Trail Braking

[jps600rr]

Many top riders talk about trail braking in the corner, to reduce speed before the apex,

Keith says all the braking should be done before we turn the bike.

 

Riders also say that trail braking makes the bike turn faster because it changes the front end angles,

bike pitches forward under breaking.

 

Also if you apply the brakes in the corner the bike seems to stand up which is the

opposite effect of trail braking

 

Could anyone clarify these issues for me.

 

Thanks. James.

[Cobie Fair]

James,

 

Let's take one aspect of what you wrote at a time. Do you know where Keith says/writes all the braking should be done straight up and down? For sure being stuck with heavy braking at the turn in point (especially if you are trying to turn quickly) can be a problem. Let me know what he has said/written on it, and we can look it over closely.

 

The other 2 issues are related: if the front brake is used in a turn, will the bike stand up and run wide, or make it easier to turn in? What is your reality on what happens when you use some brake in a turn? For sure for me, the bike stands up.

 

There are for sure turns where one will trail brake. But if it stalls getting back on the throttle, and really stabilizing the bike, then does trailing help in those instances?

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Cobie

[jps600rr]

In TOW2 the only reference I find to braking in a corners, is that one has to bring the bike up right, and then apply the brakes, I cannot remember way were else it talks about braking in a corner, but I will re check.

 

I find it easy to turn the bike when I am off the front brake.I have not unsed trail braking myself,

I have found the CSS methord to be more natural to me, to me if I brake when leaned over the ultimate

lean angle has to be less compared to no brakes at all, also the traction at the back wheel has to be less

if I am braking while leaning.

 

When I was a kid it did a lot of push bike racing, on thin tires, and I learned not to touch the brakes

when taking a corner, or I would go down, so that feeling has stuck with me into the motorbike world.

 

 

Thanks. James.

 

 

James,

 

Let's take one aspect of what you wrote at a time. Do you know where Keith says/writes all the braking should be done straight up and down? For sure being stuck with heavy braking at the turn in point (especially if you are trying to turn quickly) can be a problem. Let me know what he has said/written on it, and we can look it over closely.

 

The other 2 issues are related: if the front brake is used in a turn, will the bike stand up and run wide, or make it easier to turn in? What is your reality on what happens when you use some brake in a turn? For sure for me, the bike stands up.

 

There are for sure turns where one will trail brake. But if it stalls getting back on the throttle, and really stabilizing the bike, then does trailing help in those instances?

 

Let me know what you think.

 

Cobie

[adifferentname]

There is a tight banked corner I know of where you have to trail brake in to keep the front suspension loaded till the banking loads it. If you come off the brakes as you turn in it's too early and the front unloads and then reloads as it hits the banking making things very uncomfortable. I do remember reading about this kind of corner in one of Keith's books.