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Excellent write up and well done on the pass. What bike are you getting?

Got myself a 2010 sv650s. Black fully faired. Can't wait to ride it but got to wait till tomorrow for the tax haha

I am sure many people starting out will find this comprehensive write up useful. I'd just query the none use of the rear brake for an emergency stop. The front brake in the dry does upwards of 70% of the braking but proper application of the rear both adds stability and slows you quicker. If the rear brake is applied properly it prevents all the weight being thrown forwards.

In the wet the rear brake should be used with a bit more pressure to prevent the front end locking up and sliding from under you. If the rear locks it's easier to control and ease off of the pressure?

Linked ABS systems apply both brakes in an emergency situation.

As above, it's easy to wash out front wheel, YouTube will show you that, rear brake is a small percentage of braking but in an emergency it may help make the difference, lots of folk don't use the rear, I'm not one of them.

Congrats on the pass

That's a really good, useful and detailed write-up you've give there - I'm sure it will benefit those who are about to sit their Mod1/2.

One thing I would pick up on though, and I hope that people read this far down, is that you shouldn't do a emergency stop with just your front brake. If you do this, you're not only reducing your stopping power but it puts you in danger. Locking up the front means no steering when you finally get to a speed where you could potentially manoeuvre out of danger; and having to let go then re-apply the brake just increases your stopping distance.

Fair enough, the weight does shift forward but unless you're trying to do a stoppie, the back wheel will always have some braking force to add. Your distribution on the brakes should be about 80:20 - technique should be immediately off the throttle, pull the front brake and then gently on the rear so you don't lock it up, once both brakes are applied then progressively increase the pressure on the controls and pull the clutch in just before you reach the stall point.

Even at high speed, the rear wheel will be carry about 10% of the braking force - don't believe me? Try it, pick a quite car park with a big straight and use some markers to test your start and end points; try braking with just the front, just the rear and then both. See how much of difference it can make using both brakes.

I have not read the original post, as it is long and not aimed at me, but kingmunky picked up on something important. The following is very bad advice.

Emergency Stop

I would recommend you do not use the rear brake at all during this! There is no point, common sense says if your braking hard on the front brake, all the weight shifts to the front of the bike, therefore applying more weight to that front wheel and therefore giving the front wheel more braking grip. Because all that weight is now on the front and there is hardly any weight on the back wheel, that is going to cause it to skid due to not having any weight over it. You've just risked a fail for no reason. The front brake is more than capable of stopping you better than the back brake.

You are in a test centre on a school bike, not a sports bike on a track with the rear wheel off the ground as you brake. Putting aside that common sense should say that both brakes will be better than just the front one, even if the front one is far more important, and putting aside that science says that both brakes together are better than just the front one, and even putting aside that use of the rear brake is all the more important in the wet, it also simply risks you failing the test.

The official DVSA guidance to examiners says:

The examiner should stand in a safe position near the controlled stopping box where they can observe correct use of both brakes. As soon as the front wheel has passed the speed measuring device the examiner should give the signal to stop with their right arm. Both brakes should be used effectively, however late or no use of the rear brake could be assessed as a rider fault if the machine stops quickly and under control. Very late or ineffective use of the front brake is not acceptable even if the machine is fitted with linked brakes.

Failure to use the rear brake can be a fault at best. If the examiner thinks you have not stopped as quickly as you should — and, again, you will take longer to stop if you do not use the rear brake — then it will be a fail and the test will immediately end. And as you cannot have two faults on the same exercise, if you were not fast enough through the speed trap then even if you effectively stop without the rear brake you risk failing the test rather than a second attempt.

You pay an instructor hundreds of pound for their knowledge and experience, if you are taking your tests do not ignore them because of something you read on the internet. And from the CBT onwards any qualified trainer will teach you to use both brakes. Because that is what the test requires, and because that is what will stop you more quickly.

If you need to, you can find videos on YouTube demonstrating the stopping distances of just using one brake or both together to see that the rear brake does make a difference.

Regarding the emergency stop. I was taught that I did not need to use the rear brake when doing the emergency stop. Both me and the other person doing the mod 1 on that day didn't use our rear brake and neither of us got a minor for it (different examiner as well).

Please be aware this is not something I just decided, it was what I was told. Regarding the comment of "you pay hundreds of pounds for their knowledge etc, do not ignore them". I know, I did pay hundreds of pounds and did not ignore them, that's why I passed it on because I was told that using it or not using it is fine.

At the end of the day this was my experience and people should listen to their own individual instructors, this was just to help people prepare.

I would ask for a refund then, because you were taught badly. If you are taught a good technique then you should not have to worry about locking the wheel up. And a school which only teaches you to pass the test and not to survive on the road is not worth your money.

Using both brakes is universally regarded as good technique and could potentially save your life. Especially in wet conditions where the ratio between brakes is much closer.

You got away with one, that does not mean anyone else will. I have ridden faster than the speed limit without repercussions, but I would advise anyone to just ignore them because of that. I stand with saying it is very bad advice, which could lead to people failing their test. As well as being a poor braking technique that one day they may need.

