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Old December 17th, 2014, 11:45 AM   #44
adouglas
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Name: Gort
Location: A secret lair which, being secret, has an undisclosed location
Join Date: May 2009

Motorcycle(s): Aprilia RS660

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Quote:
Originally Posted by cjhickey12 View Post
I like to have my foot in position incase i need to hit it
"Hitting" the rear brake might not produce the result you're looking for. Do some homework on highside crashes.

Think about it... when you're under heavy braking, what's happening to the rear tire? It's unweighting, which means it's easy to lock. Locking the rear can be dangerous and lead to a highside as the rear locks, then regains traction.

Look at your front brake. Now look at your rear brake. Why is the front so much bigger? Why do supersports have two HUGE front brakes but one tiny rear brake? Which end of the bike do you think does most of the work? In short, where is the vast majority of your braking power concentrated?

Next time you ride, try stopping using only the rear brake. What happens? (Hint: Leave LOTS of room.)

Now try doing a similar stop using only the front brake. What happens?

Do you think you can stop safely using only the front brake?

Are you aware that many track riders and racers use the rear brake seldom, if at all? Watch some racing footage... the rear tire is often OFF THE GROUND under heavy braking.

Bottom line: The rear brake is indeed there for a reason -- it settles the chassis and can shorten stopping distances somewhat -- but it should not be "HIT" as a rule.
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