How deep into corners do you brake?

cunni · Spanner Monkey Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

How late do some of you guys brake a sports bike into corners, not how late in a straight line before letting off and tipping in, but how hard to you use the brakes after tipping in?

Do any of you get on the brakes just before tip-in and carry loads of front brake right up to the apex?

Just wondering, because on track, the slick tyres are soooo good, you can carry loads of front into a corner. Just wondered what the norm was on the road?
____________________
TL1000R Parts For Sale!

cc123 · Geez a joab? Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Karma :

I've found myself doing less and less braking these last few weeks as I'm more confident in downshifting and using the rear brake only if I have to mid corner. I've found the confidence I lost after my crash again... Mr. Green

Only on the rare occasion I use heavy front brake if I've read the corner wrong but even then its very late into a corner.

Never been on a track (will change soon Wink

) never mind using slicks. My 207's work more than well enough, wet or dry.
____________________
Old bikes >>> https://www.bikepics.com/members/cc123/

cunni · Spanner Monkey Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

do you not find the back brake makes you back end lock up and swing out in corners, or do you only feather it?
____________________
TL1000R Parts For Sale!

Gazdaman · I did a trackday!!! Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Karma :

I'm still braking while I'm starting to tip it in, then smoothly releasing and keeping the power steady then full throttle out.

On trackdays you really see people doing all sorts of silly things while braking. As you'll know on snett, the corner at the end of the start/finish straight. People are braking FAR too early. I was starting to brake between the 2 and the 1 markers, whereas others were braking before the 3 marker.

Gaz

cunni · Spanner Monkey Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

I know what you mean!
____________________
TL1000R Parts For Sale!

cc123 · Geez a joab? Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Karma :

Only feather it, if I get it wrong then I just lean the bike somemore as I'll know it will go round the bend, now and again I get caught out and have to give heavy front to shed some speed before taking a corner.

I locked the front when I crashed but my new Ninja has better front end feel but I don't feel the need to use it all, downshift, light rear brake and lean the bike over....sorted!
____________________
Old bikes >>> https://www.bikepics.com/members/cc123/

tatters · Exxon Valdez Joined: 04 Jan 2004 Karma :

braking????

whats that? Laughing

____________________
Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

Suzuki · Roger Joined: 03 May 2005 Karma :

I usually do most of my braking before i've leant in to my "settled" position in the corner. ie... braking as i'm tipping in, and then release as the bike gets down to the cornering angle.

However, I have a few times kept braking right up to the apex, not through choice, but necessity. Scary experience to do it on the road, and not one i'm in a hurry to repeat, but it got me round the corner in one piece.

Rossi brakes to the apex of every corner practically... Confused

____________________
<Simple> no I'm shaven Jon Razz

<Simple> it is a big enough hole.. I'll leave it now
Ride: 1999 Suzuki GSXR600 (yellow/black) IRC: Stats - Relationship Map

sickpup · Old Timer Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Karma :

All the way in.

VFR400UK · Scooby Slapper Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Karma :

On the road i brake when upright, then stop braking, adjust my footing a tip it into the bend.
The only exception is if i've missjudged a bend in which case i brake right up to turn in and feather the front brake a bit as i turn in.

There is no real excuse for mid corner braking, it tends to lead to accidents which 9 times out of 10 would have been avoided by leaving the brakes well alone and cornering harder.

Section59 · Spanner Monkey Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Karma :

It all depends on the corner, if you brake the same for each corner, you're gonna end up crashing it rather quickly, i would imagine..

Tracks will be easier, if the track isnt the Nurburgring/Nordschleife that is.. Mr. Green

palmer · Fiddled Kiddy Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Karma :

would braking, letting off, then leaning in not be the best method? powering out as you pass the apex?

tony532 · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 May 2004 Karma :

you do not brake when cornering

you obviously keep stuffing it up so to speak

VFR400UK · Scooby Slapper Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Karma :

Thats the most senible way of doing it yes.

However with smaller bikes you can keep braking to some extent all the way up to the apex meaning your initial application of the brakes can be alot later.

With larger bikes it can be neccicary to 'trail brake' which is braking the rear slightly round the corner to help the bike turn.

