Front brake vs. rear brake

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Cruzergirl

Okay jackasses... quit highjackin' my thread!

ok ok, I wasn't comfortable in rain til I got the GS and better tires. The more aggressive street riding tires were never comfortable for me and the RR's awesomely fun light flickability wasn't as much fun in the rain. The heavier GS is just more planted with the much more touring/DS inspired tires just makes rain riding a nonissue for me now. You may want to see if anyone recommends a better rain tire for your bike and see if that helps your confidence. Just feeling comfortable will make your riding smoother and make the experience more enjoyable and easier.

[Cruzergirl]

Originally Posted by Trip

The 800 and 650 twins are nice too. They make a shorter 1200GS with a short seat that's completely OEM. Have you sat on one of those?

Nope. Never figured they were even an option for me.

The nearest dealer is in Tallahassee (3 hrs away).


Might have to stop by next time I run home to see the parents...

[CrazyKell]

I'm going to ignore some of the retardedness of this thread and try and give my opinion on riding in the rain.

I am very confident in the rain. This confidence wasn't always there but practice made perfect. I learned to ride in the rainy Pac NW and riding in the rain was a necessity.

Here I still get caught in the rain quite a bit and it's never caused me any issues.

Only piece of advice is to be smoother with your inputs.

[askmrjesus]

Originally Posted by Cruzergirl

Oh, too be just a bit taller. That would be my bike. BMWs rule

I wish I was baller, I wish I was taller....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHkj804LCl0

I can't explain how to ride in the rain, anymore than I can explain French Kissing. It's just one of those things you pick up on your own.

Anyway, stop freaking out. It's water, not monkey pox.

My best advice? Wiggle.

Riders get so caught up in staying "stable", that they very often forget to wiggle, just to see how is feels. Go out in the rain, and wiggle around a bit. It's easy, just give the bars enough of a shake to break things loose a little bit.

See? That wasn't so bad now was it? Well done! That's my brave girl! (Ok, that was a little creepy, my bad).

Right, now that you have mastered the mini-wiggle, go for the medium wiggle, with just a touch of brake. Don't go crazy. Brakes are like Brylcreem, a little dab will do ya.

Crap. Now I have explain what Brylcreem is. Heavy sigh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRcRIbExrfg

I have no idea where I'm going now. This whole thing started about riding in the rain, and somehow I got sidetracked by the stuff my Dad used to put in his hair.

To make matters worse, it just occurred to me that Alvin and the Chipmunks could totally do a cover of Foreigner's "Hot Blooded", and nobody would notice.

So, to sum up, wiggle with hair creem and chipmunks, and you'll be fine.

Oh, almost forgot. Drop about 5 psi on your tires if you're going to be in the rain for a while. Think of it like the difference between FMP's and Crocs.

JC

[Captain Morgan]

Didn't know you rode a Vic. I'm planning on buying a Vegas sometime soon. Will end up picking up a used one, though, as I don't see the point in buying new since they don't seem to hold value all that well. How do you like the feel of the front brake? I've heard it can be an issue, at least with the Vegas since it has such a large front tire. Is the Kingpin a lot different? Is the front too soft, or does it stop the bike well?

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Cruzergirl

I will look into a track day. As for dropping by on a rainy day... I live about 5 hours from Barbers... that would be difficult.

Jennings may be closer to you than Barber, but either way I don't think I would do a trackday on a Victory. I could be wrong but I don't think a cruiser on the track would thrill me, especially with sportbikes blasting past me all day.

[101lifts2]

I have no issue riding in rain, but on the ZX6r the front brake is so powerful that you don't even need the rear (though I use it just from habit). On the track, I use it sparringly.

On cruisers and my EX500 you need the rear brake or you are simply not stopping in any short distances.

[marko138]

Originally Posted by Trip

you can't be serious

There's a lot of racers that don't use rear brake on the street/track. You don't have to use the rear on typical street conditions, it's not getting away with anything. A lot of us that don't use it, can use it if they want to, but choose not to use it. I use it all the damn time off road or on my dirt bike, but never use it on the street unless I come into a condition that calls for it like gravel or other particle debris. There is more than enough stopping power in the front of a modern sport bike than you will ever need. For you safety nazi's on the board, you aren't going to want to be backing it in on public streets anyway. Rear use is not a big concern on the street.

And here we go..... I knew this thread would turn in to this arguement.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by marko138

And here we go..... I knew this thread would turn in to this arguement.

shut up douche

[Cruzergirl]

Originally Posted by askmrjesus

I wish I was baller, I wish I was taller....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHkj804LCl0

I can't explain how to ride in the rain, anymore than I can explain French Kissing. It's just one of those things you pick up on your own.

Anyway, stop freaking out. It's water, not monkey pox.

My best advice? Wiggle.

Riders get so caught up in staying "stable", that they very often forget to wiggle, just to see how is feels. Go out in the rain, and wiggle around a bit. It's easy, just give the bars enough of a shake to break things loose a little bit.

See? That wasn't so bad now was it? Well done! That's my brave girl! (Ok, that was a little creepy, my bad).

Right, now that you have mastered the mini-wiggle, go for the medium wiggle, with just a touch of brake. Don't go crazy. Brakes are like Brylcreem, a little dab will do ya.

Crap. Now I have explain what Brylcreem is. Heavy sigh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRcRIbExrfg

I have no idea where I'm going now. This whole thing started about riding in the rain, and somehow I got sidetracked by the stuff my Dad used to put in his hair.

To make matters worse, it just occurred to me that Alvin and the Chipmunks could totally do a cover of Foreigner's "Hot Blooded", and nobody would notice.

So, to sum up, wiggle with hair creem and chipmunks, and you'll be fine.

Oh, almost forgot. Drop about 5 psi on your tires if you're going to be in the rain for a while. Think of it like the difference between FMP's and Crocs.

JC

Damn, I almost spit coffee into the keyboard. I will try the "wiggle" technique. And I will also quite whining. And, yeah, that was a bit creepy coming from MrJ.