Breaking hard with the front brake

[thrasherfox]

Ok, as most of you know Mikey D and I tangled in tortilla flats, I attribute a majority of this to me not using proper braking techniques.

I talked to a friend of mine (who is manager of the parts department at a Suzuki dealership) and besides ordering me a new fairing piece, he gave me some advice on manipulating the front brake.

He as adjusted the front brake on his motorcycles so it is easy to squeeze, he basically uses 3 fingers on the throttle and keeps his index on the front brake lever, he said the front brake lever is adjusted so he can lock the front brake up just by squeezing it with one finger
.
He told me what he has always done with motorcycles to get used to them is to take the bike out and accelerate and slam the front brake, accelerate, slam the front brake.

He said he gets to the point where he feels comfortable locking and skidding on the front tire and chirping the front tire.

So with this in mind, it sounds like real good advice so I am thinking about taking my Busa out to a school parking lot when it is empty and doing just that, getting used to locking up the front brake. And maybe if I get good enough I will be able to do some of those cool "stoppies"

Ok, with that, anyone have any advice? Anyone think this is a good idea? Bad idea? Advice on the best way to accomplish mastering the stopping of the beast?

 

[orangebusa??]

i dont think id be doing to much skidding on the front tire that 40th color way too nice to keep scraping it off the ground its important to have a good feel for your breaks but skidding on the front tires pretty much out of control and as far as stoppies go there shouldnt be any locking up of the front tire and i wouldnt even try them with out a good warm front tire or again youll keep having a chance to get riding lessons from your dealer as youll be needing more plastic for your busa

 

[justintime2]

Be carefull...

 

[Revlis]

HOLY CRAP THIS IS LONG!!!!!

Hey Bro, The Front brake can and will provide 100% of your stopping power on a sport bike.  With modern sport bikes being as weight forward as they are as soon as you grab hold of the brakes your rear brake becomes mostly a device to cause smoke and drama, not really much for braking.

So to a point your friend is right, you really want to get used to your front providing 100% of your stopping power, Mostly because the rear simply isn't going to have enough weight on it to be very useful.   BUT, recommending you grab a fistful of brakes and repeatedly lock the front tire is a seriously bad idea.  Next time you see your bro tell him Rev said for you to practice on his bike first.  When you lock the front gravity rapidly takes over and will do it's best to pull you right into the ground. With a bike the size of the Busa it's a bit difficult to keep it up.  But it is a really good idea to find a big clean parking lot and practice.  You really do want to find out where the edge of grip is, you should find out where the limit is on the front, but try not to lock it up too much...I recommend setting yourself a braking point and using that each time so you have some way of measuring your progress.  Then hit it at about 20MPH or so and pretty much just ignore your rear completely.  Concentrate on using ALL the brake you can.  DO NOT just grab a fistful of brakes, you need to firmly but quickly increase the pressure on the lever until you are right at the edge of traction, just be ready to release the lever in hurry if you do lock it.  The reason you do not want to just SLAM the front on is that you have to give the weight of the bike time to transfer forward and really drive the front into the ground.  Without giving your bike that 1/2 a second or so to load that front it will lock pretty easy.  Try to time it so you go zero effort to hard braking in about one second, maybe a little less.  Keep your knees in tight against the tank to protect the jewels, and try not to lock your arms on the bar.  DON'T worry about doing endos or stoppies on the Busa, they aren't going to really happen unless you try.  

Anyway, hit your mark at 20 or so and get on the front HARD but SMOOTH, pay attention to where you stop, then go back and do it a few more times and see if you can reduce your distance, then increase your speed by 10 and do it again, repeat as needed up to about 60 MPH.  What you really want to do is practice like you ride, so try to stay consistent in what your doing.  Your Bro mentioned one finger braking, I am going to assume he DOES NOT ride a Busa,  The Busa IMO is a two finger braker at best, the front brakes provide all the power you need, but they are not really light touch brakes.  You want some tight ass strong brakes, check out the 03 GSXR1000, they are one finger affairs.   So I recommend getting used to riding with two fingers covering that brake whenever you’re in traffic or a situation where you might get surprised with something.  Covering your front with four fingers is prolly a bad idea cause if you face a panic stop situation, you are far more likely to lock that front in a hurry with four fingers than with two....

