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Thumb brake?

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lucky phil:

--- Quote from: Huzo on July 06, 2022, 12:35:47 AM ---Nah..
Certainly the harder you apply the brake/s, the more the weight is biased toward the front and the rear brake becomes progressively more redundant.
But in the world where us mortals live, an application of brake that represents 75% of maximum, you’d still have a significant amount of total mass on the rear wheel and as such, would be well advised to use the rear brake.
If part of you wants to believe you are Jack Miller and wave the rear in the air on each stopping action…?
Then yes, (almost) all of what you espouse is true.

--- End quote ---

You don't even need to have it in the air Huzo. On my track bike it's still on the ground, just, but the available traction from it is so minimal that why bother with the rear brake. Same on the road, even a 75% braking event, the front still has more stopping power available if you choose to use it so what's the pointy in using the rear brake? Save on pad wear? The truth is when a bike is on the maximum braking limit with the exception of cruisers and heavily laden tourers 98% or more of the available stopping power is on the front and what the rear provides is compromised by adding directional control and lockup modulation tasks the rider almost certainly doesn't want to focus on in those circumstances. There's a reason guys like Mick Doohan and other old 500 racers when they did the Suzuka 8 hour race on the "Diesels" as they called them (the 4 strokes) used to simply brake into the corners with the clutch pulled in because even the engine braking compared to a 2 stroke 500 used to upset the rear of the bike. it's also a major reason slipper clutches were invented for racing and then made their way to the street. If there was any value in engine compression helping the bike brake then they wouldn't have been invented it. The riders would have just used less rear brake into the corners but they were already using none at all.

Phil       

jacksonracingcomau:
Option for OP might be a Clake (aussie made, popular with dirtbike riders) requires an hydraulic clutch but can be done using existing foot brake too

https://www.clake.com.au/

THE DESIGNER’S PERSONAL OPINION
Every rider has different preferences for their motorcycle controls – these are my thoughts and my personal opinions on the Dual Control system.This allows you retain your rear brake pedal when fitting the Clake One, Clake Two and Clake Pro Lever.  There are no disadvantages to having Dual Control (apart from the extra cost!) so generally I would recommend opting for this as it will make the transition to using a hand brake easier. Personally I don’t have dual control on any of my bikes –  a Gas Gas trials bike with a Pro Lever, a KTM motar with a Clake Two, and a Beta RR300 with a Pro Lever. At any rate the Dual Control system can be easily disconnected, allowing you to remove the rear brake pedal and master cylinder. You can also purchase a cover plate if you want to remove  the Clake Dual Control slave cylinder. Conversely, a there is a kit available to convert a hand-only unit to Dual Control. I hope this helps!
regards, Owen Hutchison

jacksonracingcomau:

--- Quote from: Huzo on July 05, 2022, 06:17:07 PM ---Multi world 500 champion Mick Doohan, resorted to one with good effect after his almost career ending leg injury.

--- End quote ---
Understatement of the year
Devastating  effect
So much so, still the go, simply because Mick’s leg was (is) fkd, I’m sure he’d rather have had an ankle that worked,  one of those points in history, no one had thought of it before, really odd when you think about it, bicycles grew motors, rear brake control moved to foot, long before gearchange did


 
--- Quote from: lucky phil on July 04, 2022, 05:49:16 PM ---In 50 years of riding road bikes from touring to GT to Hyper sports bikes the only things I've ever used a back brake for were holding the bike on a hill while waiting for the lights to change(

Phil   

--- End quote ---

 
Maddest modern control to me is “hill assist” front brake, not on learner bikes but massive adventure tourers
I’ve taught many 5-6 year olds to master throttle snd brake together for hill start but people get licences that can’t do this

Kev m:
Just to enter the fray with a few thoughts....

* Harleys (and bikes sized/shaped/weight biased like them) really can benefit from the use of the rear brake too. But my current one is electronically linked through the ABS system and any braking that starts above 35 mph uses and modulates all three calipers on its own.

* But although I've owned plenty of Harleys I've also had more of everything else and THAT more and more prompted me to really rely on the front brake first, foremost, and often ONLY. I mean yeah I drag the rear during tight low speed maneuvers and maybe sometimes I consciously use it on hard braking elsewhere, but really it was sometime between the R1100RSa and the Breva 1100 (and one time braking the Breva 1100 like I did my own Harleys, which caused a rear tire lock up) that I changed to MOSTLY ignoring the rear brake.*

*Note see above regarding current Harley, that actually has made this habit worse because I don't NEED to use the rear brake lever almost ever....though it's still there for weird occasions - parking lots, gravel etc.

* Our current fleet makes this habit even WORSE.... the Ducati Monster really REALLY doesn't need that rear brake. It's for show man, especially considering the giant pizza cutters on the front. And both our V7s, yeah, I mean, I CAN use it, I just don't need it often.

I'm not saying the OP should or should not - you do you boo - but I don't use it much at all and I doubt it is really NEEDED much on a typical smallblock, typical usage, bla bla bla ...

RIDE SAFE(ly)

Kev

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