Rear Brake Improvement????

[L.B.S.]

Please remember folks, that right or wrong, agree or disagree, let us all be respectful and not get personal or start with insults and bad manners, k? We are all friends here I hope, and it's not worth hard feelings getting into a slagging match.

 

[OriginalRocket]

Interesting. I know of cruiser rider friends who use the rear brake almost exclusively. I am the exact opposite. I almost never use the rear. 100% front most of the time. I do rest my foot on the rear brake, as a just in case, every time I go to brake. And once a month, I do practice a few emergency stops, you know... checking if the ABS works. (it does!) The NC can stop in an an incredibility short distance at 45 MPH.

I'd like to wear the tires out at the same time. This worked well on my PCX scooter.

 

[2brnut2b]

I do exactly the same thing as you OriginalRocket, almost 100% front brake. I tested the brakes c-abs a bit on mine and I liked the fact that the front of the bike does not dive and the front brakes are still very active. I'm going to test more in the spring.

 

[Mike Cash]

What it boils down to here is you don't agree with the way I ride, and you are entitled to your opinion. But for the 9 years I have been riding motorcycles, I've yet to be involved in an accident and have not laid either of my bike's down.

If you are relying 90% on that front brake, chances are you will become part of that Hurt statistic of those who over brake in the front causing them to dump their motorcycle.

You are entitled to ride however you like and brake however you like and hold whatever opinions you like. But the fact of the matter is that the front brake provides the bulk of the braking power and a decision to not use it is akin to deciding to go into a fight with one hand tied behind your back. Physics trumps opinions.

The length of time anyone has been performing any given task is no direct and reliable indicator of how well they perform the task, by the way.

 

[maxwellian]

Also, neo, the 90/10 figure refers not to use, but power in stopping the bike. With a skilled rider or ABS, using both brakes to their limit, the front will provide 90% of the stopping power after the first fraction of a second. Using rear only, your stopping distance will be several times longer, using front only, it will be largely unchanged.

I believe HURT, and other studies have shown that the most common braking error is over-application of the rear brake. If you are in the habit of using the rear only, and simply press it harder in an emergency stop, you will skid the rear, likely leading to either a lowside or highside.

 

[Mojave]

n30r3l0ad3d, I was off base on the "suggestions" part. I should have said your opinions on this braking subject are cockamainie - as in, obviously wrong and if followed likely would lead to disaster. The fact you haven't experienced disaster yet suggests to me that 1) you are lucky 2) you are lucky

But hey, it's not that bad here. I got blackballed off of the Chain Gang about 6 years ago for bringing up a hypothetical question on the apparently forbidden subject of "since in my 40 years of motorcycling the axle nuts on the zillion different bikes I've owned have never moved and loaded the cotter pin, do we really need to safety our axle nuts?" Got called a lot worse than ****... and it wasn't even an opinion.


back to the rear brake - is it the pads fault or is the brake somehow designed incorrectly? Because the rear brake doesn't seem to be a common complaint I'm thinking it's not design.

I have a set of EBC organic pads arriving Friday and I'll see how they are on Sat.

 

[n30r3l0ad3d]

It is what it is. I misspoke about the braking power being all in the rear, I admit it. Most of your braking power comes from the front. I do use my front brake, just no where near as often or as much as others do. EBC Kevlar shoes is what I have in my CB750K.

 

[Mr_Krabs]

I'd like to add that in the MSF advanced course the instructors will tell you specifically to do all your maneuvers with your front brake only. They're trying to get riders to break their bad breaking habits.

It seems in particular cruiser riders are particularly prone to using primarily rear brakes. Also people whose first bikes were dirt bikes tend to use rear brake exclusively. When you're on road the front brake is the safe brake. A little front end dive may feel like you're lifting the rear end and feel like the bike will throw you but in reality when you lift the rear and do a brakie you know it.

 

[duk2n]

OMG! Some days you have to read some statements... Someone needs some serious riding leasons

 

[Fuzzy]

I'd like to add that in the MSF advanced course the instructors will tell you specifically to do all your maneuvers with your front brake only. They're trying to get riders to break their bad breaking habits.

At my MSF class we were taught to use both. Start hard on rear / light on front and as weight shifts increase front braking and let off on rear.

 

[2wheels4fun]

Fyi, NC700X back brake pad is smaller than front. My ninja 250r was the same on front and back.

 

[jonnybegood]

My problem with the rear brake on my nc700x is the hard pedal and lack of any kind of pedal feel. If I had the time I would be interested to know what other Honda motorcycles use the same rear master cylinder and caliper. My wild guess is that Honda had some old rear master cylinders that they decided to use up on the nc700x. Maybe a pad change will help, but I think the lack of feel in the rear brake is what most are complaining about.

 

[SergeantChuck]

I like it just how it is and it's my opinion it requires just the right amount of pressure to engage the brake. Obviously we don't all feel the same way.

 

[Mojave]

See, that's interesting. I don't have a lack of feel, I have nothing - I'm practically standing on it to get any action. jonnybegood apparently has power but not enough feel and says that's most of the complaints. SargeantChuck? "Just right".

I know the pad thing is low probability but it's relatively cheap to try.

 

[jonnybegood]

Hi Mojave, I " feel" your rear brake complaint. I have 3000 miles on my bike and have cleaned my rear brake rotor ( a suggestion from my dealer) with brake clean at least 1/2 dozen times. Its much better power wise than when new. Maybe my feel problem is that I'm hitting the bottom of the rear master cylinder travel on a regular basis. That is why I question whether this master cylinder is the right match for caliper and pads on the rear.
This is still the worse rear brake of any bike I have owned. Its just plain crazy to say a Harley has a better rear brake than a Honda. I have not ridden an abs nc700 but it may have a better rear brake because not so many complaints on it. On a positive side you may never wear out the rear pads.

 

[Mojave]

Well jbg, I have my EBC FA pads and I'll try them tomorrow. The rotor is very normal looking for a brake rotor, can't think there is anything on it unless it's bleeding out from the pads. Which is could be, I suppose. I have some brake cleaner and I'll scrub the rotor before the trial.

 

[Mike Cash]

Maybe a good dusting with a rosin bag......

(No, of course I'm not serious).

 

[Mojave]

Well, I couldn't wait so I took it out last night. That didn't go well. I had a really hard time fitting the caliper with the new pads. These are suppose to fit - FA 174. Anyway, I got it on but there was some drag just turning the wheel by hand. A five mile test ride with many applications of the brake - it actually started to work!. Back in the garage and on the lift it was still dragging - not good. So, the pads didn't end up in the proper position and wore kind of badly. the Nissin pads do not cause a problem and those are back on. The rotor got a little discolored yellow, hmmmm. I can't think it heated enough to oxidize! Overlaying the pads with the nissin it looks like they should work.

Mike, rock climbing is my main hobby. gym chalk is commonly accepted as a climbing aid and most climbers use it for their hands. Sometimes a climber gets the idea to used powered rosin, which kind of glues skin to rock. Sounds great but it's not good for those that come after. Down in San Diego there is a bouldering area called Santee Boulders. In the late 70's some French climbers came through and rosined the holds on several popular routes. It took years for that stuff to disappear.

 

[Hot Wing]

Please do not over look the time honored tradition of replacing the rubber brake hoses with braided steel lines. This change is regarded as a way to add feel and power to your braking.

 

[showkey]

Please do not over look the time honored tradition of replacing the rubber brake hoses with braided steel lines. This change is regarded as a way to add feel and power to your braking.

On a 25 year old bike maybe..............on a new bike I not sure one could ID the bike with braided lines in a blind test.

PS. I would pay money to see a blind braking test