FJR brakes -- using the foot brake

[Ken45]

When I learned to ride many years ago, most braking was done with the front brakes with the rear only used as a minor add on since the rear would lock up if you used too much pressure and it wouldn't do much braking on it's own.

I've read of some people on other bikes not using the rear brake at all, which of course is bad practice.

I have noticed, however, that the FJR foot brake seems very effective because of the linked brakes and ABS (2011) and I find that I am using it more and more as the normal brake actuator, with the hand brake (front) becoming more of a "yes that too" for hard braking.

Have others made this switch? Am I seeing this wrong?

I must say that the brakes on the FJR seem very effective.

Ken

 

[SouthernCruizer]

I use my front more than my rear. The brakes are very good indeed!

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

Have others made this switch? Am I seeing this wrong?

I must say that the brakes on the FJR seem very effective.

Well Ken be prepared for a flood of personal opinions on this!

My answer to your question is this: I was taught in the MSF course to use both brakes. The front brake accounts for approx. 70% of the breaking power on the bike & the rear 30%. I use the front brakes as the main brake but I also use the back brake as well when coming to stops.

Mountain riding: However in riding steep pitches I change my mindset somewhat with the front/rear brakes. On steep inclines more weight is moved rearward and I use the rear brake much more so. On steep declines weight is shifted to the front wheel and I use the front brake almost exclusively.

So no I'm not switching over to using the rear brake only. You still get more stopping power from the front brake...but I'll always continue to use both brakes in tandem with varying amounts of pressure per each depending on the riding condition and road pitch.

 

[RossKean]

Brakes are good but even with the linked brakes, the front is far more effective. I usually think of back brake as control but front is for stopping. You should still get 80% of your braking from the front. Notable exception is low speed - especially when turning - especially on a shifting surface such as gravel or sand. In these cases, too much front can be an instant dirtnap. ABS is a big help in many situations.

Ross

 

[Harald]

For normal stopping, I suggest using both brakes together. The front brake lever actuates 3 of the 4 pistons on your front calipers and has no effect on rear brakes. The rear brake pedal actuates both rear pistons and 1 of the front pistons. So for max braking, you need to use both brakes to ensure all 4 front pistons are working!

I do like how the front isn't linked to the rear brakes so that you can still do burnouts! :evil:

I do use rear brake only for slow speed riding like doing U turns. For AE riders, it sounds like this is a requirement when doing U turns.

BTW, I tried using aftermarket Carbonne Lorrains pads and they wore out 2.5 times as fast as the OEM pads and also wore out my rotors in the process. I'm sticking to OEM pads because they work just fine.

 

[Burnspot]

I use both brakes, but the front is the primary for me. I'll use the rear brake by itself for slow speed maneuvers. IMHO, I think it's a bad habit to start using the rear brakes as "the normal brake actuator" as you say...the link from rear to front only uses part of the available stopping power the front's have, as Harald points out.

There's much to be said about taking your bike to a controlled/safe area (empty parking lot) and testing the ABS to see just how it feels when in operation.

 

[networkguy]

I use the rear brake for 80% of my stops and slows. Only time I use the front is if I need to stop quickly, or if I want to brake into a corner and get the nose down.

 

[Ken45]

Yes, I understand that the front wheel gives most of the max braking and we certainly want to be using it most the time. But since the rear pedal gives front and back brakes, I'm finding myself sometimes using the foot pedal as the first brake rather than the second "only as needed" and the front being the "as needed". Not saying that I don't use both, but it has become more of the "this is where I start" unlike on the CB-750 where the foot brake is only after the front is applied.

Even using both brakes on the CB-750, the foot brake must be lightly used or the rear wheel will break free.

Only on lightly slowing do I use only one brake. When coming to a stop, or in hard braking I use both, but what I'm bringing up is that with the FJR the foot brake seems to be the better balanced of the two since it does an excellent job of using both wheels.

BTW, the Goldwing has both the hand brake and the pedal linked to both wheels but I don't think the 'Wing brakes are as effective as the FJR. In fact, on my GW trike, the pedal locks up the front wheel and never the rear.

Ken

 

[Bigbeavk]

I ride almost exclusively with mama on the back so using the rear especially in hard braking keeps her from sliding forward and pushing me into the tank. Slow moving around parking lots and such my go to brake would be the rear brake as well. All in moderation as they say.

 

[Smooth14u2]

Have others made this switch? Am I seeing this wrong?

I must say that the brakes on the FJR seem very effective.

Well Ken be prepared for a flood of personal opinions on this!

My answer to your question is this: I was taught in the MSF course to use both brakes. The front brake accounts for approx. 70% of the breaking power on the bike & the rear 30%. I use the front brakes as the main brake but I also use the back brake as well when coming to stops.

Mountain riding: However in riding steep pitches I change my mindset somewhat with the front/rear brakes. On steep inclines more weight is moved rearward and I use the rear brake much more so. On steep declines weight is shifted to the front wheel and I use the front brake almost exclusively.

So no I'm not switching over to using the rear brake only. You still get more stopping power from the front brake...but I'll always continue to use both brakes in tandem with varying amounts of pressure per each depending on the riding condition and road pitch.

Same here. I start with the front and use the rear. MSF showed me the stopping power of both brakes and how to not lock up the wheel - shorter stopping distance.

