Make sure the nut holding the handlebars isn’t the rider! Made with Xara Web Designer When we do it gently it does not really create any problems for us as riders. But when we have to brake HARD we are not so self-assured! So what is it that makes us feel less confident? For me the answer is traction. When we have to brake hard we spend an awful lot of our attention on whether the front or rear tyre will be up to the job. This really comes down to how well you can feel the grip from your tyres, doesn't it? I have been told that when people are trained to pass their bike test that a lot of the CBT work is done advising the student to use the rear brake.  Having not been trained to pass people on their CBT my only two assumptions for doing this are: 1. At slow speed constant pressure on the rear brake will smooth out erratic throttle applications 2. Using the front for this job complicates even further the student's use of the throttle as it will all be done with the same hand. One of the issues this raises, and we see it a lot on the Superbike Schools, is a student will get into the habit of using the rear brake instead of the front when we need, REALLY NEED to slow down. Therefore the question is how do we get you, the rider, to have more confidence in the front brake from having better feel of what the front tyre is doing? If we just fitted stickier front tyres would that do the job? Highly unlikely in truth. You might be a little better at braking but you would still be lacking the feel you really need. When you brake hard do you find yourself getting thrown forward by the forces you have just generated? When this happens do you brace your upper body against the handlebars to prevent yourself moving up against the fuel tank? This transfers more weight to the front of the bike and therefore compresses the front suspension more than needed. The more the front suspension compresses the less feeling you will get from the front tyre - make sense? Ideally, you want to reduce the weight on the front so the suspension can work better. In addition to this having less weight on the handlebars will allow you, the rider, to get more feeling from the front end through your fingers, hands and arms giving you a much clearer idea of what the front end is doing and consequently how much traction you have. Reducing the weight off the arms is easy; you should squeeze the tank with your knees when you are braking. Try it, you will be amazed. This article has been reproduced with the kind permission of Andy Ibbott, school director of the California Superbike School, and discusses riding techniques for heavy braking.