Rear brake, why is it there?

[breakerm]

ive never really used the back brake engine braking down through the gears does alot of it for me.....

[KermitLeFrog]

ive never really used the back brake engine braking down through the gears does alot of it for me.....

I don't use it to slow the bike down except in some town situations. It's most use is an accelleration/thottle modulator.

[breakerm]

ive never really used the back brake engine braking down through the gears does alot of it for me.....

I don't use it to slow the bike down except in some town situations. It's most use is an accelleration/thottle modulator.

Im just addicted to sound of a blip then RUMMBBBBLLLLEEEEEE

[KermitLeFrog]

Im just addicted to sound of a blip then RUMMBBBBLLLLEEEEEE

Arn't we all? But, think of this scenario. You're cranked over in a slow corner on zero throttle. You want to open it up. Do you that at max lean? As you open the throttle transmission snatch puts a load through your rear wheel and spits you off.

Option: Go in trailing the rear brake with some throttle left on. Everything is taut, the chain and transmission is under tension but it not putting power to the rear wheel because the rear brake is holding it back. You can open the throttle and add rear brake and there are no lurches. Ease off the rear brake/add throttle as required and you get a nice smooth exit.

It's a little difficult to describe in words and dosn't work/not needed in fast corners but it's a good technique in the slower stuff.

It's also useful off road. The really fast guys on small offroad bikes (not me!) don't modulate the throttle at all. It's permanently pinned open. Coming into a corner the engine is revving at max revs, restricted only by the parameters of the pipe. They are over the top of the powerband. Feeding the clutch out the engine loses revs (and gains power) but if it loses traction and starts spinning the rear wheel again the revs rise and the engine power decreases (over the top of the power band). This is a good technique as long as you are willing to change your engine internals on a daily basis. The slower guys (me!) moduate the power with the back brake. It's really difficult to be precise with the twist-grip when you are bouncing around the place. Just keep it pinned and use the brake to control the power.

[fabiostar]

iv new pads in my rear and bleed and cleaned it several times and its still sh1t, just no bite to it and i like to have a back brake in the wet and if im at a track day i use it a lot trailing into corners. is it just mine or are all the rears crap?

[macca__macca]

Since putting a braided line, new disc and brembo sintered pads mine feels about twice as strong! I use it now...


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[NZSpokes]

I use it all the time on the Bandit 1200 which is my main bike. Hardly never on the VTR. Why? I cant reach the bloody thing.

Last weekend I made a extension for the foot bake lever and now I can use it.

[tony.mon]

Try organic GG pads.
That helps.
And so does bleeding and fresh fluid.

Lastly, pump the piston most of the way out and clean it thoroughly.
There's a little lip on the seal (which is why you have to be careful to fit it the right way round) which pulls the piston back into th caliper by a fraction when you've topped braking. That means that the pad isn't touching the disc when not in use. Use a paddock stand, and spin the wheel to feel if the rear brake is slowing the wheel down as it rotates to a stop- it shouldn't.
If it does stay in contact , applying a little drag to the disc, the pads will glaze, stopping them working properly.

[fabiostar]

Try organic GG pads.
That helps.
And so does bleeding and fresh fluid.

Lastly, pump the piston most of the way out and clean it thoroughly.
There's a little lip on the seal (which is why you have to be careful to fit it the right way round) which pulls the piston back into th caliper by a fraction when you've topped braking. That means that the pad isn't touching the disc when not in use. Use a paddock stand, and spin the wheel to feel if the rear brake is slowing the wheel down as it rotates to a stop- it shouldn't.
If it does stay in contact , applying a little drag to the disc, the pads will glaze, stopping them working properly.

iv a new wavey disc to fit during the winter and il go with the organic pads and see how that goes

[cheekykev]

iv new pads in my rear and bleed and cleaned it several times and its still sh1t, just no bite to it and i like to have a back brake in the wet and if im at a track day i use it a lot trailing into corners. is it just mine or are all the rears crap?

As most of you know, for years I've been carrying cheekyads around as a passenger so I've had to use my back brake quite a lot, I have original rear brake caliper with original Honda Nissan pads fitted, all standard with the exception of Goodridge braided hoses, clean the calipers, and new fluid every year, they fine, surprisingly plenty of bite well good enough for normal road use, and I do tend to push it sometimes, don't know about track though.
Granted not as good as the SP, but what do you expect on a VTR built to a budget.

[tony.mon]

iv a new wavey disc to fit during the winter and il go with the organic pads and see how that goes

If it's a good one there will be more meat between the outer end of the slots and the outer edge of the metal.
Braking Wave, for example, The cheap Chinese ones crack at that point.

I posted up a picture a few years back of one I tried, and threw away, cracked, before it had me off.

[redpig]

The rear brake is an integral part of the motorcycle setup, the correct use of which contributes to rider control of the vehicle in motion.
Sounded a bit officious that

[Dendrob]

The rear brake is an integral part of the motorcycle setup, the correct use of which contributes to rider control of the vehicle in motion.
Sounded a bit officious that

Succinct and difficult to argue against!

[redpig]

Sorry realised it wasn't relevant

[bigtwinthing]

i didn't think i used mine much, hill starts etc, but first trip on the Cb and i was locking up the back end, now probably a better rear brake anyway but i was riding the same so perhaps i did use it but it wasn't that good. The CB brake is good and i tend to use it with a slight dab if entering a corner a bit too quick as i don't want the front to dip. Generally i don't brake ever into a bend and try to get the suspension all settled etc ( not that one in Devon Lloydie ) . I stripped it on oct etc and think it hardly ever got used, it was free and clean apart from some road crud.