mostly front, I use the rear only on sudden or hard stops. This is of course on paved roads. on loose gravel or sandy roads I NEVER touch the front breaks.

 

+1....in gravel the front brake is NOT your friend....don't ask me how I know

 

I's a bit more complicated than that involving weight transfer and turning moment... and rotor surface area. Even on a cruiser you should apply less braking force to the rear brake to avoid stepping out or a rear slide ....30%rear 70%front sounds about right...

 

I useally go with
OOHHHHH SHHIIIIIIIAAAAAAATT !!

but sometimes a situation calls for
FFFFF#####CCCCKKKK MMEEEEEEEEEE !!!

 

I also use the 30% rear and 70% front method.
Just another thought. I grew up riding in the dirt and dirt raced for a short time. I bought a 2009 FLTRSE3 and it has the ABS brake thing. I have had them activate a few times now. I don’t like them at all. As a dirt rider I always lock the rear brake in emergencies sliding the tire toward my right. I control the bike from the front tire. If it should become necessary to get off I let the bike lay down on its left side and I continue holding the rear brake until I roll to my back. The problem is that the brake lets loose and the bike stands back up. I would much rather let the bike go and get myself out of the traffic. The instance I’m thinking of is I had a pickup pull out from an intersection on a red light. I wanted to slide the bike to its left side and found myself straight up and heading for the side of the truck. Not fun. It all ended good just very surprised how it reacted.

 

Like that.......

 

With the exception of low speed turns when you should never touch the front brake always use both brakes.

Never in an emergency stab them hard. Apply both with increasing pressure. As the front forks depress add more braking force to them as the increased down pressure will allow more brake force. With the rear in an emergency apply just short of locking. If they lock and the bike is still straight get off and reapply. If the bike is sideways counter steer to get back to straight before releasing the rear brake.

You will only get the shortest braking distance with both brakes. By always using both as a habit you will be ready for the time that you need to make an emergency stop.

Just like every motorcyclist should be proficient at counter steering they should be proficient at emergency braking. Otherwise they wind up on the news as accident victims.

The most important factor is stopping in the shortest distance. Sliding sideways and rear brakes only will result in doubling or more of the stopping distance. It is unlikely that will work out. If you're in an emergency stop you will not have the room needed to begin with.

 

we ride mostly country, so i use mostly front and downshifts plus time lights so I seldom come to a stop....

If i had to use a % it'd probably be 90 front to 10 rear on most rides. most times I never use the rear.

On quick stops then I use both being sure as not to lock up the rear..

 

Get a feel for your ride to find the best balance.....Avoid grabbing a handful of front-brake in a tight-turn on a sand covered paved surface!

 

I apply both at the same time, and progressively apply more front brake and less rear as I slow down. As you're slowing down, weight transfers to the front of the bike increasing the tire's contact patch (and available traction) whereas the rear contact patch gets smaller due to the rear of the bike being unloaded. Larger contact patch (and available traction) = greater braking potential. As mentioned, if you find the rear brake locked up, leave it locked until you come to a stop. If you release it while the rear tire is out of line, the bike will "snap" and the result can be a high side fall. It's a good practice to use both brakes and get a feel for the power and threshold each has, since there are two for a reason. Once using both becomes a habit, you won't even think about it in the event of a quick/emergency stop.