Who uses the rear brake in the "real world"?!

[ace-card]

Ok, so I had my first mini scare on my new TCat yesterday, the day I picked her up .......went to turn into an industrial estate ENTRANCE, when a car emerged in front of me, exitting ! On went the front anchor, and what I'm sure was a "bit" of rear (as we are all taught in order to pass our tests!), when suddenly, I felt the rear sliding out slightly Obviously nothing MAJOR as such, as I wasn't going very fast and managed to correct it. In slightly different circumstances however, this could have been bad news, and it got me thinking.......

"if it's that easy to lock up the rear, is it worth using?"

Maybe it's just a matter of getting used to the amount of pressure required for this bike on the rear, taking into account the much better braking capacity in comparison to the CGs drums (that require you to literally stamp on the pedal to get a reaction out it!! ). Although, this never happened to me on the RS, which also had very responsive brakes. When chatting to my step-dad about it (whose an experienced rider on both supersport and large tourer bikes), he told me not to bother using it.

So, what do you guys reckon.....to use or not to use??!!
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Mama said "life is like a box o' chocolates....have what's nice, then offload the crap to everyone else!"

[blurredman]

I use it to stop the squel on my front brake


In an emergency (people pulling out) I use the front brake which gets their attention my way and that i'm coming.



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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[c_dug]

I use it, if used correctly it will help stop you quicker in almost every situation and helps maintain balance at very slow speeds. If it locks up too easily then to me it says you don't have enough practice using it.

Find an empty car park or bit of road and practice some emergency stops. You'll never replicate the panic reaction of a real life emergency stop, but the more familiar you are with how your bike acts, the better prepared you are to cope with it at the time.
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[stinkwheel]

If you're trying hard enough on a modern sportsbike, you can lock the rear without even touching the rear brake. That's why people fit slipper clutches.

In answer to your question. I use the rear brake a lot, especially for slow riding in traffic.
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[Teflon-Mike]

Depends on bike & Circumstances.
In 'normal' riding, brakes shouldn't need to be used very hard, very often. 'Perfect' riding would have you arrive at a corner at the correct speed, to tip in, on the throttle alone, and have you maintain a high average speed throughout, hardly using brakes at all.
It's not a perfect world, though, and balencing down changes, a little rear brake can quite nicely keep the chain stretched and the shift smoother, and the bike better balenced, and on junctions and tighter corners, like you might have been tought for cone work for Mod 1, trailing the back brake can help keep the bike settled, as you turn.
Wonderful thing about motorcycles, is the dynamics, and the amount of rider input and subtle input you can use to effect control over the bike, in different circumstances... to say 'never' whether the front brake or back brake, or counter steering, counter leaning, hanging off, peg loading, or any other 'technique' would be to chuck away what can be a very useful tool in the armory.....
some tools are a lot more use than others though, and things like knee dragging, is something most often done purely becouse racers do it, rather than any real practical benefit, and counter leaning, is a tool that I get argued down over its merit time and time again..... BUT, they are both tools, and pretty specialised ones....
USING THE BRAKES... however is one of the fundementals, and takes up a large chunk of CBT..... and before trying to employ more elevated techniques like ahead leaning or hanging off, learning how to exploit the control offered by brakes, is a pretty good skill to master..... NOT using the brakes, is an even better skill to aquire... which is very different to simply 'ignoring' one or other brake....
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[Old Git Racing]

In the 'real world' not very often. As T Mike says you shouldn't get to the point where you need it, but invariably you will sometime. As for its value as a retarding device in a panic braking situation I'd say it was next to useless or even possibly dangerous if you have any sort of lean angle on due to the lack of force being applied through the tyre, because all the weight is transferred to the front wheel.
In the 'not real world' you can use it to set up the bike for corners or control the front coming up too far without having to get off the gas.
I once did three races on the TZ with no pads in the back (long story why not) without knowing, Good job I never used it eh.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[temeluchus]

My k75 will happily slow down and stop from speed only on the back brake.
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[Dazbo666]

[YourMumRang]

This is news to me! I do it like they told me on the cbt. 90% rear brake 10% front.
Barely ever use my front.

Interesting.

[95Theses]

[Dazbo666]

[pinkyfloyd]

[Nexus Icon]

I use it all the time, I imagine. To be honest, I don't over-think exactly how I use the brakes, I just use them and stop. It's a bit like the whole counter-steering discussion; if you spend time thinking about it all you're probably going to f*ck it up anyway.

In a real emergency situation I'm certainly not going to be thinking, "Right, front brake heavy plus a little back brake now to balance... Ooh, too much, try a bit less... Yep, perfect, perfect, I'm slowing nicely..."

Bang!
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[DrDonnyBrago]

I use it every day.


Slowing down quick - use a bit of rear brake, even more so in the wet. I drag the rear brake at low speed to keep it stable, use it on hill starts and when waiting at crossings etc where I know i'll be going soon.


Nexus - that is why it is a good idea to practice emergency stops, so that you don't need to think about them and you can do them properly if you need to rely on it in a critical moment.

[Slacker24seve...]

I've never locked it unintentionally. I use mine all the time in slow traffic and if I've gone into a left-hander too quickly.

You should be able to change the angle of the pedal so it's nigh on impossible to lock it. Try that
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[garth]

On the track not at all, last time out my back brake didn't have a master cylinder or fluid. (It spat it over my tyre so I took it off)

On the road I use it quite alot though, slow speed stuff, arsing about and town work.
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[Musketeer]

I use rear brake a lot.. especially in winter or wet

[YourMumRang]

Well my instructor was a right cunt who shouted at the other lad with me for no real reason so this doesn't suprise me.

I'll get practicing my front brake asap.

[Seb]

As above, rear brake = control and balance rather than actually slowing down for the most part, does depend on the bike though, some big twins have so much engine braking that your not far off locking the rear before you even go near the brake
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[easyroller]

[Daimo]

Every day.

Rear brakes good on the bandit, so use that when coming into 6th gear chicanes (roundabouts).

Also use the rear on hard braking for that little extra force.

Also use the rear when balancing at traffic lights.

[Dazbo666]

[MarJay]

I can't understand people who say "I never use the rear brake". It doesn't unsettle the bike in the same way that the front does, and it is useful for hill starts, entering a corner, approaching junctions etc. Obviously in a situation like the one you describe I'd be on the front as hard as I could and I'd probably just give the smallest dab of rear (considering my bike is very short wheelbase and will lift the rear easily). Still, I do use the rear all the time.
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[shereen]

When it is dry out I use the front only. If the road is damp or if its raining I will use front and rear. Like 70% front 30% rear.

To be honest it varies from one bike to another how much front and how much rear you need to use and obviously depends on what the conditions are outside. As someone has already suggested, go and practice in a car park, you will soon know how much rear you can apply without locking the wheel up. I think you just need to get a better feel of your brakes.
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[sickpup]

Mick Doohan in an interview wiyh PB once said 'only wankers don't use the rear brake'.