How do you use the rear brake effectively? Do you set the brake up differently (return spring, etc)? Every time I've touched it, it seems to lock up the wheel. Pros use it all the time. So how do you use it? When do you use it? Discuss
I use the rear to settle and stabilize the bike. It is nice to be able to use the rear lightly for different purposes. For ultimate braking, say at the end of a long straight where one is hard on the front brakes, the rear will add little or nothing as the rear is mostly if not completely unloaded. If it is too sensitive, you can either try a different pad compound, or reduce the pad area that contacts the disk by grooving or cutting away the friction surface until you have the right "feel." YMMV Cheers, Dave
Adjust the foot peg so you have less engagement on the pedal when your ankle is fully articulated to its "full" brake position.
If you are uncomfortable with using the rear brake (i.e., locking up the rear by accident), I don't think a roadracing bike at 100+ mph is the right place to learn it. I suggest motocross or better yet, supermoto to get comfortable with what the rear brake can do for you and then transfer those habits to the fast bikes. I'm not so sure that the pros "use it all the time". There are some pros that use a lot of rear brake. There are some very fast guys that come back into the pits after a session and their rear brake still isn't pumped up from the last tire change. I don't touch the rear brake on fast sweeping tracks (Miller, Willow Springs) but use it a little to settle the bike going into corners on tight tracks (Laguna). If you took away my rear brake completely I wouldn't be too concerned.
Don't use the rear brake. Spend your attention on something else like setting up for a turn, entry, and exit.
Bleed the rear caliper and let some air in the line. If you set it up right you can smash the rear and not have it lock on you ever
Definitely don't want to do this. You'll still need a fully functioning rear brake just in case your front brake fails. It happens.
It works. If you think the rear will save you at high speed your mistaken. Whatever, I was just giving some info.
I know people who have put/left air in the rear brake system to soften it. And yeah, the only thing the rear is going to do when you lose your fronts is help you lowside.
Doesn't air (which by nature has moisture) expand far more easily as it heats up. I've heard of situations where riders have crashed and the front brake has sucked some air in from the reservoir while the bike was on its side and a little ways later the front started locking up as the air in the system expanded and started to engage the brakes. Not so sure intentionally introducing air into your hydraulic braking system is a wise idea. I think the route of cut down rotors and less grippy organic pads is a better route.
The safe way to reduce the effectiveness of the rear brake is with a Safety Braker. Basically puts a compressible cylinder of air in the brake line. Same as bleeding some air in WITHOUT contaminating the brake fluid. Used one for a decade or more on my old race bikes.
Yes it is. That being said, I know many people who have done this and personally have done alot of laps around tracks with the ghetto air bubble method and it has worked well for me. It does not take a ton of air to soften the initial bite and keep the brake from locking up easily.
I have considered the air in the lines, just didnt know if that was really a good idea. And I also agree that attempting to learn at 100+ is not a good idea, but I dont mind going to a trackday in a slow group to work on learning. What to use to cut down the pad, a grinder? Or can someone recommend a softer less aggressive pad? Link to that safety braker? I typically only use the rear, when off track, I dont have a good feel for the lever at all. At this point is basically dont touch or smash it. I'd like to learn to use it effectively and when to use it. Thanks for all the info, please keep it coming
Perfect explanation of how to set up your rear brake action untill the rider becomes comfortable with using it. That is exactually how I teach people to use it.
wake up and smell the roses man, a rear brake alone is not going to save your arse, in FACT one that does not lock up the rear wheel in a panick situation is going to help you big time in a panick situation
