Really though, be very, very, very, careful with the use of the rear brake in emergency situations. Today I was pulling out of an intersection following this van at a pretty decent speed while the light just turned green, and then all of a sudden the crazy bEEatch right in front of me Slams on her brakes and comes to a screeching halt right at the intersection like it was a freaking red light and it was still green, smoke was coming from her tires and everything. Well I put the front brake on and I lightly tapped the rear brake, and then I almost laid my bike down because my rear brake locked up the minute I touched it and slid out to the right, and no I didn't slam on it. Its very sensitive and I thought I was taking it easy with the rear brake. I luckily stopped in time. I looked in the van and it was some crazy soccer mom just looking confused in the damned intersection, like she didn't even know why she stopped[sm=WTFsgign.gif]. So I flipped her a nice nasty bird followed by some #$#@$@ for scaring the hell outta me and went on home to my family pissed as hell[sm=icon_flaming.gif]

 

Glad you're OK.

The stock tire does seem to skid on pavement pretty easily. I frequently skid the rear tire by accident when I'm downshifting as I approach a stop.

 

Ok while I really feel for you're situation, telling riders not to us the rear brake is just as dangerous. I have practiced quick stops, and I mean as fast as I can and have never had the rear tire even skid. Remember 70% front and 30% rear. Yea I know in an emergency you can't really judge this, thus that is why I do two things. The safety manual says two seconds distance between cars, and I actually double that. But there is a balance between being too close and letting too much distance between you and the car ahead, giving some idiot an opportunity to pull in front of you. Everyone, no matter how long you have been riding, should practice imaginary situations and react accordingly. [&:]

 

I know, I know, %70, %30, hell I thought I was giving the rear %10. Am I the only one who thinks the rear is WAYYY to sensitive. Its like its either on or off. If you guys have gotten good with this, then please let me know how you feather foots do it. I remember someone else was talking about the rear brake being EXTREMly sesitive and thats why I hardly tapped it in that stop. Maybe mines just ultra sensitive, Or I have led Weights imbedded in my toes??
Let me rephrase my title to "Be careful with the rear brakes"

And yes I had about a 3 second time lapse between us, but damn when it actually happens and your really not prepared, more like surprised, then its different. I have done many, many emergency stops in empty parking lots practicing, and no matter how impulsive and various you try to make things, I can tell you its nothing like when the real thing happens. Even in the parking lot I still could not master the rear brake very well. Maybe its time to go get some more practice, that scared the beejeesus outta me. I'm always looking for cars as missiles that are trying to blow me up everywhere, but its not too often you have a car come to a screeching halt at a green light in an intersection for absolutley no reason. Nobody was coming from right or left, turning anywhere, nothing. I know this because I scanned the hell out of the intersection just like I do at every intersection, making sure that no one is doing anything looking su****ious, then bam, missle in front of me halts and tryies to make me blow her up[:@]

 

im glad you and your bike are okay for sure, and im glad u shared this experience with us so we can anticipate and practice braking techniques. if anyone else has had any close calls on the street and or laid it down on the street please let us know what happened in your particular situation so we can learn to avoid the same. and again incabiker im glad to hear your alright and im happy u gave her the finger she deserves........stupid soccer moms.

 

Thanks for the concern,
Maybe she was having a heart attack or hell an asthsma attack, or brakes just locked up for no reason or something, but she didn't look like it, she just looked dumbfoundley stupid like (Duuhhhhh... ), more like she was lost. I kinda feel bad for cussing and flipping the bird now, but man, when your in a situation like that and your doing everything you can to save your bike and yourself, Your adrenaline gets the best of you and your fired up[sm=icon_flaming.gif]

 

It's good to lightly apply rear brake beacause the torque created at the rear hub actually causes the rear suspension to squat due to the where the pivot point is located.

That being said, the correct amount for maximum braking power is closer to 90/10 or less because the compression braking form the engine is more than enough braking force for the rear wheel. In a emergency stop, I wouldn't even both touching the rear brake because you'll just end up locking it up... which doesn't really matter because you shouldn't try to manuver while panic stopping...ever, you should lift off the brakes at least 50% to attempt any manuvers. My experiecne on the racetrack with sportbikes tells me that initially you can lighly apply the rear brake to try and settle the rear, but the front tires are sticky enough that no matter how far you lean back you'll still pick up the back end.... so you let the rear squirm around under compression braking and trail brake deep into the corner.

The term "panic stop" should never apply IMO to motorcycles or even cars, you should NEVER panic in any situaition and stay in control of your vehicle. I'm also not a fan of dumping hte bike as a last resort. I'd rather steer off the road or just hit the obstacle and tuck and roll.

As mentioned, the best thing is to be looking all aroudn you and far up the road all at eh same time. Watch what all the cars are actually doing, not just their postion and predict their movements. You are basically reading the "body language" of the cars around you, just like you read the expressions of people in a room. Year of racing bicycles and training on the road taught me a lot about predicting what car are going ot do. When you have almost no brakes, can't accelerate quickly over 10mph no mirrors, no signals, and are not hgihly visible on a bicycle, you develop almost a sixth sense for reading traffic.

 

If you are refering to my 1st post about almost laying the bike down, this was on accident. Due to the fact that the rear wheel skidded out the rear end of the bike was sliding to the right and faster then the front wheel was going as the back end kept going forward, I almost went 90 degrees from my original direction. All in all though I didn't almost accidently lay down my bike and was able to stop in time, that will get your heart pumping.

 

You might want to check the alignment of the pads on your rear brake. My rear brake is not sensitive at all and takes a good deal of force to lock up the rear wheel.

 

You might try adjusting the pedal height. Stock it is pretty high, without much free play. It has helped me when I ride off road.




Chris
Clarksburg,nj