some one sold me sold me a scooter and i want to know if i got ripped off. the front brake works geat the back barley works
as a buyer it was for you to check everything works correctly(or to your satifaction)and take it for a test ride before paying- but you may have some rights. The back brake should work softer than the front but should stop and hold the bike still. roughly the stopping distance with rear brake alone should be about a 1/3- 1/2 as long as front brake alone. If you can push the bike with the rear brake one, or there appears to be too much movement on the peddle/ lever, then the brake needs checking/adjusting. If you bought it from a shop then take it back. If you bought ift from private you could argue its not fit for the purpose as you have rights- unless you aggreed to and signed a 'sold as seen'
The back brake is the most important brake. If you use the front brake, then that locks the front wheel which is the one you steer with so you loose steering control. Basically you use the brakes depending on what speed you are doing.If you are going a slow speeds you only use the back brake to slow down as you still keep control over the steering. At higher speeds you use more and more front brake, but the ratio rarely exceeds 50:50. If you use the front brake without the back brake not only do you loose steering control, but because the back wheel is still spinning then it is propelling the bike forward so you can end up skidding and coming off it. I would replace the brake pads immediately. If you don't know how to do this get a book like Haynes motorcycle maintenance Techbook as it has detailed instructions and will save you a lot of money. I wouldn't say you were ripped off. Because the back brake is used more than the front, it wears faster. If you buy anything second hand then you have to anticipate that it will break down sooner or later.
One can tell if the owner of a bike is a rookie often by seeing the wear on the brakes. Rookies wear out their back brakes faster than do seasoned riders because they truly think they are going to lock up the front brakes if they use them. Experienced riders wear their brakes more evenly. The back brake slows you, but the front break gives you the most bang for the buck and provides you with 60-80% of your stopping power. It is locking up the back brake that leads to skids. You need both in a controlled, staged brake. Start with the front, then add the rear for the final bit of stopping. As for the front brake making it hard for a person to steer while it is engaged, I rode my Harley with a broken ankle, so I wasn't using my back brake much for a good six weeks- and that includes while riding the Tail of the Dragon in Deal's Gap. I would not suggest anyone do what I did (just plain insane), but I was obviously able to steer while using my front brake without a problem. (I was able to use my back brake- I just had to lift my whole foot onto it, so I didn't use it as much as I should have.) Whether you were ripped off depends on what you paid for the scooter. Replacing the pads on your scooter shouldn't be that much of a problem. When you buy things used, you generally expect you will have to replace things- brake pads, tires, etc. Even if you are only riding a scooter, you ought to sign up for the basic Motorcycle Safety Course run by your state. These are often done at local schools for about $25.
