Front or Rear Brake - which one is Safer?

Which brake on your bike is safer to use – front or rear? A lot of new riders intuitively tend to use rear brake more than front, because they think it’s safer. Why is that so – let’s discuss in this video. We’ll talk about braking on a straight line, braking in curve, combined braking, braking with front and rear brake separately, with and without ABS, etc. And most importantly – we’ll discuss the most common mistakes with front and rear brake, see how they play out and how to avoid them. This is pretty important video especially for new riders, so don’t forget to put a like right now and hit the subscribe button. Let’s go!

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On Moto Control channel you will find videos about motorcycles, motorcycle riding techniques, tips & tricks and online motorcycle training for beginner and advanced riders!
A little info about me. My name is Andrei Bodrov, originally I'm from Moscow, Russia, and now I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Back in Moscow I was a motorcycle instructor and creator of Moto Control Beginner & Advanced motorcycle rider courses, which quickly became the most popular courses in Moscow (well, at least the advanced one😁). My advanced training course makes emphasis on slow speed riding techniques at first (such as good clutch and throttle control, proper riding posture, proper use of vision, etc.), then proceeds to more advanced techniques (such as aggressive braking, trail braking, maximal lean angle). The course incorporates a lot of exercises from DOSAF slow speed riding (similar to police rodeo like motorcycle training in USA), braking and cornering exercises and motogymkhana style riding. And now, since I actively learn English - I decided to post some useful videos for both your and mine practice!😉
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Since everyone writes this, it's necessary, I suppose 🤷, so here we go. Disclaimer: Ride at your own risk, you are responsible for your own safety. Me, Andrey Bodrov and my channel, Moto Control disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of riding techniques from this channel. Use common sense, wear full protective gear and ride in a safe and predictable manner!
#motorcycle #motorcycles #moto

[solitajre]

When I was taking my license, my instructor told me some gold nuggets:
The rear brake is also called the "stability brake" and should be used as such when needed. (to gain some extra stability) this is especially important at slow speeds (walking speed).
When braking, the front and rear brakes are used together, never on their own (except for walking speed where the rear break can be used on its own)
If you need to brake a lot or hard, you are not planning ahead enough, riding this way will get you hurt. Hard breaking should only be "needed" when something unexpected occurs.
Never yank the brakes, squeeze the brakes to maximize control and braking efficiency.
Identify "escape paths" when you ride and try to swerve or avoid the problem rather than braking for it. Evasive maneuvers let you maintain control and also get you out of the situation faster.
And the best nugget he gave me was that "Everyone is an idiot and you are invisible. It is your job to keep yourself safe."

[sa.agarrr]

7 year of daily riding, never been involved in accident, never fell still watching this coz you did a great job brother..!

[gravesclayton]

One detail nearly everyone leaves out is DO NOT grab the clutch in a panic and immediately disengage drive to the rear wheel. When you declutch, you are now free-wheeling, and your speed increases as opposed to just letting off the throttle. in gear. When free-wheeling, even moderate braking can lock up the rear wheel, especially on wet surfaces. Using both brakes, in gear, and declutching as you get to a stop, maintains better control.

[shyamsundar]

ABS is really a very good add on to the bike . It serves very good purpose.

[johnschlesinger]

I use the rear on its own a lot in slow riding. And easing off the front and increasing the rear, gradually, is very useful for coming to a smooth, controlled stop.

[larrylynn]

Those real life examples shown are perfect examples of riders either not paying attention, or riding beyond the conditions or their abilities. It's key to know your own abilities AND your limitations. Stay within those points and you should be fine.

[e.l.]

Front tire is designed for braking, rear tire is designed for acceleration. Apply both with weight distribution in mind.

[seanjestersloan]

For a beginner this is gold. Thank you for the comprehensive information and examples in this video and for covering all the aspects. You have probably saved a lot of damage to motorcycles with this systematic tutorial.

[hellosambit]

I ride with front brakes only. I use the press-release press-release method for stopping at higher or even lower speeds. For emergency braking situation, the press release method on front brakes proves to be safest as weight transfers in fractions to the front everytime the brake is pressed n released.
Thankyou.

[steve]

These videos are excellent, from a motorcycle instructor in the U.K. 👍 braking is the most under practised riding skill by most riders.

[JP-iqtd]

I've been riding mountain (bicycles) for 8 years. Bought a motorcycle, did the MSF, last year. It's amazing how much technique translates to the road on a motorcycle. I'm still a beginner, but I have a lot of bike feel on the motorcycle from ripping around on the mountain bike with my rear in a controlled slide & my body weight taking control of the situation. It has made me incredibly more confident!

great video, reinforces all the safety!

[jon]

This was an excellent tutorial. I am a new rider and have been riding for one month without any problems but last week my bike slipped from under me and fell on my leg. I watched some videos and eventuality figured out it was something i did wrong on the breaks. After watching your video i now kmow that i was too heavy on the front break. Thank you. I have subscribed to learn more 👍

[janialander]

Scooter rider here. I usually use way more front brake than rear, rear can lead fastly to uncontrollable situations.

[NJ]

I remember reading somewhere to always use both brake but distribute the power to around F80% and B20%. Rear brake only is useful for slow-speed zigzagging in a traffic jam.

[adamjankowski]

As a rider for over 30 years it's a combo, the front will stop you faster bit the rear will keep you going straight easier. Ultimately all conditions will need to be taken into consideration and skill level will determine what is safest or what matters in racing, fastest.

[ungratefulmango]

Never been on a motorcycle, but I've fallen off my ebike pretty badly. I want to avoid the same mistake at high speeds. This video taught me a LOT!

[gerritgovaerts]

There are Moto GP riders who never use the rear break because the marginal decrease in stopping power does not offset the risk of locking of the rear wheel

[lfskillz]

Dude, I thought I knew everything you were telling us, until you mentioned slightly letting off the rear brake. Can't wait to go practice this at higher speeds, 80km/h wind today.

[GaryL]

That high side in the beginning definitively caught my attention. As a bicycle rider the bicycle end over immediately afterward was instructive as well. Wish bicycles had ABS! I have practiced maximum braking using both front and rear many times though I have never needed it - yet.

[davidgoldstrong]

The rear brake keeps the bike more stable as it doesn't cause the front to dive, but as long as you apply gentle pressure on the front brake you should be fine, these days abs is fitted to bikes which stops the bike from locking up under heavy breaking, if you break in a straight line then you shouldn't lose control, ultimately don't ride fast as this gives you more time to react and don't tailgate. Ride within the speed limits and remember that your not on a race track