Soften up the rear brake: its just to harsh

[b1k3rdude]

I'm finally fed up of the rear locking under braking, because my Bandit1200 dosen't do it nearly as much. Now that is probably partly to do with B12 being heavier, but also it has a lower spec rear caliper and is running an original hose on the back compared to the FZS which came with braided when I bought it.

Could I just put a high mileage stock hose on the back to soften the braking action..? along with the worst pads I can find..? What pads do people recommend?

[nickodemon]

I fitted goodridge hoses to the rear brake on my gen 1 and my back brake kept locking up, so i removed it and put the original hose back on. The back brake works perfectly with the standard hose

[slimwilly]

some will say "get off that fekkin rear brake"   use the front more,more,more

[midden]

some will say "get off that fekkin rear brake"   use the front more,more,more

This kind of ties in with my point regards the 600 and thou caliper...interesting how the hoses can change the performance.

[bigbluebear]

I have a set of original hoses, you can have the rear for £10 including postage

[PaulSmith]

1) Leave the clutch alone. Many people have a bad habit of pulling the clutch when they hit the brakes. This unloads the back wheel making it more likely to lock, prevents engine braking from having any effect, and prevents the engine from turning the back wheel preventing it from locking. If you do this, then stop doing it.
 
2) If your bandit has the mushy rear brakes I remember, then you are probably stomping on the pedal. Try and imagine your favourite testical is between your foot and the brake pedal and you wont have any more problems locking the rear.

3) It is possible your rear disc is out of true and 'catches'. With the bike on the center stand, spin the back wheel by hand and gently apply the rear brake by hand. If it always stops in the same place, you   know where to look.

[trpFZS1]

Just a thought. Is it possibly a situation where the brake pedal is set slightly too high. I have recently bought some new boots and they have changed my foot position slightly to my previous ones. When I first rode my bike in the new boots it felt like I was stamping on the brake so I dropped the pedal down a few millimetres and now it's fine again.

[dazza]

+1 for adjusting the position of the pedal, my rear brake has always been very harsh. I got used to it but whenever I needed to do an emergency stop I couldn't help locking the rear. Since I've fitted the Gillies rearsets and had a play with the position, it has softened it up nicely. Saying that it could be to do with the rearsets, in which case, disregard the first part of this reply.

[AyJay]

 
2) Try and imagine your favourite testical is between your foot and the brake pedal

ROFL. Brilliant.


Try riding two up! I'll bet the brake is that powerful because it was expected to cope with pillions.


Oh. Not helping. Ok….


Adjust the pedal position, use standard hoses and adapt. When I swap from my other bike (which has a back brake you have to use a lot of pressure to operate) the Fazer's back brake always catches me out, but half an hour and I've readjusted.
 
It is f. powerful though. I can see why you're fed up with it.

[b1k3rdude]

It is possible your rear disc is out of true and 'catches'. With the bike on the center stand, spin the back wheel by hand and gently apply the rear brake by hand.

ah yes, it passed an MOT but it can't hurt to check.

Just a thought. Is it possibly a situation where the brake pedal is set slightly too high.

Another excellent suggestion and which I knew about but forgot - will lower the pedel.

It is f. powerful though. I can see why you're fed up with it.

yer, came around a miny-roundabout to find a huge drain cover almost covering the whole lane, I was lent over at the time and didn't want to risk going over it. So I applied the front (and auto applied the rear 'muscle memory') and the problem was the rear broke free and started coming around from my right, which then made me go even wider.  So had the rear 'not' locked up I would have been able to maintain my original trajectory and speed.

@Bluebear, how old are your the hoses (as in the more miles the better) as I didn't realise till I checked today that I have the stock hose on the back. The bike has only done 16k so I am guessing the hose I have isn't fucked enough yet.

[Stupid Luke]

Get a set of those Goldfren pads off ebay. You will never have to worry about locking the rear again. Dont put them in the front though you need one brake that works. 

[VNA - BMW Wank]

I clean it and check it's working before the MOT every year.
That's the only time it gets used.  Oh maybe sitting on a slope checking my map.  Down the ramp onto ferries, that sort of thing.