Okay I'm wrong. Deleted original post and can a mod delete the thread please thanks

Okay I'm wrong. Deleted original post and can a mod delete the thread please thanks

Don't be like that mate, rear brakes have always been a hot topic

Many people swear by them, other don't see the point. Its personal preference at the end of the day as you ride your best when doing something you're comfort with.

Now put the thread back, sit back and watch everyone battle it out. Its a spectator sport watching the forum flare up like this, not a dig at you so don't take it personally!!

I went on a Ron Haslam track day back in April and they didn't bother with the rear brakes at all. But track riding is a little different to road riding.

I went on a Ron Haslam track day back in April and they didn't bother with the rear brakes at all. But track riding is a little different to road riding.

when you're braking hard on the track the back wheel is in the air so little point using the back brake.

I went on a Ron Haslam track day back in April and they didn't bother with the rear brakes at all. But track riding is a little different to road riding.

What was it like and how much was it? Would love to get into track days when I'm more confident. Do they cater to track beginners? Been in a car just not on a bike.

Okay I'm wrong. Deleted original post and can a mod delete the thread please thanks

 

Don't be like that mate, rear brakes have always been a hot topic

Many people swear by them, other don't see the point. Its personal preference at the end of the day as you ride your best when doing something you're comfort with.

Now put the thread back, sit back and watch everyone battle it out. Its a spectator sport watching the forum flare up like this, not a dig at you so don't take it personally!!

I don't want to mislead anyone or start any arguments and seeing as almost all the replies mentioned the rear brake I gathered that it hit a nerve with a few people.

I don't want to mislead anyone or start any arguments and seeing as almost all the replies mentioned the rear brake I gathered that it hit a nerve with a few people.

Oh this lot will argue over the colour of an orange, I wouldn't worry about it

I don't want to mislead anyone or start any arguments and seeing as almost all the replies mentioned the rear brake I gathered that it hit a nerve with a few people.

 

Oh this lot will argue over the colour of an orange, I wouldn't worry about it

its been ages since we had a good argument, despite best efforts to start a few

I don't want to mislead anyone or start any arguments and seeing as almost all the replies mentioned the rear brake I gathered that it hit a nerve with a few people.

 

Oh this lot will argue over the colour of an orange, I wouldn't worry about it

Orange is the new green.

I don't think you should have removed the post.

I have seen advice where folk are told to just cover the back brake so it looks like it's been done properly.

You are better off learning to use both.

So the back brake is a matter of opinion. We all agree that indicators and mirrors are pointless because you should be going faster than everything else right?

I don't want to mislead anyone or start any arguments and seeing as almost all the replies mentioned the rear brake I gathered that it hit a nerve with a few people.

It was only one paragraph in a long post that anyone had a problem with, no reason to delete anything else other than a hissy fit.

You were offering advice to people that could see them fail their test. Which is not my personal opinion, I directly quoted the DVSA's information to examiners on the issue. But if you think offering bad advice was "hitting a nerve," then I guess I just have to accept I do not feel comfortable allowing people to needlessly fail their test, or end up in an accident from using a bad braking technique, when the very least I can do is warn them. But I cannot apologize because you are right, I am a soppy sod and would do the same again.

The risk of nervous inexperienced riders slamming on the rear and locking up is probably why it's advised against using too much which probably is an easy slide into not using

I managed to lock up my rear the other day and left a lovely 6' black line in the road. Looked pretty impressive apparently.... Probably would have failed the mod 1 for it though.

I don't want to mislead anyone or start any arguments and seeing as almost all the replies mentioned the rear brake I gathered that it hit a nerve with a few people.

 

Oh this lot will argue over the colour of an orange, I wouldn't worry about it

Definitely orange though some of them look yellow.

The risk of nervous inexperienced riders slamming on the rear and locking up is probably why it's advised against using too much which probably is an easy slide into not using

I managed to lock up my rear the other day and left a lovely 6' black line in the road. Looked pretty impressive apparently.... Probably would have failed the mod 1 for it though.

I was taught to use back brake but when it came to test I was also cautioned, locked back wheel equals fail... Pulling an endo after hazard avoidance does not though, it does get you rollicking from examiner and raised eye from instructor who was not watching...

I now regularly lock back brake on tdm accidently, it bites faster than the trophy. Apparently some of my skids look impressive to.

I went on a Ron Haslam track day back in April and they didn't bother with the rear brakes at all. But track riding is a little different to road riding.

 

What was it like and how much was it? Would love to get into track days when I'm more confident. Do they cater to track beginners? Been in a car just not on a bike.

...

Write up on post number22 in this thread:

https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=66045

The risk of nervous inexperienced riders slamming on the rear and locking up is probably why it's advised against using too much which probably is an easy slide into not using

Which is the whole reason for training . Nervous riders who cannot brake safely should not be completing CBT courses, let alone getting full licences.

I used different schools for the CBT, a CBT renewal, and DAS, and at all of them was taught or told to use both brakes and never advised against using the back one.

Maybe I just misunderstood how many bad schools there are out there. Which is quite worrying, as we all have to share the road with people who never learned how to brake properly.

I've gotta say, on the road I know people who do not use the rear brake and don't bother with it. However, why remove that extra 25% braking or whatever you'll get by applying the rear as well? It could be the difference between an accident or stopping in time.