Trail-braking or not?

i'm confused...(not unusual)

i thought trail-braking meant lightly using your rear brake into the beginning of a turn.

but, i just read an article about matt mladin's gsx, and it describes him using the front brake while trail-braking.

looking for clarity in "the soft science of road racing" provided no real clues (due to code's somewhat "abstract" way of writing).

what exactly is trail-braking and how is it used?

 

i use the fron tbrakes as im turning in some. it helps load the front to get it to turn. my little bike doesnt exactly steer quick.

 

I also thought it meant lightly using the rear brake not only at the beginning of a turn but while in it.

 

Trail braking is done by using the front brake. It is accomplished when you are applying the front brake while you are making a turn. Or applying the front brake while leaning into the turn.

Different bikes will allow you to trail brake deeper than others. A bike that will allow you to trail brake late into the turn will not stand up on you in midturn. Too much trail braking will cause you too lock the front tire b/c there is not a lot of the front tires contact patch meeting the pavement and thus a lowside crash can happen.

 

Code is a strong proponent of getting all of your busy work( braking and shifting) done before you get to your entry point. The idea is to carry better corner speed though the corner. Many of the top level riders will "trail brake" or lightly ride the front brake into a corner for two reasons. First, like Stick said, it loads the front end to help steer into the turn and second (this is where the better riders part comes into play) it unloads the rear end so they can spin up the rear wheel which also gets them turned quicker. Code also strongly suggests that racers not use the rear brake on the track except for slippery conditions or off track excursions. Trail braking probably causes more crashes than wins due to losing the front end from over zealous use of the front brake. If you find yourself trailing the front brake into a turn, chances are you have missed your entry point and are not where you want to be going in. This means you won't be where you want to be coming out. There was a thread on the BBS a while back discussing who uses what brakes where. I think the majority used only the front brake while on the track, except for the occasional off trake excursion, which I know none of us are ever involved in. During track days and practices I have tried hard to practice Keith Codes advice about getting the busy work done early enough to carry a good line and better speeds into corners so I could concentrate on a better drive out of the corners. Last year it paid off with lower lap times and more wins. Braking is slowing, throttle is for going. You should be off the brakes and back to the throttle when you are in the turn. My, my, my, where did the time go? We C.O.R.s do tend to ramble Take advantage of track time and practice. The more time you spend off the brakes and on the throttle, the faster you will go. Just try not to pass me!

 

Trail braking is the continued use of the brakes (front or rear, but mostly front)past your normal braking and turn in.

It allows you to brake deeper into the turn, using the normally "slack" time between turn in and the apex to slow down and fine control corner speed.
However it cuts into the safety margin of your available traction. Cut a turn to fast while on the brakes, hit a bump, and you'll loose the front.

 

I think where alot of people mess up with trail braking is setting up for it. If your very aggresive on the front brake you will take alot of travel out of the front end. If you don't get back on the gas before entering the corner and then hit a bump while leaned over it is very difficult for the front end to absorb the hit. trail braking is giving it gas while your applying the front brake. giving it gas sets it back off the front suspension just a little bit to allow for bumps. thats how it was explained to me anyway. I don't trail brake unless i'm trying to stuff somone in a corner. can get you deeper braking points.

 

Unless you're someone like Freddy Spencer, chances are that you'll go faster without trail braking (that's the front brakes) into the corner.

The only time this is theoretically better than what Code teaches (which I believe is a much better method for mere mortals) is if you possess the skill to trail the brakes into the turn, maintain high mid-corner speed, and transition to throttle without allowing the front suspension to change it's attitude.

If you can't do the above, you're going to allow the front to uncompress and rebound mid-corner as you're trying to come off the brakes and onto the throttle, therefore upsetting the suspension. This will not improve your lap times.

I believe in what Code teaches, and like someone else here was rewarded with lower lap times and two regional championships this year. Brake sooner, throttle sooner, exit sooner. I'm going back for two more days of Code's school in May at VIR.