Also once you get comfortable with that front brake remember to stay in practice.  Just about every time I ride I practice emergency lane changes (FUN), quick swerving (FUN), and of course just once or twice I practice emergency braking.  It’s important to stay in tune with how things work when you really have to hurry.  That way when you need to stop NOW you will be able to without a lot of drama.

OK The disclaimer:  The above stuff works for me, your results may vary but I can honestly say that the only time I even really touch that rear brake is to hold me in place at an intersection, or stopped on a hill.   Remember that the above advice doesn’t apply in the same way if you are in dirt, or gravel, or in real slow turns in parking lots… Then the rear is still your best bet.  In water it’s still all about your front brake, just be smooth…  I have never really come close to hitting anything due to not being able to stop in time. (Knocking On Wood) But I have been rear ended by my Bro Russ once and almost tagged again by another buddy...  So yeah, I may not be the fastest thing out there but by god I can use them brakes...

On the streets you have got to get used to your front providing all of your real stopping ability.  Without the front, you’re just not stopping…  

 

[ghosthawk]

Also once you get comfortable with that front brake remember to stay in practice.  Just about every time I ride I practice emergency lane changes (FUN), quick swerving (FUN), and of course just once or twice I practice emergency braking.  It’s important to stay in tune with how things work when you really have to hurry.  That way when you need to stop NOW you will be able to without a lot of drama.

I do the same thing and would highly recommend it

 

[stkr00]

Just make sure you wear some GOOD protective clothing and a full-face helmet.

Rev pretty much summed up the rest.

Good Luck

 

[thrasherfox]

Rev - Awesome bro!! thank you very much for the advice... everything you mentioned seems like sound advice, thank you.. It is raining here and is supposed to continue through the weekend, hopefully next weekend I will have a chance to start practicing in some parking lots.

And thanks Gohsthawk and stkr00 for backing up Rev's comments.

Might as well practice before I put my replacement fairing on, would suck to dump it and damage a new fairing lol.

My wife was pretty ticked off last night when I cam back from Arizona, I did nto tell her about the minor accident until last night when I got back. Then I started to catch a ration of it.

I reminded her a few weeks ago before I even left, I told her she might as well get used to the idea that I am going to damage the bike, and I will repair it, and I will damage it, and I will repair it.

I told her my car is for transportation, my truck is for transportation, my Busa is for fun, as such I am going to push the envelope on occasion and I will always take the risk of dumping it.

I told her if she wants me to be safe and never wreck it I will just park it in the garage and never ride it.

After our discussion she told me she understands, so things are cool with her, I am getting the fairing replaced at a good price, not using insurance so I wont get dinged on that, and the money is not coming out of house incoming money, so not a whole lot she can complain about, and she kind of knows it.

I do however want to push the envelope, get used to the bike so I know what the limits are so hopefully in crunch time I wont get crunched..

Thanks again to everyone. I always take all comments and advice to heart...

 

[Revlis]

Just take it step by step, Push the envelope incrementally and you should be good to go...

 

[SHODA]

That is a good way to practice.Biggest recomendation i could give is to get Twist of the wrist.The book would recommend lock up practice as well as many other technics to add to this type of riding.Points of timing using reference points increasing decreasing cambers and so on.

