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Rear brake pitifully weak

9K views 42 replies 18 participants last post by  r100 
#1 ·
I thought maybe I just needed to wait until the pads were bedded in, but my rear brake has been pathetically weak since day one, and hasn't improved. I have to mash down on it very hard to get it to have much affect, and it is not possible to lock it up. Not that I want to, but I should be able to. What do others feel about the strength of the rear brake?
 
#3 ·
I like a weak rear brake personally.
It's easy enough as it is to lock up the rear wheel on the 250 (non ABS) on a slick road.

I generally use my rear brake for two reasons.
To stabilize the rear end when I need to stop fast & hard.
To keep the bike from rolling when I'm stopped on a hill.

Other than that it's the front brake that I use.
 
#5 ·
I generally use the front brake only, most of the time. However, one should also become accustomed to utilizing what is available in the rear. It can be beneficial in some conditions. I'd prefer to steer the responses away from simply voting for who uses the rear versus front brakes, and more toward the actual strength and feel of the rear brake. Thanks for the replies.
 
#6 ·
To clarify:
I feel the strength of my rear brake is adequate & ideally suited for my bike's weight.

Without being able to ride yours, or you ride mine there's no way to compare & see if it's a mechanical issue with yours or a preference issue.

If you really think yours is abnormally weak you can try bleeding it to see if air was caught in the line. It' the simplest place to start.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Mine is weak too. I think it is like that. It feels like it is suppose to be weak. Does it work, yes. It will slow you down. But most if not everyone agrees that the front brake is the one not suppose to be weak. The front brake is the dominant brake. I use both front and rear. The only time I use the rear alone is when I am already stopped just so i can free up my right hand.

I also use the rear only when I use my right hand to "blip" on a downshift. The reason why I do that is because I don't have that two finger brake while blipping technique down yet. So I have to use my right hand on the throttle.
 
#9 ·
It's not pityfully weak. 70% of your braking comes from the front brake. The rest from the rear. Rear braking alone is more for slow maneuvering. Depending on the rear brake for the bulk of braking capacity is a mistake.
 
#10 ·
'Weak' rear brake = good.

Its only there for 1% of braking duties, if its strong enough to settle the bike over bumps or keep the rear end following the front it works.
 
#11 ·
:confused::confused::confused::confused:

brakes are the most important thing about a motorcycle....tied with tires ;) both front and rear brakes should be working 100% , all the time.

"emergency braking" requires both brakes and ..... ahh **** it ... mushy brakes are good for you bro !


.....j/k get them brakes fixed..sound like air in the lines.

can't wait for some steel lines , new pads & some good brake fluid :)
 
#13 ·
i love the rear brake is sufficient and i can make full stops with it and is highly controllable. also i love when i enter a turn way too fast i can use the rear brake slightly to control my curve and apex speed. Using the front other then straight line is dangerous
 
#15 ·
You're on Sniper! haha, Let me rephrase my previous comment...

'You wont even use the rear on a (cbr too pity on a) smooth race track.'

Stacey or Valentino might, be we wont.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Too pity... That's funny. I might have to steal that.

I get what you're saying. Considering the incredible speeds the "too pity" is capable of, on a track the rear brake is more for show.

On a liter bike.. hell yes you want to use the rear brake. On the little Honda, it probably doesn't make much of a difference.
There's a little itty bitty tiny bit of difference between shedding speed from 80-90 mph and shedding speed from 150-160 mph for a 40-50 mph corner :)
 
#18 ·
^ guess so :rolleyes:
but i personally need that back brake for reasons that make me a reckless bad-guy.

depend on that brake not only to stop the bike from looping but sometime use it to brake hard with both wheels on the ground :)

...just the way i ride personally ... but i guess this make you a bad person around here :confused::(
 
#19 ·
...just the way i ride personally ...
Ahhh. I think you've nailed it. Everyone has different technique. Different preference. What works for one does not work for another.

This is what makes it impossible to help the OP without having another bike on hand to compare it to. What is weak for him might be perceived as strong by another.
 
#20 ·
I think mine locks up too well when it comes to an emergency stop... even with the almost 200lbs of me. I kicked the bike pretty sideways avoiding a car that pulled into my lane. Brought me back to the days of sliding to a stop on BMX bikes lmao.
 
#22 ·
mine locks up way too easy..in several panic situations so far I have locked the rear up (mash hard with right foot syndrome) i guess from a lifetime of driving cars....anyone know how to adjust it...I wish mine was much softer than it is...much much more so

when it starts screeching and the back starts sliding its own way a little bit..it takes all the focus away from me applying the front the way i should...in essence it ends up taking me much longer to stop than if it didnt lock up at all
 
#26 ·
This bike was also my first ABS equipped bike. When I took it out for a test drive and hit the foot brake the first time it seemed weird how the front end dipped, then I did it again, hard, and loved how the bike just sank into the road, with the added bonus of not locking up the back wheel. By the third time I was hooked.
Since then, a couple of times it has saved my butt when I had to use both front and back brakes - I am sure that my reflexes just wouldn't have been fast enough to adjust the pressure on the foot brake to keep it from locking up.
 
#27 ·
Yes, I like how when you do lightly brush the rear it sets the front up for the 'bury' of the lever and the bike is stable.
Its a very subtle pressure of just one of the 3 pistons in the front working.
Those without it are missing out and I read so much on here about how how abs will kill you and is no good... thats all BS (and sour grapes I think), abs Is great.
 
#40 ·
@ lil wayne oldman-
is just a joke :D
all i was saying is if the car in front of you is going the same speed , tuck and stay in the middle so you waste less fuel :( not tailgate a bumper :confused:
the queen doesn't let you guys have jokes anymore . i saw V for vendetta :D
don't tell me is getting like that over there too :eek:

i like your lil wayne raps , did the queen freestyle that for you , or did you make that one up all by yourself :)
(my uncle move to UK when he was young and was in the military over there back in the Nam , he would probably mess me up if he knew i was talking about his all mighty queen):(:D:D

but i know what you mean Big Wayne .....
 
#42 ·
@ lil wayne oldman-
is just a joke :D
all i was saying is if the car in front of you is going the same speed , tuck and stay in the middle so you waste less fuel :( not tailgate a bumper :confused:
the queen doesn't let you guys have jokes anymore . i saw V for vendetta :D
don't tell me is getting like that over there too :eek:

i like your lil wayne raps , did the queen freestyle that for you , or did you make that one up all by yourself :)
(my uncle move to UK when he was young and was in the military over there back in the Nam , he would probably mess me up if he knew i was talking about his all mighty queen):(:D:D

but i know what you mean Big Wayne .....
Motorcycle Trick Fail - YouTube
No worries, just a bit of banter. It's my British sense of humour. I give as good as I get. ;)
BTW, my friends call me Whingy. :D
 
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