The brake system is the most important safety system in a motorcycle. With top speeds of many motorcycles approaching 200 miles per hour, you can understand why.
This got me to wondering more about motorcycle brakes, and more specifically, where are brakes on a motorcycle? There are two locations on a motorcycle where you can activate the brakes. The front brake lever is located on the right side of the handlebar in front of the throttle. The back brake is activated by a foot pedal located on the right side of the motorcycle near the footrest.
The brakes in a motorcycle differ from those found in a car in both location and how they are applied. In this article, I will share with you not only where to find the brakes on a motorcycle but also the ins and outs of how they work.
Location of the Brake System in a Motorcycle
By US law, motorcycles must have two separate braking systems: a front brake system and a rear brake system. The brakes are activated in two separate locations on the motorcycle.
Front Brake Lever
The front brake, which in most bikes is used more heavily than the back brake, is controlled by a lever located on the right side of the handlebar just above the throttle. This lever looks a lot like the hand brake on a bicycle.
Rear Brake Pedal
The rear brake is controlled by a pedal located near the footrest on the right side of the motorcycle. It looks like a long thin metal lever on most bikes. It does not look like the brake pedal on a car.
Master Cylinders
The master cylinder for the front brake is usually located in the handlebar very near the brake lever. There is a small reservoir located there for filling the system with brake fluid.
The rear brake has its own master cylinder that is located near the foot pedal. It has a separate brake fluid reservoir.
Disc Brake System
The disc system in the wheels is what actually causes the motorcycle to slow down. These work just as they work in cars using brake pads, calipers, and a brake disc to slow the motorcycle down.
Brake Lines
The brake lines on a motorcycle run along the outside of the frame. They can usually be seen and many motorcyclists upgrade them for to make their motorcycle look nicer.
Braking in a Car Vs Motorcycle
You need a different license to drive a car and a motorcycle for very good reasons. They work very differently and the brake systems are no different.
Both the brakes in a car and the brakes in a motorcycle use hydraulic systems to multiply the amount of force you apply to the brakes in order to stop the vehicle, but these systems operate in different ways.
Two Brakes VS One Brake
The main difference is that motorcycles are required by law to have two separate braking systems with two separate ways of activating them. The front brake is activated by squeezing the brake lever located on the right side of the handlebar. It provides most of the stopping power.
The rear brake is activated by a pedal located on the right side of the motorcycle by the footrest, and it does not provide nearly as much stopping power.
This is because as the motorcycle comes to a stop, the weight shifts towards the front. Occasionally the back wheel will lift completely off the ground and will provide absolutely no stopping power. This is not a desirable situation.
The driver of a motorcycle should use both brakes when stopping, but at different levels of intensity depending on the situation. Many beginning motorcyclists do not use the back brake as often as they should.
Braking in a car does not require nearly as much skill or thought, especially if you are driving a car with an automatic transmission. All you have to worry about is one brake pedal, and maybe a clutch. In an emergency, you can slam the brakes without a moment’s thought.
Safety Concerns
Braking in a car is relatively safe. Even when braking suddenly, seat belts keep the driver and passengers from flying forward in the car or out of the car. In an emergency situation, you can slam the brakes without much thought.
In motorcycles, this is not the case. Just because the wheels of a motorcycle stop, does not mean that the driver stops. Motorcyclists have no safety mechanism that keeps them on the bike, and in certain situations, this is for the best.
If you slam on the brakes on a motorcycle, you risk one or both wheels locking up. When a wheel locks up, you will lose control of the bike, and it is very difficult to get the bike back under control.
Fast braking may have dire consequences. At best, you might drop the motorcycle which really isn’t a best at all. But at worst, you could be thrown from the bike, or the back of the bike could lift and flip over. The consequences of these situations could be fatal.
Anti-Lock Brakes
Just like cars, motorcycles do not need to have anti-lock brakes to be legal. Nearly all modern cars have anti-lock brakes, but not so for motorcycles. Some motorcyclists prefer to have complete control of their braking. Even so, anti-lock brakes take a lot of the work out of braking a motorcycle, and they are a useful safety feature.
Combined Brake Systems
Combined brake systems are a relatively recent development in motorcycle technology. They still have two separate brake systems, but they work together.
They vary in particulars, but the basic idea is that when you squeeze the brake lever or press the brake pedal, both the front and back brake will be activated in a proportion determined by the system.
Many combined brake systems use sensors and an electronic control unit to make braking as simple as possible. These systems create a braking experience that is much closer to that you would find in a car.
Why do motorcycles have two brakes?
Motorcycles have two separate braking systems for a number of reasons.
The Law
In the US and many other countries, motorcycles are legally required to have two separate braking systems. This is for safety reasons.
Control
Motorcycles are not as stable as four-wheeled vehicles. Separate brake systems allow the driver of the motorcycle to respond dynamically to the situation they find themselves in. A rough road may require more use of the back brake for example.
Certain turning situations, like making a slow tight turn, may also require that the motorcyclist only apply one brake so that they don’t drop the bike.
Back Up
Cars technically also have two braking systems. They have the normal brakes and an emergency brake, you just don’t typically pull the emergency brake when driving unless you’re a stuntman.
While the rear brake on a motorcycle should never be thought of a mere emergency brake, having two ways to brake the motorcycle means that if one system fails, the other could still stop the motorcycle.
How to Use a Motorcycle Brake
In normal braking, gently squeezing the brake lever and lightly pressing the brake pedal will bring you to a safe stop, but with motorcycles, there is no substitute for experience.
To learn to brake in all situations, you need to find an empty parking lot and practice braking over and over again. Start out with slow stops and work your way up to a faster stop until you’ve got the hang of it.
