Trail Braking

Yes it’s something I do but I have had advanced training in both cars and bikes. It’s not done to such a degree on the road on bikes as it is in racing, but I bet if you analysed your riding you would find you do it to a small extent. Racers do it all on the front brake because it squashes the tyre into the road increasing its contact area thus improving grip levels but that’s not a technique that should be employed on the road. Racing bikes are set up for full lean grip but road bikes have to compromise and spend most of their time upright anyway. Use both brakes as you slow for the corner, gradually releasing the brakes as you lean more, don’t just let them off quickly or this will cause the suspension to unload and the bike will bounce and become unstable leading to it possibly running wide and not tracking the turn as you expected. Remember, the rear brake is your best friend if you find yourself going too quick for a corner, a bit of rear brake will slow the bike and keep it online, the front brake will make the bike stand up and run wide.

 

Yes I do it quite a bit, my front tyres always wear out half way from middle of tyrer to full lean. I just naturally brake into corners.
It keeps the geometry good for tight steering . Some bikes
will sit up and need forceful counter steering but my speedie seems really well balanced. I do a few track days a year and find it good for control. Its amazing just how much grip there is - if you imaging the load doing a "stoppy" I guess that proves how much grip. Obviously I would only do this in conditions of favorable grip! Best thing to do is try it very gently and work up to what you feel is comfortable for you personally.

 

The important thing to remember is that the road is not a race track. The surface is rougher, bumpier and more contaminated with grease and grit. You don’t know which truck unloaded at the apex 20 mins earlier.
So, we ALL trail brake to some degree. Judgement, anticipation and skill allow you to ‘make progress’ with an appreciable margin of safety. Face planting is bad enough but on a left hander it throws you into oncoming traffic. Worth remembering.....just as the camber on a right hander is against you as you contemplate that dry stane dyke!

 

Trail braking the rear is a good thing to get a handle on for turning into corners/hairpins that are tighter than you think

 

Not something i have ever done nor want to, but may be suited to some of the geometry of more modern sport bikes which i am likely never to ride anyway, still not something i would want to try on greasy city roads or the uneven surfaces on a lot of roads.

 

Yep like many have said before I use trail braking on the back break.
Wessa

 

Yep, trail brake all the time. Only in the dry, when I'm happy and confident of the road surface ahead

I honestly believe, the theory about making the bike sit up is in the mind and not in practice. You get told by everyone it happens, so it happens.

If I do overcook it into a corner, I just keep that front brake on, light modulated pressure, and keep pushing the inside bar. I even repeat it to myself "push, push,push". Works for me.

Your tyre can grip way more than you think it will, even lent over. Go do a track day, see the instructors passing you by easily and you think your on the edge of the grip available, your not. In an emergency, use it. Better than sitting the bike up before braking and riding straight off the road.

So I would say yes, go practice, if your comfy , do it. And in an emergency, you'll be happy to trust the tyre, rather than believe you will stand the bike up.

 

Use rear brake all the time

 

Did on the America, had to, to stop it. Great to help round corners too.

Never touch it on the Tuono, cos it doesn't work !!!, great bit of Italian design, fluid gets cooked by the exhaust

 

Try to get all my front brake braking out of the way before the corner. Slow in Fast out. Use rear brake all the time to scrub off speed as corner tightens, helps with the turn in. Agree with the tight hairpin scenario, it was the only way I could get my fully laden Hayabusa round the hairpins on the Route Napoleon

 

I'd like to offer a few thoughts on Billy's question.

Speed reduction is what we're talking about right? Specifically entering and during cornering?

What we should be advising has nothing whatever to do with what happens on the racetracks around the world - absolutely nothing, It's a different world with different rules/laws/practices.

Riding on the road is all about being at the right speed, at the right time. This is mostly achieved by lots of attention, studying road conditions, careful applications of the throttle - no touching of any brakes AT ALL.

If you have to apply any braking force to your bike whilst going through a corner, you've done it wrong.

Now, if you've mucked up and you need to apply braking, which should you use, front, front & rear or rear?

The answer to this question can be found in an understanding how brakes work, on a bike. Front brake(s) on average bikes provide 75% of total braking with the rear providing, on average, 25%.

So, we're going through a corner too fast, should we use any brakes? Can we reduce enough speed by just reducing power? If not, front or rear? Well how much speed to we need to shave? A lot? Or LOADS? If it's just "a lot" then we could 'trail' the back brake. Just be careful to not dump too much boot on that back pedal or you'll lock the back wheel and you'll be on your arse in nano seconds.

If you need to lose LOADS, you're in deep shit and you grab all, lose the bike and you're in hospital !

Honestly there really is no better way of surviving on the roads than plenty of observation/analysis and smooth progression.

Right I'll go back in me cupboard under the stairs, until springtime.........

 

Totally agree with all of the above. But you & I & prob everyone else knows that in the real world riding into a bend will more than likely result in some kind of braking prior or during that bend. I do set myself targets on ride outs to be in the correct gear & use engine braking as much as possible when entering corners but yes the perfect line is illusive on many occasions resulting in the need to tap the rear brake to assist. Just sayin

 

According to IAM you shouldn't use engine braking !!!

Lots of schools of thought on this topic.

You should get all your braking done in a straight line, but sometimes you do need to scrub that bit more off. Trail braking is an effective way of doing that. It loads up the front suspension and pushes that tyre in and the bike around the bend.

Can't say I use it every bend, but being proficient in the use of, can only be a good thing. Just an extra piece in your toolkit, ready to be used as and when necessary.

 

Regularly trail brake front or back brake but it does depend on the weather and road conditions.

 

Follow the old advice of slow in, fast out, brake in a straight line and be in the right gear and you wont go far wrong. Trailing the rear brake gently on some corners is a useful thing to remember and works well.