"Back brake only, you'll crash if you use your front brake!"

PrivatePilot

PrivatePilot

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I just saw it happen again in a FB group a few days ago where someone posted a story about how they nearly got in a wreck because they couldn't stop after being distracted for a split second and then looked up to find a car stopping rapidly in front of him at a red light. Locked the rear brake and apparently came within inches of impact.

It came out in subsequent discussion that this person was one of those riders who only uses their rear brake, convinced that if they touch their front brake at anything less than basically stopped that they'll instantly crash.

It wasn't very long before the discussion pivoted to quite a few people trying to explain that proper use of this riders front brake instead would very likely have turned this scenario from "I almost crashed" into a complete non event as they would have just....stopped.

What was more aggravating was to see about 50% of the people in the group then go on to support this "rear brake only" nonsense, with some going so far as telling the "learn to use your front brake" or "please take some advanced riding courses" people the usual song and dance about "I've been riding 50 years and never use my front brake and I've never even had a close call, blah blah blah".

I always try to tactfully edicate these sorts of riders that learning to use their front brake properly may very well save their life someday. Sadly many don't want to hear it as they've convinced themselves that they're right and nobody else knows more or better than them, but for those with an open mind, is there a quick and succinct YouTube video one can post in these situations that explains the bigger picture?
 
I use the front almost exclusively except in panic/emergency stopping where it’s become muscle memory to use both.

For slow speed parking lot maneuvering, rear only for the most part.
 
For a while I rode a bicycle downtown TO with no rear brakes (26" rim cracked and I had a spare 700c I put on but obviously rim brakes couldn't touch). It was not too bad most of the time. I was out in wet snow one time and it was miserable. At that point I realized how much we rely on rear brakes for stability. Front brakes primarily for slowing, rear brakes primarily for stability. /end discussion
 
Not sure what motorcycles they rode, but afaik most bikes only have a single rotor at the back.
Maybe some 2 or 3 piston calipers provide sufficient bite / stropping power for them?
 
POWERMAN said:
Not sure what motorcycles they rode, but afaik most bikes only have a single rotor at the back.
Maybe some 2 or 3 piston calipers provide sufficient bite / stropping power for them?
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70% of a motorcycles braking power is on the front wheel regardless of the strength/capabilities of the rear. That can rise to almost 100% under hard front braking where the rear wheel can be virtually off the ground. Rear wheel only braking will only ever hover around 30-40% at its maximum.

I have a slow motion video of a friend doing emergency stops on his FJR at our motorcycle masters course a few years ago and the back wheel is almost completely unloaded, and the front wheel compressed about 25% on the rim, and on the stops on the forks. It’s interesting. I’ll see if I can dig it up tomorrow.
 
Usually those are the riders with the story about the time that they"threw it down" to avoid a obstacle.
Translated to reality that means that they panicked locked up the rear brake and fell down.
Even with a bit of saddle time i don't think that i could ever intentionally crash my bike out.
 
Dirty Frank said:
Even with a bit of saddle time i don't think that i could ever intentionally crash my bike out.
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You'd be surprised how much time and control you have in many crashes. I was in a crash on a bicycle and I had time to make decisions about where to aim and how to fall before I hit the ground. Our brain is cool.

Now, would I intentionally lay a bike down to "avoid" a crash? Hell no. Fly it to the bitter end for the best outcome.
 
PrivatePilot said:
I just saw it happen again in a FB group a few days ago where someone posted a story about how they nearly got in a wreck because they couldn't stop after being distracted for a split second and then looked up to find a car stopping rapidly in front of him at a red light. Locked the rear brake and apparently came within inches of impact.

It came out in subsequent discussion that this person was one of those riders who only uses their rear brake, convinced that if they touch their front brake at anything less than basically stopped that they'll instantly crash.

It wasn't very long before the discussion pivoted to quite a few people trying to explain that proper use of this riders front brake instead would very likely have turned this scenario from "I almost crashed" into a complete non event as they would have just....stopped.

