This post is so old. Wonder how is he getting on now? First. Lock yourself on the bike using you legs not hands. Second. Don't use back brake unless you must for emergency braking and even then most luckly you'll lock it. Don't seat on the tank, move away from it. As said before, relax your elbows and hands. Just every now and then think what you are doing while riding. Your legs should get tired not your hands. If after 15 minutes your legs tired and hands are still ok it means you are doing a good job. Especially under hard braking its important to keep your hands relaxed to prevent locking up the front or loosing it all together. Cheers.

 

One more. Go and do California Super Bike School. They'll teach you how to ride fast, safe, with a good understanding how manage the bike. I'm doing level II next month and i just can't wait for it. Cheers

 

why do you say not to use the back brake, I use mine quite a lot and have never locked it up. I think if the back brake is used properly it can be very useful.

 

Ditto, I have to try my damndest to lock my rear up. Using the rear brake correctly aides in reducing stopping distances drastically, its been proven, why tell someone never to use it?

 

i was kinda like that when i first started riding. when i was 14, my dad bought a FZ6 and he took me up to our churches parkin lot and i rode it around almost every week. so i had alot of seat time before i ever got on to the street. and ive always ridden dirtbikes too so im used to goin really fast on tight narrow trails. i have just started to start ridin on the street and it gets a lil scary when youre in traffic thats doin 60mph but you get used to it pretty quick. just take your time and get used to ridin at your own pace. luckly my ridin buddiesare my dadand 2 uncles so they take it slower when im withthem.

 

I use my rear brake all the time and in EMERGENCY stopping 100% of the stopping power is in the front brake because the back will be off the ground. At least for our sportbikes it will be.

I've never locked my rear brake up.

Oh yeah, If you're riding in a group, dont pay attention to the other people and / or do stupid stuff because you want to show off. I almost lost it once because I was looking back at a friend rather than watching where I was going (very stupid, I know)

 

+1.......if you are actually braking HARD.........the back tire is off the ground and if it's not OFF the ground it will be so light that it wont do any good anyway. It will make it very easy to lock it up. It is cool to use when you want to back it into a corner, but for stopping hard it's not going to do a LOT of good. At the track I only use the rear brake to scrub speed mid corner (ONLY if absolutely necessary) or to back it into a corner a little. Other wise I stay off of it, it will only upset the chassis when the tire starts sliding around because it's locking up.

If you brake hard on your bike and you aren't lightening the rear end.......buy some new pads for the front.

 

How often do you do emergency stops???? I have never had to perform one (touch wood). I think alot depends on where you are putting your body weight whilst braking, I have never had the back wheel off from braking too hard(I have lockedthe front wheelup though), if you use the back brake then it reduces the amount of force you have to apply to the front brake. I agree that if you carry too much speed into a corner the back brake is the only option, if you touch the front you will truly upset the bike.
I think that if you know how and when to use your back brake it can only make you a better rider, like at low speeds say bellow 15mph I will mainly use my back brake coz if you use the front the bike will dive and be less controlable, using the back brake gives you better control at low speeds.

 

+1 tried and true

 

anybody recommend any exercises or workouts to help with endurance?