 

[SHODA]

http://search.store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin....20wrist this is a good link



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[RaiderDm]

Just a reminder... There are only 2 times when your front brake provides
100% of your braking power. One is when you stop hard & quick enough to
actually Loft the rear tire off the ground. With a bike as long & heavy
as the Busa that takes some doing. The other time is when you DON'T even
bother using your rear brake. Which means you are throwing
away a fair portion of your braking potential.
Nobody (not even me) brakes hard
enough to lift the rear wheel on every stop. Not to mention that
sometimes you just want to slow down. That is when rear and/or both wheel
braking comes into it's own. This also leaves all of the front wheel
traction for turning/holding the bike up. All good riders become
proficent at modulating both front & rear brakes.
I usually toe the rear brake just a microsecond before I engage the front brake.

If you are going to follow that guys advice...
Install some sliders & bar protectors.



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[Ononewheel]

Revlis your response is awesome. And thrasher.... that advice your friend gave you avout skidding the front tire is some of the shittyest advice I have ever heard. Why not try going around bends in 2nd gear and dumping the clutch so you will be comfotable with a highside....LOL

Any who listen to Rev he's right. Use both brakes for riding around town, but at the track or when you are really hammerin on the twisties don't touch the back brake. You want to apply the front brake quickly and progressivley. If you just grab a fistfull no weight transfers and the front skids. You want to load the front tire as you squeeze into the brakes.

Wanna do stoppies? I personally have not been able to achieve one on the bus yet but here it goes. It's a good way to get the feel of your braking abilities and limits too.

Important tips
1. You should be in nuetral(why? it is a lot smoother and easier on your bike) trust me it's true, no big bang when it comes back down.
2. do not come to a complete stop with your tire in the air. You need that momentum to (safley)keep your balance on one tire.

Okay,
1.get goin about 50(for start any slower will be difficult, faster is well, not good)
2. click it in nuetral
3. lean forward, squeese the ca ca out of the tank with your knees
4.Progressively (gently) apply the front brake, light at first but get harder and harder as the weight shifts forward.
5. you will start to feel the rear lofting. don't expect it the first try, work up to it safely.
6. ease off the brake before you stop so you don't fall to the side(think about it. If you stand your bike ther in the driveway and let go, it will stand a short time and fall over. but rolling it will ghostride for miles)


Just remember, small increments, wear your gear, and be careful.

Panic stops are a whole nother deal, you are temted to grab brakes like a mad man, but fight it. Load that front end brother!!!!!

godd luck
Jeff

 

[IG.]

I second what Revlis said, and just wanted to add a few points.

I did lock the front momentarily on my Katana, in the wet, too, for the sole purpose of practicing, but it takes a lot of practice, very incremental steps. It's important to stay relaxed and listen to what the bike tells you. And go like, Hmm... OK, I see. You know what I mean?

Needless to say, binders on the 'Busa are much more powerful, and require much more finess in your right hand.

Actually, I would recommend practicing most traction related things in the wet. You loose and regain traction much smoother than in the dry. I managed to slide the front, slide the rear in the rain.

Using the rear - it has so little effect on braking that I think using it makes no sense. Try using only rear, and get an idea how little it helps. I tried couple of times - the bike almost does not slow down. Locked it once, and that's it. Rear is for extremely slippery conditions - oil, gravel, etc.

As to the front brake, here is I believe the reason it's so uneasy to manage. Kinetic energy of the bike is proportional to the square of speed. When you brake, the power of your grip wants to lock the front, while the kinetic energy of the bike wants to turn it. If at any point of time power of your front brake grip exceeds kinetic energy of the bike, the front locks. Simpe enough, right?

The problem is that as you brake, your speed decreases, and kinetic energy decreases even more (e.g. if speed decreased twice, kinetic energy decreased 4 times). So, the grip which was OK just seconds ago, would now lock the front if you don't release some grip.

Since braking is a developed reflex, we play it safe and do not apply enough braking power at first. On top of that, we do not release our grip as the speed decreases.

Considering all that, the ideal scenario for most efficent (quick) and safe (no locking of the front) braking would be this.

First, spend 0.5 - 1.0 sec to load the front suspension - apply brakes and start squeezing them progressively.

Then, don't be afraid to reach real hard braking.

Then, as your speed decreases, keep loosening your grip, so that right before the stop you have much lighter grip on the brake lever than when you started.