[b1k3rdude]

Get a set of those Goldfren pads off ebay.

Yeah I know about those pads, but ironically they aren't crap enough.

[JoeRock]

Get a set of those Goldfren pads off ebay.

Yeah I know about those pads, but ironically they aren't crap enough.

If goldfrens aren't crap enough, you must either be trying to ride in motocross boots, or have absoultely no finesse on the rear!

[b1k3rdude]

If goldfrens aren't crap enough.

There have to be worse organic pad's out there than the GF's. But if nothing else is recommended then the GF's it is.

[bigbluebear]

It is possible your rear disc is out of true and 'catches'. With the bike on the center stand, spin the back wheel by hand and gently apply the rear brake by hand.

ah yes, it passed an MOT but it can't hurt to check.

Just a thought. Is it possibly a situation where the brake pedal is set slightly too high.

Another excellent suggestion and which I knew about but forgot - will lower the pedel.

It is f. powerful though. I can see why you're fed up with it.

yer, came around a miny-roundabout to find a fucking huge drain cover almost covering the whole, I was lent over at the time and didnt want to risk going over it. So I applied the front (and auto applied the rear 'fucking muscle memory') and the problem was the rear broke free and started coming around from my fight, which then made me go even wider.  So had the rear not locked up I would have been able to maintain my original trajectory and speed, instead of looking like a novice for those 1-2 seconds.

@Bluebear, how old are your the hoses (as in the more miles the better) as I didn't realise till I checked today that I have the stock hose on the back. The bike has only done 16k so I am guessing the hose I have isn't fucked enough yet.

They are about 9 year old and done about 26k,

[sirgalahad3]

Maybe take bike on a quiet carpark and learn how to to use the brakes properly...how anyone wants to decrease braking potential is behind me.  Learn to use them properly as a pair.....
Braced for replys but I suspect all the experienced riders on the forum will agree?

[sirgalahad3]

✳ behond ✳

[richfzs]

What sirgalahad said. Learn to ride properly, if you're locking the rear, you're stomping too hard, it's that simple. Everything on a bike is about finesse, not fitting shit knackered hoses to cover your inability.

[b1k3rdude]

Learn to ride properly, if you're locking the rear, you're stomping too hard, it's that simple. Everything on a bike is about finesse, not fitting shit knackered hoses to cover your inability.

By that logic the same thing should be happening on the Bandit..?  I will going with trpFZS/PaulSmith's suggestions.

[chaparral02]

I'm finally fed up of the rear locking under braking,

I don't get this problem with my bike .....

[richfzs]

Nor me on mine

[Stupid Luke]

Nor me on mine

Do either of you have a steel rear brake line though?

[richfzs]

Yes

[noggythenog]

All jokes aside here bikerdude i think you've answered your own question here in the thread....you openly admit that you tend to automatically press the back brake AFTER the front......everything I've learnt so far (which is only a short time) is that if anything the back brake should, if used at speed be applied BEFORE the front......just a dab really...enough to load more weight to the front so that the front can get more stopping power.




Think of your bikes back end suspended in mid air & the back wheel running....how much brake do you reckon it would take to lock that suspended & spinning back wheel......not much......that is in effect what is happening when you use the front brake & then step on the rear....not to mention the lack of coordination due to your body already moving forward after the front brake is applied and decreasing back brake finesse.




No great shakes though is it......ive locked up my front brakes twice so i need more front brake finesse.....none of us are perfect......but you used both on a mini roundabout.....how fast exactly were you going because mini roundabouts should not need banking over or both brakes.....10mph & a small weave maybe but not slamming on brakes.........straight line emergency stops maybe but not mini roundabouts.






But maybe the key perhaps lies in skills improvement...the continous cycle.....& im still trying.......by all means i scare myself sometimes but hey thats life & bikes are more complicated than most folk do them credit......fit some crap pads....but why not just take off the back brake in that case & see how you get on as it defo wont lock up if it isn't there will it mate?




Personally i dont really use the back brake unless waiting at junctions & roundabouts & even then I'm learning to prefer front brake only.......enjoy the right peg as a peg & leave the thinking to the left side