When do you use front or back brake?

Question

Hi,

Im going to be sitting my CBT next week and I was wondering when do you apply the front brake and when do you apply the back brake......like if you are in 3rd gear slowing down to go to 2nd gear....should you slow down by using the front or back brake or both at the same time?
Someone told me you very rarely use the front brake, they said its 99% using the back, but I dont know if that is true?
Thanks

Answer 1

Don't worry, they will explain everything you need to know when you take your CBT. Don't forget most people that take their CBT will be a lot less prepared than you are. The CBT is designed to teach people who know nothing about motorcycles/scooters. Think of more as a days training course than a test.



Here is what's written in "The Official DSA Guide to Riding: The Essential Skills" book:



Many motorcycle riders are, quite wrongly, afraid to use the front brake. This is often as a result of what they were taught as cyclists.



On a motorcycle....



• you must normally use both brakes

• the front brake is more powerful of the two brakes and the most important when stopping a motorcycle.





TO STOP MOST EFFECTIVELY



In good road conditions...



• apply the front brake just before you apply the rear brake

• apply greater pressure to the front brake



Applying greater pressure to the front brake gives the best stopping power in good conditions because...



• the combined weight of the machine and rider is thrown forward

• the front tyre is pressed more firmly on the road , giving a better grip



In wet or slippery conditions you need to apply a more equal pressure to both front and rear brakes.





USING ONE BRAKE ONLY



You'll take much longer to stop by using one brake only. But at very low speeds (walking pace) using only the rear brake gives smoother control.





WHEN TO BRAKE



Always look and plan well ahead to avoid having to brake sharply. A gradual increase of pressure on the brakes is better than late, harsh braking.



Follow these rules...



• brake when your machine is upright and moving in a straight line

• brake in good time

• adjust the pressure on the brakes according to the road surface and weather conditions.





WHERE TO BRAKE



Where you brake is very important. The best time to brake is when you're travelling upright in a straight line.



Braking on a bend - A good rider will plan well ahead to avoid braking on a bend.



On a bend the combined weight of motorcycle and rider is thrown outwards, To balance the rider leans inwards.



If you brake on a bend...



• the weight will be thrown outwards even more

• the motorcycle and rider may become unstable

• the tyres may lose their grip on the road surface



If you must brake on a bend...



• avoid using the front brake. Rely on the rear brake and engine braking to slow you down. If you must use the front brake, be very gentle. There's a risk of the front tyre losing its grip and sliding sideways

• try to bring your motorcycle upright and brake normally, provided you can do so safely.





This extract has been taken from "The Official DSA Guide to Riding: The Essential Skills" book available for £12.99 from most UK bookshops. Written and compiled by Driving Standards Agency and published by The Stationary Office... yes I had to type all this by hand!

Answer 2

The answer to your question depends a lot on the situation, the bike, and the environment that you are riding in.

On a cruiser, depending on how far the front forks are raked out, you might want to use the rear first and then apply the front. This would cause forward weight transfer and help keep the front tire from sliding on a bike with very long, raked out front forks. The rear is still not your main brake in this situation but is being used to help the front brake be more efficient.

On a standard or sportbike you typically only use the rear brake on gravel, where that's the ONLY brake you can use, in the rain, where you need a little more stability, or during low speed maneuvers like making u-turns. Some people also apply the rear brake slightly before applying the front brake to transfer the bike's weight forward and help the front tire grip better once the front brake is applied. This only works up to a point though because in hard stopping almost all of the weight will be tranferred to the front tire and if the rear brake is applied it could cause the rear tire to lock up.

Answer 3

When stopping in a straight line on a firm dry surface apply the front slightly before the rear, best stopping is produced by 75% front and 25% rear. Look at most bikes you'll see the beefier brake at the front that's what does most of the work! It wet conditions the brakes should be applied in equal proportions 50/50. If you were forced to brake whilst the bike was cornering then rear brake only and gentlly does it! That's what I always taught! If you are stationary , lets say waiting at a junction it's a good idea to cover your back brake then if someone tailends you , your'e less likely to be pushed forwards. It's a good idea to practice stopping quickly it's a common cause of failure on test and your instructor should spend lots of time on this during your training. Hey good luck let us all know how you get on!

Answer 4

for street bikes you should always apply your brakes at the same time 70% of your stopping force is from the front brake with only 30% on the back brake and never grab the front brake you should squeese the brake appling more pressure until you come to a stop , now for dirt bikes yes you rarely use the front brake instead using the back brake for stopping and slowing for turns

Answer 5

Pads ARE NOT connected to the rotors. They only touch the rotor when using the brake to slow down. At all other times they stand away from the rotor. They even have their own mounting system that is on the frame. Take the car to another brake specialist. If any rotors are warped, it will make the car shake when applying the brake. It isn't really dangerous but it will wear out the rotors AND pads quicker. Sometimes the rotors can be 'turned' on a machine to take the warp out of them. This can only be done once or twice before the rotors have to be replaced.