For normal stopping, I suggest using both brakes together. The front brake lever actuates 3 of the 4 pistons on your front calipers and has no effect on rear brakes. The rear brake pedal actuates both rear pistons and 1 of the front pistons. So for max braking, you need to use both brakes to ensure all 4 front pistons are working!

I do like how the front isn't linked to the rear brakes so that you can still do burnouts! :evil:

I do use rear brake only for slow speed riding like doing U turns. For AE riders, it sounds like this is a requirement when doing U turns.

BTW, I tried using aftermarket Carbonne Lorrains pads and they wore out 2.5 times as fast as the OEM pads and also wore out my rotors in the process. I'm sticking to OEM pads because they work just fine.

Gr8 point!

Yes, I understand that the front wheel gives most of the max braking and we certainly want to be using it most the time. But since the rear pedal gives front and back brakes, I'm finding myself sometimes using the foot pedal as the first brake rather than the second "only as needed" and the front being the "as needed". Not saying that I don't use both, but it has become more of the "this is where I start" unlike on the CB-750 where the foot brake is only after the front is applied.

Even using both brakes on the CB-750, the foot brake must be lightly used or the rear wheel will break free.

Only on lightly slowing do I use only one brake. When coming to a stop, or in hard braking I use both, but what I'm bringing up is that with the FJR the foot brake seems to be the better balanced of the two since it does an excellent job of using both wheels.

BTW, the Goldwing has both the hand brake and the pedal linked to both wheels but I don't think the 'Wing brakes are as effective as the FJR. In fact, on my GW trike, the pedal locks up the front wheel and never the rear.

Ken

:dribble:

 

[bramfrank]

Note that the linked brakes only are active once a minimum braking force is applied - before that it is rear only . . . . and then the front force is proportional - and it only actuates one piston up front.

Use the front brakes.

 

[nervous]

Interesting post. I was noticing just the other day that I have altered my braking habits because of the linked system and how much I like it. Yeah, highway speeds, emergency stops etc, it's the standard old school braking reaction but slower speeds and around town I really like the freedom of using either with equal effectiveness depending on speed and condition. Not so complicated for me.

 

[Eric L]

I use both bbrakes except to scrub some speed in a turn. If I am going to brake, I figure I might as well use both so if I suddenly have to break harder, my foot's already there.

 

[SkooterG]

I use the rear brake for 80% of my stops and slows. Only time I use the front is if I need to stop quickly, or if I want to brake into a corner and get the nose down.

BAD technique.

 

[SouthernCruizer]

the footbrake pedal operates the rear brake and the lower two pistons on the right-side front calliper while the handlebar lever is responsible for the upper two pistons on the right and all four on the left.

 

[networkguy]

I use the rear brake for 80% of my stops and slows. Only time I use the front is if I need to stop quickly, or if I want to brake into a corner and get the nose down.

BAD technique.

edit: Lemme explain. Most of the time, I can anticipate my stop, and downshift well ahead of time and come to a nice slow stop. If Im in a situation where I need to make a quick or sudden stop, its the proper "staged" brake using mostly the front brake. But I honestly dont have too many instances like that. I typically also use my my rear brake only because when I come to a stop I usually dont put both feet down, just my left and keep my right on the brake.

 

[winewhisperer]

I use the rear brake for 80% of my stops and slows. Only time I use the front is if I need to stop quickly, or if I want to brake into a corner and get the nose down.

BAD technique.

edit: Lemme explain. Most of the time, I can anticipate my stop, and downshift well ahead of time and come to a nice slow stop. If Im in a situation where I need to make a quick or sudden stop, its the proper "staged" brake using mostly the front brake. But I honestly dont have too many instances like that. I typically also use my my rear brake only because when I come to a stop I usually dont put both feet down, just my left and keep my right on the brake.

I must say that I use a combination of front and rear brakes in most stopping senarios, because this is simply good practice for those rare cases when a panic stop is required and your brain is already hardwired to the proper technique for full-on braking. Plus, always put both feet on the ground when coming to a complete stop, for one tiny slip on that one foot will have you on the ground before you can say O- Sh--!

 

[radiummadman]

I use the rear brake for 80% of my stops and slows. Only time I use the front is if I need to stop quickly, or if I want to brake into a corner and get the nose down.

BAD technique.

edit: Lemme explain. Most of the time, I can anticipate my stop, and downshift well ahead of time and come to a nice slow stop. If Im in a situation where I need to make a quick or sudden stop, its the proper "staged" brake using mostly the front brake. But I honestly dont have too many instances like that. I typically also use my my rear brake only because when I come to a stop I usually dont put both feet down, just my left and keep my right on the brake.

I must say that I use a combination of front and rear brakes in most stopping senarios, because this is simply good practice for those rare cases when a panic stop is required and your brain is already hardwired to the proper technique for full-on braking. Plus, always put both feet on the ground when coming to a complete stop, for one tiny slip on that one foot will have you on the ground before you can say O- Sh--!

I agree on the "good practice" for panic stops. Running by the river last week at about 7:30 AM exiting a sweeper at 85-90 mph and OMFG a mule deer.

Slowed quick & even looked from where the deer came from to see if there were any more coming, would be a bitch to miss first one & hit the trailer.

What I learned was you do in a panic what you do the 99% of time when there is no panic and that zebra striped blue/grey panties hide caca stains

in an acceptable manner. Many peverts, I mean posters, on this forum probably agree.

 

[64Y80]

The front is still my main stopper. To me it is the easiest to modulate (has the most feel) to control the rate of deceleration.