When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Dyna Glide ModelsSuper Glide, Super Glide Sport, Super Glide Custom, Dyna Glide Convertible, Super Glide T-Sport, Dyna Glide Police, Dyna Switchback, Low Rider, Street Bob, Fat Bob and Wide Glide.
Neither. If you read some of the brake testing results included in this thread, you'd realize that some Harleys (even single disc) delivered shorter braking distances than some Ducatis.
Did you read the statement I quoted? It specifically said "If you really wanted the best brakes possible, you'd be on a Ducati and not a Harley." The person writing that statement is the one saying that the brakes on a Duc are better than a Harley. I simply questioned the meaning of that statement.
The reality is that most stock motorcycle's brakes aren't the best they can be. Manufacturers have to weigh costs, and therefore make compromises. But because of that, it also means that we, as consumers, can improve on those brakes. It can be as simple as better compound pads to full braking systems with larger rotors, multi-piston calipers and braided lines. And fortunately right now the trend in custom bikes is "performance" Dynas, with major suspension and braking improvements being part of the package. That trend means that the options for improving those systems are expanding. It also means that the old attitude of "adequate brakes" is slowly going by the wayside.
Last edited by veritas.archangel; Apr 4, 2016 at 01:30 PM.
However, if most of the stops on the Harley fell into a 6 foot range, even as the rider was going through the process of becoming familiarized with the bike, I'd say that's an indication that the brakes provided not only excellent braking (as comparing the numbers from the bikes in the test shows), but also a good degree of consistency and user-friendliness.
This statement is actually an indication of a lack of braking knowledge. A 6' difference in stopping distance, with the same bike in the same conditions, is actually a bad thing. Differences in stopping distance should be measured in inches, not feet, and especially not multiples of feet. Six feet is the difference between not hitting that mini-van that just pulled out in front of you, and plowing right through it.
This statement is actually an indication of a lack of braking knowledge. A 6' difference in stopping distance, with the same bike in the same conditions, is actually a bad thing. Differences in stopping distance should be measured in inches, not feet, and especially not multiples of feet.
I'm looking forward to your evidence in support of your claim. This particular test involved motorcycles with stopping distances ranging from 111.1 feet, to 191.5 feet, and the Dyna "cruiser" came in second, at 114', in front of three sportbikes.
If you can do better than a 6 foot spread, from from jumping on an unfamiliar bike, to your best stop, I reckon you have a great job waiting for you as a professional motorcycle racer.
Last edited by Warp Factor; Apr 4, 2016 at 06:26 PM.
Like any other internet expert, I have an uninformed, hearsay tested, alcohol based response that is the key to understanding solo vs dual front brakes.
Run your bike up to 60 MPH and emergency brake. If you stop in 125 ft you are an expert and do not need duals. Average is between 124 and 140. Strangely enough, different bikes are all over the place with the street about the worse at over 150 ft. Harleys are similar to BMWs and Metrics cruisers/touring whether single or dual. Duals are important for heavy bikes to prevent fade, especially when running down hill hitting the curves hard and fast, such as SR 3/129 out of Enterprise for a stop at Boggan's Oasis.
For comparison, most performance cars are just under 100 ft and most pickups worse than a Harley. Most cars about the same as a good motorcycle.
I'm looking forward to your evidence in support of your claim. This particular test involved motorcycles with stopping distances ranging from 111.1 feet, to 191.5 feet, and the Dyna "cruiser" came in second, at 114', in front of three sportbikes.
If you can do better than a 6 foot spread, from from jumping on an unfamiliar bike, to your best stop, I reckon you have a great job waiting for you as a professional motorcycle racer.
I think you might want to re-read your link. This "test" wasn't actually a test, but was compiled based upon a lot of separate review articles. Quoted directly from your link:
"Motorcycle Consumer News tests stopping distance as part of their monthly motorcycle reviews. The chart below was gathered from reviews found here."
Having gone through and read the articles on the bikes you will see that they don't don't even always provide stopping distance numbers on the bikes they test. Therefore basing "facts" on such inconsistency in the articles is mute. With the Switchback they even admit that the 114' was a single event with all the rest of the times it stopped in the 120' area. Which actually puts it with the Sporty and the Goldwing.
"Our test unit posted extraordinary 600 stopping distances, shattering our previous experiences with H-Ds ABS, recording a best stop of just over 114' and the majority under 120'."
Also, the CB1000R, the Monster, and the Street Triple aren't sportbikes. The Monster 796 is actually the bottom rung of the Monster class with cheaper brakes than the bigger ones. The only sportbike actually listed is also a base model than uses cheaper components than it's SuperSport siblings. So, even though you keep trying to say that the Switchback has better stopping distances than "many sportbikes", the numbers you give don't show that.
And one last point, proper media testing of a motorcycle does not include numbers based upon being "unfamiliar" with a motorcycle. Doing so would create very inconsistent numbers and would not give the consumer accurate information. Instead, all performance numbers come after the rider is completely familiar with the bike. Where you might read about the "getting familiar" with a particular bike would be in the subjective part of the test, where the writer talks about how the motorcycle "feels".
Like any other internet expert, I have an uninformed, hearsay tested, alcohol based response that is the key to understanding solo vs dual front brakes.
Run your bike up to 60 MPH and emergency brake. If you stop in 125 ft you are an expert and do not need duals. Average is between 124 and 140. Strangely enough, different bikes are all over the place with the street about the worse at over 150 ft. Harleys are similar to BMWs and Metrics cruisers/touring whether single or dual. Duals are important for heavy bikes to prevent fade, especially when running down hill hitting the curves hard and fast, such as SR 3/129 out of Enterprise for a stop at Boggan's Oasis.
For comparison, most performance cars are just under 100 ft and most pickups worse than a Harley. Most cars about the same as a good motorcycle.
You hit on a very important point. Dual brakes up front means that each side only has to do half the work, leading to less heat build up, less brake fade, better "feel", and increased longevity of parts.
It is also important to remember that "stopping distance" is only part of what entails a great braking system. The other things listed above are other parts of it.
As I have said, the only people who will tell you not to improve your braking system are those people who have never ridden a bike with a really great braking system.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
)
