Rear brakes and the track

[hchou]

Why are the rear brakes not used on the track?

[druiid]

Because we're not Rossi.

[o4trix]

Originally posted by druiid
Because we're not Rossi.

+1

I've been thinking about the rear brake a lot lately and was going to bring up this topic myself. After further thinking I came to the conclusion that there are about 1,000,000 things I can do to get faster on a motorcycle before I need to start worrying about the rear brake. At the end of the day this stands true: I don't want to highside.

[Jehanzeb]

Originally posted by o4trix
+1

........I don't want to highside.

Almost did!

Took off entire rear brake assembly.

Have never high-sided.........street or track.

Just one less distraction when riding.

However, to each their own.

[Kurt'sSV]

Yeah, to each their own, but like Nick said, there are more important stuff to think about than how to use the rear brake to your advantage. The best application I can think of for the rear brake is to use it mid corner to tighten up your line if you find yourself not being able to make your apex.

Most of the time, after my bike get's teched, I will change my rear wheel before I race and not pump up my rear brake (leaving it useless) because I don't want there to be any chance of the pads dragging on the rotor.

The rear brake just isn't that useful. 90%+ of the bike's stopping power is in the front brakes, so us amateurs don't worry about using the rear.

[stingray]

Why are the rear brakes not used on the track?

depends who's riding. some use it some don't.

[Novadesigns]

The best time to use the rear brake is when you run off track. :)

[hchou]

Can someone explain the science behind using the rear brakes leading to a high side? I don't understand the connection. If I'm going to use my rear brake prior to entering a turn, I don't understand the risk. For example, after a long straight away, wouldn't I be able to brake later if I'm using both my front and rear (thinking beginner MSF)?

[Kurt'sSV]

Originally posted by hchou
Can someone explain the science behind using the rear brakes leading to a high side? I don't understand the connection.
Leading to a high-side would be if you locked the rear wheel and it slid out to your left or right. When you let off of the rear brake, the tire would regain traction, straighten itself out and possibly flick you off. I don't think I've ever seen a high side caused by this, though.

For example, after a long straight away, wouldn't I be able to brake later if I'm using both my front and rear (thinking beginner MSF)?

Technically, yeah, using the rear brake as well will slow you down faster and for a street rider who is new to the track, it may work just fine. But what a lot of street riders don't realize is that the fast guys on the track are braking so much harder when they are coming up to a turn than the street rider is. Now with this really hard braking, the rear wheel is barely on the ground so it would lock up easily if the rear brake is applied.

Basically, the rear brake does so little in the way of slowing you down, that it's not worth using it for that. Some riders (really experienced ones, i.e. Miguel Duhamel) will use the rear brake to help get the rear tire to move around and enable them to back it in. When you're "backing it in" to, say, a right hand turn, you'll swing the rear of the bike out to the left just a bit enabling you to point the bike in the direction you need it to go faster. That is beyond my amateur skill level.

Another time the rear brake can be of use is for steep, down hill turns. If you apply the rear brake as well, it will keep less weight being put on the front tire, helping keep it from being overloaded and washing out. I've tried this a few times for turn 5 at WSIR, but the extra movement of my feet threw off my timing with my body positioning and slowed me down, so I didn't think it was worth the bother.

Make sense?

[jarelj]

My rear brake on my race bike only works well enough to pass tech, which means if the bike it on a rear stand and you spin the tire, it will stop the tire from spinning. Once you're on the bike and it's moving, it has no usable effect and I have the lever set way down low so I'll never really be able to get to it. Maybe some day I'll be good enough that I want to start playing around with it again, but for now it's just not something that will help me.

[hchou]

Thanks for the explanation Kurt's SV!

I think I'm ready for MotoGP now. :D