IMA THUMB BRAKE?

Steven31371 · Apr 17, 2022

Here are the rear calipers and Rear Brake MC I bought….anyone know if the IMA thumb brake setup will work with my rear brake MC?

chris16 · Apr 18, 2022

depends on how you want to mount it. The Ima is the most flexible system.
we decide for the Ima master at the rear between caliper and the stock master at the front/thumb.
not possible with your integrated reservoir.

TomFoolery · Apr 18, 2022

Speaking from experience Steven, thumb brake - using rear brakes on track in general - takes a fair bit of mental reconditioning. You will not see any reduction in lap times for quite a while meaning it's not a mod that will do you any good till you get to riding for the final 1-2 seconds off lap record. Till you get there, it may actually hurt/hold you back given it introduces one more fairly complex variable in the mix to mentally juggle in hundredths of a second....

Alkhater · Apr 18, 2022

TomFoolery said:
Speaking from experience Steven, thumb brake - using rear brakes on track in general - takes a fair bit of mental reconditioning. You will not see any reduction in lap times for quite a while meaning it's not a mod that will do you any good till you get to riding for the final 1-2 seconds off lap record. Till you get there, it may actually hurt/hold you back given it introduces one more fairly complex variable in the mix to mentally juggle in hundredths of a second....

While this may be true… I find the rear brake ergonomically is out of the question for track use. Having a thumb activated rear brake would at least allow me to attempt using it.

I’m sure with a lot more track time and a bike that’s ergonomically adjusted to suit that I might then be able to consider the foot break.

This is just my opinion.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JohnSmith · Apr 18, 2022

I use the rear brake to keep the front down and its very important, thumb brake not really needed in my instance because I am using for corner exit and on track rises

Steven31371 · Apr 18, 2022

It’s really more of an ergonomic thing for me and my size, and I put that extended rear swingarm on there in part to add some mechanical leverage to anti-wheelie so I have less electronic intervention.

Hence the thumbrake….smoother easier modulation of the rear brake than I can do with my big ass feet and while leaning g my old fat ass off the bike lol

Paul G · Apr 18, 2022

There's a lot of ideas out there on using the rear brake, you'll find your own happy place with time. I would love to have a thumb brake to experiment with but its low on my list because I hardly use the rear anywhere the limit as in after 40k's on the 1299 the pads were still 90%! People mention a touch of rear to steer the bike on corner entry or alter radius which I have tried successfully but I am not at that level where its going to make any difference to my laptime. I agree with you big heavy boots are hard to get feel through so a thumb brake is definitely an upgrade. In one of his interviews Sylvain Guintoli said he never touches the rear brake, and he was a WSBK Champion, plenty of really fast riders are super light on the rear yet others are on it all the time.

RickD996 · Apr 18, 2022

TomFoolery said:
Speaking from experience Steven, thumb brake - using rear brakes on track in general - takes a fair bit of mental reconditioning. You will not see any reduction in lap times for quite a while meaning it's not a mod that will do you any good till you get to riding for the final 1-2 seconds off lap record. Till you get there, it may actually hurt/hold you back given it introduces one more fairly complex variable in the mix to mentally juggle in hundredths of a second....

I don't think that logic will stop him :'D

No disrespect, merely an observation!

Steven31371 · Apr 19, 2022

RickD996 said:
I don't think that logic will stop him :'D

No disrespect, merely an observation!

the thing is, there are instances where I should be using the rear brake to keep the front end down, I don’t because using the foot brake is clumsy and awkward to me, my size play some roll in that….also, as I’m a new track rider and still learning I can learn in whatever way the bike is set up, I’m a blank canvas….so I’d prefer to learn in the way that’s going to ULTIMATELY be the most ergonomically sound for me.

Brooklyn v4 · May 7, 2022

Better for muscle memory to learn like that

Alkhater · May 7, 2022

Most people dont use the rear brakes because the lever is in an awkward position. Even professional riders didn’t use the rear brakes much before the introduction of thumb/index finger levers.

