Thoughts on trail braking?

[megamold]

So ive been reading up on trail braking but it seems to be a polarising issue.
 
Some say it's very important for the street rider ( avoiding obstacles, dealing with decreasing radius turns,...) while others say a street rider has no bussiness using the front brake after turning in because it adds unnecesary danger.
 
Now i understand that trying to reach the limits of grip by trail braking can be adding unnecesary danger.
however im not Valentino and if i understand correctly if you just very lightly hold the brake ( so the pad is just touching the disc) you can still get the advantage ( being able to add a bit of brake mid turn to deal with danger since you won't upset the bike with the initial application )
but not the danger of running into the limit of grip because you are not pushing the bike to it's limits.
 
Thoughts?

[howworkclutch]

if you need to apply your brakes in a curve [while on the street] you're going too fast.
 
 
 
 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I would say it’s an important skill for a mid-to-advanced rider, but not something a beginner should worry about. Just remember you only have so much grip (think traction circle; acceleration, braking, cornering). So combining braking and cornering is a balance, overdo one or the other and you’ll be sliding.
 
That said, at most “legal” speeds, you typically aren’t using near 100% traction in cornering… so it’s “fairly safe” to play with some trail braking.

[megamold]

if you need to apply your brakes in a curve [while on the street] you're going too fast.  
 
 

 
 
Well That's the thing, it's not so much about the "need" to brake because you are going too fast. It's about having the option of braking ( without lowsiding) because of an emergency or changing road conditions that you could not foresee.

[megamold]

I would say it’s an important skill for a mid-to-advanced rider, but not something a beginner should worry about. Just remember you only have so much grip (think traction circle; acceleration, braking, cornering). So combining braking and cornering is a balance, overdo one or the other and you’ll be sliding. 
That said, at most “legal” speeds, you typically aren’t using near 100% traction in cornering… so it’s “fairly safe” to play with some trail braking.

 
 
I read on a site ( on mobile no link) that if you just brake enough to trigger the braking light you basically lose only a fraction of the available grip since you shouldnt be near the edge on the street anyway. But just this little bit of brake gives you the option of using more brake to deal with hazards since the initial unstability of engaging the brake is not there.
 
So it's not the same type of trail braking used in racing where the point is going faster, but the type of trail braking that gives you more options to avoid danger.
 
Edit : just to clarify it also says this should not be used for every turn but for turns where road conditions and tightness of the turn is unclear.

[Beemer]

After riding for many years in the dirt I can honestly say that learning controlled slides can't be nothing but a plus in anyone's arsenal of riding techniques.  If you aren't used to controlled slides with your rear end locked up you may get a shock when it happens unexpectedly and do the wrong thing, such as front braking hard in a turn and your front end washes out. It's something I learned to do and HAS come in helpful a time or two on the street. Rossi learned the technique watching X motocross riders and uses it on race tracks so it does work. It's not hard to do either. 

 
 
 

[Beemer]

This video is informative as well. 

[gregjet]

The clip from Twist of the Wrist shows what I was going to mention. The thing to remember is that applying the brakes ( hard OR soft) will cause the bike to stand more upright and run wider. This is not particularly useful IF you are trying to turn in, BUT if you need to widen your radius, but want to keep accellerating, a trail of front and/ or back will allow you to widen your radius at the same lean angle. Particularly useful on opening radius corners and to pass a rider on the outside on a track.
For very slow work trail braking the rear will allow you to go much slower when used with the clutch and keep you smoother and more stable. You control your speed with the brake and clutch not you throttle. Less chance of stalling.

[Beemer]

What I was talking about is @ 5:30 in this video but of course the whole video is informative, coming from Rossi. I said "locking up the rear" which I meant you can do at low speeds to change your direction fast but Rossi isn't "locking it up" at high speeds, it only looks like it but it's controlled. He applies some rear brake along with engine braking in a lean entering a turn and the rear end kicks out so that he can turn inside quicker. 
 
 
[video src=https://youtu.be/QX3KFGo0Ts8]

[Guest Ralph]

I got into the habit of trail braking some years back but to
compensate for the bikes sitting up I was pushing on the inside
bar to keep it down, result was I was trashing front tyres,
they looked like the old triangle'er race tyres when I had
done, so have stopped doing it tyre looks fine after 6000 miles
and according to others I still corner as fast.

[pattonme]

By far most riders can't effectively brake in a straight line and upright! Practice that, often. If you think you're good, practice some more.
 
I won't say forget trail braking but if you need to do it on the street, you messed up your entrance: you misread the curve or you're riding faster than the environment allows. It happens, I know. 99.5% of the time the right thing is to just finish the curve without changing a thing - no brakes, no chopping the throttle. The bike and tires are more than capable; it's the pilot that panics and gives up. Personally if I need to change a line I use the rear brake; you can lose rear traction a touch and no big deal. Lose the front and you're on the ground pretty much immediately.
 
There's a thread on here about the book Proficient Motorcycling. Get it. Read it. Live it.
 
Braking is a rheostat though most people ride like it's an on/off switch.