650ed wrote: The front brake provides 70 - 80% of the stopping power in large part because of the weight transfer when braking. One shouldn't be very surprised to find the rear brake (even a very good one like the one on my bike) doesn't provide very much stopping power.
You state you've been riding for 30 years and "ride circles around 9/10 of the male motorcyclists I've ever been around". However, you also state "I always looked at front brakes more as a "helper" to the rears, but I'm going to adjust my thinking and my riding style "; "I put a few miles on the 650 yesterday and used the front brake a lot more than usual"; and "I'll try it on the 400 today after the valve caps get here." To one reading your postings this means you haven't fully utilized the front brake in the past.
Regarding 750 R1's suggestion about taking a riding class - I thought it was actually good advice and not at all intended to be insulting. If you, 750 R1, or anyone else suggested that I take a training class I would not be insulted, and I've been riding for a bit over 50 years. I might not take the class, but I wouldn't be insulted at the suggestion.
Your comment "I'm tired of men like you who discount my wrenching and riding abilities simply because I'm a female and because of their own insecurities" seems rather bizarre since there was no mention by anyone about your wrenching abilities or any comment that your riding or any other skills were lacking because of your gender.
To this reader your comments seemed over-sensitive and defensive considering the fact that the advice you were given was not intended to be insulting or gender-based. Maybe you should consider the fact that folks on this site actually try to be helpful rather than insulting, but if you blast folks for making reasonable suggestions with which you disagree you may alienate others that might have otherwise offered helpful suggestions. Ed
Yes, I do admit I was being overly sensitive, and I apologize for lashing out. In my defense, if you were a female in the male dominated world of motorcycling, you'd probably understand. A lot of men see women like me as a novelty; "Awwww, isn't that cute; a woman rider. Oh, she wrenches, too? Adorable!". That sort of thing. Most guys won't actually say things like that, but it's clear that's what they mean.
After all, Ed, it was you who attacked me for wanting to "cut up" a classic bike literally after my
first post here on the site. That's the kind of thing that'll make a gal, or anyone, defensive. Those are the kind of non-helpful posts that don't need to be made. If your opinion isn't helpful, keep it to yourself. Texas made a helpful suggestion in his post and did it in a nice way. I got the message and thanked him. "+1"s weren't necessary.
What you guys still might be missing is that the rear brake on this bike is barely there. I'm talking about for average, mundane straight line stops where you're not worried about sliding out the rear end of the bike. Another thing, and this might be where I need a class, but the bike is ultra-light and I'm only 130 lbs, and I don't like the feeling of the bike wanting to throw me forward into and over the bars when I use a lot of front brake. The bike has new fork springs, but no one seems to make a spring soft enough for this bike, at this low weight with such a relatively light rider on it. I'd have to check my records, but I believe the spring rate (lowest available) was for a stock KZ400 (387 lbs) with a 160 lb rider on it. I'm sure if the front end were a bit softer, I'd be a lot more comfortable with putting more front brake into it.
I do understand weight transfer and I do understand that just like in a car, your front brake is a large portion of your braking power. That's why cars with front discs and rear drums will have the front pads replaced 3 times for every 1 time the rear shoes are replaced. I get all that. What I was saying, and I guess I wasn't being clear, is that the rear brake on this bike is virtually non existent despite the drum being within spec, new shoes and springs.