So, to summarize, start easy, load to maximum, and then go on sliding scale.

BTW, using this technique, I could outbrake many other riders on the track.

Oh, another important point - clamp the bike with your knees, but relax the rest of the body, and stay low. Do not ever put your weight on the handlebars. The latter would put more weight on the front, thus overloading it and make it less stable and more likely to lock the front, would make you tense up on the bike, and not feel the feedback, and finally it would make the bike more prone to stoppies.

 

[thrasherfox]

Well I did it today, took the Busa out in the street in front of my house and played with the brake a little, then adjusted the front brake lever and took it to the school parking lot..

Allot more comfortable braking hard with the front. I was able to get the front to lock up and skid, I did like others mentioned, I loaded the brake slowly at first then after the weight transitioned forward I clamped down hard.

I am now able to use just my index finger to stop the bike.

I however am doing well and can stop it real quick and in a short distance. I pretty much gave it all I got, back tire NEVER came off the ground. I do weigh 225 pounds which might be a big part of it (yeah for my weight lol).

I have noticed that with my weight, I can pretty much accelerate pretty quickly and I don’t worry much about the front coming up either.

Anyway, just wanted to give an update, good practice day today, got some rubber off the front, getting it down to a real short stopping distance from 50mph and never came close to dropping the bike….

A good day I would say..



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[scooterlord]

well, since this is becoming an issue, i thought i'd share my experience with you. every bike i had i've ridden it to its limits.. (hmm, bike's limits are limitless, but you know what i mean)... since pushing it to its limits well, i have to stop the thing, so here goes what i've been doing all this time.

first of all i agree with the ones that said they should try locking up their brakes. when you are out to specifically test your brakes, you are FOCUSED on braking, so, you are prepared for a brake lockup and you will be able to avoid it. i think that everyone should know his/her bike's limitations, so when in a difficult situation he may be given the chance in that split-second of the accident coming (oh, dear god!) to wisely decide which action would be best, aka either drop the bike or try stopping it. well, i'd never even think of dropping it, although it would be 'safer'.. but that's just me.

rear brake, may feel like it's not doing anything but it does. first of all i always use it while stopping in the city. it gives you the extra help you need to stop when reaching zero speed by not 'eating' your front pads with hard braking. i also use it in difficult situations, when i feel like the front brake alone won't help (very raaaaare situations). but if i were to use the rear brake in one situation i would do that in the TWISTIES! i am amazed that people don't know this!

when you are leaning and are in need to brake, you can either use front brake, rear brake or both. when leaning and going really fast though (250+) there is not much space for errors there. the front brake while leaning gives the bike the tendency to RISE, lose it's line and go straight, while the rear brake gives the bike the tendency to LOWER and get more into it's line. i'll try to share personal experience with numbers so that you get the feeling. eg, you get into a corner faster than you can handle and that's why the bend is tighter than you expected. you NEVER use the front brake in such a situation. most likely you'll get to the opposite direction or even worse, get out of the road. in speeds like 250+ when leaning, even a small touch will get the bike straight so fast, you won't even have the chance to realize it. the rear brake in this situation will not slow you down, but help you correct your line in the corner. the rear brake kinda locks up in the haya, so you also have to be careful with it.

as for the rain. don't know about you guys, but i always felt safe when in the rain. thus, i have tried pushing the front brake as hard as it takes while riding with 200km in rain (with my cbr, not the haya). result. feels ALMOST the same as with the dry road. i mean the braking power. it needs some technique to be able to leave the brake when you feel the front locks-up and immediately push it back again. some people may find this crazy, but thought i'd also share for the ones afraid to try it. i always go fast while in rain, cause i find myself capable of stopping it.

