How well do your rear brakes grab?

[buell-fan]

It seems like the rear brakes are slow to react and almost non-existant compared to the front. You would think that they would lock up the rear tire at any speed if you really wanted them too, but I don't think they will, even if I stood on them. Stopping with them is as slow as with my old shovelhead. Do your back brakes act this way also or do they need blead?

[Classax]

They are plenty strong but like everything elses on these bikes, any attempt to be smooth at the controls will result in a tremendous amount of control.

[buell-fan]

So yours will lock up the rear tire pretty easily then?

[Classax]

So yours will lock up the rear tire pretty easily then?

That's not really a fair questions... if I'm hard on the brakes the rear is light so yes. If I'm street riding with higher rear tire pressure and I want it to yes, if I find my self trying to slow in gravel or grass yes but on track with lowered tire pressure or regular riding thankfully no, it won't unless I intentionally force it to. Trust me its a blessing not a curse that the brakes are linear instead of the artifically progressive grabby approach we are used to.

[buell-fan]

Thanks Classax. It seems that I need to more thoroughly inspect and bleed my rear brakes so they will grab a little harder.

[Doosh]

It seems that I need to more thoroughly inspect and bleed my rear brakes so they will grab a little harder.

I don't really use mine, but my teammates do and none of them have complained.

[Plotter]

Mine are a little soft and hard to grab, but I've seen this on other bikes I've had. I usually think about it being 70/30 when stopping, but with this bike I feel it's more 80/20 or 85/15.

[kneepucker]

I like to intentionally lock mine up when street riding out on country roads, just because I use them so heavily on the track and get sideways so much, I like to keep in practice. I was pleased with my RX's rear brake feel and bite. A little rear brake is also a nice way to settle the chassis mid-corner if you get out of shape.

[Mike]

You shouldn't be able to "lock" the rear brake, unless the rear tire's off the ground from good front brake apply..!
A locked rear is normally dangerous, at much of any speed anyway.
I adjust my pedal so that my foot is aout of it's normal shape so that I don't exert much pressure on the pedal.

And to be honest, other than one time to verify it worked...at all, I haven't used my rear brake (68xx+ miles). I'll give it a try on the way home tonight...

I use it in to fast entrance curves, the rain, and loose road (gravel, dirt, etc.) only.

Mike

[buell-fan]

I use the back brakes more as to settle the bike on a turn or quick stop for an animal or cager (with the front brakes), but as they are they don't have much whoa to them alone, and definitely won't lock up without standing on them. So they do need blead properly probably.