Hmm, I didn't realize that was what "trail braking" was. I knew that's what you did at GP level to tighten the turn but didn't realize what it was called.

And Carl, I do use the rear brake, rather lightly, now. But I am still concerned I'll over brake with it in an emergency.

Not the end of the world but it is distracting when your back end starts coming up alongside you as you try to avoid driving into the side of mrs-ole-lady as she turns left in front of you into her driveway while mr-ole-man waves sweetly at her that she's safe, never mind the lunatic driving a motey-cyco on the road dearie, that's his look-out. Although, come to think of it, that does get you turned in a good direction to hit the gas and rocket off around the old witch. Hmm, more food for thought.

 

Thanks Guys for all the answers , especially DragonCBR , some good stuff there!!

Lack of experience probably finds me going into corners too slow if anything , but when I'm not happy with something I just keep bangin' at it . The local roundabouts are taking a hammerin' at the moment!!

As for locking up the rear , it was completely my fault , going too fast , no harm done but still need to get into the habit of using the front more , strange feeling when the rear end steps out of line!!

 

Denver is at the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains. Lots of steep, twisty roads just to the west. Going up the canyons and mountains is great fun with several wide open throttles. Coming downhill is a completely different story.

I put the front and rear brakes on before entering the curve. But if I let off the brakes just before or during the curve, the front end will rise upsetting the bikes geometry. Gravity will also accelerate the bike if I let off the brakes. So I keep both the front and rear brakes on through most of the curve. This will protect me if the road tightens up since I can use more brakes since they are already on. If it's a blind curve and there is a deer, or a stopped car, or sand, I can easily apply more pressure. If the road straightens out, I can give it gas and the front can rise without worry of upsetting the line since the bike is going straight. It does take practice, but looks and feels very smooth.

By the way, I took a Total Control motorcycle class, taught by Lee Parks. He also has a good book out called Total Control.

 

I agree with everything said above. The weight transfer to the front, under braking and the light rear grip causes rear wheel lock up. If only the rear brake is used you will find yourself skidding more that you would like.

The proper way to corner is to head into the turn and get rid of as much speed that you need to before laying the bike into the turn. This means front and rear brake while the bike is still upright. Slowly releasing the front with the rear on lightly and the bike drops into the turn. When the apex of the turn is reached the rear, if still on is released and the throttle is opened. The bike becomes upright as the rear wheel driver the back of the bike outward pushing the bike to the outside line.

On a left hand turn you enter the turn from the far right side of the lane, to the apex near the centerline and back out to the far right side of the lane.

A car enters a turn fast with brakes on and comes out slow. A bike enters a turn slow and comes out fast. The reason the bike enters slowly is due to the fact that the line changes under braking and you have to do the heavy braking when the bike is still upright.

The bottom lie is that all of you braking should be done before you reach the apex.
The only way that you can go the fastest in a turn is to practice the turn. Keep going faster into the turn and knowing how mush speed to carry as to get the most lean from the proper line. You also have to know the turn and learn where the leaves, sand and bumps are.

As to answer the question of whether the front brake is used in a turn or not is answered by your need for braking. If the turn tightens up as you are at the apex, you may need to apply light pressure on both front and rear brakes. Heavy front braking will bring the bike up and out of the line. I de-liked because in this case I use light rear and then if needed light front braking to keep my line while loosing spend.

The main thing here is don’t go faster than what the bike can handle and don’t ride faster than you ability and knowledge of the turn.

 

The PACE FTMFW!!!!
Been practicing it, since I read the article a few years ago.

*kind of funny true story, I was riding with 2 friends new to biking. We started our ride(Texas back roads) and when we finaly came to a stop, one of them reported me the most strange thing, that my brake lights sometimes only worked on straight line, but not on corners.
I sent him the link to the PACE.

 

And there is one thing you ave to remember wth the cbr1000f, it doesn't like tobe tossed in a corner or being a bit brutal in your input, the smotther you are the better she will respond. i learned this on route 347 in the Laurentians, lots of twisties there and the more i was pushing the harsher she got, and when i changed to smooth that is when she started going really fast.

 

simple, dont grab a handfull of leaver in a bend but 'touching it' is fine, many moons ago when i did my part one bike test it was never mentioned at all.. only dont grab it!!!!
j

 

Did mine as a 'direct access' course last summer , but they certainly put us all off the front brake!

But having said that they got me through , from having only ever messed about on a mates GS750 for an afternoon 20 years before , to passing my full license in just 5 days , including CBT!! But I'm the first to realise they can teach me to pass the test , but they can't teach experience , for which there is no substitute!! I'm now starting to learn how to ride , which is why I'm out every chance I get and why the roundabouts get such a caning

The focus during the course was safety , not riding technique , they touched on counter steering but that was about it . Of course you need to learn to walk before you can run and their main concern I suppose is that some 18 year old kid doesn't get wiped out by a car the day after he passes his test 'cos he didn't do a 'life saver'!(or some 49 year old kid in my case). The skills can be learnt later , along with the experience , but you need to be alive to learn them !!

 

I use both brakes deep into corners. But as i get closer and closer to the apex the amount of braking I am using is reducing.

 

I've found that using the front brake in a corner will cause the bike to "stand up"
and the rear will cause it to "lean over" more in the direction you're leaning at the time.
Trail braking does give a tighter turning radius when you compress the front end, but don't try it IN the corner - you'll end up in hospital, as has been mentioned. Using both brakes on a 1000F is a necessary and learned skill, if you want the bike to stop REALLY fast. My rear brake locks up easily, as they all do, and more especially when the front is "diving" under front brakes and the rear gets lighter. I've never stoppied my bike using the front brake either, no matter how hard I pull it. They are heavy girls, our old ladies !