newbie spew

[storchy]

hey everyone

being a relative newbie to bikes that dont requires knobby tires,(4 days into owning my '99 CBR 250) ive come across something that im sure you'll laugh about.....

after a very enjoyable run around the river in applecross i round a corner and prepare to pull into my destination (trusty Raffles bottleshop and place of employment) and realise ive left the throttle open a little too long and my entry speed is greater than i expected. Im pulling into the drive way and i just instinctively ease on the rear brake ever so slightely and before i know it im flying down the concrete drive sideways with the rear end just off my right elbow !!

A tank slap and a long hammering from workmates later (one of whom an experienced rider)... im left wondering .. wtf??

Is this a regular occurance? R u really not supposed to use the rear brake at all and if so - why the hell is it even there ??


just a bit of newbie spew ....

[MixMasta]

Hey dude, a fellow cbr250 rider..thats what i like to see.
Any pics of your bike?
Oh yer, the question....
Bare with me as i guess i can still be deemed a 'n00b' as well. But i would only recomend using your rear brake about 10% of the time, and your front brake the other 90%.
Im guessing you just locked up the rear wheel, and got a bit of a wobble/slapper.
So yer, i guesss the moral is use the bikes front brake the majority of the time..
Have Fun.
-Mike.

[Tex]

hey storchy ! welcome to the forum ! . speaking from experience , bikes will tank slap when there is minimum weight on the front wheel ! you may experience it under hard acceleration ,(not sure if the 250 will push it that hard) when the front wheel is getting light it's prone to be affected by anything on the road such as bumps or cats eyes , these can cause a bike to tank slap. On the other extreme is when the front wheel is coming down. if it hits a bump or comes down crooked it can be forced into a tankslap. Most bikes will only ever tankslap at higher speeds/revs unless your on an rgv or something similar. the back brakes will never make you tank slap , but they will lock up Very easily, most guys that race out at waneroo will tell you that they don't even use the back brakes at all !! mixmastas advice is spot on !!

[storchy]

yep....fair to say my right foot wont be touchin that pedal in a hurry any time soon.

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[Deej]

Heya Storchy, welcome to the forums.

As the boyz above said, back gets used rarely.

I only use my back brake for stability in cornering and when I am being lazy just cruisin.

As for your little trip up, I'd say you locked the back, alot to do with it being a servo and its prolly a little slippery anyway.

Anyhow, welcome.

[spun]

storchy = shleppa......hehe....deej this is the guy that was with me when ya saw us on Friday morn....

[ChOOkiE]

Welcome to the 250 CBR club my friend
yes.. locked up the rear many times, alot for fun sometimes not. Just remember smart breaking.. as Deej said, good for stability around corners or at slow speeds or using it minimally WITH the front break for much quicker stopping. I use both my front and rear breaks at the same time just as a force of habbit but as the guys said, watch out cause it's damn easy to lock up, ESPECIALLY in the wet

take it easy