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How hot do your front brakes get compared to the rear?

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platypus

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I use both front and rear brakes generally. But I've noticed that the front seem to run much cooler than the rear. Given I apply 80% pressure to the front I find this odd. My front don't seem that strong either (but that may be normal for this Suzuki). The rear seem not to be binding or anything - it just is quite hot to touch (both the rotor and the caliper). While at the same time, I can lay my hand on the fronts and they are just warm.

I'm wondering if the front pads are glazed over or something and not working properly.
 
My Yamaha triple was the same way. It's got to be something rubbing - the rear disc won't heat up for no reason. Does your rear caliper retract when you release the brake, leaving some day light between the disc and the pads?
 
sbrogden said:
My Yamaha triple was the same way. It's got to be something rubbing - the rear disc won't heat up for no reason. Does your rear caliper retract when you release the brake, leaving some day light between the disc and the pads?
Click to expand...

No, I wouldn't say that. The wheel spins freely though. I can push on the caliper and "create" the daylight so it does not seem to be jammed. I might try riding around without using the rear for 30 mins or so - only using the fronts - and see what I see.
 
Is not the rear rotor smaller then the front? Less surface area means more heat. Also, since the front has 2 rotors it will split the heat in half. I know that most of the braking is done at the front but I do not think that the heat you are talking about is too much to worry about. If your rotors are not blue and glazed over it should not be much of an issue.

Mark
 
Not trying to make a smart remark, are you sure you are not resting your foot on the brake without you realizing? Try making a short spin with only the tip of your boot on the peg and check.
 
houstonredrider said:
Not trying to make a smart remark, are you sure you are not resting your foot on the brake without you realizing? Try making a short spin with only the tip of your boot on the peg and check.
Click to expand...

Definitely not that - I always ride with the ball of my foot on the peg - riding with the arch on the peg is incorrect and does not allow you to control your weight distribution around the bike.
 
You might try:

Spraying some brake cleaner from an aerosol can on those little spacers that the disc floats (while lightly tapping the disc to free any dirt) on to the wheel, cleaning out any particulate out that may have gotten stuck in there. You might feel some pulsing while applying the brakes if you had particulate stuck in those little spacers (or whatever they're called).
But more importantly, it may not be such a quick & easy fix as spraying brake cleaner in your caliper where the pistons might be sticking. Some bikes out there have pistons that stick because the machining on the little piston left sharp edges that can stick. People have been known to get in there and round off/radius the edges of those machined parts so they are more likely to slip & slide back into place.... so that the pads are not constantly rubbing on the disc.
 
Rear brakes have smaller calipers and typically a tad thinner rotors which would cause more heat. The bigger the surface area the better the heat dissipation.
 
If your rear is getting hot you're using it WAY too much.
Many riders don't use the rear brakes at ALL because using it can cause you to lose control by sliding as it locks up as in a panic stop from your front end raising up and your rear being locked becasue you applied the rear brake........much better/safer not to use it at all.
 
Not a good idea to make a blanket statement like, "...much better/safer not to use it (rear brake) at all."
Judicious use of the rear brake assists in "settling the suspension"..... it can be the most efficient way to slow a bike without throwing (all of) the weight bias forward.

Yeah, stabbing at the rear brake can have some serious consequences in a panic situation, that's one of the reasons why I chose a Bandit with ABS.

But use of the rear brake in harmony with the front brake can assist in squatting the bike to a stop in a more controlled fashion..... keeping in mind that it's actually the front brake that is most effective at stopping the bike.

It IS entirely possible for a rider to ride his rear brake and not be aware of it. For some reason, it's something I see quite a few Hexhead Beemer riders doing all the time.

The discs get hot.... that's what they do, front AND rear. However if you see that one of your discs has a strange color to it, or it pulses when you apply your brake, it may in fact be getting way TOO hot and might be warped.

Consider replacing your pads.... maybe somebody put racing pads in your bike, put some OEM pads in there, use some brake cleaner and spray your calipers real well, and if you think they DID in fact get too hot, replace your brake fluid too.

But don't just stop using your rear brake.... learn how to use it correctly.
 
Fittysom'n said:
Not a good idea to make a blanket statement like, "...much better/safer not to use it (rear brake) at all."
Judicious use of the rear brake assists in "settling the suspension"..... it can be the most efficient way to slow a bike without throwing (all of) the weight bias forward.

Yeah, stabbing at the rear brake can have some serious consequences in a panic situation, that's one of the reasons why I chose a Bandit with ABS.

But use of the rear brake in harmony with the front brake can assist in squatting the bike to a stop in a more controlled fashion..... keeping in mind that it's actually the front brake that is most effective at stopping the bike.

