Motor School with Quinn Redeker: Give Me a (Rear) Brake

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Motor School with Quinn Redeker: Give Me a (Rear) Brake

Just because you aren't a rear-brake-skid world-record holder like me doesn't mean you can't master U-turns and other slow-speed maneuvers. (Photos by Kevin Wing)

I'm not gonna sit here and brag about the fact that, in the summer of 1980, I held the unofficial record for the longest rear-tire-lock-skid down the extremely unforgiving Signature Drive in Granada Hills, California. Not even Glenn Harris came close that year.

Thanks to a magnificently heavy 1975 Yamaha Moto-Bike, a body mass index slightly north of sumo, and a rear brake that locked up with but a whisper, my final record was an impressive 210 feet. They still talk about it in most of the Canadian provinces.

I spent plenty of seat time aboard the Yamaha Moto-Bike, and I have the battle scars to prove it.

My winning formula? Full-force pedal strokes until my Husky jeans rode up, followed by a hip-shift-into-tummy-tuck, then finally, a precision weight-shift off the rear as I stomped the cranks in reverse to lock the tire. Everything after that was instinct. And the smoking gun that made the glory happen? The rear brake. Yes, the microwaved franks were a contributing factor, but it was the rear brake that single-handedly made me wheelie champ, skid-mark assassin, and on occasion, capable of stopping my big twin-shock Yamaha BMX.

But an interesting thing happened on my meteoric rise to the top of the rear-skid record books. Somewhere along the way, I got a 10-speed bike, then a dirtbike, and eventually a full-sized streetbike. And they each possessed a revolutionary tool that I have since grown to appreciate and rely on every time momentum is mixed into the equation: a front brake. In other words, when it came to slowing down with the front brake, the more I used it, the better I got. And the better I got, the more that old tried-and-true rear brake faded into obscurity.

Lately I've been thinking we should revisit that hair-trigger power broker. Just because it's not really that great at, well, braking doesn't mean it's not a valuable tool, right? Today we'll focus the spotlight back to the rear brake and see if we can reimagine how we might use it for tricky slow-speed riding situations. Yes, I am aware you know what the rear brake is, where it is, and how to actuate it. But by working through some exercises, you'll see your rear brake in an entirely new light, able to employ it with dexterity and comfort like never before.

For simplicity and expediency, I'll boil it down to this: The front brake slows the bike, and the rear brake calms and plants the bike. Now before you slip and fall reaching for that rusty pitchfork in the dark corner of your gardening shed, take some deep breaths and let me explain.

Our front brake does the heavy lifting to slow us down, but the rear brake provides more control in slow-speed situations.

I use my front brake to do lots of cool control-based stuff on my BMW R 1250 RT-P, but its primary role is to rapidly slow me down from high speeds. In contrast, the rear brake alone can't and won't (ABS kicks on quite suddenly) do much to meaningfully slow me from a high rate of speed, so that's not the primary role I use it for. Instead, I use it for slow-speed control. 

Any time I transition to slow speeds, say 12 mph or less, I begin to gently trail (apply) the rear brake just a bit. When I do this, my motorcycle instantly becomes more stable and planted, which improves my control as I ride. And in situations where I'm making slow speed direction changes like U-turns or navigating gas stations or parking lots, the rear brake helps calm the chassis and allows me to better manage my momentum as the bike leans over. An added benefit is its ability to minimize sloppy clutch/throttle inputs by damping the inconsistent power to the driveline. In short, it's the ultimate way to cheat at slow speeds. Let's work on some drills and I'll show you.

Exercise 1: U-turns

The purpose of this exercise is to help you better appreciate the added chassis stability that the rear brake affords us during slow-speed turning movements and to get comfortable employing it.

In a safe practice area with good traction, minimal hazards, and plenty of runoff, set up two cones approximately 100 feet apart. Approach one of the cones (our pre-determined turn-around spot) at approximately 20 mph, simulating a U-turn you would encounter on the street. Use both front and rear brakes to slow down for the U-turn as you normally would (if you typically only employ your front brake to slow down, feel free to do it that way). As you approach the cone while slowing down, let off the front brake and use only the rear brake as the bike begins to lean over and execute the U-turn. Keep in mind, we do not want to mash the rear brake pedal, but rather gently apply consistent pressure, say 25% to 30% of maximum rear braking force, as heavy rear brake use risks stalling the engine at slow speeds.

Work this drill in both directions. You should notice far more stability on the approach, while your mid-turn-point "drop" smooths out and makes your stomach feel less like it's on a roller coaster. Work on keeping the rear brake force consistent so you don't disrupt your overall momentum, which can upset your flow and comfort through the entire turning movement. As a bonus, you should notice that your turning radius will start to get tighter as you practice and get more comfortable with this technique.

Exercise 2: Slow Cone Weave

The purpose of this exercise is to work on repeated direction changes at slow speeds by weaving through the cones, which simulates riding in parking lots, gas stations, or slow traffic. Set up six cones in a straight line spaced approximately 15 feet apart. Our goal here is to ride through the cone weave at a slow and controlled speed (10-12 mph), alternating between no rear brake and light rear brake (approximately 20%). By doing this back and forth, you will gain a better understanding and feel for how the rear brake enhances slow-speed control in situations like these.

An important safety note here: Because we are working at slow speeds with this drill, we don't need to use any front brake like we did in Exercise 1. That's important to remember, because we will be generating both lean angles and turning movements through the handlebar. Applying the front brake at any point here could cause the bike to generate force towards the direction of the lean, throwing us off balance in the process.

One final note: Your slow-speed control increases exponentially by using the "friction zone" clutch technique. While this added tool requires a column of its own, you can learn about the technique in one of my videos. If you want to become a rock star at all things slow speed, go to YouTube.com/@PoliceMotorTraining and watch "

Motorcycle Slow Control – Clutch Friction Zone for Beginners."

Quinn wears Schuberth helmets and Lee Parks Design gloves. Find Quinn at Police Motor Training.

See all Motor School with Quinn Redeker articles here.

The post Motor School with Quinn Redeker: Give Me a (Rear) Brake appeared first on Rider Magazine.

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