And there are riders who don't survive 45 days; the names I listed and many others, like Jerry Palladino and Jason Pridemore offer advanced riding skills training through books, DVD's, and classes to those who are willing and interested in improving their motorcycling skill set. A deeper understanding of cornering theory, throttle control, braking, and the proper use of vision; the how's and why's, the technology of riding. Motorcycling isn't an instinctive activity but rather a learned skill; the more you learn and understand, the better you are at it...

 

Best answer yet....

I use both brakes...most of the time...depending on what I feel I need.

Too much of one without the other can have serious consequences in some instances. Too much front brake can put you down just as fast as locking the rear brakes. If you have ridden long enough and hard enough, you have experienced this at one time or another...

 

While I appreciate the intention behind these types of threads, they often turn into a pissing match. There is a time and a place for: front brake only, rear brake only, and both. My belief is that you either learn how to ride (and brake) effectively, or you don't. There are multiple ways of learning this. Practice, read, watch videos, practice some more. IF you decide to be one of those that "don't" learn it, well then, you are more than likely destined to learn it the hard way. Just ride within your skill set and try not to hurt anyone (or yourself).

 

I learned all of this stuff the hard way. You mean if i slam on the rear brakes till they lock and don't release them I'm gonna high side? Yup. I think that once you have crashed a few times as a result of a lack of knowledge and skill most people are apt to actually learn how this kind of stuff works but most people don't think about it until they are heading for the ground.

I don't lecture on this stuff as I know how I learned. There is however something to be said for proper braking in all situations.

 

I always thought that if you knew how to ride a dirt bike, you could pretty much ride any bike. I mean ride it, hitting rev limiters, jumping, siding your rear end out to take turns, its pretty intense. that being said, what happens when you grab a handful of front brake on a dirt bike?

I will say the dual discs on my fxdl do make the stopping power better....

 

80% front - 20% rear.
The rear brake will help stabilize the rear end under maximum braking.

 

How well does that 80/20 ratio work when there's nearly zero weight on the rear tire?

 

Really not true. At least according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. 70% of your stopping power comes from your front brakes.

 

Winner, winner, winner!!

 

I thought the front brake was only used for doing burnouts...