Rear brake lever positioning

[Viirin]

Wait wait wait - Easy is making me worry - when your riding should your right foot be under the brake or always over it? Because my right foot is below it - someone said to me once that you would loose valuable braking time by having to bring your foot around from under to over it but someone else said to me that the position is just the style of cruisers....so me being lazy took the latter opinion as it meant I didn't have to break out the tools.

Good question, I was about to ask this myself before I saw the post

Vii

[Sarris]

The brake pedal should be above your toes. The height above on mine is about 1" or less. At least that's the way both my bike are. I pick my foot up off the peg slightly to apply the brake.

Also, be sure to get into the habit of using your front brake. I have found, and it is generally recommended to use about 60% front to about 40% rear in conjunction with engine braking downshifts. You do have to reduce your front braking in the rain and use the front prudently (read light touch) while cornering.

:2tup:




(Had to take the photo on my Harley, as my boot wouldn't stay on the GeeZer peg.) :lol:

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Sarris

The brake pedal should be above your toes.

Sorry, but I disagree TOTALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This might suit you, & suit the brake pedal on your Harley, But the position & design of the brake pedal on the GZ means that the correct way is like as was stated - your foot should be positioned so that your foot is ABOVE the pedal. This means that you can use the brake WITHOUT HAVING TO MOVE YOUR FOOT! Come to think of it, ignore the first part of my reply. I wouldn't ride ANY bike where the pedal was above my toe!

The edit was for a typo.

[Sarris]

And I sir, disagree with you. In almost 40 years of riding I've never ridden a bike with the pedal below. Nor have I see anyone else with that positioning. IMHO, it makes it too easy to ride the brake.

To each their own.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Sarris

In almost 40 years of riding I've never ridden a bike with the pedal below.

And in over 45 years of riding, I've never ridden with the pedal above my foot. The few miliseconds needed in an emergency, to slide my foot back & then go over the brake can make all the difference. Like you say, to each his own, but PLEASE don't give the newbies any of your bad habits.

[Sarris]

Nor should you!

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Sarris

The brake pedal should be above your toes. The height above on mine is about 1" or less. At least that's the way both my bike are. I pick my foot up off the peg slightly to apply the brake.

[Edit] Before you comment on THIS post, please see the next one too....

For YOU that is OK.....because you are an old dog and you know about "new tricks" and all BUT......
That is not "right".

There are several reasons that it's not right but the most important one is: In a panic situation, you are likely to catch your toe UNDER the pedal and further complicate your emergency stop.

Secondly, most riders need to learn to use the back brake MORE in routine situations, not less.
What is sometimes called "trail braking" in a high speed racing situation is also useful for the street rider in routine manuvers. For instance, if you realize you are going into a corner just a little too hot, first you need to lean a bit more but you can also drag the rear brake a bit to slow just slightly and do it more smoothly than chopping the throttle........which can cause an abrupt change in speed and make bad things happen.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Sarris

Nor have I see anyone else with that positioning.

You need to look closer. I'll bet you will find a LOT.

After seeing your picture, however, I see part of the reason for the difference.
When you are working with a FLOORBOARD, it is a vastly different situation than if you have a peg......which is stock in most situations.

I can see how it would be almost impossible to get the pedal below your toe with a floorboard "in the way" so to speak.

AND I can see why, if you have more than one bike and they are different, that you would want them both to be set pretty much the same. As is often the case, there is no single "right".

I wonder what the "experts" have to say about this ???
Somebody with a book..........???

[Sarris]

If you closely at the photo I posted, you'll both notice that the pedal will contact the floorboard long before it could be positioned below my boot. Since Ive ridden HD most of my riding life, that is the pedal position I'm (and most HD riders) are accustomed to. Since I ride mostly with HD riders, the above the toes position is what I see.

I also did have to adjust the pedal on my GeeZer, but have left in the position I described, above my toes.



EDIT: ER posted the above just seconds before this post.

[bonehead]

How about "personal preference". Will that work?