easily locked I always try to leave a tire mark when I get home. (more fun when it rains, I can almost make a complete u-turn!)

 

[Caligula]

I never used to use the rear brake much but I've tended to use the rear much more (like previously mentioned I use it to control the throttle in slow corners, coming up to lights etc.) I find it scrubs the speed without unsettling the bike (like grabbing a handful of front brake) and leaves loads of additional braking on the front if required.

I'd love to hear what Misti says on the subject as I've sort of developed this style without knowing if it's good or bad practice.

 

[chaskell27]

Sounds like I'm a bit different than most everybody else on this thread when it comes to rear brake usage. I think it's a carry over from my motocross days when I used the rear brakes a lot. lightly dragging them in the corners settles the bike and gives you more traction... at least in the dirt. I guess I still do it sometimes out of habbit and figure that if it worked on the dirt it probably translates to the pavement as well. I like using it in the corners sometimes just because it seems to be a good regulator of speed in the corner without having to get into and out of the throttle. That being said it is a pretty weak rear brake.

on a side note I took a spin on a buddies ducati 1098 the other day and if you think the rear brake is weak on the fz6 then you wouldn't believe how useless the one on that duc was. I'm pretty sure you'd slow down faster by dragging your feet or blowing into the wind.

 

[Wh0M3]

I have always used both brakes, I tend to use the front more, but it also depends on the situation. When I had a truck pull out in front of me I used the emergency breaking with both front and back and my possition as being centered if not a little to the rear.

 

[DefyInertia]

I use it A LOT, but not all the time. I generally don't use it as I'm approaching a turn and/or trail braking into the turn (riding fast) but I always use it when coming to a stop, slow speed stuff, splitting lanes, bumpy downhill goat-trails, etc. etc.....I can almost standstill in traffic with the throttle on, clutch partially engaged and the rear brake partially engaged...I barely have to put my feet down.

The rear brake is just another tool that we should all learn to master...I'm still getting there but use it more and more.

Vegasrider will be happy to know that I continue to practice using my rear when emergency braking!

 

[deeptekkie]

I find the rear brake on my FZ6 almost useless for anything but stopping me from rolling backwards on a hill or powersliding a flat spot in my tire.

I still engage it out of habit, but don't know if it is even helping, does it set weight in a certain direction or anything useful on the pro end of things?

I find it useless for me in stopping distance. My stopping is better and more accurate with only the front brake on the FZ6. This is not the case on the Kawasaki I ride, as I could ride it all day safely with only the rear brake and shifting, no exaggeration.

Is this just a side effect of the 49/51 percent weight dist. of theFZ6?

Anyone else?

I always use both brakes at once but IMHO: I think the front brake is so dynamic that it just makes the back brake feel inadequate. I think our rear drilled disc brakes are still far superior to old bikes with rear drum brakes.