Originally Posted by
trhouse
One of the riding tests was to shift into second gear then brake to a stop as quickly as possible while downshifting back into first. The first time I did this, I felt like I was going over the handlebars because I instinctively grapped the right brake lever like I would do on my Peugeot, but on motorcycles, the right lever is the front brake not the rear.
On either a motorcycle or bicycle, if the idea is to "stop as quickly as possible" then you would have to apply the front brake (either alone or in combination with the rear). Grabbing only the rear lever wouldn't let you stop nearly as quickly. And no matter which brake is applied, the slowing down of the bike will have a tendency to throw your body forward, so you should brace yourself to prevent forward movement as soon as you grab either brake lever (or both).