Rear Brake.

[Goat_Herder]

Round and round we go...   Where it stops no one knows...

[scduc]

Are you 2 hooked, cuz it sure sounds like it.  MSTEK-- You really owe it to yourself to at least try to find some halfway decent boot. There are many out there. You may also adjust your position of the lever. When riding with shoe's (god forbid) you may want to raise the lever. Play around with all of the adjustments you can. then decide if you need to spend money on pads or such.

[LA]

Rear brakes are only for sitting at stop lights. 
Tenny pumps are fine.
Ducatis are perfect as delivered and don't need any modding at all.

LA

[MsTek]

Nothing is going round and round, as soon as I saw "law-student" and "cranky" that person went on ignore... posts to be skipped over.

Thank you for the suggestions on the brake. I do happen to use my rear brake and my front brake, and sometimes both, depending on the situation.  That is how I was taught both personally and reminded of in the safety course where I guess I wasn't really there because I was wearing a leather soled fashion boot just to have a "boot" on.

I'll direct my questions elsewhere for now on.  Take care.

[He Man]

TTIUWOP = This thread is useless without pictures.

Wheres the embarassing photo of 14 years ago when you wore pumps and skirts on a bike. Do realize, it will be legit reason to haze on you for posting hte pic. But dont bring up something and not expect the grillin.

For the record, every rider has their own personal preference of what 1st line safety gear is. And when you go down, you'll realize what youre limits are. Sad to say, but some people dont learn until after they get hurt. and then someone dont learn period.

Even though I went down and burn the snotmuscles out of my ankle, If im strolling around the block to make sure the bike is working properly, or going over someones house nearby, ill still wear my adidas, i guess it depends on your environment and comfort factor. If im riding to school, its helmet jacket jeans and regular boots, if im riding up to the twistys its 1 piece suit with boots & gloves.

Some people feel strongly about ATGATT, some people preach it but dont follow it, others just dont care. My best advice to you is use your best judgement on a motorcycle, its youre body, but remember that your life is important to others as well as yourself. Excersie caution at all times. If you are on a rough surface, or know you will be, then slow down, if its raining, be extra careful, people might not see you. etc.

And i really need to bleed that damn rear brake now, its pissing me off that i dont have one, when you use it all the time and go to not having one, youll realize how much more effective braking is withone then without.

[MsTek]

1.  I NEVER wore pumps.  20 hole doc martins...  They look NOTHING like a pump.
2.  I think the best advice is to tell someone what safety gear is and either they wear it or they don't.  They just don't get to cry if they get hurt.  I don't see me crying about shit. I see me asking a question (which I WILL NOT DO on this board anymore.)
3.  I think rear brakes are important. I've see two accidents at speed where someone jammed on that front brake and went over.  Proper breaking is understanding when and how to use both brakes.  But see, that's just me... if you don't wanna , you don't have to.
4.  Gear is also how you feel.  If you're wearing shoes where you cannot feel where N is, or don't feel right, that is just as dangerous (considering that some of your most important controls are done with your feet!). 
5.   Grilled for something I did 14 years ago?  I also ate poorly and partied too much.  If I had to choose? I'd say the 20 hole doc martins were a better choice than the Adidas that I wear now.  But you know what?  My other option WOULD be  thigh high leather boots with a leather sole and a five inch heel that I wear for fun when I go out on occasion- which would be ridiculous on the bike and would mean I deserve to get hit. 

All I'm saying is that I would hope we're all adults here, free to make our own choices for whatever reasons and would be respected for that instead of lectured or spoken to condescendingly.  As of now, I am totally turned off asking questions.  I'll read, I'll comment, but as I said, I can take questions somewhere else.

[He Man]

lighten up. 

Some people just really dont get why others wear anything but everything. Its a big issue in the community and there are just people who preach ATGATT (All the gear all the time) and swear by it, just so happens that you met one of them.

Dont get mad at one persons attitude!

[supakpow2]

I see me asking a question (which I WILL NOT DO on this board anymore.)

4.  Gear is also how you feel.  If you're wearing shoes where you cannot feel where N is, or don't feel right, that is just as dangerous (considering that some of your most important controls are done with your feet!). 

5.   Grilled for something I did 14 years ago?  I

All I'm saying is that I would hope we're all adults here, free to make our own choices for whatever reasons and would be respected for that instead of lectured or spoken to condescendingly.  As of now, I am totally turned off asking questions.  I'll read, I'll comment, but as I said, I can take questions somewhere else.