I’m disappointed that manufacturers haven’t picked up on this trend yet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Brooklyn v4 · May 7, 2022

I agree with you I hate using my rear brake. Feels awkward using it. I would love a thumb brake but I can’t see myself investing in it anytime soon.

JHTmcrider · May 7, 2022

I remember years ago or at least attribute a comment from Randy Mamola about him never using the rear brake. I don't think I have ever used it outside of a parking lot.

Funny when I am on my 901 Norden in the dirt, I use the rear brake a LOT. Been thinking about going to a thumb brake on the ADV bike.

Steven31371 · May 7, 2022

Seems much more sound from a physics perspective and an ergonomic perspective to trail brake using rear brake instead of front, keeps the weight on the front tire without as much risk of over braking the front wheel and low siding.

For me using that foot brake while tipping into a lean AND trying to finesse it tipping into a lean with those boots on is just too much for my riding ability.

And when pulling hard off an Apex and trying to keep down a wheelie the natural FEELING thing to do is lean on the bars, so it seems more natural in that situation to find the thumb brake than to find the foot brake and gently modulate it.

All theory, haven’t used it yet obviously, a real life often surprises with GAPS between what SHOULD be and what IS.

I suspect thumb brakes will be like blip shifters, eventually the norm.

Steven31371 · May 7, 2022

JHTmcrider said:
I remember years ago or at least attribute a comment from Randy Mamola about him never using the rear brake. I don't think I have ever used it outside of a parking lot.

Funny when I am on my 901 Norden in the dirt, I use the rear brake a LOT. Been thinking about going to a thumb brake on the ADV bike.

I’m not sure I’d want one as much on a Dirt Bike, because the way you lean is much different and there is a lot of intentional drifting of the rear end….I grew up on dirt bike and bmx bikes using a foot brake to drift the rear end, so for me, that combined with not leaning off the bike the same way (it’s more of a counter lean opposite of a sport bike) a foot brake seems better in the dirt than a thumb brake.

Paul G · May 7, 2022

It's what you get used to, when I get on my bicycle, my entire life of muscle memory is trained to use the rear brake with my left hand at the bars, but never once in hundreds of not quite panic stops and a few full on panic stops have I ever confused the brake lever with the clutch or the footbrake with the handbrake.

chris16 · May 7, 2022

the ktm freeride E have a left Lever Brake, i'm not sure if a thumb brake were a good idea in the dirt.

I have. confused my 2 levers in the beginning a few times. was no problem and quick to learn because of different levers and positions, fingers crossed.
the IMA was for my brother, I'm more the finger lever type. theoretically.
what i still not have learned is using that brake.
no, not true, I've learned very quick, blip down while rear brake: bad.
maybe my hand thinks, pull that lever=bad.

RickD996 · May 8, 2022

My wife prefers the finger for the rear too.

Horses for courses, I guess.

B Topp · May 8, 2022

So I ran into the issue with the similar Brembo PS13 master with the integrated reservoir. I started with the thumb brake reservoir mounted next to the clutch reservoir but found that if I hit the foot brake it would just push the fluid up to the thumb brake reservoir and if I hit the thumb brake it would push the fluid into the foot brake reservoir. Turns out there is no valve installed on the PS13 to prevent that. So I had to get the different foot master cylinder and use just the thumb brake reservoir to supply fluid to both the thumb and foot brake.

Now I have both thumb brake and foot brake. Just don't hit them both at the same time as fluid can get past the seal in the foot master cylinder.

Steven31371 · May 8, 2022

RickD996 said:
My wife prefers the finger for the rear too.

Horses for courses, I guess.

lmao

IMA THUMB BRAKE?

Help Support Ducati Forum:

Steven31371

chris16

TomFoolery

Alkhater

JohnSmith

Steven31371

Paul G

RickD996

Steven31371

Brooklyn v4

Alkhater

Brooklyn v4

JHTmcrider

Steven31371

Steven31371

Paul G

chris16

RickD996

B Topp

Steven31371

Similar threads

Register CTA

Recent Discussions