Rear brake question

GrinningGSer

Infamous old git
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Messages
4,285
Reaction score
88
Location
SW
I've been a front (linked) brake-only rider for a very long time and just discovered that pressing my rear pedal MASSIVELY increases braking on my LC GSA.So much so that I rather like it. Why? Shouldn't happen in a linked system? I'm wondering if I have a problem and I certainly had a fluid problem a year ago when the rear reservoir was very very low and was corrected at service. (My first GS was a servo model, so they've all been different )
 
Dont have an LC model, but I believe the linked brakes do not apply an equal force to both wheels, I think its around 60% to the front 40% to the rear, therefore when you operate your rear brake at the same time you increase the braking force beyond the 40% and hence increase your stopping power, I'm sure that's all explained in the manual, it is for my bike.
 
you dont have a problem,the linked part only partialy applies rear brake,when you use the foot brake you can apply full rear brake
 
The more front brake you apply the more the load shifts onto that front contact patch and the less stopping power the back brake can apply because the rear unloads as the shift occurs - ultimately it would be zero on a bike pulling a stoppie. On the LC, the front lever applies both brakes, but the rear lever acts on the back only. If you get a massive increase in stopping power when you apply the rear, you aren't trying very hard with the front! :)
 
Sea Dog you may be correct, I am not a hard braker and indeed there is a massive effect when I use the rear brake, more than I would expect, considering that the rear wheel contributes little in an emergency situation.
 
It all depends what bike you had at the time, Italian bikes, in my experience have horrendous bake brakes. My last bike was a Multistrada which had linked brakes in 3 modes and split brakes in sport mode, it didn't make any difference it was rubbish. As for the MV (none linked) I have no idea how that got through the MOT there was a hill outside my house and I could stand on the brake and it still would not slow me down.
 
I've been a front (linked) brake-only rider for a very long time ...


Urban stuff?? Junctions? Filtering? Do you never use your rear brake ... even in the slow stuff?!

I always brake with both brakes (whatever the scenario / situation) and couldn't imagine not using my back brake for walking pace control at junctions etc ...

:thumb2
 
I'm simply becoming lazy, crars are all automatic everything (why wouldn't they be ? )... soon I'll be asking about the clutch:beerjug:
(I love the way modern gearboxes blip the throttle on downshifts )
I don't have distance control yet, but it's only a matter of time.....
 
I think the brakes are only linked in as far as there's a computer driving ABS pumps to do stuff. I can feel the system doing stuff with the rear brake, particularly just before coming to rest when I might have my foot just lightly on the pedal (which has got a stupid amount of travel at the moment).
 
Urban stuff?? Junctions? Filtering? Do you never use your rear brake ... even in the slow stuff?!

I always brake with both brakes (whatever the scenario / situation) and couldn't imagine not using my back brake for walking pace control at junctions etc ...

:thumb2

Yep, how would you get round a tight mini roundabout in the rain without dragging the back brake ?
 
I'm simply becoming lazy, crars are all automatic everything (why wouldn't they be ? )... soon I'll be asking about the clutch:beerjug:
(I love the way modern gearboxes blip the throttle on downshifts )
I don't have distance control yet, but it's only a matter of time.....

Yes you're not wrong with modern tech. My next car will almost definitely be an auto and my KTM self blips on down shifts .. I've dropped that manual blip myself (Engineer will be pulling his hair out) as it's now completely redundant. (Although in the right circumstances I still do that keep the gas set, slow clutch in, take a gear, slow clutch out, change).

But there are still some foundation things that should be set in stone, like using both brakes ... :D

:beerjug:
 
I think the brakes are only linked in as far as there's a computer driving ABS pumps to do stuff. I can feel the system doing stuff with the rear brake, particularly just before coming to rest when I might have my foot just lightly on the pedal (which has got a stupid amount of travel at the moment).

Yes indeed, they feel weird to start with, the back brake pedal seems to be doing it’s own thing under your foot

Nothing like Honda linked brakes, you can’t feel them working
 
I might have my foot just lightly on the pedal (which has got a stupid amount of travel at the moment).
Check your fluid level in the rear reservoir; mine was the same and fluid well down and the fixers never explained why. ( but I didn’t ask cos never use it:) )
 
I have noticed that even if I don't apply the rear brake, using only the front. Then check on the Nav V unit it tell me I have used the rear brake much more than the front. Does anyone know why this is?
 
I can only comment with the hexhead GSA. The linked system works the rear brake very hard. Pad and disc wear are in a whole different universe to the fronts. Back brake is always hot.
If I use more than a light pedal action when hand braking the ABS will kick in. I would say at least 75% of what the the rear brake can deliver is being used every time.
When the speedo sensor went awol, I was really aware of how much more the bike pitches forwards when the back brake is not used.
When linked system is switched off, the back brake runs cool - as it should so the brake is working correctly.
 


Back
Top Bottom