Home > categories > Automotive & Motorcycle > Motorcycle Brakes > Riding motorcycle without front brake?
Question:

Riding motorcycle without front brake?

How does it feel like to ride your motorcycle without a front brake. I heard some bike builders ride with no front brakes to give them a more adrenaline pumping feeling and that it feels like they are riding on a hand grenade. But I heard from others that its not so safe. What are your opinions about riding with no front brake, is it more fun riding without one or not worth it? Thanks.

Answer:

Do you ride a bike now? When I was contemplating ripping off my front binders, I decided to ride around a bit and just not use them to see how it went.
Not having a front brake, has nothing to do with thrills, It has to do with weight and looks. You don't need a front brake, to stop a bike safely. Heck, the front brakes are dangerous. A motorcycle is not a car, cars use 70% of brake force on the front, not motorcycles. Thankfully a motorcycle does not, transfer that much weight during braking. Depending on the type of motorcycle you ride, very little weight can transfer. A raked out chopper with transfer almost no weight at all, while a sport bike will transfer 70%. On a chopper not having a front brake, is safer than having one. If your front tire locks up, you will go down. Depending on the bike, you can have as little as 20% of a bikes weight on the front. That means if you even think about using a front brake, you will lock up the front tire and crash. On my 1995 Harley Road King, I have only had to change my front brake pads twice. My rear brake pads have been changed 7 times. I have just over 240,000 miles on the bike. I also had a 1974 chopped Spotster, with no front brake. Never once, got an extra thrill over it.
Bikes do 80% of braking with the front. It's a thrill, imagine running into a brick wall with no way to stop. It';s so stupid they don't even consider it on the bike test. Do NOT buy a bike with no front brake, if you want to try just don't touch the brake. Many years ago the 'Chopper crowd didn't believe in front brakes because the English racer bicycles could do stoppies and allegedly threw some riders over the bars. the difference between the 600 lb motorcycle and a 30 lb bicycle didn't bother them a bit.
2 axels unless you are pulling a trailer or something.

Share to: