Buckster Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 Looking through some pictures I noticed my foot hovering over the brake pedal while riding the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina, trail braking, using front or rear brakes or both going into a corner is a great way to stabilise the bike and increase turn in, on heavy cruisers like mine rear brake alone is best, sports bikes work best with both or front only and trail bikes definitely front only on tarmac. With longer bikes you gain some pivotal force as well as extra loading on the front, with other bikes it is more about loading the front tyre and stopping any head shake from developing. You can use it right up to the apex of the turn but you need to have fully released the brake by then. It is a technique well worth learning. Here endeth the lesson. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 I don't analyse what I do......in fact I can't analyse what I do. My mind just doesn't work that way. I just get on a bike and it goes......that's all I know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 The way I treat it is like with a car, you have a total envelope of available force to apply, or grip, and you can distribute it between applying it from the front or rear by braking or accelerating, or from side to side with cornering but not both at 100% at the same time. In this way, trailbraking is letting go of as much brake as you progressively need in order to pass that force over to the cornering side. I understand this might be explained in the best way but it makes sense in my mind ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 I always trail brake on my bikes, best way to get through a corner (as well as weighting the pegs) , works ace on gravel . I've never ridden anything as heavy as your bike Buck, it must take some balls to get a big unit like that hauled over in a bend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 On 20/04/2021 at 18:35, Pedro said: The way I treat it is like with a car, you have a total envelope of available force to apply, or grip, and you can distribute it between applying it from the front or rear by braking or accelerating, or from side to side with cornering but not both at 100% at the same time. In this way, trailbraking is letting go of as much brake as you progressively need in order to pass that force over to the cornering side. I understand this might be explained in the best way but it makes sense in my mind ... Expand You've been out with me Pedro.....do I do any of that? As far as I'm aware if I've done any braking it's before the bend and I'm then accelerating all the way through it. I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 On 20/04/2021 at 18:57, XTreme said: You've been out with me Pedro.....do I do any of that? As far as I'm aware if I've done any braking it's before the bend and I'm then accelerating all the way through it. I think! Expand Apparently I know as much as you do about your riding, from what I remember you do exactly what you are saying, but I thought you were trying to embarass me by suddenly accelerating into a corner, it’s like riding behind someone with motorcycling tourette’s 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 On 20/04/2021 at 19:09, Pedro said: Apparently I know as much as you do about your riding, from what I remember you do exactly what you are saying, but I thought you were trying to embarass me by suddenly accelerating into a corner, it’s like riding behind someone with motorcycling tourette’s Expand That's the way I've always ridden.......I don't know any different. Maybe that's what disturbs others? And I suppose always riding in the centre of the road and then veering from one side of the road to the other may be unsettling to some as well. If anything, the way I ride is loosely based on the classic Hailwood style........where smoothness is the key, In the right gear going into the bend, taking a line to straighten it out as much as possible to minimise lean angle, and accelerating all the way through. Minimising lean angles (without minimising speed) may sound odd......but remember that my early years were on bikes that didn't handle, didn't brake, and the tyres were fucking square things that didn't grip. Even in the dry! So I had to be as smooth as possible to compensate for all those things, because invariably I was belting around with a load of other bikes! Not plodding by any means! And I suppose that method of riding is still with me today. That's all I know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 I've always done it instinctively, Interesting what you say about trail bikes though Buck cos I've always used the rear brake to sit the bike further down into a corner. I find front brake use tends to sit the bike up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 20, 2021 Author Share Posted April 20, 2021 On 20/04/2021 at 21:32, MooN said: I've always done it instinctively, Interesting what you say about trail bikes though Buck cos I've always used the rear brake to sit the bike further down into a corner. I find front brake use tends to sit the bike up. Expand Let's face it, you are a cunt so there's that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tym Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 Julian would say your all dead men in waiting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busabeast Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 I do alot of trail braking in to corners but as has been said all before the apex of turns but that's because my normal riding style is getting a wriggle on unless it's in town riding then I ride at normal speeds. I think it lends itself to my track days Fast and smooth wins the race Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catteeclan Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 I got into using the rear brake on the TDM900 to steady the bike from the snatchy throttle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 On 20/04/2021 at 18:36, boboneleg said: I always trail brake on my bikes, best way to get through a corner (as well as weighting the pegs) , works ace on gravel . I've never ridden anything as heavy as your bike Buck, it must take some balls to get a big unit like that hauled over in a bend. Expand Looks good though and there are few things better than harassing power rangers through the bends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 On 21/04/2021 at 08:27, Mawsley said: I use the front brake to control the gyroscopic action of my lofted scooter wheel - which is most of the time because I am a hooligan and cool. Expand The SS180 I had in 71 was always wheelying.....but that was probably due to me being clumsy with the clutch cos I didn't know what the fuck I was doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busabeast Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 On 21/04/2021 at 08:48, XTreme said: The SS180 I had in 71 was always wheelying.....but that was probably due to me being clumsy with the clutch cos I didn't know what the fuck I was doing! Expand Cos I don't know what the fuck im doing you meant pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 On 21/04/2021 at 08:55, Richzx6r said: Cos I don't know what the fuck im doing you meant pete Expand 50 years in June......and still totally clueless as to WTF I'm doing! But the odd thing is I'm still here! So despite not knowing how I ride, or one end of a spanner from another......somewhere along the line I must have got something right. Unfortunately I don't know what that is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 I try the inject some serious content into an otherwise inane forum and all I get is some ginger twat complaining he knows nothing but he does like fluffy kittens. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 13:38, Buckster said: I try the inject some serious content into an otherwise inane forum and all I get is some ginger twat complaining he knows nothing but he does like fluffy kittens. Expand How about a vid of you on your bike demonstrating how you do all this new age riding shit? Maybe if I saw it done I might understand it a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 13:41, XTreme said: How about a vid of you on your bike demonstrating how you do all this new age riding shit? Maybe if I saw it done I might understand it a bit. Expand I posted a photo of me doing this old school riding shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 18:03, Buckster said: I posted a photo of me doing this old school riding shit. Expand And it is pretty awesome. I do have an honest question about the Harley, does it not scare you it has such little leaning clearance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 18:03, Buckster said: I posted a photo of me doing this old school riding shit. Expand So how do I see you doing this trail braking shit from a photo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 18:36, Pedro said: And it is pretty awesome. I do have an honest question about the Harley, does it not scare you it has such little leaning clearance? Expand You just have to exaggerate the body english at time by moving off the saddle from time to time, you can scrape the floor boards fut then you have to be very careful as the floor board mounts are frame mounted and if the hit they can unload the rear wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 18:57, XTreme said: So how do I see you doing this trail braking shit from a photo? Expand You can see where my right foot is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 19:12, Buckster said: You can see where my right foot is. Expand Yes.....but how can I tell the pressure you're applying and at what point in the turn? And is the front brake being used as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckster Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 On 22/04/2021 at 19:15, XTreme said: Yes.....but how can I tell the pressure you're applying and at what point in the turn? And is the front brake being used as well? Expand You wouldn’t be able to tell in a video either, no front brake. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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