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How do you brake?

Right hand two fingers
If it's loaded with bags I'll use a lot of rear going straight or a little rear cornering sometimes.
I never use the engine to slow down but still rev match the shift.
That's just the way I ride.
 
thedub said:
What about when you come to a stop light/sign?
Click to expand...

I'm not rushing up to stop signs, I'm looking way ahead. By the time I get to the stop sign, I just need a light touch to roll to a stop. Yes, I use the brakes for stopping, I just don't use them much for slowing.
 
How to stop a Cruiser:

Get one with an auto blipper that rev match blips
so the slipper clutch doesn't have to slip
to keep the grip then drag your feet
both left and right, slow touch the brake
two fingers to stop, and say HI to Russ at the light.

Such style. :thumbup Impressed.
 
I don't really think of downshifting as a way to brake. I think it's important to stay in a gear that keeps you in a decent part of the power band since you need power on demand to turn as well as accelerate. Downshifting does that

Without getting into the front brake/rear brake deal, the rear brake is far superior to engine braking if you're trying to slow the rear wheel down. It's more precise and smoother. It's simpler, faster and doesn't distract you as much from traffic, traction, braking markers or whatever else you need to be giving your attention.

If you're really trying to slow down in a hurry, pull the clutch in and use the brakes, especially the front. Click the shifter down as you slow so you're in the power band when you engage the clutch again
 
russ69 said:
I'm not rushing up to stop signs, I'm looking way ahead. By the time I get to the stop sign, I just need a light touch to roll to a stop. Yes, I use the brakes for stopping, I just don't use them much for slowing.
Click to expand...

I'll also let the bike slow down and down shift on the way to the lights if it's red. However, I'll also make sure to tap the brakes a bit so that the traffic behind me gets the message. Not everybody pays enough attention to their driving to notice a gradually slowing down bike.
 
I raced 13 years in the AFM. Never used the rear brake in all that time. But on the street, whether solo or 2 up I often use the rear brake to modulate my line in corners, settle the rear and tighten my line. Different uses require different techniques.
 
OP, you are getting a lot of different advice based on opinions and personal experience. My suggestion to you is to take a class that teaches you how to brake properly using both brakes and then find time to practice it on your own. Different bikes require different amounts of pressure on the front and the rear, however the technique and the physics of it remain the same. The best way to learn this is to feel it for yourself through practice.

As for your question, I brake mostly using the front brake as my bike has a semi-linked braking system that adds the appropriate amount of rear brake when I use the front. I can also use the rear independently for slow speed maneuvers or cornering adjustment.
 
UndercoverEwok said:
Simple question but I got a lot of different opinions and suggestions about braking. I read that there's multiple different ways of braking and I usually rev match and engine brake. But how do you brake? Is braking all the same for all bikes? I have a sports bike and rev matching is a lot easier than a cruiser that I tested out a few weeks ago. I'll be transitioning to a sports cruiser soon, so I was wondering if braking is all the same for all bikes. Thanks for your input and have a safe drive this upcoming weather change!
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As already noted, get yourself to school! Take the California Motorcyclist Safety Program basic course, and learn the right way. After you've done that, you might want to check Doc Wong's offerings in the BARF Training subforum. ISTR that Doc does a braking seminar.

IMHO, braking is the skill that is most difficult to master. It takes the right technique--which isn't at all obvious if your experience is limited to cars (take the class!)--and abundant practice. In addition, you need to develop the habit of proper braking. Use the same basic technique EVERY TIME, so it becomes something you can do without conscious thought.

From your OP, it sounds like you usually slow down by downshifting. This is a highly INeffective way to slow a motorcycle (or any other vehicle for that matter). You get maybe 10-20% of the deceleration rate the bike is capable of when properly braked. In an emergency, that extra 80-90% can be the difference between a slightly unpleasant close call and a serious crash.

Regarding differences in braking technique between types of motorcycles: while basic technique is the same, the all behave a little differently. The brakes themselves differ, but more significant are the differences in geometry. Tall or short (vertically), long or short (horizontally), weight centered more to the front or rear--these all have substantial effect on braking response. That's why it's important to take a little time to familiarize yourself with braking idiosyncrasies before riding a new bike.

For a good discussion of basic braking skills, see David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling. I recommend this rather than the more specialized sport riding books (which are excellent but more advanced) for an introduction to braking technique.

And if it hasn't been mentioned yet ;), look into the CMSP basic riding course. It's very well designed and taught by excellent instructors, well worth your time and the pitifully low tuition they charge.
 
Braking technique, well I am sure we'll all have our opinions on that.

