Another Rear Brake Getoff

Tufbusa

Track Coach / TufPoodle Coach
Registered
Rear Brake Get Offs happen more often than you think. Many times the rider has no idea why he got pitched. I had one rider tell me he thought someone hit him from the rear when I watched from two bike lengths the entire scenario unfold.

We had a two day track event over the weekend and as usual there were one or two "Noodles" who just couldn't behave themselves. Good judgment and common sense seems to evade them. Saturday we had two get offs in the same blind corner, both running straight off without any attempt to tip in. The first guy was transported with a broken collar bone and the second "Noodle" ran off at speed on the first lap and ended up with a helicopter ride. He had bleeding and swelling of the brain along with a broken vertebra in the neck. At the rider's meeting everyone is given instructions "No hot laps on the first two laps". Give the tires, the bike and the body time to warm up. The crash victim was hauling arse passing everyone in site and unfortunately never make it past turn 9. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Now the good news, the victim of the rear brake get off was not injured. However, in order to protect his male ego, he made this excuse "I don't know what happened. My brakes just locked up and I never touched them"! The reality was, he passed a couple bikes (Me being one of them) coming off the front straight into turn one, found himself a bit to hot and attempted to brake with both ends and got his arse pitched. After his lame excuse of the brakes locking up on their own I pulled the clutch in before I stood it up, kicked the rear tire and it spun just fine, did the same to the front and it spun just fine as well. I picked the bike up and says "The brakes work just fine now partner".

This rider was on a dedicated track bike with slicks and it wasn't his first rodeo. The point of this thread is to make those who habitually use the rear brake aware that you are not immune to this very same situation that put this rider on his head. There is a place for the rear brake, it just happens not to be for most riders on clean dry pavement at speed.

Most riders never find themselves in this situation until the unexpected pops up and panic braking is the choice of solutions. If you are convinced this could never happen to you on your 150 mph daily ride due to your exceptional level of experience and skill, let's hear from you! :beerchug:
 
I had to kiss the pavement twice for locking the rear end before I got that one through my thick head Tuf. :beerchug:
 
I did it twice my first trackday at Nashville Superspeedway on the back straight...and since then I've avoided it like the plaque!
 
I believe it comes from initially learning to drive in a car. Couple that with the cast majority of us put on more miles in a car than a bike and that's the practice that's ingrained the most. Unfortunate part about bike design is the placement of the rear brake lever since most of us brake our cars right footed. The emergency happens in our mind and survival instincts take over. Our right foot stomps the brake just like in a car. I think it was Keith Code that talked about survival instincts that will get you killed.

I like the rear brake, it can help stop in every situation if used properly, but it takes practice and the margin for error gets paper thin at speed.

With every street bike I own I go to a parking lot and adjust the rear brake lever down until it's hard for me to lock the rear with the natural range of my ankle. Just in case......
 
you know... it takes alot for me to lock my rear brake up ive stomped on it trying to and it just dont...i dont know why. it does apply brake just never hard enough to lock up... of course i use my front brake for my braking and rear brake only slightly and with heavy caution..
 
I think you could remove my rear caliper and aside from sitting on a hill at a stop light I wouldn't even notice... Unless it was on my honda, then I'd end up laying on my back.
 
Good Info Tuf.

I am one of those who habitually uses both brakes. If I'm mentally in cornering mode in the twisties, I have to force myself not to use the rear brake at all... and that's without any survival response present.

It's a darned hard habit to break and someone like me usually feels that it's better to have the rear start to slide out than the front (I absolutely hate losing front end traction via locking).
 
just tip that thing over, go in hot and hang on...:race:

Thanks for the share, I'm at CMP in two weekends!
 
My rear braking habit comes from riding dirt bikes where things are kinda switched. Front brake is dangerous in the dirt. I also occasionally find myself putting the foot down in a turn. I rode dirt almost 25 years ago but when I get rabbit blood seems those instincts are still lingering in there. I am at the point now after several incidents where I don't just jab at the rear brake but I needed to get the fear of crashing in there to push the fear of not stopping out :laugh:
 
I believe proper foot placement (balls of feet on the pegs) will help prevent the panic of the SR of hitting the rear brakes, Do you have any advice on preventing a panic of the rear brake panic slam?
 
I believe proper foot placement (balls of feet on the pegs) will help prevent the panic of the SR of hitting the rear brakes, Do you have any advice on preventing a panic of the rear brake panic slam?

That's a really good start Yank. I was going to mention proper foot position being the first step towards preventing the infamous rear brake highside!

The second step being avoid the regular use of the rear brake. Make it a forced concious thought to use the rear brake in any circumstance. Incorporating these two items into everyday riding may save your bacon when things get tense.

Good Post! :beerchug:
 
ResidentEvil said:
I use it when I have a passenger it keeps the bike from pitching forward..

+1
Riding alone I never touch the rear brake. 2 up I use it to settle the bike on planned stops.

From my dunce stool :cookoo:
 
Never had a getoff, but I've been sideways twice. In a panic situation, your extremities apply a lot more force than you are aware of, it's a "fight or flight" thing. A friend of mine that works for Fastrack riders told me on my first trackday to not use the rear brake, I gotta admit, it's a habit hard to get away from.
 
That sucks when people get hurt like that...

I was lucky and was educated on the short-commings of the rear brake quite early in my riding career. I will admit though that recently I have become very interested in developing the skills needed to use it properly.
 
Yes the can be dangerous. I have many close calls on both the Harley and the Busa. The back brake is good and i like to use it in town slowing down for stop lights. But that is it. Tires have a lot to do with it. I do not understand why the factory cannot fix this problem. It works off hydralic pressure, So why can't they hook up a gauge to see what pressure it is putting out and adjust it. I mean you can be going down the street lets say at 40 mph and just tap the rear brake and it will lock up. This is a very common problem with most bikes. I bet i could hook up a gauge in my line and check the pressure and make adjusments for it work a lot better. You have to do it on the bike because of all the componets. And every bike is different. ???
 
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