Front Brake in Right Turns

Hi;Probaby depends on your setup!My Wing has dual front discs the front brake lever operates one of them and the sidecar disc too!!Result is a very strong pull to the car if the rear brake not used.Maybe not what you were referring to.Result is rear brake pulls left, front right and both with luck straight!!As you say for you would be opposite reaction!

Hi Robert,
Assuming you have a tele front end you would seem to be agreeing with me, i know from experiance that touching the front brake on a decending tight turn towards the chair is a big no no.

Hi Guys,

It would seem best to do the braking before the turn, right? Being a responsible adult (when I can't help it...) and all that, I try to ride about 1/4 mile ahead of the rig, and anticipate traffic, blind pedestrians, and decreasing-radius corners. I do agree that the front brake can cause mischief if used *during* the navigation of the corner, especially if it is a reverse gradient. My personal problem is that my bike has no sidecar brake, and a rear drum, so I'm pretty much left with the front disc. (The price one pays for a 30 year-old bike and 45 year-old sidecar!)

Could it be that because I have a fairly small bike by modern standards (XS650 Yamaha) it is light-weight and less affected by cornering? I mean, the ratio of weight on the bike to that of the sidecar is fairly close, so does that help? I ask because I've yet to lift the wheel on this chair--my other sidecar would lift on a dime, and it was fun, but this one seems to like life on the ground.

Good topic--sometimes on "sidecar side" turns, I wish I had an out-rigger wheel on the other side of the bike, just in case...

sometimes on "sidecar side" turns, I wish I had an out-rigger wheel on the other side of the bike, just in case...

You mean like these? 🙂

.....LOL...

....and this is over 100 lbs. of ballast combined with chick magnet! Women want to know me just so they can get close to Rusty LOL!!

The use of the front brake in a right turn is an effective method to help keep the sidecar down and increase cornering speed if riding in a sprited manner. The technique is used while ON the throttle. It is NOT just using the front brake alone. What happens is that when braking at the front while on the gass the slip angle of the rear tire is increased.This is the predescessor to actually drifing the sidecar rig when under power with the rear wheel breaking traction.
Note that using the front brake alone is NOT what the discussions on this were about.
Using the front brake alone is not a good idea even with leading link forks when in a turn.

Hi Guys,

Well, this isn't fair! I can't seem to open either attachment. Hmmmm...wonder what gives?

Thanks for that claude i new you would come up with a technical explaination, i think i dont drive spirited enough.

Originally written by Hank41 on 8/15/2008 9:18 AM

Thanks for that claude i new you would come up with a technical explaination, i think i dont drive spirited enough.

Hank,
You can try the technique at lower speeds and feel what it does.It can be a benefit if you happen to get into a turn with a decreasing radius or something like that. Riding at your pace and having fun...THAT is what is important.If learning a new technique can help the safety side of things it is worth experimenting with.

Hello

Am I being dim here, my way of thinking would be that if in the uk you apply the front brake in a left hander (read the original post)you may just tip the whole plot over.
My understanding has always been a slight touch of front brake and application of throttle (in a right hander UK) would cause the plot to attempt a slide round the front wheel release the front brake and away you go.
Worth noting wether you have fully floating brakes on the L/L

Regards

Barry

Barry

I can go back (way back) to my motocross days....Down-shift hard while diving into a hairpin turn, squeeze the front brake, grab a handful of throttle, give the back wheel a millisecond or two to get in line with the front wheel (drift) and let go of the brake keeping the throttle WFO. That whole scenario is done in about a second.

After enough practice it's easy....until an endover reminds you it isn't.

Obviously a sane person isn't going to pilot a hack rig that way.....but the same methods apply. Learning how to brake the front wheel while putting power to the back wheel using throttle control is a lesson in physics. Braking the front wheel compresses the suspension....adding power at the same time reverses that affect.

Also, a little tap on the rear pedal (assuming you have a sidecar brake) while adding power will pull the rig to the right without tending to lift the chair.....kinda like how a marching band turns.

You have to ride A LOT to master the techniques....it's not something you are going to "try out" some weekend....and then not ride again for a few weeks.

I'm also an advocate of flying the chair as much as you can (use common sense)......bringing the chair up should feel natural, so if you have to do it you can.....

Claude, I totally agree. The throttle/brake technique is absolutely worth practicing. It really works, and once you get the hang of it, it makes riding all that much more fun. 🙂
Besides the fun factor, I forgot that there was actually a technical reason for doing this.
Thanks for reminding this "spirited" (LOL) senior.. 🙂
gp

Gail wrote:
Claude, I totally agree. The throttle/brake technique is absolutely worth practicing. It really works, and once you get the hang of it, it makes riding all that much more fun. 🙂
Besides the fun factor, I forgot that there was actually a technical reason for doing this.
Thanks for reminding this "spirited" (LOL) senior.. 🙂
gp
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks Gail.
PLEASE, in response to some other posts: Everyone needs to be sure they understand that this front barke technique is used when ON the throttle.This can be before the apex but after it is where one will get a feel for it when learning. It is not a braking technique that is used to slow down but rather is a way to inhance cornering speed in the turn and when exiting it.
What we are talking about is when you are turning INTO the chair, i.e. right turn in US and Left turn in UK.
READ MY PREVIOUS POST.
As far as leading links go they can be great up to a point but under very hard cornering a conventional leading link can cause understeer when braking hard in a turn.The ones with floating calipers do not have this effect. We are talking about hard corneing here not just a simple sunday ride so it is probably not an issue in most cases.

Claude: I just realized I stepped on your post with my reply.....my bad....sorry :-{

.....I am glad you emphasized that this technique applies to HARD CORNERING.....if may add:

....and this should be self explanatory......but....I wouldn't ride "hard" this way with a passenger or T bags on the motorcycle. Like Gail said: This is "spirited" riding, and like most things exciting, comes with risk.

This kind of riding is also very hard on brakes. Just my two cents.