What was more aggravating was to see about 50% of the people in the group then go on to support this "rear brake only" nonsense, with some going so far as telling the "learn to use your front brake" or "please take some advanced riding courses" people the usual song and dance about "I've been riding 50 years and never use my front brake and I've never even had a close call, blah blah blah".

I always try to tactfully edicate these sorts of riders that learning to use their front brake properly may very well save their life someday. Sadly many don't want to hear it as they've convinced themselves that they're right and nobody else knows more or better than them, but for those with an open mind, is there a quick and succinct YouTube video one can post in these situations that explains the bigger picture?
Click to expand...
You must be hanging around cruiser forums.

For the few years I had a cruiser, I found this odd. Then I learned that a lot of cruisers had linked brakes, riders didn’t need to squeeze front brakes.

I remember riding a crashed HondaShadow home from Bobcageon for a gal. Set bent the bars and snapped the brake lever off, the brake pedal stopped the bike just fine.
 
Bike design definitely plays a part, for sure. Cruisers and long, low, touring bikes carry a lot more weight on the rear tire, and transfer less weight forward as the forks compress, than something tall with a short wheelbase, like a sport bike or trail bike.

I remember a magazine article from the days when they still existed, and the shortest stopping distances were with both brakes until the weight was transferred to the front, then off the rear and modulate the front to keep the rear just on the ground and the bike pointed straight. In practise, I tend to only use the rear where grip is limited (e.g. gravel) or when I need to tighten a line mid-corner and more trail braking isn't an option. Now that I have a bike with a much longer wheelbase, though, I'm trying to use it more.

Incidentally and weirdly, as race bikes get more powerful, the riders use more and more rear brake. Not to stop as much as to stabilise the bike and control wheelies without getting off the gas. I've posted this elsewhere here, but it's fascinating reading enough to post again:
Why MotoGP riders use the rear brake 70% of every lap
 
Priller said:
Incidentally and weirdly, as race bikes get more powerful, the riders use more and more rear brake. Not to stop as much as to stabilise the bike and control wheelies without getting off the gas. I've posted this elsewhere here, but it's fascinating reading enough to post again:
Why MotoGP riders use the rear brake 70% of every lap
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Flat trackers have no front brake, so the only way to control bike behavior is by sliding sideways and modulating the rear brake to control wheel spin. Take a flat track school and find out what you can get away with and what you cannot. A buddy was doing just fine until he pulled off and crashed into a picnic table (LOL).
 

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We were part way through Deal's Gap when it dawned on me that all the heavy braking I doing was likely overheating the single disc I was using. The other disc up front was sitting idle because it was linked to the rear brake.
 
There is a front brake! I'm going to have to look into that... :LOL:

Yes even motorcycle riders can be just as stupid as car drivers. These are the same people putting their bike into neutral at a intersections so they can put both feet down and not have to clutch in...uh oh.
 
timtune said:
I've been known to do that. Why is it a concern?
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Me too. I like to relax my clutch hand at a stop light.

It's a theoretical risk that you might lose escape time if you see a car closing in on you from behind. For that to be of any benefit, you also need to leave two bike lengths behind the car ahead of you and stop in the appropriate track to escape.

A lot of thinking for an old man.
 
On the Cabot Trail many moons ago we were going up one of the steeper sections and there was a large "US Brand" motorcycle wedged into/under a guard rail on the up lane side. Luckily no one seemed seriously injured other than the bike, wallet and likely some good bruises. There was one llloooonnnnnggggg rear wheel skid starting in the downward lane.

Another front brake makes you crash...I had to lay it down. Really glad they did not take out anyone in the coming lane they slid through! Also glad the lady rider was wearing some gear (jeans, jacket, full face and boots) and not the usual garb.
 
Mad Mike said:
Me too. I like to relax my clutch hand at a stop light.

It's a theoretical risk that you might lose escape time if you see a car closing in on you from behind. For that to be of any benefit, you also need to leave two bike lengths behind the car ahead of you and stop in the appropriate track to escape.

A lot of thinking for an old man.
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I sit on the clutch in gear until a car stops behind me and then relax into neutral.
 
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