which reminds me. you have to be prepared to leave the front brake when you feel the front losing tractions and getting hold of it immediately afterwards. feels kinda emulating ABS. this needs practise. i would recommend people trying it, but even if you don't PLEASE keep this in mind when you find yourself in a situation you feel your bike is not stopping. push hard-let go-push again hard-let go-so on.... it works, trust me on this one. can be very useful when your front loses traction after braking on a wheelie on a panic situation. if you step on the front brake in case of panic before the wheel touches the ground, as soon as it does touch the ground it locks banging the clipons and front brake is not working... felt it a couple of times and saved it this way. using this way, gives the bike the strength of full braking and the safety of not locking it.

one last thing. the bike doesn't only stop using it's brakes. it slows down also by lowering gears. never touch the clutch when braking hard but try lowering as many gears as the rev allow you to.

one typical hard brake of mine when doing 250+ and a dog appears would be:

leave gas
hit front brake hard once and let go
lower gear
hit front brake-let go-hit it-let go-hit it-let go......
use rear brake if there bike is going a LOT faster than expected.. better using something than nothing

 

[LCW]

Practice using BOTH brakes at the same time. They're on seperate controls, but that doesn't mean only use one. Few situations require the use of only one of the brakes.

If you insist on practicing locking the front wheel, make damn sure you're travelling straight, or like Rev said, gravity will take you right on down.

 

[Tiresmoke]

I however am doing well and can stop it real quick and in a short distance. I pretty much gave it all I got, back tire NEVER came off the ground. I do weigh 225 pounds which might be a big part of it (yeah for my weight lol).

I have noticed that with my weight, I can pretty much accelerate pretty quickly and I don’t worry much about the front coming up either.

Might have less to do with your weight and more to do with the weight distribution along with the wheelbase and a few other factors. For example, when I ride a buddy's YZF600R, you need to really concentration on wheelie-ing. With a passenger on the back, however, the front end gets light even tho the weight on the bike is vastly increased.

 

[Revlis]

Well I did it today, took the Busa out in the street in front of my house and played with the brake a little, then adjusted the front brake lever and took it to the school parking lot..

Allot more comfortable braking hard with the front. I was able to get the front to lock up and skid, I did like others mentioned, I loaded the brake slowly at first then after the weight transitioned forward I clamped down hard.

I am now able to use just my index finger to stop the bike.

I however am doing well and can stop it real quick and in a short distance. I pretty much gave it all I got, back tire NEVER came off the ground. I do weigh 225 pounds which might be a big part of it (yeah for my weight lol).

I have noticed that with my weight, I can pretty much accelerate pretty quickly and I don’t worry much about the front coming up either.

Anyway, just wanted to give an update, good practice day today, got some rubber off the front, getting it down to a real short stopping distance from 50mph and never came close to dropping the bike….

A good day I would say..

Well That and the Busa is a LOOOONG Beeeyotch!!! It's not all that prone to hoist the rear up unless you are trying, but it does get just about weightless...

 

[Revlis]

well, since this is becoming an issue, i thought i'd share my experience with you. every bike i had i've ridden it to its limits.. (hmm, bike's limits are limitless, but you know what i mean)... since pushing it to its limits well, i have to stop the thing, so here goes what i've been doing all this time.

first of all i agree with the ones that said they should try locking up their brakes. when you are out to specifically test your brakes, you are FOCUSED on braking, so, you are prepared for a brake lockup and you will be able to avoid it. i think that everyone should know his/her bike's limitations, so when in a difficult situation he may be given the chance in that split-second of the accident coming (oh, dear god!) to wisely decide which action would be best, aka either drop the bike or try stopping it. well, i'd never even think of dropping it, although it would be 'safer'.. but that's just me.

rear brake, may feel like it's not doing anything but it does. first of all i always use it while stopping in the city. it gives you the extra help you need to stop when reaching zero speed by not 'eating' your front pads with hard braking. i also use it in difficult situations, when i feel like the front brake alone won't help (very raaaaare situations). but if i were to use the rear brake in one situation i would do that in the TWISTIES!   i am amazed that people don't know this!

