What's your view on trail braking? | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

What's your view on trail braking?

45 years of racing motorcycles.
You?


The whole idea of trail braking is to increase the traction of the front wheel.
Why waste that traction with brakes that could come from the rear?

On my 5th year of riding I was wrecking old geezers with 45 years of experience on track.

On my 9th of riding, I got destroyed by some French dude with 3 years of experience on track.

Years of experience mean absolutely nothing in anything. You can spend 45 years making the same mistakes and not realizing your blindspots with any activity involving a high skill ceiling.

Here's an idea: you, Lightcycle, and I hit up a race track and see who's faster. I have a feeling the answer will be Lightcycle >>> Me >>>>>>>>>>>>> you.

P.S. My bike doesn't work right now though so gimme a few months lol
 
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I drag the rear for tight low speed turns. That's not the same thing is it? I'm talking very low speed.

I think we all do no? No way in hell I'm getting in or out of a condo parking lot without using ample rear brake and clutch lol
 
Two handy things happen when you apply the rear brake (while it is still on the ground and under power from the motor) One the rear suspension compresses (becomes more settled) and two it straightens the bikes attitude (makes it stand up a little straighter)

... third thing is it heats up your brake, wears the pads and puts incredible stress on the rolling chassis, chain and the cushion hub drive if so equipped. Those are not such good things.
 
Oh jeeesh.Everyone just post up your trackday lap times so we can pick a winner.
 
ATGATT for your rocket:
FC210X.jpg
 
Oh jeeesh.Everyone just post up your trackday lap times so we can pick a winner.

Mine are embarrassingly bad lol

RDT: 1:58:00
Shanny Long: 2:19:00

I do actually think it'd be beneficial to know the skill level of a rider when they are giving advice. In competitive video games such as StarCraft 2 and Overwatch, the posters rankings are showed. It would be completely asinine to take the complaining, whining, or advice from a Bronze player seriously compared to that of someone in Diamond, Master, or Grandmaster.
 
Mine are embarrassingly bad lol

RDT: 1:58:00
Shanny Long: 2:19:00

I do actually think it'd be beneficial to know the skill level of a rider when they are giving advice. In competitive video games such as StarCraft 2 and Overwatch, the posters rankings are showed. It would be completely asinine to take the complaining, whining, or advice from a Bronze player seriously compared to that of someone in Diamond, Master, or Grandmaster.
I was joking about seeing anyones "trackday" rimes.Trackday times mean squat.Podiums are where it's at.Forum chit chat is worth the same.When a rider gets promoted by his sponsors,then there is a reason to listen.

Now,back to trail braking.
 
I do a lot of the kind of trail breaking where you take a chainsaw and snippers and hand saws and break trails through the woods to get to new sections :| It's a lot of work but somebody has to do it.

Then there is trail braking on a trials bike which probably has a completely different reasoning then on the road or on the track or dirt :/ which one do you want to talk about?
 
No. Just the lineup of trophy girls ala Mcmurter style.
 
On my 5th year of riding I was wrecking old geezers with 45 years of experience on track.

On my 9th of riding, I got destroyed by some French dude with 3 years of experience on track.

Years of experience mean absolutely nothing in anything. You can spend 45 years making the same mistakes and not realizing your blindspots with any activity involving a high skill ceiling.

Here's an idea: you, Lightcycle, and I hit up a race track and see who's faster. I have a feeling the answer will be Lightcycle >>> Me >>>>>>>>>>>>> you.

P.S. My bike doesn't work right now though so gimme a few months lol


UHMMMMMM
The question I was answering was if one could trail brake using the rear brake.
So you're saying that my 45 years of using a rear brake to trail brake is a delusion? OK
Then try to make my answer into a pissing contest.

Sorry I don't want to play your reindeer games
But your 2:19 at Shannonville, against a 1:43 lap record tells me you've REALLY got nothin' to say.
That's 139% of the lap record, if you had to qualify, that time wouldn't even get you in the big show.

OK, I'll play a little:
... I don't remember any of my Shannonville times on a big bike, but the last time I was at a race weekend at Mosport I was doing 1:43s, on a 42 year old 400cc street bike. About 1/2 a second off the class record.
I do remember breaking 2:07 at Shannonville long track, on a Norton Commando, in the mid '90's, on skinny 18" bias ply tires.
Got 2nd place at the John Nelson memorial on a bike, a Gus Kuhn Norton, that I met for the first time on the Thursday before the race.

I'll be at the DOCC Mosport track day in August, come on out to play. I'll be the guy with the oldest bikes there... trail braking with the rear brake.
 
1:07s on Pro Track and I’ve never used the rear brake ever on track. Not once.

I cover the rear brake for cool down lap whoolies!

Some of these comments are amazing.
 
@bitzz

My bad. I assumed you were just an old fart who uses years of experience to justify anything. That's the pattern I've noticed from hanging on here and reddit with regards to motorcycling.

My sincere apologies; I should stop firing first before asking questions.
 
Who knew this thread was going to get so redonkulous?
 
Who knew this thread was going to get so redonkulous?

I did, from the title. Few will argue with the effectiveness of trail braking, many will argue on the definition. One of the GTAM traditions that hasn't died yet... it actually makes me happy
 

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