Rear brake power question

It's been so long I have forgotten. I installed galfer lines all around. I hit the rear brake and the bike slows down somewhat, not near any kind of lockup anywhere. Should I be able to lock up the rear or not? I cannot remember. Don't think I had tried before hand. :crazy:

 

I can only speak for my '99 but the rear brake on it has been pitiful since I bought it in 2000. I put the Galfer lines on it last year, I think, and also the HH brake pads. It made all the difference in the world with the rear brake. I don't know whether I could lock up the rear on dry pavement, but it's much better than before.

 

Thanks FJ12. Thats about how I feel about mine. The OEM brake pads seemed a lot stronger than the Galfer HH. OEM had a quick bite but the galfers are more consistent.

 

The rear brake on my 5th gen is quite weak. If I stamp on the pedal it brings me to a stop eventually.Might still have some air in there but am tired of bleeding them.
The front ones work as expected so I just use them.

 

I think it's normal my 2000 you have other stand on the rear brake to get anything out of it

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

Not normal--mine stops well with rear pedal. Check the lines & caliper for crud buildup.

 

I don't think I've ever owned a bike with hard stopping rear brake, nor do I want to. If you speak to an accident reconstructionist dealing with motorcycle accidents he will tell you that 70% of braking is done by the front and 30% by the rear and that is the % they use when dealing witk skid marks . You don't want or need to have a powerful front brake.

From my own experience over the years most riders in emergency situations tend to overtake the rear inducing lockup because all weight goes go the front, lightening the rear. We've all heard the stories of road riders who say they laid the bike down to avoid an accident. Pretty much bs. They locked the rear and fell down. I've done the same on occasion but not gone down.

To finish. You don't want a rear brake as powerful as the front and manufactures know this which is why they perform the way they do.

 

Sorry but i couldn't disagree more with that idea.

 

I think you're right on the money with this. The last time I over-braked at the back on a bend was on my RF900 and I got well out of shape sideways before I had the sense to ease up with foot. For all the panning that Honda's linked brakes come in for, I am a convert, I find my 5th gen to be one of the safest stopping bikes that I have owned.

My other bike is a VTR1000F, and I upgraded the front calipers to get more control, but the weedy single piston back brake is just about perfect, enough power to hold the bike on a hill at a standstill, not near enough to lock the wheel in normal circumstances. I find this is a good match to the VFR and never need to make any adjustments to my riding style between the two.

 

I just about disagree with all of you. I track one bike and ride the piss out of the others. The rear brake is key in keeping a bike settled in the corner and also setting the suspension up for the corner. I REALLY dislike the overall idea of the linked brake set-up. When I had oem pads and oem brake lines I could tap the rear brake and the bike would stand up. This is BAD. Rear brake is used to pull the bike into the turn. I can't even drag the rear brake with the linked set-up. I changed to galfer lines and pads and the braking has become more consistent. The oem pads would just grab too hard and would be inconsistent from cold to warm. This drove me nuts also. Now with the switch, I hit the rear brakes, hard, and the bike barely stops. The pedal is consistent, so the bleed job is fine. I just get no feedback from back there now.

On another note, I have so far not been in a crash where my rear brake locking up had anything to do with it.