Difference between front brakes and rear brakes?

[Lion_Lady]

I don't buy "Its the bike, not me." You need to adjust your technique. More important if you've got multiple bikes in your garage that you switch off riding.

You sound like the longtime Harley Rider in my Basic Riders Course who insisted that his range bike (a Nighthawk 250) had "issues."

The student had been riding a Harley for YEARS... they evidently require NO throttle application when starting from a stop in first gear. He kept stalling the bike about 60% of the time when he started out from a stop.

Every time I rode the bike to check it out, it behaved as the Nighthawk always does.

P

[HYPERR]

I don't buy "Its the bike, not me." You need to adjust your technique. More important if you've got multiple bikes in your garage that you switch off riding.

So on my old XT225 which had a tiny rear drum, which you couldn't lock up the rear brakes if I stood on it and stomped it on, that was me too??? That's just plain silly. Every bike has idiosyncracies. Some bikes' brakes are easier to lock up than others that is a fact. Plain and simple. You state I "need to adjust my technique"; well that is exactly what I am doing. I adjust braking technique depending on the bike. The rear brakes on my R1150R are just very easy to lock up and I have made the decision to in a panic stop, I am just going to use the front. I use both brakes on the Hyper, KLX and the CBR however. I have installed steel braided hose for my rear brake on the R1150R and the ultra vague feeling still remains. This is just the way the bike is.

If one is actually skilled enough to achieve 100% braking efficiency at the front(or close to it), the rear is just locking up at that point regardless of who you are. Keith Code who is more skilled than you and I put together "recommends" at his school that a rider should master using only the front brake except in slippery condition. He states to "learn to totally rely on the front brake for quick clean stopping; and then if you still have the use for the rear, go ahead and use it". Under the ideal condition the use of both brakes will yield quicker stops. However,huge numbers of crashes on and off the track are due to the rear brakes and his "recommendation" is clear... but he ends the conversation with "I'll leave the final decision up to you."

You don't know me and to put me on the same category as some guy in a BRC class who is incapable of riding a bike without stalling is quite unfair. I do not claim to be Valentino Rossi, but I have been riding for 22 years, have logged on miles well into the six figures. I also ride dirt as well as downhill moutain biking. If anything will teach you about the ability to operate the brakes at the brink of lockup, those are it, especially the latter.

[slimcolo]

What of brake slides in turns?? A few quotes from Donnie Bales' and Gary Semics' riding book. (Pro Motocross and off road motorcycle Riding techniques)

"Brake slides are good ways to turn quickly"

"The key to making a brake slide useful is to coordinate the brake and throttle so that you go in doing a brake slide and come out in a controlled power slide"

"Though you may not like to hear that the front end of your bike can push at all speeds, or worse, endo, these problems can be reduced through proper braking. In most cases both brakes should be applied evenly and in a progressive manner"

"I rarely use the front brake in deep sand" says Steve Lameson


These are the same techniques that the MSF teaches extensively in their Dirt Bike School. (I really liked the YZ 250 Yamaha that I rode in the MSF class, excellent handling and power)In most instances they are applicable to street bikes while riding on gravel. This MSF class would also help with road riding if you travel on a lot of gravel as a supplement not a replacement. (it is much more hands on and less therory than street classes)

[HYPERR]

I wouldn't say put "more" emphasis on your front brake. Your front brake is just much much stronger than your rear brake. So if you need stopping power you need your front brake too.

Actually the front brake isn't stronger. But, because the physics of the bike and momentum, as the bike slows, weight is transferred to the front wheel. This gives more traction to the front wheel and more braking force. . . provided the rider is continuing to progressively squeeze harder on that front brake lever while stopping.

Actually on most bikes by design, the front brakes are much stronger.

[Gummiente]

Actually on most bikes by design, the front brakes are much stronger.

Seconded. There's a reason why there are more pistons in the calipers and larger diameter rotor(s) on the front wheels and that is because they are built to handle the majority of the braking duties.

[Kuurus]

Or two discs on the front wheel for that matter...

[gsJack]

Learn to use all three of your brakes all the time; front, rear, and engine. Can't make such general statements like the front brake does 70% of the braking. It depends on the bike and how it's used. MCN for example keeps a running account of their test results with lists of the 10 bests at the end. The Suzuki Marauder tested in 1997 for example remains on the list of ten best 60-0 mph stopping times. It's a discontinued mid size cruiser with a single disc front and drum rear. Without the overly powerful front brakes of the newest sportbikes the Marauder front brake is not powerful enough to unload the rear as badly as the sportbike brakes do so a larger % of the braking can be done with the rear, the longer wheelbase is also a significant factor. The overly powerful front brakes of the modern sportbikes can be as dangerous as the overly powerful engines can be in the hands of inexperienced riders.

My simple little GS500 has a single disc front and disc rear and the rear can contribute much to the stopping effectiveness of the brakes. The GS500 rear disc is considerably larger than those on Suzuki's sportbikes with the overly powerful front brakes. I turned my front brake rotor blue a couple times in the mountains fading it out completely once and the addition of another front disc with more swept area would have avoided this fading problem but would not have added that much more to the performance of the brakes in everyday riding. They work quite effectively for most usage, learn to ride the bike you are on.

http://www.mcnews.com/mcn/articles/2010JanIndex.pdf

[HYPERR]

It depends on the bike and how it's used.

My point exactly.

[shane-o]

Im one of those riders who never never uses rear brake, ever

The book might say the front has 70% braking power but I reckon its more like 90%.


You stand on the rear brake and all thats gunna happen is your going to slide into what ever it is your trying to avoid and ya gunna do it at speed, ouch !!!!

If your one of those people who instinctively hits the rear brake, then im afraid that you will eventually get bitten


Front brakes are your only friend when in trouble, I suggest ya learn how to use em


As for going over the bars grabbin massive front, I reckon what really would happen is the front will eventually lock, and will wash out from under you (it would be a fairly non violent way to hit the ground, but of course under lock you will have little to no control over where you hit the ground...not kool )

I use front in corners, slow speed, wet weather, emergency etc etc but I did a hell of a lot of practicing in controlled environments and deliberately set out to learn and understand all I could about front braking as it has already been stated its 70% + of your braking capabilities... why would you ignore that ??



hugs n kisses

me



PS: I reckon cruiser riders are the worst for not knowing how to use front brakes damn cruisers !!!






.

[dr_bar]

Difference between front brakes and rear brakes?

I always thought the difference was that the front brake was on the front wheel, and the back was on the rear wheel...