+1 on the lighten up. 
Many on this board don't get the time and attention that you have as a new member. You have been well treated and shown respect. no one is talking down to you. 5 pages about your exhaust and 3 about your belt covers. All good stuff, no reason for complaints or to get cranky yourself. We have all been grilled about many things on this board but also get much love from each other.  You are simply being treated like one of the guys now. That's good, it means people like you here. It also takes two to dance. (seems a lot of guys here would like to dance with you too.)

 So don't stop asking questions. The knowledge here is from a LOT of experience and also given with a LOT of concern. You will rarely find a bunch of people who are as willing to take the time to respond to your questions and, usually, give it with as much class. If they sound like they are talking to you like a little sister, that's all good. nothing like having a bunch of cool guys looking after you.  If you doubt that join one of the squid forums and see what kind of advice you get. some good, most crap and a lot would be sexist and demeaning to you.

ATGATT is important to most here especially because usually it is the squid revolution that goes without and gives all bikers a bad rep. We are not that type of community here and won't compromise that for anything. You can do and say what you like in regard to gear. Most are so adamant about it because we have seen the first hand results without it and don't want that for you.

I ride with boots only now. Why? Because I saw a HD rider with his girl on the back T bone a car turning across the road in front of him as he passed 3 cars in a double yellow. He was moving fast. They had no gear on. Tee shirts and sunglasses. Tennis shoes. The result....she ended up face down DEAD in a pile of lava rock, missing body parts and he was a pile of meat in a pool of blood, also missing body parts. which ones? HIS FEET...... at the ankles. 2 shoes with bloody stumps sticking out of them.

That's why we talk ATGATT.

The overall vibe I get from the advice given is to make the effort to find gear you like, can afford, performs well and looks good. That will go a long way toward getting used to the rear brake.  I personally like to see a girl in a pair of SIDIs or other nice gear.

The rear brake on you Duc is going to be different than any other bike you have ridden. Same goes for every bike you ride. I have an S2R 800 as well. brake is normal but tucked a little and feels like it has a long throw on it (you have to push it farther to get good feel). It's not a super high performance brake setup on the 800. Try some of the mechanical stuff mentioned here then get the gear you want then wear it and you will get used to it in short order. then you will perform well with it.
We are glad you are here and don't want you to stop participating on the forum in any way.
BTW ATO.....lighten up also. 

[junior varsity]

tried to help about the brake, then communication got broken down. best of luck in adjusting the lever so it helps you out.

if you've never bled brakes before, its really not so bad. a few dollars on a speedbleeder and it goes pretty fast. don't let the reservoir run to low or you'll accidentally put air in the line. brakes should be bled at least once a year. fresh hydraulics in the line will give you a really nice, firm feeling lever. for even more firm feeling, replace lines with some nice Spiegler lines. You get to pick the color of the line and the fittings too, so if you are into sprucing up the look any, its a fun way to do so and reap the benefits of a good firmer line. The rear one is only 60 bucks, and you can order directly from Spiegler, it arrives within the week.

ps, cheap shot with the lawyer dig. take on my status as a mechanical engineer next, won't you?

[He Man]

i just did my rear brake, i highly suggest taking the caliper off to do it, air bubbles get caught easily when the bleeder is below the line. took about 20 mins with a speed bleeder ( i also threw in new pads ferodo platniums). WIthout a speed bleeder it is probably not much slower since hte lever is right there and you can sit down stick a fooot on it and pump while  one hand is grabbing the caliper and shaking it, and the other hand is controlling the spanner. If you cant multi task like that then ask someone to help because trying to bleed the air out with the thing inverted is futile.

[ungeheuer]

Round and round we go...   Where it stops no one knows...

....never ending or beginning, like a wheel within a wheel, like the circles that you find within the windmills of your mind....  um...   

[junior varsity]

technique-wise, here's a fun clip of the guys who are really good showing a lack of traction at the rear wheel under very hard braking:

MotoGP action at the A-Style Grand Prix of Japan

Example @ 14 seconds, and again at 0:45 - on a Ducati, too!

Not that any of us should ride like MotoGP on the street, it is a good opportunity to see the weight shift and the rear wheel hop around. I am a fan of both brakes, but think its important to realize that the harder you get on the front brake, which is where most braking work is done, the easier you need to be on the back.

also the youngster trying to watch the bikes go by at 0:37 makes me smile

[He Man]

i didnt know bridgestones made babies.

[kopfjäger]

Rear brake? After 14 yrs of riding you should know how little it is needed.

[junior varsity]

i didnt know bridgestones made babies.

they come stamped from the factory.