Bike braking in the wet

[katana]

Well when it's wet how do you brake?

Front 75% rear 25% or still 100% front.

Does your front brake have to be warmed slightly before it does anything? Or needs to clear the water off the disc before any action is felt?



Just wondering as I try to use both brakes and have noticed the front brake needs warming or clearing the disc before any real braking action. Thinking the pads in the front are sintered as the backing is gold coloured. The bike I believe is on the original rotors.

Or is it just cheap pads and replace them with the new EBC ones that I bought in winter.

What do you think.

[Akiraprise]

dry braking should be 75% and 25% respectivly,

wet braking is 50% 50%

and in the snow only use the rear brake.

[dainesefreak]

The old 75-25 and 50-50 are a good starting point as recommend by your local training school, but most modern bikes will do the majority of their braking on the front.

A little less harsh in the wet and it comes down to your riding style/what you feel comfortable with/experience/bike/brake setup, etc, a number of things really.
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[madbikerbabe]

rear brake...wots that then ??!!..
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[bazza]

[Joe]

There is no definitive answer. Just apply the brakes gradually - don't grab handfuls of front or stamp on the rear - everything in moderation. Feel what is right for the condition. Remember, look out for changes of surface as well - even more so in the rain. What works on one piece of road might not work on another

[hellkat]

[Craggles]

Engine Braking is your friend

I tend to try to use the gears to slow down as much as possible before I touch the brakes, even more so in the wet.

I tend to go for using about 75/25 front/rear most of the time, slowly increasing pressure on the rear as I stop - if I'm coming to a (controlled) halt I'll finish up on the rear - I find it makes the bike far more stable. At about 90% of clear junctions/roundabouts I won't touch the brakes atall.

In the wet I tend to just try and be even more careful and progressive with the brakes, and don't get myself into situations whereby I'm 100% relying on my brakes to get me down to a safe speed.

Craig
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If this signature is blue, you're riding too fast

[G]

With decent tyres and brakes, the quikest way to stop will usually be to 100% front and no rear.

With decent tyres in the wet I would still do this.

To get maximum braking in the wet the rear should be at the point it's about to lift. At this point the rear brake will probably cause the rear wheel to lock up, if it does anything. This makes the bike less stable and more likely to go down.

In the wet, if there's a decent amount of grip on the front, then it should unload the rear a fair bit. As there's reduced traction, it may again cause the rear to lock up.
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[DaFrostyOne]

In the wet there is a general lack of grip. Under heavy braking in the dry you can get the rear wheel so light it's off the ground.
Under heavy braking you should avoid using the rear at the same time as the front accept for in the early stages of braking.

In the wet exactly the same principals apply only the grip level is lower. the rear won't go as light, but it has less grip and will lock easier.

So in theory you should brake exactly the same in the wet and dry but try to be smoother and brake softer in the wet.

In the wet i tend to engine brake alot more
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[Mr C]

so long as you don't grab the front and overwhelm the tyre you can brake 100% on the front, it's just a matter of getting the rubber down to the road i.e. getting through the film of water that's there, the key is smooth and progressive, not snatchy


unless of course you are doing 180mph and find yourself with a front brake caliper smashed off the fork leg and running out of track

but that's a different story
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[katana]

What I've noticed that I do is brake gently from the off gently increase till the bike stops or decreasing as necessary.

I think it's because i'm trying to load the front wheel up to stop any possible skidding.

[Jrod]

So in the dry you can use only your front? I've always shared the braking, thought it made the bike more stable.
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ZXR400 > GSXF750 > ZX12R > XR600 > XR400 > Nothing....

[MonkReadusuk]

I know i shouldn't do this, but i hardly ever use my Front brake, probably due to laziness, but i have just never really used it. Always use engine braking, then slowly apply rear brake. I find that when i try to use the front brake, i loose control of the throttle and don't fell confident doing so. bad driver me
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-Monk-
>Suzuki GSX-R600 Srad<
>Suzuki SV650s<

[G]

[8316]

[Kickstart]

[johnsilva]

what good is a rear brake when the rear wheel is 2ft in the air?

John
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Current Bikes: ZX7R P5; KR1S C2; GPX250R F3
Previously: CBR400RR-R; YQ50 Aerox

[Kickstart]

[bish777]

try and brake with engine braking and carefully thought out gear changes in the wet, to minimise using the levers! The less you touch the brakes the better.
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GSXR1100J

[Mr C]