linked brakes do you use the back

[ktmmark]

Its my first bike with linked brakes & never know if to just pull on the front brake or use the back as well per normal bike whats best

 

[Mr K]

I use the back brake pedal when dead-slow around town, coming to a stop to free up my right hand for throttle duty...or for hairpin bends to kind of steady the plot.

 

[JayGee]

Usually just use the lever except for slow speed manouvering when I just use the pedal, or to hold it on a hill etc. Also use the pedal on tight hairpins.

 

[swebb]

I continue to use both front and rear brakes as if they were not linked, partly through habit (like you, this is my first linked brake bike) and also as i consider it a "long term" safety issue to not use both brakes as standard practice, especially considering the fact that you never know when you may end up on an un-linked bike again. I'd rather use both when not needed, than risk using one when both are needed!!

The human body forms habitual routines all the time, and i for one don't think forming habitual routines that could compromise safety is a good idea.

Don't get me wrong, i don't doubt the ability of the linked brakes, i just have concerns regarding getting on bikes later, that don't have the same facility.

just my opinion mind

 

[(RIP) Geriatric Germ]

Got to agree with swebb

Fifty odd year old habits die hard, use both as though no link, but 1150RT rear brake is real savage
As an aside I was Trucking near Wisbech last Wednesday evening around nine pm and a biker had come to grief in a big way wrecking a car going in to Wisbech from March. Any knowledge of outcome? A few hundred yards on at a roundabout, more car carnage, do they all drive like that because of the long straight roads? Morons spring to mind.

 

[Fanum]

A week ago I would have said that I only use the front, and have come to rely on that splitting the power for me- in fact, I would probably have bored everyone again with my tale of how on the way to Land's end last year, I had an emergency situation and i could only use my hand-brake, and the linked system saved our bacon.

This year however, ironically on the way to Land's End again, I had a system failure and lost my linked system, though I still have abs and front servo........so all weekend, and including the fords ride offroad and a very wet and very slippery ride home, I've been re-learning to use both brakes (inclusding rear on residual only) fully, so I'll quote the above post and say it's absolutley spot-on, and please please don't get in the habit I have of only using the front and relying on the system to sort it all out for you.

I continue to use both front and rear brakes as if they were not linked, partly through habit (like you, this is my first linked brake bike) and also as i consider it a "long term" safety issue to not use both brakes as standard practice, especially considering the fact that you never know when you may end up on an un-linked bike again. I'd rather use both when not needed, than risk using one when both are needed!!

 

[Schtum]

I use the front alone when I just want to slow down. Coming to a halt might be assisted by the foot pedal, depending upon circumstances. Tightening a line or even backing it into a high speed corner will be done with a bit, or even quite a bit, of brake pedal. That's all on the GS.

On the VFR which links its brakes in a different way, most of the slowing down will be done with the handlebar lever. Rapid deceleration will be done with both hand and foot and slow speed stuff will be taken care of by the foot pedal in spite of the fact that it introduces a measure of front brake.

SWMBO's Thundercat has conventional unlinked brakes and I'll ride that in a conventional fashion.

 

[John Armstrong]

Tightening a line or even backing it into a high speed corner will be done with a bit, or even quite a bit, of brake pedal. That's all on the GS.

 

[evoBM]

I still use the rear brake for scrubbing off speed appproaching a corner, although I don't know why cos its shite...or at least compared to the rear on my 996 it is. Takes a while to get used to the idea of having to grab the front only but then that is excellent. As the guy said it pays to keep in with convention and practise with both ready, for a day when you might be riding something without linked brakes!

 

[andy1200]

I find the linked brakes are excellent on the open road and hardly ever use the back

At slow speeds, filtering through traffic, etc only the back