But don't just stop using your rear brake.... learn how to use it correctly.
Click to expand...
I disagree and most cycling "experts" will too.
Rarely should you use the rear brake for power stopping as it only takes you longer to stop and like I said you will lose control as your rear wheel loses contact/traction and BECAUSE you're using the rear brake and when it loses traction it will lock up causing you to lose control....happens all the time. Not tlking about "stabbing" at the rear just using it in power braking can casue you to skid as it loses contact with the road.
Now if YOU'RE comfortable stopping that way by all means do it, but you'll stop safer only using the front. Many people are afraid to only use the front brake as they think it will throw them over the bars........doesn't happen.
 
SoCalBandit said:
If your rear is getting hot you're using it WAY too much.
Many riders don't use the rear brakes at ALL because using it can cause you to lose control by sliding as it locks up as in a panic stop from your front end raising up and your rear being locked becasue you applied the rear brake........much better/safer not to use it at all.
Click to expand...

I have a suggestion for you. Why don't you just remove the rear brake and save a lot of weight, complexity and useless parts. Then you could go faster!

And what cycling experts would that be?

Perhaps you could inform the manufactures about this, they could save a lot of money in the manufacturing process. They eliminated center stands on most street bikes to save money and weight.

I think somebody's been riding around too many Rancho California California horse ranches and smelling or smoking too much of something! :rider:
 
rob-houston said:
I have a suggestion for you. Why don't you just remove the rear brake and save a lot of weight, complexity and useless parts. Then you could go faster!

And what cycling experts would that be?

Perhaps you could inform the manufactures about this, they could save a lot of money in the manufacturing process. They eliminated center stands on most street bikes to save money and weight.

I think somebody's been riding around too many Rancho California California horse ranches and smelling or smoking too much of something! :rider:
Click to expand...

:rofl:

I'm an old racer and can vouch for having a rear brake as being a GOOD thing. I even use it to turn the bike:eek2: Gee, I wonder if I influenced those Hayden boys:nana:
 
rob-houston said:
1. I have a suggestion for you. Why don't you just remove the rear brake and save a lot of weight, complexity and useless parts. Then you could go faster!

2. And what cycling experts would that be?

3. Perhaps you could inform the manufactures about this, they could save a lot of money in the manufacturing process. They eliminated center stands on most street bikes to save money and weight.

4. I think somebody's been riding around too many Rancho California California horse ranches and smelling or smoking too much of something! :rider:
Click to expand...

1. Because I sometimes use the rear for trail braking, OR I'd use it if my fronts were damaged for somereason........I DON'T use it for panic stopping or during fast street riding.

2. Why don't you ask some Pro racers about it, VERY few use the rear brake for FAST stopping......I wonder why???

3.The manufacturers HAVE to install them to meet government standards, sounds like the government knows as much about braking as you do!! :trust:
Do you always trust the government??

4. Whatever dude brake how you want it's your life!! :rider:

I think you misunderstand my point anyway......I'm talking about panic stopping or emergency braking......... NOT regular braking.
 
Fittysom'n said:
I choose to agree with the following demonstration(s):
http://www.monkeysee.com/play/10156-how-to-brake-on-a-motorcycle
Click to expand...

Thats a nice demo video Fitty but he shows a guy stopping from 20MPH!

I'm talking about an emergency high speed stop. How many people do you know that can CORRECTLY modulate the rear so it WON'T lock up during a high speed emergency stop?? I know very few, it's VERY difficult, becasue people panic that's why I'm saying you're better off NOT using the rear brake....but like I said, do what you feel comfortable doing.

Anyway I don't want to get into a pissing match with anyone about using the rear brake......in your opinion (and evidently Houston-Rob's) it's ok to use for FAST stops, in mine it isn't. Lets agree to disagree and move on and if we meet someday I'll buy you a cold one!!
 
It's all good, you won't get a 'pissing match' from me....

Techniques for braking may vary between street riding and racing on a track. And braking techniques obviously vary from person to person, not to overlook braking under different conditions. What remains a constant however are the physics involved in slowing (or stopping) a motorcycle.

My favorite braking system was on the BMW, as in addition to it's Automated Braking System, the system was integral between front & rear. When using the front brake lever, a computer calculated the speed/conditions and applied the perfect braking distribution to BOTH front & rear brakes simultaneously. It was a GREAT system, and the easiest machine to slow in all conditions except the most aggressive on a track. But the key is, it was designed to take maximum advantage of BOTH front & rear brakes.

