why rear brake so weak

[mtiberio]

For an integrated brake, I find the rear to be a bit wooden. I have yet to be able to lock it up and trigger the ABS.

 

[670cc]

I like it for that fact that it doesn't lock easily (I don't have ABS). NC700X brake tests by magazines show very good numbers, so I guess it gets the job done.

Example of wooden brakes:

 

[L.B.S.]

It's extremely difficult for a motorcycle manufacturer to please the whims of all riders, all the time...

*most* riders I'm thinking, aren't super delicate with the rear brake application anyway, and especially in a panic situation, are more prone to stomp on the rear brake versus lightly apply it.

Several contributing factors may be involved here. I think it may play into the fact that the NC has a pretty long wheelbase, is, while not outrageously heavy, a bit chunky nevertheless, and has a very low COG, possibly making weight transfer to the front not such a quick and prominent effect as some other bikes. Add in the linked factor, where the rear pedal is also activating one of the front caliper pistons, and this could deaden the feel, too.



Since it has ABS, IMHO it's much better to have the brake do some work up to the point of lock up and ABS interference, versus an instant lock, and instant ABS activation. This is more of my own liking of how a rear brake feels for my tastes.


I count the rear brake on my NC as amongst the best on any bike I've owned, because the rear brake doesn't lock the tire if I breath wrong, lol.

Since the front and rear are linked, I am at least grateful that the rear brake isn't super touchy or overwhelming when I'm off road in thick gravel, because I notice a wee bit of a handling quirk upon occasion, when it would be a time when I really, really, didn't want to be touching the front brake at all.

The end result though, is I am not a fan of the linking of front and rear brake, personally.

 

[MZ5]

I've chirped the rear when braking hard. I don't have the ABS, obviously. I appreciate the fact that the rear brake takes rather a lot of pedal movement to lock up the wheel. Makes it much easier to modulate.

 

[StratTuner]

I liked LBS's answer and can only add that, the only way to know for sure WHY would be to ask the engineer that specified that rear brake.
His/her consideration may have been:

cost, standardization, stopping power...(?)

My own guess would be cost was the first consideration. The engineer specd. a rear brake common to Honda motorcycles of that size.
The side effect is that it's very hard to lock up the rear brake, and if the NC was aimed at those returning to riding (like me after 30 years), then it's good that the brake behaves that way.

 

[mreric]

how many miles are on you bikes? new brakes are going to seem weaker until the first layer is worn off and have a complete bond with the disc.

be easy on the brakes, brakes need to be bed-in to gain full performance of the pad.

just like in car brake pad. many people dont bed-in their brake pads

google this: bed- in brakes- or break-in brakes

there is a proper way

 

[mtiberio]

1200 miles. Brakes bed in, in less than 100 miles city

 

[Therapy]

how many miles are on you bikes? new brakes are going to seem weaker until the first layer is worn off and have a complete bond with the disc.

be easy on the brakes, brakes need to be bed-in to gain full performance of the pad.

just like in car brake pad. many people dont bed-in their brake pads

google this: bed- in brakes- or break-in brakes

there is a proper way

I haven't made it 3 or 4 hundred miles without having to brake hard as far back as I can remember.
It would be nice to have a track I guess.

 

[Deleted member 1183]

On a bike with linked brakes (and ABS in this instance) I tend to view the brakes, front and back, as an overall component. Viewing them as such, and with the benefit of having other bikes, I believe the NC brakes are very good. One sure sign of this is that I never have to think about them on my rides. I cannot say the same for the brakes on my Triumph Explorer which as an overall component are not as good as the NC despite twin discs on front. They, on the other hand have given me moments of concern.

 

[tew47]

I am glad it is, the last two bikes the rear brakes were the same as the front and would lockup in a heart beat. I can lock the rear if I press real hard. This was I don't have to worry about lock up in a panic stop.

 

[DirtFlier]

Unless you're riding in the dirt and want to induce a rear brake turn, there's no reason to "want" the rear wheel to lock-up.

On the street a lot of cruiser riders who never use the front brake get involved in accidents because they rely 99% on the rear brake and stomping on it causes a lockup and they go down. To justify it, they say "I laid her down to avoid the accident," which is BS because they became the accident.

 

[Deckyon]

I always use a combination of both front and rear break while I am riding and not "panic breaking". I have noticed that using both, the bike sits down while stopping rather than nosing down while using the front break only. For me, the rear break is for sitting at stoplights (yay DCT, can let both hands off bars) and slowing down when engine breaking needs an assist. From my understanding, the rear breaks are meant to augment the front, not for stopping the bike alone. And that is on any bike.

 

[johnakay]

I only use my back brakes to slow down a little.
never had a problem they work just fine.

there ya go I corrected it! I though summet didn't looky right

 

[670cc]

I only use my back breaks to slow down a little.
never had a problem they work just fine.

Back breaks. That sounds like when I need to get off the bike now and then to keep from getting too stiff and sore.

 

[Soarezito]

20.000 km and back brake pads are still new as I only use them in hard braking - here the bike will duck as a whole as someone said above - slow riding between traffic lanes and slow U turns as keeping gentle back brake will help bike falling ibto the turn.

I agree that back brake is for support and not for stopping the bike.

On the front pads I am going halfway in the 3rd set by the way.

 

[SergeantChuck]

We have talked about this before but it was a while ago. I've locked mine up once. A couple years back. It can be done but it isn't done easily and I'm thankful.

 

[mtiberio]

I guess, I like to have the option to lock it up (or trigger the ABS) without having to stomp on it too much. To each his own...

 

[Agent]

I liked LBS's answer and can only add that, the only way to know for sure WHY would be to ask the engineer that specified that rear brake.
His/her consideration may have been:

cost, standardization, stopping power...(?)

When I was researching this bike, one of the common talking points in all the magazines and internet articles was the fact that the front and rear discs were cut out of one piece of material (rear cut out of the center of the front). They said that this was to cut down on production costs. They just had to find a combination of sizes that worked. As 670 said, the braking distance numbers in the tests prove that even the non-ABS version stops very well indeed.

 

[wildeone]

For an integrated brake, I find the rear to be a bit wooden. I have yet to be able to lock it up and trigger the ABS.

I agree, I don 't have linked brakes on my nc750x but still rear brake is too weak, while front one is too good
As I use a lot of trail braking using rear brake as well I found this "weakness" beneficial for safety reasons
but again, rear brake could be less wooden.

 

[Jguarfn28]

When I changed my tires from the Metzgers to the Shinkos I looked closely at my brake pads. The rear were more worn than the front but looked like I could go to the next oil change before changing them. I have been utilizing my Air Brake technology(standing up and coasting), in an attempt to prolong the pads. I've always stopped when I needed to, for the past 16 thousand miles.