[quote author=132D2C20322E2F410 link=1495490102/15#28 date=1495675262]
Quote:
Like a lot of things involved with riding motorcycles, using the front brake in a turn can be dangerous if you do it wrong. Which is why it's important to understand how, and why, to do it right.
https://www.n2td.org/trail-braking/
That is a very good article.....I do use that technique - but I never understood exactly what folks meant when they said "trail braking". (I still don't understand how that term relates to braking into a corner).
I read an article from a road racer not long ago, and he was taking time to practice his brake application technique....he felt that by being really smooth on the application & release of the brakes, he could get another 1% faster! He would get on a downhill slope at walking speed and pull in the clutch, and then pull on the front brake lever just enough that he could feel the pads touch the rotor - but not enough to slow or stop the bike...then he would release, and he would repeat that motion over and over. He was fine tuning his ability to be a "surgeon" with his brake application. He believed that smooth application and release of the brakes would give him an edge on the competition. I have been consciously practicing this as I come to turns or intersections, as it will help me to apply the brakes smoothly when I need to get on the brakes in a hurry. When I watch the Asian Scooter crash videos - I see so many of them crash when they instantly grab a handful of front brake.....they don't apply the brake linearly and allow the weight to shift onto the front wheel before they get on the brake really hard.
On big open turns at casual speeds, I don't use the brakes and just hold a constant speed. When I hustle along and I am riding in the "sport" mode - I am on the brakes before and into the entrance of the turn - and there are occasions when I have to apply the brakes to slow down while in the corner as the curve becomes sharper, a car in my lane, or a bad/wet spot in the road. Braking in a corner can be done safely - but you have to be able to limit the amount of cornering force vs. braking force.
A few years ago one of the younger forum members scolded me when I posted a photo from the Dragon. They gave me a "Shame on You" when they saw me breaking on the way into a curve....I just let it go as I didn't think they were ready for the truth!
However......when you are learning the front brake can be a very scary thing when you do it wrong! (Not sure why I can't load links on my computer this morning).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V13lkDkEbqY