Braking Performance of Motorcyclists with Integrated Brake Systems

Three studies are described in which motorcyclists rode motorcycles equipped with separated from and rear brakes and with integrated brakes and carried out braking tests from 40.3 km/h on dry and wet pavements. It was found that integrated front and rear brakes, compared with rear brakes, produced mean increases in deceleration of 30-70% on dry pavements and 27-55% on wet pavements. As another basis of comparison, the performance in braking of 27 experienced motorcyclists on their machines was also obtained.

Because accident investigations have shown that motorcyclists only used the front brake with the rear (foot) brake about half the time and often modulated the brakes ineffectively, crashes of motorcyclists may be reduced in severity by integrated brakes.