How easily does YOUR rear tire lockup
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,076
Likes: 3
From: Brick NJ
hah, lets play nice cuz i am sure he meant it as a constructive form of sorts....
meaning such that, theres a problem with these bikes........what it is i do not know
i'm his friend btw, that went over today on my street glide......
funny thing is, the rear brake only seems to lock up when the temperatures are colder outside.........all last summer i never had this problem
and with what i hear about harley dealership technicians, i am reluctant to take the bike in (do everything myself)
maybe it is the way i am riding,
normally on my softail i can apply SOME rear brake if i think i am entering a turn too hot (40K miles on that bike and i never dropped it) (yes i did lock up the rears once though when a semi pulled out in front of me)
i tried to scrub off some speed today on my street glide and wound up in
somebody's front yard
probably does not help that i am only 160 pounds
i am at a loss, because i love the street glide, but this is bordering on unacceptable
meaning such that, theres a problem with these bikes........what it is i do not know
i'm his friend btw, that went over today on my street glide......
funny thing is, the rear brake only seems to lock up when the temperatures are colder outside.........all last summer i never had this problem
and with what i hear about harley dealership technicians, i am reluctant to take the bike in (do everything myself)
maybe it is the way i am riding,
normally on my softail i can apply SOME rear brake if i think i am entering a turn too hot (40K miles on that bike and i never dropped it) (yes i did lock up the rears once though when a semi pulled out in front of me)
i tried to scrub off some speed today on my street glide and wound up in
somebody's front yard
probably does not help that i am only 160 pounds
i am at a loss, because i love the street glide, but this is bordering on unacceptable
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
Folks here have given some good advice.
In an emergency stopping situation, some ridersrevert back toI call "driving the car". They do on their bike what the do in their car, which is jam on the brake pedal and forget all about the front. Their instincts become more car, than bike. This can lead to rear wheel lock up. So I tell riders they should practice threshold combination braking. The application ofboth brakesright up to the thresholdof imminent lock up. I always use both brakes because the bike has two sets of independant brakes on them. Perhaps the rear only accounts for 20-30% of stopping power, but that's thats 20-30% more than if I didn't use them. And remember, when you apply BOTH brakes, the front, (which has over 70% of the stopping power), will cause the front end to dive andthe forks to compress. And as the front end gets heavier and goes down, the rear gets lighter and comes up. Hence the rear will have a greater propensity to lock up. So you need to be able to modulate your rear pedal to avoid the lock up. Of course the only way to become proficient at this is REGULAR practice. Make practice part of your riding routine. Factor in 10 extra mins before the ride to practice braking and other skils.
And like the others said. If you lock up the rear STAY ON IT AND KEEP IT LOCKED UNTIL YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP.
In an emergency stopping situation, some ridersrevert back toI call "driving the car". They do on their bike what the do in their car, which is jam on the brake pedal and forget all about the front. Their instincts become more car, than bike. This can lead to rear wheel lock up. So I tell riders they should practice threshold combination braking. The application ofboth brakesright up to the thresholdof imminent lock up. I always use both brakes because the bike has two sets of independant brakes on them. Perhaps the rear only accounts for 20-30% of stopping power, but that's thats 20-30% more than if I didn't use them. And remember, when you apply BOTH brakes, the front, (which has over 70% of the stopping power), will cause the front end to dive andthe forks to compress. And as the front end gets heavier and goes down, the rear gets lighter and comes up. Hence the rear will have a greater propensity to lock up. So you need to be able to modulate your rear pedal to avoid the lock up. Of course the only way to become proficient at this is REGULAR practice. Make practice part of your riding routine. Factor in 10 extra mins before the ride to practice braking and other skils.
And like the others said. If you lock up the rear STAY ON IT AND KEEP IT LOCKED UNTIL YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP.
