Noob question: How bad ARE the brakes, really?

[montaillou]

Certainly compared with a modern pick-up with anti-lock brakes you'll be getting something different with a deuce. It's almost 7 tons of fun. Just today I was in stop and go traffic and traffic started to speed up and stopped just as suddenly, I was going about 20 when everything stopped. I had given myself a pretty good buffer but I was going down hill at the time. I jammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop.

Take care of your brakes and they'll take care of you.