Getting confident on the front brake

[mr jamez]

Now my riding has come a fair way since I started, but I am still pants on the front brake. I have no idea how quickly my bike(s) can stop and I think I have a bit too much fear of losing the front. I also hate the feeling of getting shoved forward and putting weight on the bars. I always find myself going for the rear to slow down for traffic lights which is dumb. I hadn't noticed it that much with the bros as it has loads of engine braking and doesn't go fast anyway, but with the VFR I'm approaching things a fair bit quicker.

Considering its still winter it doesn't matter too much, all I do with the front is gentle braking. But when we get sunny days it pisses me off as Its holding me back. It would also be nice for when I really do need to stop quickly to know what I am doing!

Any tips?
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[R4nger]

As soon as you brake hard enough that the front tyre losses grip, then just before that point is the optimum point.

Just yank the darn lever and see what happens!

[Itchy]

You have a Bros? , those are sharp brakes for a 400cc bike, but what you ought to do is grip the tank with your knees, and sit away from the tank.

And perhaps get some of that non slip matting from B&Q on your seat.

Rookie male riders often sit near the tank, once they have a close call they soon sit further
away from it, my first experience of this was ages ago , sat very close to the tank no
grip on the tank with me knees, brakes very hard.

I moved forward , my plums took the weight, I had to stop at the side of the road for quite some time.

Knees trick takes some weight off your arms when you brake rapidly anyway.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[tutton]

Guess never go beyond half the lever if your scared,
although this stil may be too strong in some situations,

its up to you to judge, i mean im only doing around 50, but when a car deciedes to brake very suddently usually im like you would plant the back break on, but sometimes you know its not going to slow you fast enough, so ease the front break on, slowly till you feel it moving u
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Past: '05 Peugeot XPS '99 Aprillia RS125 '94 FZR600R
Current: '02 ZX636 A1P '51 CCM R30

[mr jamez]

I sit with my arse against the hump on the seat unit with my knees tucked in against the bike. I don't slide on the seat with my leathers on (which I wear 99% of the time). So I guess gripping the bike on a hard stop is gonna help with the weight on my wrists, I think I do that instinctively 'cos otherwise I'd have sore plums! might try it for slow stuff.

The brakes on my bros are shot, this is aimed more at my NC30 'cos I brake a hell of a lot harder on it.
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[LeeR]

Okay advice from RiDE or BIKE this month; open your hand flat, now whilst counting to 2 close your hand to a fist. This apparently is how quickly you should apply the front brake, don't grab or snatch at it and apply the pressure evenly throughout as you squeeze. As you decelerate and are almost at a stop, ease the pressure on the front brake and apply a little more to the rear thereby preventing the forks from diving. They also say to practise this on a quiet road (Sunday morning) to get used to the feel.

Don't forget there are other aids to deceleration, using slopes, engine braking whilst changing down through the gears, and sitting up to enlarge your forward facing contact area, it all helps.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[mr jamez]

Thing is I know that I probably have a fair bit more grip than I can use, I'll happily scrape the pegs on all of the bikes I've had. But when it comes to whacking the front brake on I always shoot my bolt too early 'cos I've got no idea how fast I can stop. A good example was the other day where I nearly got wiped out. I saw it coming a mile off, set the front brake and applied pressure. It started coming towards me in slow motion and I'm thinking, you fucking numpty pull the lever harder! the wimp inside me went around the car instead. Looking back I could have EASILY stopped My riding and technique has been shit for the past month though and this is the worst of it.

Do stoppies help with confidence? dumb idea perhaps...

Just to clarify, I mainly want to learn for hooning in the summer
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[trevoriv]

Make sure the ground is dry, your tyres are warmed up and that your brakes are warmed up a bit as well.

Now find somewhere quiet, get a decent but comfortable amount of speed up and then hit the brakes hard, you'll be suprised just how much braking power you have.

I did this with my ZX6R and was suprised that in no time i was getting the rear popping up off the ground motogp style
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Past: '96 Thundercat, '02 ZX636R (A1P), '58 KTM 690 SM LC4 Current: '06 ZX636R (C6F)
Mudskipper wrote: Someone just has to sig that...

