I almost never use the rear, years of racing has my mind set on front does it all especially with linked brakes now.... rear is good for very low speed stuff below 20mph when the link isn’t in affect.

 

I should have mentioned I have abs and linked brakes. So even though I only use my foot brake I am technically applying both when braking at speed. I always hover my front hand over the brake lever and use it when needed to stop quickly.

I find most of the time if you are aware of your surroundings most stops are slow and controlled. You have no need for rapid stopping.

That being said I also regularly practice quick stops from speed so I have the skills when needed.

 

Take an MSF course to start. Cruiser style bikes have more weight bias in the rear than sport bikes, so rear brakes have more effect.

 

Rear brake is for riding cones and slow speed maneuvers...

Out on the road, I rarely use my rear brake unless I really need to scrub off some speed a lot faster then I can with the front brake alone...

NEVER EVER EVER use your front brake with the wheel turned... it will suck you to the ground like a magnet to steel!!!

Good Luck!

RON

 

Ah...that certainly clears things up. The way your post is written " I use my back brake 90% and fronts 10%" I thought you were an accident waiting for a place to happen. I feel much better now. IMHO it is still a good idea to normally use both most of the time to develop the muscle memory for when some idiot texter runs the red light. The front brake lever will apply both front brakes instead of only the left with the pedal. Also good practice for if/when you do ride a bike without linked ABS or even just ABS. As I said, I catch myself getting lazy on my Limited and using only the pedal.

 

Yeah, done there, been that. Not sure which hurry more, the scuffs on the crash bars or the scars on my pride.

 

Reference the statement in bold letters above:
Rear brake isn't "preferred", it's MANDATED!! LOL!!

Jerry Paladino's Ride like a Pro series of videos is outstanding! But in addition to his videos, I would HIGHLY suggest that you enter one of his CLASSES. You can certainly learn a lot from videos, but there is no substitute for a pair of PROFESSIONAL eyes looking at you while you are performing some of the exercises, and giving you tips on what you are/are not doing correctly. That is an advantage you don't have when practicing alone.
Here's an example: Use of rear brake "myth". I say "myth" with tongue in cheek. Here's what I mean. You hear "rear brake only" in slow speed maneuvers. Well, you use your rear brake, turn your head and shoulders, looking where you want to go, apply your rear brake, and BAM!!!, down goes the bike! What the heck happened? I did all of the things Jerry said and STILL dropped the bike. This stuff doesn't work, darn it!!! Sound familiar? let's drill down and see what really happened.

This is where the set of professional eyes comes into play. For those that think just because you are using the rear brake when you are leaned over in a u-turn maneuver you will not go down, think again. If you are applying TOO MUCH PRESSURE (with your foot) on the rear brake, it will overpower the amount of throttle and friction zone you are using, and it will stop the rear wheel from turning. And when that happens, the bike goes down quickly. Only at a class could a professional pick up that error in technique.
I learned about the amount of pressure need on the rear brake from Jerry himself. I put my hand down on the rear brake brake pad and asked him to step on my hand with the same amount of pressure he used on the brake in a u-turn. I was AMAZED!!! He BARELY touched it!! So when you hear "use the rear brake", it means to "lightly" apply pressure to it, not stomp the crap out of it! LOL! By lightly applying the rear brake, it has the effect of stabilizing the bike. which makes it easier for the bike to keep turning in a circle to complete the u-turn without falling over. Too much pressure DE_STABILIZES the bike, and it falls over.

Wade, I know you have motorcops up there somewhere close to where you live. Find out where they do their monthly practice sessions, and go to a few. Ask them questions. You'll find out they are VERY willing to help. Get to know them. They are great folks. And when you see them out on the road, wave at them! They will help you TREMENDOUSLY!!!

 

"So even though I only use my foot brake I am technically applying both when braking at speed." Negative. When you apply the read brake, you are only applying pressure to the rear caliper/disk assembly. Only when the ABS is activated, does the system apply pressure to both front and rear brakes. At that time, more stopping power is applied to the front. So unless you are stomping on your rear brake all the time and activating the ABS, you are not utilizing the front brake until you pull the brake lever.
Harley ABS

 

 

Haven't seen the riding like a pro series but I can tell after riding for 50 years, some of it spent on a race track, your front brake has all the stopping power. So if you are going at speed you depend on the front brake to get hauled down in a hurry. Of course you want to use a combination of front and rear but the front is going to do all the work. Walking speeds in turns are a different story. Like in the previous post you should get slowed down before the turn but when you are going in too hot you want to use the back brake only. With the wheel turned at walking speeds using the front brake aggressively will lean the bike over which can cause you to fall. Using the back brake only will slow you in the turn without changing the attitude of the bike. My .02 YMMV
The other time I use back only if I slowed to a crawl and coming to a stop at a light. No front end dive with back only.