The Art on the Science of Stopping Motorcycles Faster

Ever wish that there was an easier way to brake a motorcycle quickly?

Ever wonder how Combined Brake System (CBS) or Linked Brake System (LBS) works?

Ever why some bike manufacturers like Honda put in CBS or LBS?

Ever wonder how ABS works with this CBS or LBS?

Well, my biking kaki Floppy, found this wonderful website:

http://www.world.honda.com/motorcycle-technology/brake/p1.html

It talks about the various braking technologies used by Honda.
It is a bit technical and cheem. But it is readable.
But I help to simplify for you below:
























Ever brake so hard and you go "Woooh!!!" and feel like you and the bike are going to flip foward?

This article basically says that braking for motorcycles is different from that of cars. Motorcycles experience greater degrees of nosedive than cars because of higher center of gravity and shorter wheelbase. Pictures all extracted from www.world.honda.com.











Fear not. Honda to the rescue. Honda developed CBS (Combined Brake System) to make braking for motorcycles easier. Think using CBS or LBS brakes are not macho or manly because using traditional un-integrated front and rear brakes is a more difficult and delicate business? Well, CBS was developed out of Honda's racing. Then you shouldn't be sitting on a modern motorcycle because many parts are developed out of racing too, like the disc brakes.

























This article shows how Honda's dual CBS works. In short, press your foot brake, the rear brake works harder, but the front brake still works. Press your front brake lever, the front brake wors harder, but the rear brake still works. Press both front lever and foot brake, you get all the front and rear brakes work to their max.




























This fancy looking chart above is basically saying that those macho-but-dinosaur-brained sports riders who say, "Oh, I can like the traditional unlinked brakes because I ride a sport bike and I go to the track, so I have Rossi's braking skills, and therefore I can brake within a shorter distance using unlinked brakes." Ya, maybe you are right. But only under very optimal and very limited conditions that you can achieve your optimum effectiveness. Whereas the dual CBS allows you to achieve shorter braking distances in the vast majority of the time.

























Not satisfied with just putting dual CBS into their VFR, ST1300 and Blackbird, Honda added in ABS. This diagram shows how ABS sits in-between your brake controls and the brake pistons so that the ABS can jump in and smooth things out. More interestingly, the techno-crazy but always understated Hondarians also have an angle sensor in their ABS! So when your bike is leaned over, the ABS will work differently compared to when your bike is upright.
























Think all ABS are alike? Well, there are ABS and ABS. Above shows that the motor-driven ABS is much smoother when it comes in. That's why there are reports of some manufacturer's bikes experience more abruptness when the ABS kicks in, whereas some others are much smoother.

























This chart shows that CBS+ABS gives up to 2.3 times more stopping power than conventional brakes.





Still don't like Honda motorcycles?
Well, before you were even borned, Honda Soichiro already applied for his ABS patent design back in 1959.