Every motorcycle, from the humblest 50cc scooter to the most ferocious 1400cc hyperbike, has both front and rear brakes, and on almost every machine the front brakes provide the bulk of the bike’s stopping power. But when you have both front and rear brakes, often operated independently of one another (except in bikes with ABS), which ones do you use, and when? Read on and find out when to use your front brakes.<\/strong> Take a look at virtually any motorcycle’s braking system<\/a>, and you’re almost guaranteed to find either one or two huge brake discs mounted on the front wheel, and a single, much smaller brake disc (or, sometimes, on smaller motorcycles or scooters a drum brake) on the rear wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brake discs are more powerful and reliable stopping tools than drum brakes (especially in wet conditions, or when the brakes get hot from excessive use). The bigger the disc, the more force can be applied to it in terms of pressing the brake pads across a larger surface area, thus stopping the bike faster \u2013 and twin discs up front effectively double that stopping power. Check out our\u00a0guide to the finding best motorcycle brake pads<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The (much bigger) front brakes are pretty much universally operated by the lever on the right hand side of the handlebars, just in front of the throttle, regardless of the type of motorcycle or the manufacturer. Rear brakes are usually operated by foot pedals on the right of the bike, or, on a scooter, the left hand lever in front of the handlebars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The positioning of these controls tells you just how important they are; seeing as most people are right handed, a motorcycle’s most crucial safety controls (the throttle and brake) are positioned for use with your right (dominant) hand. In almost every situation on the street, you’re going to want to use your front brake (often exclusively) to slow down or stop your motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of us remember learning to ride a bicycle for the first time as kids \u2013 and an important lesson we learned was not to grab the front brake, or you’d be sent on a very rapid and painful journey over the handlebars helmet-first into the ground. Now, while riding a bicycle and a motorcycle share some similarities, there are actually many differences, and how you use the brakes is an important one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nYour Front Brakes Are Potent Stopping Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ease of Access to Controls Usually Equals Important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On A Motorcycle, Your Front Brake Should Be Your Primary Brake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n