when do you use your rear brake?

[r_ciao]

I have heard that some people don't use their rear brake that much.  When do you?  Always? Rarely? Never? Only in certain circumstances (please elaborate)?

[minnesotamonster]

I learned and grew up riding on dirt bikes, so it's pretty much second nature to stomp on the rear brake whenever I'm braking.  I almost always use both brakes when braking and sometimes only my rear. I hardly ever only use my front to brake.

Different strokes for different folks tho...

[arai_speed]

On my R1 I would use the rear brake once in a blue moon.  And that was only to make sure it was working.  On the duck I tend to use it a bit more while commuting/surface streets and never in the canyons. But ALWAYS in conjunction with the front break.

The rear brake is only about 30% of your braking power so it's def a bad habit to ONLY use the rear brake.  I've seen plenty of accidents because people stomped on their rear brake only to lock up the rear wheel and go skidding towards the pavement.

If you are REALLY talented, you can use the rear brake to "back it in" to corners at the track or your local stomping ground.  Keywords are "REALLY talented".

GL!

[misti]

I never use my rear brake on a street bike unless I end up off road, then I use the rear.  I use front brake only for everything.  Sometimes on the street when coming up to a light or stop sign I will use 70% front and 30% rear or a little more if the bike I am on is a cruiser but for the most part, I use 100% front.  I never use rear brake to correct mistakes mid corner or for any aspect of cornering and at the Superbike School we try to get riders to stop relying on the rear brake.  Most often riders use the rear as a crutch to fix poor entry speed or bad lines and this interrupts the ability to have good throttle control and can be really dangerous if the rider locks up the rear tire....

My 2 cents

Misti

[somegirl]

I use my rear brake when:

- Riding in gravel
- Doing an uphill start
- Carrying a passenger
- Doing slow-speed turns

[Spidey]

Almost never.  My rear brake is reserved for stopping on hills or if I go off into the dirt or gravel.  The only exception is that I'll sometimes use some rear brake along with the front when it's really mucky and/or wet out.  I use it to take some of the pressure off the front wheel.  I'm fine if the rear wants to slide, but not ok if the front does.

I think a lot of folks use their rear brakes, particularly when they start riding, because they haven't realized how much stopping power they get from the front.  If you really get on the front brake hard, the rear is gonna come off the ground anyway, so using your rear brake ends up being an exercise in futility.  IMO, it's better to learn to use your front and use it well.  That said, people who come from a dirt bike background tend to use a lot of rear brake.

On the track, really experienced riders use their rear brake to settle the suspension in a turn.  Also, they'll use it as a poor man's traction control to limit wheelspin when exiting on a turn on a high horsepower bike.  I've never been able to figure out how to use it properly on the track (other than when I run off), so I stay away from it.

BTW, when I say get on the front brake "hard", I don't mean to just grab the front brake hard.  You have to get on the front brake, let the pads bite and let the front compress and then you can increase the pressure on the lever.  You need to give the tire a moment to bite before you really get on it.  If you just snatch the front brake, the wheel is going to lock up and you'll go down immediately.  You won't even have time to realize what's happening before you're on the ground.

[duqette]

I use it when I practice my emergency stops, and ... that's about it. I figure an emergency stop is when I'm going to want it.

Oh, and it's handy when stopped on a hill with a passenger.

[killerniceguy]

+1

I use my rear brake when:

- Riding in gravel
- Doing an uphill start
- Carrying a passenger
- Doing slow-speed turns

[sbrguy]

 mostly for parking lot speed maneuvers and turns like that, also stopping on a hill and in that last second when you are just about to stop i use teh rear brake and let off the front brake.   that way the bike won't fall just in case i'm a little off center.  remember i said just before stoppping we are literally talking you are going 1mph or so and then all rear brake gently and no front brake, smooth stop.

[ROBsS4R]

Hmm My rear brake doesnt work right now... So Never I guess.

Actually it's very useful in SF on those big hills 

I used it going down a gravel Hill once but how often am I on a gravel Hill 

Yeah I need to get it fixed

[CairnsDuc]

Quite a bit, I mainly rely on the front brakes as most do. but it's a sore point with most riders, some use it a little but most I talk to never use it.

I don't rely on it, thats why you have those whopping big discs up the front, but I like how it stabilizes the rear of the bike when pushing hard in the mountains and on our shithouse roads up here, and it's very useful when riding in heavy traffic or lane splitting.

Different people use it in different ways.

[tbird245]

I use it a lot, especially for slow maneuvers in city traffic. It's easy to keep your foot hovering over the rear brake and keep your throttle hand free, for, throttling. Of course when I really need to stop I use both brakes. Using the rear brake helps keep the bike more stable than just using the front brake alone.

[Le Piou]

Only for emergency stops.
Or to relax my right hand when stopped on a hill.

I use a lot my engine brake, though.

[corey]

A few weeks ago, on my way up to Mount Davis in PA, i had stopped at a Starbucks on Rte. 30. I ran into a few guys on Harleys, one of which had a Pittsburgh Police tatoo. I asked him if he was a bike cop, and we got to talking. Turns out he was the head motorcycle riding instructor for the entire police force. Anywho, we got to talking about technique and whatnot, and i asked him about how cops are so damn good at those tight radius, slow speed turns. And he showed me a trick, and god dammit does it work.

What they do, is pin their bike at about 2000-2500 rpms (depends on bike...) and then let the clutch out until it grabs pretty good, but not entirely. They they just leave their hands  alone, and control speed ENTIRELY with the rear brake.

Yea it sounds crazy-bad for the rear brake hardware, but give it a try sometime.
It basically TRICKS the bike into gyroscopic stability. Really does work well.
My parking lot technique is much better because of it.

Anywho, thats when i use my rearbrake the most.
But i also use it pretty much everytime im coming to a stop. I was just taught to always use both brakes.

[Duck-Stew]

I only use the rear brake in the following situations:

1) Hold the bike on a hill while waiting for traffic of the light
2) To 'settle' the back-end if going into a corner spirited and the back-end becomes slightly unglued.  Hold throttle and easy the rear brake on and then off.
3) In 'OH SH*T' stopping moments in conjunction with the front
4) when it's wet/sh*tty out and traction isn't optimal
5) to lock-up the rear wheel and cause a skid on purpose
6) when the bike's in gravel/off-road