Rear brake, why is it there?

General Bike chat
User avatar
breakerm
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:17 pm
Location: east london/essex

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by breakerm »

ive never really used the back brake engine braking down through the gears does alot of it for me.....
User avatar
KermitLeFrog
Posts: 1634
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:44 pm
Location: Hexham

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by KermitLeFrog »

breakerm wrote: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.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
User avatar
breakerm
Posts: 71
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:17 pm
Location: east london/essex

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by breakerm »

KermitLeFrog wrote:
breakerm wrote: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 :D :D :D :D :D
User avatar
KermitLeFrog
Posts: 1634
Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:44 pm
Location: Hexham

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by KermitLeFrog »

breakerm wrote:Im just addicted to sound of a blip then RUMMBBBBLLLLEEEEEE :D :D :D :D :D
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.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered" (George Best, RIP)
User avatar
fabiostar
Posts: 7541
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:53 pm
Location: sunny belfast

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by 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?
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
macca__macca
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 4:21 am

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by macca__macca »

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
NZSpokes
Posts: 643
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 10:50 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by 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
Posts: 15938
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by 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.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
User avatar
fabiostar
Posts: 7541
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:53 pm
Location: sunny belfast

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by fabiostar »

tony.mon wrote: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 :thumbup:
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
User avatar
cheekykev
Posts: 1128
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:12 pm
Location: Cheshire

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by cheekykev »

fabiostar wrote: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 :D :D 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 :D 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.
Like what you do
Do what you like
He who wonders isn't always lost
tony.mon
Posts: 15938
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by tony.mon »

fabiostar wrote:
iv a new wavey disc to fit during the winter and il go with the organic pads and see how that goes :thumbup:
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.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
redpig
Posts: 508
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 6:20 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by 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
ook
Dendrob
Posts: 311
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2016 11:46 am

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by Dendrob »

redpig wrote: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! :lol: :thumbup:
redpig
Posts: 508
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2016 6:20 pm
Location: Sheffield

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by redpig »

Sorry realised it wasn't relevant
ook
User avatar
bigtwinthing
Posts: 5577
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2012 7:52 pm
Location: Hampshire

Re: Rear brake, why is it there?

Post by 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.
missing the noise, not the vibes. However never say never!
Post Reply