[buymenow00]

OK, when would I want to apply the front brake only? I guess I've gotten into the habit of squeezing both levers when I want to stop, but it should be unnecessary since the left lever is linked front and rear. So then what's the right lever for?

 

[allwalk]

I can't give you an honest answer. I am intrigued to hear the responses as well. The 650 doesn't have linked brakes. The right is the front and the left is the rear. I wonder why Suzuki linked them with the 400 and not the 650?

 

[blueburgerbob]

Using the brakes

I've had a few other scooters.... and I got used to squeezing both levers. I just squeeze the right one more under wet conditions. both equaly if the roads are good... There's good feel to the brakes on the Burgman, so I just make ajustments by that feel. I prefer it this way. No linked brakes for me.... I link my own.

 

[abm]

Motorcycle training ingrained ?

I wonder if riding bigger bikes (actually, the Kaw Nomad FI I just sold was 725 lbs. - the Burgy is 500+, so its not exactly small), will make my right foot and left shiting organ feel strange?

 

[gruntled]

Re: Motorcycle training ingrained ?

I wonder if riding bigger bikes (actually, the Kaw Nomad FI I just sold was 725 lbs. - the Burgy is 500+, so its not exactly small), will make my right foot and left shiting organ feel strange?

You have more than one?

 

[BertvL]

OK, when would I want to apply the front brake only? I guess I've gotten into the habit of squeezing both levers when I want to stop, but it should be unnecessary since the left lever is linked front and rear. So then what's the right lever for?

I owned a Burgman 400 for 3 years. I used the combi brake like conventional brakes, that is: start braking with the front brake only, then apply the combi brake.
During lane splitting, I held my left hand on the combi brake.

I have my new 650 now for one week and I am not quite used to the uncoupled brakes. The front brake gives much more braking power than on the 400.

 

[buymenow00]

I still don't know why I would need a front brake lever when I have a bike with linked brakes! However, that doesn't stop me from using both of them when I want to stop...but does it make any difference? Does using both brake levers make you stop any faster? It doesn't seem like it would work that way...

 

[Greg]

buymenow00,

I still don't know why I would need a front brake lever when I have a bike with linked brakes

If the 400 is the same set up as my 250 it has a small disc pad at the front that is applied with the rear, and larger pad when front lever is pulled.

Greg ...

 

[lycheed]

Combi-Brake is much like ABS - it's there as an assistance to normal braking, as opposed to be something you rely on. One lever does not control both brakes, it's more a case of both levers being able to apply some braking force to both discs - you still have to ue both levers to operate all the pistons on bothe the front and rear discs.

Like any rear biased machine (eg cruiser) the rear brake is your main brake. Unlike conventional brakes, the left lever whilst slowing the machine powerfully and securely, also bring about a portion of front end braking, which means that if you cover it in traffic you are able to easily outbrake the U-turning taxi.

Once out into the mountains/contryside normal braking techniques apply - rear biased machine, so rear brake is paramount, with front brake being used to control the attitude of the machine into bends and for strong braking.

I personally think that Suzuki missed an opportunity to devise a 'sporty' application of CBS for the 650. Honda got the balance right with the x11/injected Blackbird which although fitted with CBS it's hard to detect unless you really stamp hard on the rear brake - different to the VFR and carb-BB set-ups.

As the Burger 650 is so large, it is actully quite easy to lock the rear tyre in hard braking, which is criminal for a touring orientated machine. ABS or 'sporty' CBS should have been standard from the start.