I'll tap it accelarating over a hump, or if I screw up and go in the grass, but that's it. Hardly ever though.
I use it from time to time... Great for scaring the crap outta your friends in the pits ...... Sreeeeeeeeeeeeeech! The Zuma has an awesome rear brake. I think K3 will tell you that the main road at Mid-Ohio is NOT the appropriate place to use a rear brake on your scooter... :shock: Seriously, I'll use the rear brake to settle the rear at Grattan on the face of the hump. I use it between N1 and N2 at Autobahn and I use it at Mid-Ohio in a couple of spots... same at Road America. I have it adjusted so I have to press VERY hard to lock up the rear.
More at Road America than anywhere else . Because the speeds are bigger . and braking zones are on the straights . Always use the rear brake with a passenger. It cancells out the dive effect on the forks . Gratten ,gingerman ...never Im gonna try the brake on the hump at Gratten thing though .
Usually only in downhill corner entrys and not always then. It can help hold the back wheel down in some situations.
The rear brake on my Mille barely even works. :lol: There are a few places where some properly applied rear brake helps, but in general I think it's more likely to get me into trouble than help me. Will be interesting to see if I'll have to change my approach when I finally get to start riding the little KTM/NSR.
Sometimes I use mine sometimes. Although the rear brakes on the Mille very rarely see any contact with the rotor. Coming down the back straight hill @ Road Atl is one place that comes to mind. You go from about 150-160 to about 60-70 real quick. No choice in that spot on the track. You break so hard there it feels like your eyes are going to pop out of your head. I might use them some times @ other tracks if I get into a jam, but that means I need to slow up a little a think about the situation. Sometimes I get to big for my britches. Can't ride like Hayden yet. Maybe next year............ :lol:
That's the one hill I definitely use it at!!! :shock: Man you can really pull the front wheel up if you aren't careful. :lol: I also think I'm going to start using my rear at the end of VERY long straights. I had a guy tell me not to once and I wondered why. If you are using two brakes and you are already straight up and down why not. Just don't ride it in the turn. I was wondering if I should do that and now I know that will use it at the end of long straights again now.
once you start using really sticky tires the rear tires doesnt break loose as much... its still easy to lock it up but every little bit helps
Hell, I hardly use the front. I am getting more confidence in my riding and this year I hope to use more brake and gears.
Didn't we already do the 'rear brake' discussion thread as part of the marathon thread starting somewhere on page 12 or so... http://www.sttforum.com/sttforum/viewtopic.php?t=1105&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=180
I use mine a lot from settling the suspension before high speed corners to adding a little more engine type braking. Its an old habit from motocross I guess.
I found a use for it Monday and Tuesday. Just as I come to the jump/ramp under the Sentry Insurance/Onieda Casino Bridge on the main straight at RA. It keeps the motorcycle from launching so high in to the air. Just a quick tap as I pass over it.