Detune rear disk brake?

[Anonymous]

I've locked the rear wheel now several times in quick stops on my GS650L. I'm sure some technique changes need to be made but I'm also wondering if I just have too much brake back there as well. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[KennyJ]

It is really easy to lock the back brake. The harder you brake with the front end, the less and less pressure is required to lock the back end. So, under instense braking, after the initial application, you will keep applying more and more front brake, and less and less back brake.

The easiet way to adjust for this is to adjust the rear brake pedal lower. This makes your ankle actuate more for the same braking power, thus possibly keeping you from really standing on the back brake.

Just my thoughts and observations.
Kenny

 

[HiSPL]

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE BECAUSE IT COULD GET YOU KILLED OR SOMETHING.

Now that that's outta the way. :twisted: You could try removing your rear brake pedal for a couple weeks and retrain your brain to use the front only.

I did this for a while because one brake pad on the rear wore through to the metal. I pulled the pedal off to keep my disc in decent shape while I hunted for and purchased pads off of eBay. Needless to say, I use very little rear brake now, and never lock it up unless I want too. 8)

YMMV....

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone have any thoughts?

Roadracers will sometimes grind away a portion of the pad material, usually a wide stripe through the middle of the pad, to reduce rear brake power. You could also try introducing some air into the rear brake circuit (sort of a reverse bleeding preocedure) to reduce the power as well. Different pads will have different levels of bite, you may be able to find a compound that offers less stopping force. The final solution is to swap out the master cylinder for one with a larger piston diameter to reduce line pressure for any given level of pedal force, but it may be a lot of work to find the one you want. And of course, it costs real money, while the others are pretty much free or at least cheap.

Mark

 

[Anonymous]

Lots of good suggestions

Lots of good suggestions

Thanks to all. I'm going to try altering the pedal angle first, and maybe the d-bleeding suggestion. Is the GS650 unusual at all in its sensitivity? I've thought the front brake was a little spongy and have a stainless brake line to put on it.

 

[Jeff Tate]

You didn't happen to contaminate the pads with something like lube or something did you? Sometimes gunk on the pads will render the brake almost useless and sometimes it will make them overly sensitive and grabby.

 

[Anonymous]

Don't think anything's on them but how would you clean them to know for sure?

 

[Guest]

Introduce a little air into the rear brake line. It will make the brake a little spungy and reduce it's effectiveness.

 

[Dink]

Fit EBC disc pads in the rear brake!!! I has made my rear brake usable, it was also overly sensitive.
Dink

 

[Jeff Tate]

I agree with Dink. Installing new pads is the only way to be sure the pads are not contaminated. EBC pads are a good choice. IF you ever do get any crud on the disc like chain lube or whatever, use acetone (fingernail polish remover) to wipe down the disc. Simple Green works good too. Spray it on and hose it off. Makes your bike smell like springtime too!

 

[Anonymous]

EBC rear pads

EBC rear pads

What happens when you install EBC brakes on the rear? I saw you did and the performance decreased but all the retailers claim performance will increase. I'm confused--but of course that's normal.

 

[Dink]

What I didn't mention was that I upgraded my front pads to Vesrah brand pads and these are so far ahead of EBC's that it makes the rear brake feel dead. The Vesrah pads contain Kevlar which is part of why they work so well. BTW you do not need to specify Kevlar pads ALL Vesrah pads contain Kevlar to a lesser or greater degree.
I thought my brake pads were genuine until I received my Vesrah pads and went to fit them, I like you felt the rear brake was a bit strong, and so I decided to at least try a set from the front in the rear, as I was rather disapointed with there performance , and it worked out to be a lovely balance front to rear, decreasing rear brake performance just nicely, to match very nicely with the upgraded performance at the front.
Dink

 

[RacingJake]

I'd rather have to much brake than not enough. In a panic situation you may lock them up no matter what you do. Just let your brain get use to it. It's like riding anything, it just takes time to get use to it and the more you do it the better you get.

