You CAN slow them down without a hand brake. It is called engine brake. I was +14 in the rear when I learned and once I got the the point where I could slow them down and park it on the bar I knew I was ready for a handbrake. Learnign without a HB gives you the skill so if you miss the lever or your rear brakes go out you don't eat **** because you don't need it. You also will be able to do SSers for miles on the highway without your rotor glowing cherry red from dragging the brake. Adding the brake later takes literally about 5 minutes. You can learn anyway you want, but the ride of the century was an eye opener for me and make me glad I learned without the handbrake. Tons of stunt bikes, but most of the guys on them were riding on 2 wheels because they could only do 1st gear stuff in a parking lot relying on the footbrake, high idle, and handbrakes.

 

1st gear...in a lot....on idle is what i want. i have no interest in highway wheelies....or the streets at all except for the sake of filming maybe. i've had enough tickets and my license is still suspended due to it.....my goal eventually is to get into the comp side of the sport where my hb will be my best friend.

i see what your point is but i've sort of been taken under the wing of az's finest so i'll probably just do what they tell me.

i made this thread to get everyone's opinion on it anyways so i really do appreciate the advice....much better than the "have hb, make wheelie" that what's his face said.

i've just turned into a sort of brake junkie yao ming?

i'm open to any other tips though even though i think it's been pretty thoroughly explained and its pretty straightforward to begin with.

now when using the hb on clutch up will it be the same as staggered as far as riding it etc.?

 

oh btw i'm on stock gearing

 

When i first started, i just kinda made myself do it.. Just step up then clutch it up, i mean dont clutch it up hard, just enough to bring it to about bp or lil lower then bp. I usually ride the brake on SS just barely though. Are you good with brake yet??

 

still working on consistently holding staggered and sit down bp but i'm always using brake.

have yet to use the hb in a wheelie though

 

Can you clutch up staggared from less than 5mph without gaining speed and have the brake control to rollit along so slow that the bike wants to slow down? If not work on that.

 

Slow wheelies = rearbrake, but I'd get rear brake wheelies perfected and get some gearing on before you work on HB stuff.
If you can't do it in a staggared or sit down you won't be able to do it with a HB

 

I think when doing SS you can be at bp easier then stag or sit down, because ur weight is on the back tire. Its easy man just gotta do it..

 

If you just want to get a feel for the handbrake before going straight to it, try clutching it up with your left foot on the seat and slow it down with your right foot, then transition to the hand brake. Do that till your comfortable and then try stepping your right foot up to the seat as well. Once you are comfortable there, start trying to clutch up with both feet on the seat..

For more trick learning advice, check out How2Stunt.com