Quote:

After reading all of these posts, what I don't understand is the use of rear bake on cursers type bikes.....I copied this from riding tip section:

"Try to use the front brake only - and don't grab it. You will slow up quicker using the front because the weight of the bike is transferred to the front of the machine as it slows, effectively driving the front wheel into the Tarmac.

The rear becomes very light when this is happening, so heavy use of the back brake will only result in locking the back wheel up - because the back tyre is making, so little contact with the road. Even the act of closing the throttle transfers weight to the front of the bike, so for this drill you are best off leaving the back brake alone"

So why do you guys rely on the rear brake so much



Good question. Sport bikes, with a short wheelbase, steep rake, and forward weight bias, transfer weight hard under braking. So the back brake is mostly useless under hard braking.

But there's a big difference with our bikes. We have a 33 degree rake, a long wheelbase, and a low center of gravity. That means we don't transfer as much weight to the front wheel under braking. On my last bike (ZR-7S), I could hear the back tire going irrt, irrt, irrt, as it started to hop off the ground. That doesn't happen on my Speedmaster. What happens is the front tire goes irrt, irrt, irrt, and if you squeeze any harder, the front wheel will lock up. I've had this happen at 70mph and it's not fun, because the wheel tends to turn sideways.

I think if the front suspension were better you could use more front brake.

Anyway, the rear tire has remained on the ground during all this, so you might as well use it's brake and stop as quick as you can.

Has anyone, maybe those with suspension mods, pulled a stoppie on a Speedmaster?

Steelheart- '03 Speedmaster Black/Yellow The Hayabusa Killa 16" Shorties/140 mains/Airbox drilled Procom CDI "There is no cure for Celibacy. But we can treat the symptoms."