Dracan · Trackday Trickster Joined: 15 Apr 2005 Karma :

I'm fairly new to biking, so I'm sure someone's gonna correct me with this, but I brake before the bend, so that I'm back on the throttle when going around the bend. I find that the bike feels a lot more solid and stable when the throttle's on and I try not to brake at all when going around a corner. I do however keep my foot over the rear brake and if I do need to slow down a bit, I just very lightly touch the rear brake (nothing sudden though). If I'm going too fast for the corner I find that it's better to keep the throttle on and push away on the handle-bar nearest the curb to give a greater lean. Also I try and lean more towards the curb to compensate for me going in too fast. I try to never ever touch the front brake when going around a corner - I'm sure that's one sure-fire way to kick yourself off the bike. As I said before, that this is just what I've found in my short time of biking - if any of this is wrong, please correct me so that I can learn from it Very Happy

Cheers,
Dan.
____________________
Honda CBR600RR - 2004

Kickstart · The Oracle Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Karma :

Hi

Get the braking out of the way in a straight line and then turn in. Yes you can brake into the corner, but more chance of loosing the front and I am not that desperate to go faster.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

AcIdBuRnZ · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Jul 2003 Karma :

I've heard of some racers that drag on the rear brake mid corner in order to scrub off speed if they need to.

They put pressure half-way down the rear brake lever, rather than at the end, so braking force is reduced and therefore less likely to lock the rear wheel. Hope that makes sense.

Never tried it myself.
____________________
Past: Honda NSR125R >> Kawasaki ER-5a2 >> Kawasaki ZZR-600e1 >> Suzuki GSXR-750Y >> Honda VTR 1000 Firestorm
"Chickity China the Chinese Chicken..."

craigs23 · Mr Muscle Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Karma :

400s don't go fast enough in a straight line to warrant the use of the brakes Wink

so unless it's a road that I don't know, an unexpected hazard/slower traffic, my brakes rarely get a look in.

If I'm going hammer and thong ( Confused

) I get all my braking done when still upright.

flat spot · World Chat Champion Joined: 29 Aug 2003 Karma :

Depends on how much I've over cooked it.

mrchips · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Mar 2004 Karma :

If I know the corner well I will be at the correct speed when I tip it in, if I'm not so familiar I will feather the front on.
____________________
Northern Irish? www.nibikers.com

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

On the road I always try and get braking done in a straight line - on the track I'm still conditioning myself to brake later into a corner oon track, but some of my best over takes have been done when I've outbraked someone, come up to the corner and thought 'hoh shit.... and just kept the brakes on /really/ late to make sure I don't lose my line.

On the road I, using the vanishing point system/other methods of reading the road I may brake while leant over a little if the road tightens, but try not to be too near any limits on the road, as those limits can easily be quickly reduced by a pot hole etc.

craigs23 · Mr Muscle Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Karma :

...if I don't know a corner or stretch of road, I wouldn't ride it as if I did - I can always go faster next time.

Johnny GSX-R · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Feb 2005 Karma :

Oh dear i've read some bollox on this forum in last few days..

It all depends upon the initial aproach speed, rider ability, bike ability, tyres, road condition, severity of the corner blah blah blah..

I chased a guy on a Gixxer 1000 last weekend and i tipped it in with a handfull of linked brakes on the Blackbird and got away with it.. There's a difference between what you "should do" and "what you can in reality get away with".

Sometimes i have gone charging into a bend farrr too quick and trailed the rear through whist getting back on the gas at the same time, this helps to settle the bike and squat it down.

Watch the on bike cameras of Rossi & Gibernau next time and watch them going through the corners & changing direction whilst under FRONT braking Shocked

In an ideal world YES get your braking done in a straight line, if you need to brake mid corner then use the back if poss, if you have to use the front then you'll need to muscle it a bit to alter the gyroscopic effect.

BenBray · Spanner Monkey Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Karma :

I guess the only way to really know is to simulate an off road experience where you have less grip, That way when you transition to the road, you have a better feel for the bike.

Just something I read. Might be 100% wrong. And I'm hammered. Ben

Ben

california_rookie · World Chat Champion Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Karma :

I prefer to let-off the brakes quickly and smoothy just as I begin to lean the bike over. Never used the front break in a corner. Rear's handy, though. Thumbs Up

____________________
https://www.bikepics.com/members/californiarookie/04gsxr600/
https://www.myspace.com/spapadillion
https://steamcommunity.com/id/spapadillion