The rear-brake is dangerous, and thereby useless.

[Suki]

I like to fish tail, helps with my lean, so i slam on my back brakes all the time.

[*GSXR~SNAIL*]

I like to fish tail, helps with my lean, so i slam on my back brakes all the time.

Friggin' Asian women drivers....no wonder.

[mclarke]

shoulder lean?

[Suki]

werd em up dog.

i'm gangsta.

[Devaclis]

I use the rear brake 90% of the time I break. I lock it up every now and then while practicing my "riding skill of the day" to remember how to control it. It has saved me from my own stupid mistakes a number of times.

[N1KSS1KS1x]

I would never call myself an expert rider but...I think it is a bad idea to quit using the rear brake all together. It is said that 70% of your braking power is with the front brake but you may need the other 30% in an emergency braking situation.
Also, using the rear brake helps keep the bike more evenly weighted from front wheel to rear. If you only hard brake on the front, an extreme amount of weight is distributed to the front and if you don't have good contact with dry pavement, you risk having the front skate out from under you.
I last reason I think you continue use with your rear brake... to scrub speed if you come too hot into a corner. It is much easier, while in a good lean, to knock down some speed with your rear than your front brake. At least it is for me.
I would suggest, just keep practicing and you will get the hang of it.
Hope I have helped some D-Man

^+1 and use just the front in gravel and you will be in trouble quick

[konichd]

Just use the rears....pads are cheaper!

[Dysco]

Thanks for those tips, I have wanted to check some of those books out anyways.

And per above, I was paying attention, fully expecting someone to yank out which is why I full braked immediately as he was pulling out or I would have had no chance.

I'll look and see if it's easily adjustable, I'm hopefully selling it soon for a newer model anyways though. Thanks again.

Not that I know what the exact situation was, but I'm suprised nobody mentioned not using the brakes at all and escaping with the throttle. At a certain point in my brief motorcycling career, I figured out that I have more control while accellerating than while panic braking. When something bad happens in front of me, my first instinct is to use the throttle and my backup plan is to brake once I've changed direction. Consider this option, but don't ignore the fact that if you choose wrong you can end up in the backseat of the car in front of you in a hurry.

If you've come to grips with the fact that you haven't become proficient in riding the bike you're on now, why are you considering a newer model?

[Nick_Ninja]

When in doubt --- GIVE IT GAS!

[Kendo]

Friggin' Asian women drivers....no wonder.

Suki is just trying to practice Drifting on a motorcycle.....

[Bassil Duwaik]

Keep in mind that the more pressure you apply to your front brakes the lighter the rear gets hence the easier it is to lock up. I've come to notice this over time. True, 90% of your stopping ability is in the front brake; however in the event you try braking without using the front you’ll notice that instead of the miniscule 10% braking you have for the rear it will jump up to some 25%.

I can get the back brake down to screeching without locking to a science but every time I introduce the front break into the equation it varies on how light my rear gets. Moreover, you got to factor in your suspensión.

GL

[rybo]

Bassil,

I've owned a couple of different ducati superbikes over the years and have never had one with a rear brake that was worth anything, much less able to easily lock the rear wheel. It's really amazing if yours is that good.

S

[Dietrich_R1]

Rear brake is Great on a Sportbike....

1) At a stoplight on a Hill
2) Riding on the gravel road going to the "Bucksnort"!!!

[Troma]

I got jacked up one time with my rear brake fiasco,,, not fun

[R1chie]

Rear brake is Great on a Sportbike....

1) At a stoplight on a Hill
2) Riding on the gravel road going to the "Bucksnort"!!!

Actually number 1 is more correct than you realize.

The amount of braking available from the rear brake is variable depending on traction and slope.

Take this test, head down a street that is going downhill. Try using the rear brake all by itself. You will have less braking power because as you brake the bike is being slowed thus unloads the rear suspension and gravity pulls you down the hill. This is magnified if you use the front brake because you are already nose down, rear tire up in stoppie mode.

Try the same test on a steep incline, gravity and slowing pulls the bike and the rear wheel into the inclined road compressing the suspension thus increasing the amount of pressure on the rear tire allowing you to brake harder with increased effect.

This works on the front tire as well, using both brakes you can stop much faster up an incline and even skid both wheels easily on a down hill. You can apply the front brake even harder with less worry of the back end lifting off the ground or the front tire skidding.

[Bassil Duwaik]

Bassil,

I've owned a couple of different ducati superbikes over the years and have never had one with a rear brake that was worth anything, much less able to easily lock the rear wheel. It's really amazing if yours is that good.

S

yeah mine locks up easy compared to some other bikes I've ridden. I think that the reason many ducs got light rear brakes is because of the way it's bled. In order to bleed the brakes you must take the caliper off of the rotor and flip it upside down (air goes up).

Doing so will thoroughly get the air out of the system. Don't understand why they would put the bleeder value inverted.

[Canuck]

I don't think that is it. The rear master cylinder on the Ducati's is not sensitive to pressure. In otherwords, the stock Brembo rear master is not able to push a higher psi than other (higher end), Brembo models. My '06 has a very soft feel to the rear since new. If there was an air bubble(s) in the line, then I would say that there would be allot of rear break lockage issues with them, when the line heat's up. Or at the very least, be more sensitive in the heat

[Feathered upstart!]

Most Ducati(as well as other italian bikes that shall remain nameless)have the rear brake issue due to how close the master is to the pipe... what with the undertail and all.

Relocate and your good

[Canuck]

Those Fucking I-teye's!

[Feathered upstart!]

Lets give them a fucking good kicking!!!

[Nick_Ninja]

All that need be done (with nameless pasta rockets) = Castrol SRF route , wet boiling point 500 degrees.

[Mac020]

Most Ducati(as well as other italian bikes that shall remain nameless)have the rear brake issue due to how close the master is to the pipe... what with the undertail and all.

Relocate and your good

and... The disk is only about 8" in diameter.

[pilot]

Rear brake is Great on a Sportbike....

1) At a stoplight on a Hill
2) Riding on the gravel road going to the "Bucksnort"!!!

That's funny.

[No-coast-punk]

In terms of the basic physics of it all. 100% front brake usage that picks up the rear tire about 2" off the deck is the fastest way to stop in a straight line.

However, the more front brake that gets used, the less steering response and chassis stability the bike will have.

More rear brake = greater control but longer stopping distances
More front brake = shorter stopping distance at the loss of control

Most people never master proper rear brake control in their entire lives. They finally admit to this fact and buy something with a linked braking system.