Okay, after reading the slow speed maneuvering thread responses, I thought I'd start a braking thread. I'm sure it is not the first, but here goes anyway. When I first started to ride motorcycles, I had no education...No MSF, just people I knew who rode which slowly grew as time went on. I used to used the rear brake a lot more than the front, until one cold night I slammed it on and skidded. I didn't go down luckily, I just ended up in a nonexistent lane in the middle of the road catching my breath and thinking I should probably drive a bit slower. This is how I have learned all of my motorcycling technique.

Soon after this happened I met a guy who had 3 or 4 bikes and had been riding for a long time. He informed me that I should use the front brake more than the rear. So I slowly began to implement this into my riding style. As the bikes I rode got better, the brakes did too, and on my last 5 or 6 bikes all I needed was the front brakes. A tug too strong would send me over the bars I found out. This was all fine and well, until I got my Harley. back to single disc brakes in front(at least on my Fatboy). So I picked up a used one that had PM calipers as I know how important brakes are on a motorcycle, and felt intimidated just looking at any single disc brake on the front. Mind you I hadn't ridden a bike in a couple of years,and I was just trying to get used to this L.A. traffc along with a 700 lb motorcycle.

Anyway, I usually brake on my Fatboy with mostly front, and a little rear when necessary. I use more rear when splitting lanes for balance purposes, and to scrub of extra speed when going rather fast. If I am jsut cruising in a single lane slowly, I will use only the front to slow or stop when possible. When doing slow speed manuevering, I use mostly rear, but I do use the front as well. It is possible to use front brake wehn going slow and say parking. Not when doing figure 8's, at least I don't think/ I haven't done a figure 8 n a long time. I guess it is time to start practicing again. I'm not sure I said all or even any of what I planned to, but I hope you understand. Enjoy.

 

POST *****!

 

And proud of it...

 

I use only the front brake when up to speed. The rear brake is used in parkinglots (slow speed manouvering) and in emergency situations. You have to be careful with the rear brake though. A lock-up is never good...

 

Mostly front with a bit of back. I downshift to slowdown when I can.

 

i like to use a bit of both in most braking situations, favoring the front when coming to a stop.

my rear pedal is in kind of an awkward position for me atm tho. i can't get to the pedal w/o lifting my foot off the peg and it's difficult to brake and use the peg at the same time. i end up 'standing' on the brake pedal if that makes any sense..

still tweaking the riding geometry on the new bike but i'll get it worked out.

 

I use both. Maybe a little more front than back in most cases.

 

I use more front brake than rear until my speed drops to about 10-15 mph then mostly rear brake.

 

All front brake riding solo, it's nice having dual discs up front. I rarely use the rear when riding solo, good or bad, that's the habit I've gotten into. I'll transition from front to adding rear as I stop. Parking lots, rear only. Riding two-up I'll use them together.

 

Since we are talking brakes----I have been wondering why HD puts such powerful brakes on the rear. You can lock the rear wheel with very little effort. (Talking about cruisers, I don't know much about baggers.)

If you look a sport bikes, BMW's, Triumph's etc., they all have big twin disks on the front and a smaller single disk on the rear.

I know you don't ride them as fast but Harley's are heavy and would seem to warrant more powerful brakes than provided.