That's not a stupid question at all, even I want to know the right technique and m sure there would be many keen to know this. I mean I always pull the clutch when applying breaks, but don't know the mechanisms that go behind the scenes. Would be great if an expert could share his knowledge and guide us in the optimal use of breaks.

The correct technique, according to experts (see various advanced riding techniques books and articles), and which I try to follow, is the following:
When the road grip is good (dry and clean roads), apply the front and rear brake together with more force on the front brake.

When the road grip is poor (wet or sandy, gravelly roads), apply the front and rear brake together with equal force on both brakes. You must modulate the braking force on each wheel as the grip varies.

In both cases, as you slow down, use the clutch to downshift gears one at a time such that the engine speed is neither too high nor too low in each gear as you slow down. As you approach a full stop, you should be in second or first gear and finally declutch when you have almost stopped. Be aware that if you downshift too fast from high speeds, you risk locking the back wheel and provoking a skid.

As your technique and control improve, you should "blip" the throttle between each downshift and use more engine braking to control your speed and balance. "Blipping" is the quick and short opening and closing of the throttle to speed up the engine to match road speed in next lower gear. Done correctly, the braking will be smooth and without any jerks.

I hope this helps.

this dillemma is faced by most of us in the initial stage.
see always use the front brake and rear brake in 30:70 ratio or sometimes 40:60.the former ratio works nice on any road conditions, never lets the bike to skid.but when u r moving on a clean surface free from mud, sand and water, then u can reverse the ratio to 60:40.the front brake of fz series is really nice.its best ever in present Indian bikes.the suspension is strong like P220 but doesnt give u sudden jerks like P220 do.
now the question of pulling clutch or releasing it...
now lets see 1st what happens when one applies brake by releasing the clutch.when we apply by releasing the clutch, the gear effects go null there by making our bike to move freely(free-flow).hindrances to move due to gears are absent.
coming to the pulling of clutch while applying brakes,gear definitely pose hindrances to movement of bike while braking with pulled clutch.we feel the bike stops very nicely,it does but it also does have a negative effect on gear tooth.the latter is subjected to immense wear and tear due to acute abrasion( rubbing action).
so its advisable to apply brakes with released clutch,let the brakes to do their role with out taking the help of gear.maintain the ratios,try it for few days.u all can feel the difference,by the way the rear drum brake of fz series works like a rear disc brake.i love it.and guyz plz be careful of surfaces where sand or water is present,they betray u anytime, even the best biker.
cheerz

yeah this is right if u press front brake more, discs might lock and you will fall for sure, happened with me even on slowest speeds.

Using engine braking is advisable since the braking force reduces as engine speed reduces, thereby giving the rider more control and predictability. In many situations, engine braking is not only sufficient but also easier to control than applying the rear brake.

Manual control of the brake force sounds simple in theory but in practice you need practice and concentration. The practice is easy to do but the concentration is not, especially in situations where you need to concentrate elsewhere (traffic, obstacles, potholes...).

For those worried about engine, gearbox or clutch life, I ask you, is your life less important than the life of those objects, which are entirely replaceable?

@above
of course life is vital but man whether u apply brakes with the released clutch or pulled one, one needs to get habituated with either one of them.its not that u only apply brakes with pulled clutch at extreme situations, cuz one will have limited time to react to the situation.
and if one practises safe and decent riding,those situations can be avoided and one can be happy to learn applying brakes with clutch released.
choice is upon yourselves guyz

Hey guys.. am from blore.. kept readin this thread for the past 2 months.. never made an attempt to post.. but guess il start doin it now..

FZ16 is my FIRST bike, used to ride an activa before this.. its been 6 months now and feels great.. I used to use clutch while applying brakes(guess I was too used to activa ) but now I use the brakes in 60:40(rear : front) ratio.. vl keep posting...

What is the rear tyre pressure u guys use??

when i use the recommended 33psi it feels heavy but after a day or so the bike feels better....

yup i use the recommended pressure...

i use the recommended values always!

ya but do you guys feel the pressure is slightly more than normal...does the bike feel heavy?? as in like not smooth thrgh the pot holes n bumps...

Today i experienced start problem 1st time in my FZ-S. When i tried to start my FZ for going out for lunch, it failed. Felt as if battery is weak. Then I put the bike in 2nd Gear, push a little and i went directly to SVC. They diagnosed and found out battery connecting screw has rusted. They cleaned it and put new screw and charged me Rs 5. Now my bike is able to start like before.

put some petroleum jelly or battery jelly or good old vaseline on the nut, it wont rust in the future.

The rust could be due to the current flow too.

Today i experienced start problem 1st time in my FZ-S. When i tried to start my FZ for going out for lunch, it failed. Felt as if battery is weak. Then I put the bike in 2nd Gear, push a little and i went directly to SVC. They diagnosed and found out battery connecting screw has rusted. They cleaned it and put new screw and charged me Rs 5. Now my bike is able to start like before.

Hey i too have started getting starting problems but its not always and unlike urs my bike starts up. And there are 2 situations tht happen at different times tht is not togethr...

1. SOMETIMES as soon as i press the starter i get a really loud bang kinda sound from the engine due to wich i usually leave the starter and thn start again and starts normally.... the sound is like two things in the ingine colllide really hard....

2. and also sometimes wen i start the bike i hav to press the starter for a much longer time thn usuall time and with the throttle to on tht is while twisting the throttle a bit and also while stating at THIS situation the digi back light also switches off(only the backlight) for some milliseconds and as the bike turns on it glows back to normal...

IS IT NORMAL???????

where did you find the service manual of r15,
try to get manual of fz16 too

No dude...this is not normal at all...the first case scenario i wud suggest get it checked out by the SVC immediately....this kind of knocking sound from the engine i am tinking cannot be good....

the second case is a battery discharge prblm....get it charged up....even my battery had drained out due some prblm with the feedback circuit....it wasnt getting charged while riding...got it charged and replaced sum part of the attenuator or something...dont really kno but prblm got solved...