- Roach

 

I trail brake using the front and I'm not Freddy.

 

Yeah,thats right,especaily in H/W twins and F1 novice.Finish all your braking early (before turning in)and then coast to your apex.Please,I mean,remember to stay wide(outside)while practicing this method of corner entry.It`s the best way.

[This message has been edited by RTR 137 (edited 03-03-2001).]

 

I was always told never to coast, unlike the post above.Its on the brakes or on the gas,no in between.

 

i try not to coast. when you get back on the gas it jerks, and even at my speed it isnt the best idea mid corner

 

Even in open wheel car racing they tell you to maintain constant throttle into the turn, and roll on the gas once you begin to exit the apex. Coasting is just plain scary if you're carrying any kind of speed at all.

 

That was an attempt at sarcasm on my part.Anyone following my advice would theoretically give me oportunity to TRAILBRAKE past them during corner entry,thus the added advice to also stay wide.Did anyone see Tray Batey dive into t1 at TGPR with the throttle still pinned?He did`nt roll off the throttle untill after he turned in.I hav`nt ask him but I`m sure he used the brakes somewhere in the corner.I suspect some riders scrub off speed by sliding tires during entry(after trailbraking).My thought is the more momentum you can carry deeper into the corner the better.Once your mid-corner everyone is somewhat equal,most riders can get out of the corners well enough,fast riders(low lap times)make time by getting into corners quickly,which also means they stayed on the gas longer.Thats my 2cents worth.It`s fun to talk like your the sh*t on the BBS.

 

The tecnique you are refering to is called backing it in.This technique is pretty advanced and involves using the rear brake (lightly, as when you are doin this the front is usually near max braking and a slight tap is all that is required) to get it to "step out" to the outside of the turn. and assist you in turning the bike on a tighter line. now remember if you are running soft front springs at a track that is bumpy, the rear may already be off the ground and you can move it out to the left, say on a right turn with just a slight nudge of the right leg. now remember you'll have to arrest the the swing of the rear. you can do this by gently easing off the brake (front) as you bend the bike in, and roll on the power to settle the chassis (3-4%) as code suggests.
Now this is a hairy deal. And I would practice it in very slight increments with no one around you. AND if it's not a pro race or you have a heavy side bet on your self it might be best left to the pro's.
When in doubt - more thottle (that will also tighten up the turn , providing it (the rear) spins and doen't stick, which will cause you to push the front more and you will run wide (and possibly off the track, and crash, as this hurts a bunch and is costly [on the bike and hospital bills], one should try to avoid this).
SSSmmmoooottthhhh transitions is what I would practice, from accelerating to braking to turning to roll on to full acceleration. This is a continual learning experience, practice doesn't make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect.
KD

[This message has been edited by kulddy (edited 03-03-2001).]

 

whew, im tired after reading all that. now i remember why i slept through school

 

Thanks Stick I was just trying to be eloquent.
KD

 

That's exactly right MAC. You should either be on the brakes or on the gas. Anything else is just wasting time.

 

Everything I know about trail braking I learned following some guy into T 1 at Talladega going ccw. I noticed that I was losing him at the turn entrance but was matching his speed mid-turn and on the exit. After 3 laps of this I realized that he was just getting to the apex faster, so I determined to follow him at exactly one bike length the next time, doing whatever I had to to stay there. The only way I could do it was to "trail" the front brake in by partially releasing it but maintaining some braking force. It worked perfectly, and was clearly what he was doing. The fast car guys point out that the tire can accept a certain amount of total force, divided between cornering and braking. Theoretically a perfect rider would use all the force, all the time, meaning that until he hits the apex (all the force used in cornering), he would have some pressure on the brake (cornering plus braking). On the exit, we all combine accelerating with cornering, so we know this can be done. It's just harder to control it using the brake. Perhaps because we've all noticed that the butt of our leathers on the dirt does some braking, but no cornering