Do I need to upgrade my brakes?

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Two finger braking a bad habit? Not this grandad s*** again...

Try use 4 fingers on the brakes on mine, and when you've had the top yoke surgically removed from your nose you can tell us about it

hehe I remember moaning about this to you.... until I fixed my brakes! Spoke like mickey mouse for days.

Is 2 finger braking a bad habit?

Ok I have a bad habit already! Oops! Infact for light braking I sometimes just use one finger"!

[Biker Biggles]

Whatever you are comfortable with is the right way,but get out there and practise it lots on empty roads.Thats the key to it.

[yorkie_chris]

No, just the IAM say it is. Obviously they are all still riding around on BSAs with brakes carved out of sheeps hooves.

Stip and clean calipers, grease properly and reassemble. Fresh brake fluid in.

Remember to use some brake disc cleaner aswell.

Enjoy revitalised brakes

Originally Posted by Ruthja2801

Is 2 finger braking a bad habit?

Ok I have a bad habit already! Oops! Infact for light braking I sometimes just use one finger"!

Recently did a bike skills day and the advice there was to always do 2 finger braking. Any more fingers and you have less control over the pressure you're applying and more likely to lock up (ham fisted).

We were doing stoppies at the time though...

My SV is new (6k miles) and I think the brakes are shocking already. Engine braking is a must really.

Originally Posted by Alpinestarhero

Stip and clean calipers, grease properly and reassemble. Fresh brake fluid in.

Remember to use some brake disc cleaner aswell.

Enjoy revitalised brakes

even with just under 3.5 k on the clock?

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Ruthja2801

even with just under 3.5 k on the clock?

More/a lot to do with age/useage/condition of the bike too. If the brakes get in bad condition then yeah. Practise in carparks as advised n see what yous tink

[CheGuevara]

I'm not buying the engine braking to improve braking - I think that's bad advice. The engine is for accelerating and the brakes are for stopping. If the front brakes are healthy, then at/near the limits of braking (before the bike starts to begin a stoppie and you have to reduce pressure) there will be so little weight on the back wheel that anything more than a little rear brake, or engine braking will start a slide. I can draw on personal experience here where, in supermoto, engine braking while executing even moderately heavy front braking is the start of backing it in - great fun but not what you're looking to do when trying not to hit the vehicle ahead of you.

Years back (1989-ish?) I had a situation on my 88 GSXR where, while carrying a passenger I missed the brake lights on the car in front of me (might possibly have been checking out some pretty girls on the side of the road as well ). I think it's fair to say that brakes, tires (don't think they were even radial), and suspension have come a very long way since those days, but my panicked last-minute grab of the front brakes still managed to put the bike on it's nose and launch my buddy over my shoulder (fortunately uninjured, and I did avoid hitting the car by some miracle). It was my first ever stoppie, and I clearly remember looking down through the rear hatch of the car at the spare tire.

If your SV hasn't got the braking power to do the same, then I suspect it's time to service the brakes. They might not have the best feel, and they might need a firm squeeze, but they definitely have the power to lift the rear of the bike or lock the front wheel if careless.

Engine braking is for making lovely noises and is neither as precise, controlable, or as powerful as your brakes.

[fizzwheel]

Ruth - just ride how you feel comfortable, theres no hard or fast or even set rules for any of this. If that means two or even one finger on the brake, that doesnt matter as long as whatever you are doing means that you can feel whats going on and have control over it thats all thats important.

If you dont believe me, put the Moto GP on next weekend and watch the best riders in the world and see what they do. They all have their own styles and use different fingers, some use two, some use three, some use four. It really doesnt matter as long as you stop...