I've been told different things especially when I first started riding.  As soon as I started doing track days I learned better. 



There are reasons that I can understand which justify using the rear brake.  15 to 20 years ago (maybe more recently) a pilot needed to use the rear brake to calm a shifting chassis or a rear wheel.



But now with double floating Brembos, steel braded lines, better alloys in the frame, better frame designs....why?  Honestly I can't remember the last time I used my rear brake.



Recently on a ride I went into a corner hot looking at a guard rail on the inside and a pasture on the outside.  The rear started to move like a sidewinding pit viper on it's way to a hot meal.  All I did was let off the throttle ever so slightly and reduce my lean angle.....came out on two wheels still on my original arc and punched it.



Decelerating on the track from 150mph instructors and racers will tell you emphatically to not use the rear brake.





SO! why do sport riding manuals and endorsement schools still tell people to do this!

From my own follies I can attest to the concerted use of the front and rear brakes. I have actually performed a reverse tank-slapper! From what I understand about motorcycle phsyics, the rear brake is used to unload the front suspension while braking. In the situation above I did not use the rear brake at all and the result was the tail end lifting off the ground and swinging around. Keep in mind, I was trying to go from 70mph-0 in about 30ft. Ironically, if you were to use the rear brake only, the same thing would have likely happened with the exception of not being able to avoid the collision. I can't remember which sport riding manual I read it in, but the author refers to "traction pizza" and how each action takes away a slice. Using only the front brakes takes away nearly all the "slices" from the rear drive wheel. In street riding this would take away your contingency traction to power out of the situation if the circumstances suddenly shifted.
Bottom line... a closed course affords certain riding techniques that would be impractical on the street.

Just my .02

Using the rear to take load off the front is something I hear from folks who teach motorcycle 'safety'.  I have to say this is fine when only traveling at 10 to 30 mph.  But again I am compelled to think that this reasoning is 20 years old.  I'll address this as I understand it in a couple parts:



First-

I have in fact taken the Adv Motorcylce Safety class and done exactly what the Track Instructors caution....locking the rear wheel and skidding. 



This is what you experienced with the wheel hop.  It hopped 'because' you were on the rear brake which didn't allow the wheel to rotate free enough to keep contact with the pavement.  Hence..it was being dragged.



If I recall your BBQ incident involved a corner at the same time.  This means that you may have began 'trail-braking' (only hard) which causes the rear to start hoping as well.  It wants to continue to travel in a straight line and 'expects' power to be delivered to coninue consistent contact with the pavement.



Second-

Modern suspensioning and braking 'wants' the front loaded.  I was shocked and appreshensive when I was told to not use the rear brake when slowing for T2 at PR from 150mph.  Why? I thought that I needed to 'calm the chassis' as instructed in "motorcycle safety".  B.S.  What they don't tell you (or at least I don't remember) is that if the rider is using proper form (pinching knees/arch back/take weight off handle bars) the bike is already properly balanced and the front brakes and suspension is built to function this way.  Using the rear brake at this speed will probably lock the rear (done it) and/or cause rear wheel hop BECAUSE there is less mass over it relative to the forward portion of the bike....thus: dragging + rubber ball = basketball ducati.  More importantly there is much less rotational force to the center which drastically decreases angular momentum.  And there is a point at which angular momentum keeps our arses in the air and not on the ground.



Try a track day....you'll rarely use the rear brake.



Caveat: In traffic when some bitch on a cell phone or redneck decides to brake to watch the accident on the opposite side of the freeway....I will use the rear brake.  Simply because at 25mph the front suspension isn't loaded enough to perform it's function and thus acts like a rod instead of squishy springs. 

Two things to bear in mind are the suspension setup- stock vs. properly tuned and street vs. track. I think we are trying to compare apples to oranges here.

The forks on my 620 Monster are hardly sufficient, especially now that I weigh 30-40lbs. more than when I purchased it. At 180-190lbs I end up bottoming out (or should I say topping out since they are inverted) under medium to hard braking w/o the rear brake. Indo's suck unless you are a fan of that jackhole from Superbikes or a Trials guy.

During the BBQ ride incident I actually went straight off the road since continuing my line around the curve would have put me right up the guy's tail. I went sideways when the bike hit the dirt/gravel and subsequently skidded into the blackberry bramble.

Track day... let me get a job before I go down that path. If it pays well enough I should be able to add a SBK to the stable; until then we'll see how the Monster does.