I down shift a lot, too. When I do brake, I start with rear and when I feel it grab a little, I use just enough front to even it out. Of course, this all happens in less than a second. Be prepared and try to stay out of emergency situations. If you form good braking habits, they will kick in automatically when you need them!

 

You also have to practice panic stops, because the adrenaline shot can take over and cause you to grab too hard.

Of course it's a good idea to watch as far ahead as possible and assume that every car is out to get you, and that there's one waiting behind every blind spot. Also, if there's an oncoming car , preparing to turn left, assume that he or she doesn't see you and will turn left in front of you.

I'm sure most of us know someone who's fallen victim to this, and the results are never pretty.

My father taught me to drive a car as though every other car was out to get me, and it translates well to motorcycles, too. I've heard the excuse, "I didn't see him", more than once when I was driving a car, so I know not everyone sees me, regardless of my mode of transportation.

It's much easier to anticipate trouble, slow a bit, and cover the clutch and brakes. Don't squeeze, just be ready to use them if needed. You won't have to let go of the grips, transfer to the levers, then squeeze. You'll already be set up to squeeze. You buy yourself a lot of extra time in case of trouble if you ride this way.

Never just tool along expecting everyone else to obey traffic laws or see you. Your emergency braking skills need to be good, but try and ride in such a way that you're highly unlikely to ever need those skills.

How would you ride if you knew for a fact that the oncoming car ahead was going to turn left in front of you? I bet you would be prepared for it and you wouldn't ever have to go into panic-stop mode. Think about it.

Also, when riding with others, keep the guy who uses rear brakes only out front, so he doesn't plow into you from behind. It takes forever to stop a bike using rear brakes only, I don't care how good you are on the rear brake.

In an emergency, you won't rise to the occasion, you'll sink to the level of your training. If you constantly ride using rear brakes only, you will stand on the rear brake, because you've ingrained that as your instinctive response. Your everyday riding becomes your training.

 

I use the EBC organic pads. They are easier on the rotors and I don't ride that hard anyway.

 

Wow! I thought I had a lot of miles on my original pads at 34k.
Buddies can't believe my pads are still in use. They're still about 3/16" thick.

 

replace them!! they are more than likely tappered and not grabbing like they should.

 

NEVER!!!

LOL...... no you're right I should just do it as a general maintenance item. Slowly, over time, I'm sure my stopping efficiency has decreased incrementally and they should be changed.