[philone]

i have same problem,i dont no how far i can push the front tyer before i lock the front wheel.if you brack hard from say 60mph and graduly appley pressure will it lock up or will the rear come up first?

[dodger]

[G]

[mr jamez]

I have to use my whole hand as it needs a fair bit of pressure (contaminated pads) to get it to stop quickly. I suppose I should get that sorted first Might try that. I'm pretty happy with the back brake, use it quite a lot when cornering and I'm not scared of the VFR back brake locking the wheel as it sucks

So I'm going to get some new pads at the weekend and have a go at some stoppies, possibly using only two fingers
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NSR 125F > BROS 400 > NC30 > BROS 400 > Trumpet S4 > '97 VFR 750

[mr jamez]

[Kitten]

I found myself only using the back brake on my CBR125, but as soon as I got the NC35 I had no other choice but to use the front brake as my junction approaches etc had sped up a fair bit! Now the back is the one that gets negelected
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RVF400 (NC35) My baby

[dabigginger]

I'm quite happy with the front brake when it's dry and warm, but when it's cold and/or wet, I barely touch it. Now I've had a few slidey rear ends in the wet, it's just added further to that. I think I should think about looking at a bit of extra training to get the extra confidence and get a better idea of where the limit is...

...unless someone has a £50 scrapper they can sell me so I can find out!

[Dalemac]

over winter i have only used the rear brake and a bit of engine breaking here and there to stop.

Only today did i raz around an industrial estate and start applying my front and seeing how it feels.

the gpz front brake is so crap its unbelieveable. imagine the initial biting point, but nothing after it. it just seems like it isnt progressively braking, its more like an on/off feeling....

the second i can find a front end of a euro/ never version, im getting it! (double disk) need to get some sintered pads asap too!
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[Finglonga]

I hardly ever use the rear brake and have confidence in the front. You will be surprised how hard you can pull it on even in the wet. As long as you don't just yank it on like a noob then it shouldn't lock up. I have had the wheel off the ground in the wet before now. As said just go somewhere quiet and practise, it wont take much to build the confidence up.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[ms51ves3]

If you pull it gently I would say if you have good grippy tyres that there is more chance of the rear lifting up than you skidding the front wheel. So if you pull it and apply more pressure until you feel the rear slipping then you know you have hit your limit.

Or you could just break until you think 'Wow, I'm slowing down really fast'

[G]

Could be up for a quick play on Saturday; Sundays are usually better for stuff being clearer, but I'm going to be busy then.

[hmmmnz]

i rode dirt bikes for years and years before i switch to road bikes, the problem being that you basically rely on ebngine braking and the rear brake on dirt bikes, as you are generally on slippery surfaces.
when i started on the road bikes i was still doing the same thing but you just dont stop quick enough, so to teach myself i added air into the rear lines.... sounds kinda dumb, but when you dont have a rear brake, you soon learn to use the front
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I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Bofh5]

The time of year, weather, temp and road condition all play into braking and can make a helluva diiferance.

My route to work takes me down a short 3-4 mile 2 lane motorway stretch and as you can imagine you can get up to a good speed before slowing for the slip road off.

I've been using it to test my front braking and getting a feel for the bike in different conditions.

When its raining enough to clean the thin film of gunk off the surface grip levels are more than i thought possible and when the roads dry with no grit / salt residue its even better.

The analogy i hear a lot is "squeezing water out of a sponge" progressive pressure and it shouldn't snatch.
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(L)users...Disk space is to good for them.

Bikes: Honda 50 / CB125-TDC / 93 CBR600 F2 (Stolen & Trashed) / 2001 SP-1 (Sold) / 95 CBR600 F3

[mr jamez]

[G]

Hopefully should be away in a week.
However, clocks go back soon, at which point evenings become a reasonable play-time.

[sickpup]

[chris-red]

I was the same, I overcame it, it is just experiance. I have locked the front on every bike I have had (Except the CBF because it had abs and the RXS because the brakes are shit) It's scarely as hell but not as bad as all that. Good tyres and braided lines help no end. Just keep trying.
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