I rode for years and never really gave much thought to braking, I just did it. My technique was refined by years of riding junk and British engineering failures, so I depended largely on trial and error to develop a method that worked for me.
I only use the rear brake as a tool to balance the effect of front-braking, and aside from that, I occasionally use the rear brake exiting corners, "trail-braking" to settle the suspension and of course to hold the bike on hills if I have to stop. It's also handy for doing a full stop at stop signs, without putting your foot down.

I also tend to mix in the rear brake in wet conditions, but only as a way to share the braking effect enough to prevent a front end washout or slide.

All that considered, I don't use the rear brake for slowing the bike down, I use a combination of gear selection and front braking. The basics are outlined here by Kieth Code, who I consider the Sage of riding technique.

Practicing brake technique on a regular basis is a good idea. If you have to stop suddenly, that is a bad time to try to Think Your Way to a stop. Braking should really be something that is hard-wired and burned in to your reptile brain so you can respond naturally and calmly when you need to.

I second DataDan's recommendation to attend a good riding school. If you can afford it, California Superbike is as good as it gets.
 
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Snaggy said:
I don't really think of downshifting as a way to brake. I think it's important to stay in a gear that keeps you in a decent part of the power band since you need power on demand to turn as well as accelerate. Downshifting does that

Without getting into the front brake/rear brake deal, the rear brake is far superior to engine braking if you're trying to slow the rear wheel down. It's more precise and smoother. It's simpler, faster and doesn't distract you as much from traffic, traction, braking markers or whatever else you need to be giving your attention.

If you're really trying to slow down in a hurry, pull the clutch in and use the brakes, especially the front. Click the shifter down as you slow so you're in the power band when you engage the clutch again
Click to expand...

Exactly
 
This thread has been interesting because it illustrates a trend I see in BARF between track oriented response and street oriented response.

Many responses have gone instantly to throttle blipping, auto throttle blip equipped bikes, slipper clutch, on and on. Fair enough as OE asked about this, but... this is track talk.

For street? Need to stop? Use the brakes! If a deer jumps out in front of you, it isn't about throttle blipping.

Throttle blipping is mostly about gear change. When you get slowed down, street or track, you want to be in the proper gear for the slower speed you arrive at. On the track, this happens in a hurry.

On the street, this should NEVER happen in a hurry. If it does, you've screwed up and the main thing is to get stopped, NOT what gear you're in when you arrive at that slower speed.

If you are a newer rider ( you have less than 100,000 miles on motorcycles) then practice braking, cover front brake with your fingers, use rear with discretion, all the things basic courses teach.

Even more important than that in my mind is: Practice full time situational awareness, and have a Plan B for every situation you can think of to avoid the need for hard stops in the first place. STOPPING a bike is usually a last resort. Bikes are not good stoppers. Placing the bike around the problem is best. We are small and maneuverable, use that to advantage.

Once all this becomes natural, then by all means, investigate track days and learn skills associate with the track. Many [but certainly not all] will help on the street. And... you'll have fun.
 
moto-rama said:
Braking technique, well I am sure we'll all have our opinions on that

All that considered, I don't use the rear brake for slowing the bike down, I use a combination of gear selection and front braking. The basics are outlined here by Kieth Code, who I consider the Sage of riding technique.

Practicing brake technique on a regular basis is a good idea. If you have to stop suddenly, that is a bad time to try to Think Your Way to a stop. Braking should really be something that is hard-wired and burned in to your reptile brain so you can respond naturally and calmly when you need it.

I second DataDan's recommendation to attend a good riding school. If you can afford it, California Superbike is as good as it gets.
Click to expand...

Do you think Code is actually recommending using engine braking or explaining how he brakes while downshifting/matching revs so he can drive early and hard out of the corner? That's a track technique. In street combat, you may need to worry about scrubbing speed while in control, but maybe not so much about finishing a corner in the top quarter of the rev range. A street rider should be able to go from 60mph in sixth gear to zero in first in a hurry and rev matching and engine braking are going to hopelessly complicate that.

I agree on CSS, the small group coaching on the track is the best anywhere, and Keith distills fast and smooth riding to its essence. The emphasis is very much on track riding. Most of that is highly applicable on the street but not all of it. Of course, if you can handle your bike well on the track, you can handle it anywhere.
 
Screw the brakes just pitch it in. Bunch of pu$$ies. :twofinger














I'm working on my street cred.
 
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I brake like it's a toy or necessity... play by mood if you have an opportunity.

Engine braking is more aggressive and rapid, while combination of front and rear brakes can be swift and silent...

If it's engine braking, depends on distance, but usually no more than two downshifts, 3 would be inappropriate for street... or track.

Play with your bike, experiment, respect it and enjoy it, but take your time, not to be afraid of it...
 
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