when you are leaning and are in need to brake, you can either use front brake, rear brake or both. when leaning and going really fast though (250+) there is not much space for errors there. the front brake while leaning gives the bike the tendency to RISE, lose it's line and go straight, while the rear brake gives the bike the tendency to LOWER and get more into it's line. i'll try to share personal experience with numbers so that you get the feeling. eg, you get into a corner faster than you can handle and that's why the bend is tighter than you expected. you NEVER use the front brake in such a situation. most likely you'll get to the opposite direction or even worse, get out of the road. in speeds like 250+ when leaning, even a small touch will get the bike straight so fast, you won't even have the chance to realize it. the rear brake in this situation will not slow you down, but help you correct your line in the corner. the rear brake kinda locks up in the haya, so you also have to be careful with it.

as for the rain. don't know about you guys, but i always felt safe when in the rain. thus, i have tried pushing the front brake as hard as it takes while riding with 200km in rain (with my cbr, not the haya). result. feels ALMOST the same as with the dry road. i mean the braking power. it needs some technique to be able to leave the brake when you feel the front locks-up and immediately push it back again. some people may find this crazy, but thought i'd also share for the ones afraid to try it. i always go fast while in rain, cause i find myself capable of stopping it.

which reminds me. you have to be prepared to leave the front brake when you feel the front losing tractions and getting hold of it immediately afterwards. feels kinda emulating ABS. this needs practise. i would recommend people trying it, but even if you don't PLEASE keep this in mind when you find yourself in a situation you feel your bike is not stopping. push hard-let go-push again hard-let go-so on.... it works, trust me on this one. can be very useful when your front loses traction after braking on a wheelie on a panic situation. if you step on the front brake in case of panic before the wheel touches the ground, as soon as it does touch the ground it locks banging the clipons and front brake is not working... felt it a couple of times and saved it this way. using this way, gives the bike the strength of full braking and the safety of not locking it.

one last thing. the bike doesn't only stop using it's brakes. it slows down also by lowering gears. never touch the clutch when braking hard but try lowering as many gears as the rev allow you to.

one typical hard brake of mine when doing 250+ and a dog appears would be:

leave gas
hit front brake hard once and let go
lower gear
hit front brake-let go-hit it-let go-hit it-let go......
use rear brake if there bike is going a LOT faster than expected.. better using something than nothing

Hey Scooter, Well said. I agree for the most part, especially in regards to braking in corners, Trail braking if you will. I was avoiding the topic for the most part because it's a practice to be avoided if possible and does require a certain level of "Being in Tune" with your tires and available grip.

What seems to happen out there with a lot of riders, I mean A LOT, especially here in Florida is that folks come right off a dirt bike or Bicycle, climb onto a litre bike and go for it. Combine this with the old school belief "Front Brake is Dangerous" a lot of us got from our fathers, friends or whomever and you get a bunch of folks out there on their sport bikes and Harleys seriously under utilizing their front brakes. It's part of the MSF course but there is a large numbr of riders who haven't taken that either. So I was trying to just get folks to at least try and trust the fronts.

I am just not sure that a detailed description of trail braking techniques won't just confuse the matter. As you mentioned though, leaned over in a corner and using the rear to bleed off speed/tighten your line is something that is done, but in a panic situation, folks that have that rear brake covered as their safety net are very likely going to land on their heads and not even begin to make the corner as they panic and punch the rear because that is all they know... The junk yards over here are thick with bikes that could have made the corner had the rider just tried. So for the most part, I would like to see folks get their foot the hell off the rear entirely while cornering on the streets....

I am not an expert, but I do know what I see out there on the roads. Guys on GSXR 750's laying down 50 yrds of rear tire skid mark as they plow into the car that pulled out in their lane... Just a lot of folks out here who do not know what the front is for...

OH YEAH... Regarding Practicing locking the front... What I was getting at is to try it from LOW speeds first, and be ready to let off just like Scooter and others have mentioned. It is a good idea to get a feel for where that lock-up point is but under carefully chosen conditions... and not too damn fast... A locked front really will dump you on your head... But it is pretty damn hard to lock in the first place.