Answer 6

In a straight line when moving at any speed you should apply the front brake and the rear but apply the back with little pressure ease the pedal down to avoid locking up and the front is always the better brake and you can pull the level pretty hard but don't snap at it, Don't worry as you won't go over the handle bars or anything!!! But round corners if your going too fast only use the rear brake!!! If you apply the front the forks may level up and you will be off.

Answer 7

only the inexperienced will tell you to only use your rear brake. if this is the case.,why did they install that front brake?

an experienced rider will use the front brake and rear brake proportionately. inexperienced riders use only the rear brake because they would over apply the front brake causing the front wheel to go into a skid. you cannot say to use one brake a given percentage because each time you apply brakes you are in a different circumstance. personally, i use my front brake at least, if not more than my rear brake. ive been riding bikes for over 30 years.

Answer 8

You're being told an awful lot of rubbish on this thread. Your CBT instructor will teach you all about braking, that sort of thing is the whole point of the CBT. Front brake is way more effective but how you use your brakes depends a lot on road conditions etc.

Answer 9

someone told you wrong, the front brake is the best brake you have, the front brake is a disk brake usually dual disk brakes wit 2-4 cylinders per disk.



The front brake is at least 3-4 times more powerful than the rear brake as the rear break is always a single disk brake or drum break.



Test this yourself by getting up to speed and slowing down as fast as you can once with the rear break then once with the front brakes.



it is not a smart choice to use both brakes at the same time unless in an emergency situation, i almost never use my rear break.



please prove this to yourself with a breaking test



I guarantee that the front brakes are much more powerful than the rear.



it is actually on the test for the learners licence for a motorcycle not the rear not both but the front is your best, strongest, most powerful brake.

Answer 10

I would like to know what some of these people are riding because I have never seen so many dumb answers in my life . When you are coming to a stop you downshift and break with both front and back. if your in a turn never brake with the front .and you never just brake with the front . You can just brake with the back and apply pressure to the front as you slow but keep the front brake covered . If you hit that front brake to hard coming to a stop you can go down .It takes practice

Answer 11

Who ever told you that lied! Read the manual, your front brake does most of the braking, but anyways, to answer your question, depends on the situation, but I use both most the time.

Answer 12

You will learn all this on CBT, try not to have any pre-conceived ideas before you go. If the someone who told you not to use the front brake is a biker, tell him/her to get some training. Generally the brake's are used together, front just before the back, but it depends on road conditions.

Answer 13

It is incredible to me that there are people suggesting mainly using the back brake, I can only guess it's a throwback to riding bicycles. Listen to the CBT instructor, but personally I only use the back brake in wet weather (between 70:30% to 60:40% in favour of the front) and when stopped at a junction.

Answer 14

Wait until you are on your CBT and ask your instructor they will give you the best and correct answer.



I have just done my CBT and was told to use my back brake 90% of the time and only to use my front brake in an emergency or when slowing down at low speed.



In the rain you use the brakes together to come to a stop and about 50/50. In the dry I use more back brake so its more 25/75 to come to a stop.



It takes time and practice to use the brakes correctly.

Answer 15

The front and rear brakes together provide the best stopping power. Don't use front brake only. Caution using front brake on wet or sandy roads. In straight ahead stopping

on dry paved roads both brakes will stop you

fastest. Use caution using front brake going

around corners and curves as the front wheel

could slip and down ya go. Also using front

brake in corners tends to pick the bike up out

of the lean.

Answer 16

You should use the front brake about 90% of the time.If you brake with the front brake your weight distribution changes forward over the front wheel increasing the efficiency of said brake. Only use the back brake if you are doing under 10mph say, approaching a road junction or for an emergency stop situation.Your CBT instructor will confirm these facts to you.

Good luck with your test and ride safe !

Answer 17

I use one or the other or both depending on the situation. As the first response said the front is so much more powerful than the rear and will stop you a lot quicker. BUT if the road is wet and slippery or sandy you could quite easily lose the front end and go down. When I rode bikes in England for 20 years I usually used the back as the roads are wet and slippery. The back would lock up on occasions but you can control that. I used both in an emergency the front locked and I went down into the back of a car (my fault going to fast anyway) In Australia riding for 10 years I use the front mostly as the roads are dry most of the time and are better. You stop so much quicker. If you ride properly and ride defence style so you have ample time to react the front is better. With either though you press to hard and you will lock up.

Answer 18

Always use the front first,then use the back to stabilise the bike as you come to a stop.Remember to use the engine for braking also,which will make you a smoother rider.

Answer 19

The first two answerers are spot on; you should always use your back brakes. If you need extra braking then also use your front but only after you have started to apply the rear brakes.

Answer 20

always use your back brakes. only use your front when you are going very slow. any motorcycle trainer will tell you that. you can wreck pretty easy using your front brakes.