and it is recommended you brake before you turn. 
cars, motorbikes, trucks, buses
brake - change gear - then turn.
On a motorbike, in the wet it is more important to use your front brake, ensuring that you are travelling in a straight line when you do so (prior to cornering). If you try to stop the bike in the wet with just the rear it will lock up and do bugger all.
In corners, the rear brake can be used lightly to reduce speed and tighten a turn, but the front brake is still very effective if used correctly.
I’ve been riding motorbikes on road and track for 6 years, although I understand the benefits of using both brakes, 99% of the time I only use the front as it is most effective. I only use the rear to assist in emergencies, and to provide control at slow speeds.
my 2c
cheers - liked the look of em and was wondering what they were…
Braking on the race track in the dry it’s 100% front and rear tyre is just floating along barely even managing to keep the engine turning without slipping.
With bicycles the weight transfer is even greater so it’s definitely 100% front, and no I’m not merely repeating Sheldon Brown.
Captain Commuter, have you got a dodgy brake or loaded rear panniers (or a recumbent)?. You should be able to do a stoppie or lock the front up. Any brake that can’t do one of those is weak and insufficient.
i was happy to be wrong and im happy now. was considering putting a rear brake on my fixie for those just in cases, but maybe i’ll be right w/o…
“I am not young enough to know everything”
- Oscar Wilde.
I can see you’re 100% convinced that the back contributes. My bike looks silly without the left brake anyway.
I bomb Foveux all the time brakeless and my gear ratio is 51 - 18. You just got to be careful and look more than 1 car ahead. You don’t need to bomb it so fast if your not sure if you can run out at the bottom. Never ride brakeless without clips. Holy shit.
Fixed
Live on the edge man.
Bombing it on a skateboard is gnarlier and people have been doing that for years.
Fazwon are you one of the guys i ran into down at circular quay outside cruise bar a couple of fridays ago practicing yo tricks.
Nah man, not on a Friday and not at Circular Quay. Skating or Biking?
Were they Japanese?
It was dark but i would say Japanese some of the olgood guys, twisted spokes on one of the rides was the only thing i could remember from my drunken attempts at also trying to ride backwards.
Yeah that’d be Morio (he’s got the twisted spokes and the red Bomber pro frame) and Dez and some other dudes. Sure it wasn’t Sunday?
We were there on Sunday night for a bit. Come to Martin Plc this Sunday arvo around 5:30 that’s the usual ride time. Bring your boardies too, we going to go swimming hopefully.
I dont know if this has been mentioned yet, but the other day I got a warning from police for not having a brake. I tried to explain to the guy that it was fixed gear. but he said it still needs a brake… Still no brakes tho.
I got a warning for not having a bell!! 
why do I need a bell when a polite excuse me is just as effective?
Was it in Sydney?
I heard it happened to a mate of mine in Melbs, but I haven’t heard it in Sydney yet.
It was in Melbourne too. I guess we just have stingy police.
Tell them back peddal brakes I reckon next time.