 

[jonhpt2001]

HOLY CRAP THIS IS LONG!!!!!

Hey Bro, The Front brake can and will provide 100% of your stopping power on a sport bike.  With modern sport bikes being as weight forward as they are as soon as you grab hold of the brakes your rear brake becomes mostly a device to cause smoke and drama, not really much for braking.

So to a point your friend is right, you really want to get used to your front providing 100% of your stopping power, Mostly because the rear simply isn't going to have enough weight on it to be very useful.   BUT, recommending you grab a fistful of brakes and repeatedly lock the front tire is a seriously bad idea.  Next time you see your bro tell him Rev said for you to practice on his bike first.  When you lock the front gravity rapidly takes over and will do it's best to pull you right into the ground. With a bike the size of the Busa it's a bit difficult to keep it up.  But it is a really good idea to find a big clean parking lot and practice.  You really do want to find out where the edge of grip is, you should find out where the limit is on the front, but try not to lock it up too much...I recommend setting yourself a braking point and using that each time so you have some way of measuring your progress.  Then hit it at about 20MPH or so and pretty much just ignore your rear completely.  Concentrate on using ALL the brake you can.  DO NOT just grab a fistful of brakes, you need to firmly but quickly increase the pressure on the lever until you are right at the edge of traction, just be ready to release the lever in hurry if you do lock it.  The reason you do not want to just SLAM the front on is that you have to give the weight of the bike time to transfer forward and really drive the front into the ground.  Without giving your bike that 1/2 a second or so to load that front it will lock pretty easy.  Try to time it so you go zero effort to hard braking in about one second, maybe a little less.  Keep your knees in tight against the tank to protect the jewels, and try not to lock your arms on the bar.  DON'T worry about doing endos or stoppies on the Busa, they aren't going to really happen unless you try.  

Anyway, hit your mark at 20 or so and get on the front HARD but SMOOTH, pay attention to where you stop, then go back and do it a few more times and see if you can reduce your distance, then increase your speed by 10 and do it again, repeat as needed up to about 60 MPH.  What you really want to do is practice like you ride, so try to stay consistent in what your doing.  Your Bro mentioned one finger braking, I am going to assume he DOES NOT ride a Busa,  The Busa IMO is a two finger braker at best, the front brakes provide all the power you need, but they are not really light touch brakes.  You want some tight ass strong brakes, check out the 03 GSXR1000, they are one finger affairs.   So I recommend getting used to riding with two fingers covering that brake whenever you’re in traffic or a situation where you might get surprised with something.  Covering your front with four fingers is prolly a bad idea cause if you face a panic stop situation, you are far more likely to lock that front in a hurry with four fingers than with two....

Also once you get comfortable with that front brake remember to stay in practice.  Just about every time I ride I practice emergency lane changes (FUN), quick swerving (FUN), and of course just once or twice I practice emergency braking.  It’s important to stay in tune with how things work when you really have to hurry.  That way when you need to stop NOW you will be able to without a lot of drama.

OK The disclaimer:  The above stuff works for me, your results may vary but I can honestly say that the only time I even really touch that rear brake is to hold me in place at an intersection, or stopped on a hill.   Remember that the above advice doesn’t apply in the same way if you are in dirt, or gravel, or in real slow turns in parking lots… Then the rear is still your best bet.  In water it’s still all about your front brake, just be smooth…  I have never really come close to hitting anything due to not being able to stop in time. (Knocking On Wood) But I have been rear ended by my Bro Russ once and almost tagged again by another buddy...  So yeah, I may not be the fastest thing out there but by god I can use them brakes...

On the streets you have got to get used to your front providing all of your real stopping ability.  Without the front, you’re just not stopping…  

Great advice...Motorcycle basics 101...I've rode for years and never had to lock up my breaks front or back...smooth stops either quick or relaxed is the way to go...good post