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Post by surfpick on Oct 12, 2014 10:03:21 GMT -5
Sometimes, when there are no other vehicles around, I like to try riding without using the brakes. Progress is a bit slower overall but it's gotta help the mpg's.
I'm curious to see the difference in brake pad lifespan between those who enjoy a high performance ride & those who strive to milk the most miles out of each cup of fuel.
fun fact: 80mpg = 5mpc = 1.6 oz per mile
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Post by xyshannen on Oct 12, 2014 10:41:45 GMT -5
I don't see how riding without using your brakes would really make much difference in MPG. I mean I understand that you are letting off of the throttle and letting it coast to a stop, but really most of your gas usage would be in how you accelerate.
Having said that. I just tore the rear end off of my lance and inspected my rear break pads. My scoot has over 2500 miles and the pads on the rear still have a whole lot of meat left on them.
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Post by retrobrian on Oct 12, 2014 11:27:01 GMT -5
As with any motorcycle, rears should last at least twice as long as the fronts. Braking on a bike should be about 70% front 30% or less rear.
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Post by surfpick on Oct 12, 2014 12:53:55 GMT -5
Braking on a bike should be about 70% front 30% or less rear. That's interesting. I would have thought the opposite, if not equal pressure. On motorcycles, I have been applying the front & rear brakes equally. |
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Post by spidergoat813 on Oct 12, 2014 13:25:50 GMT -5
Yeah on a scooter I use the brakes equally 99% of the time. On my motorcycle I'd say I use the rear brake more so then the front. That being said I've only put 4XX miles on my new scooter and everythings cherry.
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Post by rockynv on Oct 13, 2014 3:55:40 GMT -5
I get about 24,000 miles from the rear and about double that from the front. On a bike with rear disc brakes the rear pads are almost 1/3 the size of the fronts so they do not last as long as the front. Mind you my 326 lb 250cc scooter has dual front disks and not only are all the brakes sized the same as on the 400+ lb 500cc bikes they are the same exact parts and interchangeable.
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Post by katastroff on Oct 13, 2014 5:29:18 GMT -5
Breaks? no thanks, I got a horn.  |
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Post by skyrider on Oct 13, 2014 13:47:51 GMT -5
On my Reflex the rear was getting thin at 30,000 and the front will last much, much longer.
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Post by Paladin on Oct 13, 2014 17:26:01 GMT -5
On my Savage the pads would run 5-8K miles. At 9K on the Vespa I was worrying about hearing the disc grinding metal, ordered a new pads. They are still in the garage, the stock pads are Jes' Fine:  |
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Post by bvance554 on Oct 13, 2014 22:31:56 GMT -5
Yes the less you use your brakes the better mpg you will get. The heat generated from braking is wasted energy. No braking = no wasted energy = more mpg. Simple physics. Vehicle brakes are biased towards the front for a reason, and you should apply the same bias when braking your scoot. When you brake, the weight shifts forward so the front tire assumes most of the traction/braking duties so you should apply your brakes with this in mind.
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Post by JerryScript on Oct 14, 2014 0:04:29 GMT -5
Please bear in mind that safe braking technique takes into account the situation to determine how much pressure to apply to which brake. For example, if you find yourself in a turn needing to apply the brakes, you would never apply much to the front brake, else you risk wiping out (fact is, you should try to never need to apply either brake during a turn, only before it, engine braking should be sufficient during a turn if you are riding proactively). You use the rear brake the most if necessary during a turn. The only time you apply strong pressure to the front bakes is in a straight stopping situation.
Note- I don't re-hash this to argue with any of the above comments, only to warn novice riders who may be reading this thread.
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Post by surfpick on Oct 14, 2014 6:27:31 GMT -5
(fact is, you should try to never need to apply either brake during a turn, only before it, engine braking should be sufficient during a turn if you are riding proactively). You use the rear brake the most if necessary during a turn. Four wheels or two, I usually go full throttle just as I enter a turn. Your point about only going hard on front brake when going straight makes sense. Thanks |
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Post by JerryScript on Oct 14, 2014 9:36:56 GMT -5
All advice given here is based on two wheels, I'm no cager!  Yes, accelerating out of a turn is good technique, shows you have prepared for the turn by slowing down enough to not need to brake. If you do have to brake in a turn, use the rear. There are videos on YouTube that show what happens when applying too much brake during a turn on a bike. There are also many excellent tutorial videos on proper motorcycle braking and emergency stopping, they are definitely worth a watch! |
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Post by retrobrian on Oct 14, 2014 10:45:41 GMT -5
This applies more so on your motorcycle. I have been riding motorcycles for about 30 years. I too started thinking that you brake as if you are on a bicycle. Then I started riding professionally ( police motor cop ). I was sent to some incredible schools to learn how to ride with emphasis on collision avoidance. Almost all braking is done with the front. We were taught to just rest your foot against the rear foot pedal. Th inertial from applying the front brake will start to apply pressure to the rear. You can apply more pressure to assist if and when needed. Now that is for a faster stop. So in reality they were actually teaching closer to a 80/20.
Applying only or more rear brake can cause your rear to slide out and down you go. You can not scrub off enough speed that way. Think about it... you get much better disc brakes on the front.and drums on the rear. Drum brake system are lousy. My 2013 BMS even has some kind of anti-lock system on the front. Dont plan on testing it though.
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Post by surfpick on Oct 14, 2014 11:33:03 GMT -5
That jives with what Retrobrian told us early in the thread. As JerryScript pointed out, I assume this only applies when you're not in a turn? Good thing to know. Thanks. Yes, accelerating out of a turn is good technique, shows you have prepared for the turn by slowing down enough to not need to brake Ya, that feeling is the best part of a ride as long as you've got about 200 yards to work with. That's why I've decided to go with Pirellis. Riding rural is sooo much nicer than being surrounded by cars. |
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