 

[Anonymous]

Mods to detune in order of preference

1) Learn to modulate rear brake. I'm not kidding. Go into a parking lot with no cars and try panic breaking. Use front and rear brake. Make sure if you lock your rear tire for more than a split second and you fishtail, that you don't release the rear brake or you will high-side. (Depending how fast you were going in the first place) Be careful and learn the dangers and limits of doing this before attempting. It is your responsibility only to stay safe..... They cover this technique in the MSF course by the way.
2) Grind away some of the pad (perpendicular to the direction of rotation)
This way you don't wear a groove into the disc. This is a very
predictable detune and A VERY GOOD CHOICE - use with #1 to
recalibrate your foot after done.
3) Adjust pedal lower - good - just lower a notch or spline from stock
mark.
4) Add air to system to d-tune - NO NO NO - AIR in system can expand under repeated braking (gets hot) and actually cause the brake pads to drag continuously, leading to heat buildup - bad for bearings, bad for discs, bad for mileage, bad for having brakes when you need them due to FADE. Don't do this. I have seen this problem before. DON'T DO THIS.

That's my 2 cents......

 

[Anonymous]

Your 2 cents are valued

Your 2 cents are valued

Thanks for adding to the discussion. I have been practicing modulating but in true panic stops I haven't had the self control. My brake lever is pretty high, very convenient for holding at a stop sign on a slope but I'm going to lower it a notch or two. Probably won't do anything else until all the opinions are in.

 

[Mark Harrop]

I like to call the rear brake the "ejection seat lever" :twisted:

I've had a couple of spectacular high-sides while riding hard on my GS....mostly duking it out with newer bikes...enter curve too fast....use up all front brakes....tip-toe on the back...and BAM! Superman with a helmet and a cartwheeling bike coming after you!

Practice makes perfect :twisted:

entry...apex...exit...repeat

and don't forget your launch :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

Update

Update

Tried repositioning the lever lower but discovered you have to drop it to the next detent and that's too low. Meanwhile, I took a little spill and am having to focus my attention on the front brake til I get it back to normal.
http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=29758

I have gone to the books and found a good practice regime in Ienatch's Sport Riding Techniques I intend to pursue when the bike is going again.

 

[oldschoolGS]

The rear brake on any bike is overrated, all the weight is in front of it and its only real function is to contol wheelies if you indulge in such nonsense.

Seriously, If you are locking the rear on hard stops then you are not properly using the front brakes. Here is where 90% of your stopping ability lies. It does take nerve and disipline to approach front brake limits, but with practice you will gain confidence. Quality front rubber is essential-I never understood people who go cheap on tires-along with good pads and lines.
If you are properly using the front brakes the rear will not have enough weight on it to be effective anyway. Stop On, Ed.
1983 GS750ED

 

[Poot]

DO NOT FOLLOW THIS ADVICE BECAUSE IT COULD GET YOU KILLED OR SOMETHING.

Now that that's outta the way. :twisted: You could try removing your rear brake pedal for a couple weeks and retrain your brain to use the front only.

I did this for a while because one brake pad on the rear wore through to the metal. I pulled the pedal off to keep my disc in decent shape while I hunted for and purchased pads off of eBay. Needless to say, I use very little rear brake now, and never lock it up unless I want too. 8)

YMMV....

hahahah! this is funny. for a month or so, when I was riding in the rockies, I had no front brake. Talk about retraining~! I could go around corners, braking, switching, and whatnot smoothly. locking up the back brake at highway speeds really sucks though......its almost like skating, except that if you screw up, you (can) die.

poot

 

[duaneage]

CHeck the tire pressure on the rear. Improper pressure will change the footprint and may cause lockup. I ride a 82 gs650g and have no lockup problems. I use EBC pads all around and I am satisfied with the performance.

Adding air is a mistake. I would never solve one problem with another problem. There may be a problem with your master cylinder back there, perhaps changing the fluid may be in order.

my .02