WRONG!!!! This is wrong information! If you become in a rear wheel lockup- do one of two things: Point your toes upward or wiggle your toes, continue to maintain pressure on the front brake lever -applying proper braking technique - you should hear a harmonic sound. If you become in a situation where you have to aggressively stop, apply the front brake and your foot should"cover" the rear brake. The weight transfer of stopping will apply enough pressure on the rear brake for a controlled stop safely. I ride for a living.
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 394
Likes: 8
From: Hollywood
I need to brake my bad habbit of pushing the rears a little two often, I have locked up the rear wheel several times, no incidences so far I have been lucky to sort of use the human ABS and recover , but this sure need to change, and yes they do lock up pretty easy, it's not you , glad you're ok.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 189
Likes: 0
From: Spring Hill FL
Threshold COMBINATION Braking seems to say it all... Great thread.
The consensus seems to say get out of the habbit of ever hitting the rear Brake first. Ive known this since the early 70s but we can never be reminded enough.
The consensus seems to say get out of the habbit of ever hitting the rear Brake first. Ive known this since the early 70s but we can never be reminded enough.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Washington
Sorry guys but after about 40 years of riding I firmly believe in applying the rear brake first and then gradually applying front brake pressure. I have locked up the rear brake on other bikes but it was always done intentionally. I have also gone over the bars by grabbing a handful of front brake without first applying the rear brake to make the bike squat. If you think about it the 70-30 rule is correct and always has been. I don't know about you folks but stoppies on a cruiser are not fun and can lead to becoming a member of the over the bars club. Don't ask me how I know!
Guess I better not tell ya' all my Dad taught me rear brake first...He rode Nortons in WW II.
I was raised on rear brake and in a panic stop if the rear locks up kinda tells me I'm trying to slow down in a real hurry. I'll let off the the rear regain control of the bike with the front and start looking for an escape route.
Of course if you're making more than one panic stop every 25,000 miles or so might want to check out your driving.
Okay let me have it.
I was raised on rear brake and in a panic stop if the rear locks up kinda tells me I'm trying to slow down in a real hurry. I'll let off the the rear regain control of the bike with the front and start looking for an escape route.
Of course if you're making more than one panic stop every 25,000 miles or so might want to check out your driving.
Okay let me have it.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: Tacoma, Washington
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 359
Likes: 1
From: Yorkshire,England
I'm no expert,but I did the Advanced course at H-D Riders Edge where I was shown how to brake safely.The instructor made us practice emergency stops (on closed roads)and it really helped.
First,pass a marker at 40mph and stop with the back brake only without locking up,then he put a cone where the bike stopped.
Second,same thing but using only the front brake, then put a cone down. The distance was shortened by approx 1/3.
Next, same thing but using the front/back brakes and NOT TOUCHING the clutch lever,letting the motor stall. This really took some getting used to as the instinct tells you to pull the clutch lever in but this shortened the overall stopping distance by at least another 1/3. It certainly amazed me, I know it's not the sort of maneuver you're going to need every day but it definately showed me how to utilise the different options. I hav'nt seen the RLAP dvd but it sounds like there's some good advice on there too.
Today is the first reasonably warm/sunny day so far this year here in Nidderdale,Yorkshire so I'm getting the 'Glide out.I'll probably stuff it straight into the back of a bus now.
First,pass a marker at 40mph and stop with the back brake only without locking up,then he put a cone where the bike stopped.
Second,same thing but using only the front brake, then put a cone down. The distance was shortened by approx 1/3.
Next, same thing but using the front/back brakes and NOT TOUCHING the clutch lever,letting the motor stall. This really took some getting used to as the instinct tells you to pull the clutch lever in but this shortened the overall stopping distance by at least another 1/3. It certainly amazed me, I know it's not the sort of maneuver you're going to need every day but it definately showed me how to utilise the different options. I hav'nt seen the RLAP dvd but it sounds like there's some good advice on there too.
Today is the first reasonably warm/sunny day so far this year here in Nidderdale,Yorkshire so I'm getting the 'Glide out.I'll probably stuff it straight into the back of a bus now.