I can think no faster than a computer, but I have successfully kept my bike upright in a panic braking situation. In addition, I have in fact applied too much rear brake in a panic stop.... resulting in my being tossed from the bike ("high siding"). That was over 35 years ago, and I have been working on refining my braking techniques since.... with plenty of room yet for improvement.

Returning to my original point, I'm only suggesting that it is inappropriate to instruct that it is "...much better/safer not to use (the rear brake) at all."
 
thunderbolt said:
:rofl:

I'm an old racer and can vouch for having a rear brake as being a GOOD thing. I even use it to turn the bike:eek2: Gee, I wonder if I influenced those Hayden boys:nana:
Click to expand...

Yea, watching the Hayden brothers flat track around curves on asphalt is truly amazing (with both feet on the pegs!). It's a fine line between loosing the front and or the rear.

I used to race a CB-350 on a TT track. I blew everyone away down the straight and over the jump. Into the first curve they'd start passing me back. I would swing wide to use the berms and power slide the bike around the curves. Didn't take long for me to realize the bike wasn't competitive. That's when I got a 125cc Penton and switched to moto-cross.

One funny aside. There was a really wide curve on the back side of the track. I'd hit the berm and send rooster tails into the air. One race I set up for the turn and saw some people standing next to the track. They got sprayed by dirt. The next lap they weren't there! :rider:
 
rob-houston said:
I used to race a CB-350 on a TT track.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you were about as crazy as I was, I used a CB500F to practice sliding techniques on a dirt TT track:chug: Talk about attention getter:eek2:

I was only dumb enough to do that because I did not have the money to buy anything else and the Honda was available. Amazing what you will do when you have to!
 
Don't worry, SoCal. I know what you are trying to say and I agree wholeheartedly. The problem becomes that there is no one technique that works for all bike types (and of course people have their own preferences, too). So you mention braking technique to a guy on a GSXR and the advice and response will, and should, be different than that of a guy on a Shadow or KLR. But, the sportier your bike's chassis dynamics, the less you have to use the rear brake to acheive maximum braking force. And, by relying on the front brakes, you completely eliminate the complex and counterintuitive rear brake modulating techniques necessary for emergency braking with both front and rear. So, for the vast majority of sporting riders, braking primarily and almost exclusively with the front *IS* safer, easier, and virtually as effective as using both.
 
NathanH said:
And, by relying on the front brakes, you completely eliminate the complex and counterintuitive rear brake modulating techniques necessary for emergency braking with both front and rear. So, for the vast majority of sporting riders, braking primarily and almost exclusively with the front *IS* safer, easier, and virtually as effective as using both.
Click to expand...
Thank You Nathan!
My point exactly!
It's really too difficult because it happens so quickly, to use the rear brake without causing problems in a high speed emergency situation.
 
Brake use polls

-- Brake use polls --

I'm going crazy being stuck at home!

I'm dealing with some kind of shoulder injury (rotator cuff ((tear?)); now awaiting an MRI), and while I'm off work I'm getting a bunch of medical stuff done (I gotta stay off the Naprosyn prescribed me because of scheduled procedure(s), so now my shoulder/arm hurts full time 24/7!).
Kaiser covered a CPAP machine recently ("apnea"),
waiting to hear about the polyp removed during a sigmoidoscopy,
will be fasting again for yet another screening,
had a fatty tumor removed from my forehead a couple days ago,
finding out that I'm allergic to certain creams and meds,
and getting absolutely NO SLEEP for a month now....
(the Robaxin & Vicodin does NOTHING to help me stay asleep, Restoril may just as well be a worthless placebo, and that Xanax the doctor gave me for the above mentioned invasive procedures doesn't do a darn thing for me! So all these meds just sit on the kitchen counter and mock me).


Anywaaaaay...... I've been spending way too much time on the 'puter of late. So I went to a local motorcycle site ("BARF") located on the west coast and 'Searched' for some braking polls; this is what I found; four different polls:

21% of those who answered "never" use their rear brake
61% use their rear brake "all the time"

31% answered "no", that they don't use their rear brake
69% answered "yes", that they use their rear brake

27% said they use their "front only"
72% claim their use is a mixture of "both"

46% "always" use their rear brake
16% "never use their rear brake
38% use "both"

I guess I could go look at polls in ADVrider, even here in TWT.... the results simply show that some folks do, some folks don't.
But this is what makes the world go 'round, right?.

(I guess it's time to take a couple of those Tylenol w/Codeine for this the surgery done to my forehead; maybe they'll work better if I take 'em with a Negra Modello or two..... I guess I should look into this NetFlix thang too; I coulda been watching me some movies!)
 
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