Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

That's why they put a front brake on it too.

Seriously, it's a simple matter of physics. First off, the rear only has one small disc, while the front has two large discs. More surface area, ie larger discs, give more resistance to the rotational inertia of the wheel and therefore more braking power. Another consideration is the fact that when you brake in any vehicle the weight of the vehicle is shifted forward because of momentum. Because of the wight shift to the front, the rear of the motorcycle becomes lighter, which not only decreases the rear brakes stopping power, but also allows the rear brake to lock up more easily.

Because of the weight shift it makes perfect sense to put the larger discs on the front to take advantage of the added traction of the front wheel while braking.

.... compaired to the front brakes , the back one does not do much on any bike.

I spared my front brakes last week, because I had to replace the brakepads, one brakepad was less than a nail thick, and used the rear more.
Yes, you can slow down.... but don't count on it to save your life.
Better invest in your frontbrakes.

Options are steel brakelines and other brakepads.
The steel lines are still on my wishlist now I've changed the brakepads yesterday.

I'm surprised to find these brakepads have such a bite, more than the stock ones.

Bought these :
http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 0394136721
Great brakepads for a third of the price of the stock ones.

I do use the front brake most of the time,but i was just checking out the back brake to see how powerfull it was and it only barely slowed down the bike.

The front brake is supposed to be stronger....most of your braking power should be from your front brake. You should definitely not be depending on your back brake to stop you in an emergency.

The back brake is more for stability, if it were any more powerful it would just lock the wheel and cause you to lose control as the rear wheel can't exert much braking force through the tire. You can use it gently in corners to alter your line slightly and settle the bike or during low speed riding (u turns etc).

I've been using my back brake for low speed manuevers, and under 10 mph when coming to a stop.

Yep, thats what it's there for. I have also heard of people using it gently when cornering to increase stability, but I dont ride in a way that requires that kind of skill.

Like everyone said ,the front brakes are to stop you ,the rear is just to stablise the bike.
After my advanced course ,I use 95% front brake 5% rear ,to slow down from speed ,OR no rear at all.
Once i'm under 20kph ,say pulling into a car park ,I let off the front fully and use revs and rear brake to do the slow maneuvers into a parking spot.

My rear brake it set to lock up at the very very very end if I press hard down ,I use some rear in corners more then I should ,but you can do it .
But the rear lever is soft and I know it won't lock up with light touchs .
Take a course to learn how to do it safely.

Agreed. Using the rear brake can safely bleed off enough speed before entering higher speed turns. I use this technique constantly in 80-90 MPH turns.

I do the exact same thing. Using front brake during slow speed manuevers especially during U-turns is asking for trouble.

Front brakes supply 70% of the stopping force for Motorcycles, while the Back Brake cover the other 30%.

It is always a good ideal to brake with both brakes when stopping or slowing down.

Good luck and happy riding man!

Sorry...I don't agree. Trail braking with just the rear is a proven way to stabilize the bike during turn-in for higher speed turns.

I will agree that it is always a good idea to use both brakes when stopping or slowing down in a straight line.

Not trying to be picky, but don't want to have folks trying to squeeze front and rear brakes in a turn.

Yah, that's how the law is stated in Indiana, that you're always supposed to use front and rear brakes. From experience, in the wet, I always apply the rear brake first and squeeze the front brake.