I am working on a custom bike. I see some bikes online with no front brakes. What are some advantages and disadvantages of taking it off. To me it looks better, less maintenance, and lighter. I can see safety being an issue too. This is my first street bike so be nice. Do you use the hand brake more or less than the foot brake?
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the front brake provides 80% of the stopping power. You can live without a rear brake, not a front. I would advise not taking it off unless it is going to be a show only bike that you are not going to ride. Not to sound mean but if this is your first road bike you want to be as safe as possible. I rode for two months without a rear brake this spring, My bike would have been parked if it was the front missing. Good luck and hope you make the right decision about this, we want to see you on the road not wrapped around a car
The front brake does most of the braking, both on cars and bikes. Having one brake is okay, but you have to be careful. If you apply the rear brake too hard in a turn or on a slick road you can cause the rear end to come around and crash. You could also end up throwing yourself off of it if you let off of the brake while in a slide.the rear tire catches traction and swings violently back around, throwing you off (of course, this can happen with any bike, dual brake or no). Using both brakes gives you much more control over where the bike goes and how quickly it will stop. Keep the front brake. One rear brake just isn't worth the trouble.
Disadvantage: The harder you brake, the more weight transfers to the front tire, and the less weight remains on the rear tire. Weight equals traction, and therefor braking ability. With no front brake, NO HARD STOPS will be possible. Thus, any emergency or evasive situation will result in a skid, and most likely a collision. Few, if any, jurisdictions allow motorcycles with only one brake, and no insurance company would knowingly cover one. Advantage: Cosmetics.
