Brake Failure

[Arthurwg]

While out for a ride today on my ABS/EVO equipped R12, the "Brake Failure" notice came on, along with the red triangle. I tried the brakes and sure enough, the were not working. They didn't fail completly, but both front and rear required a huge amount of effort to get any response. I pulled over, shut the bike off, and tried to find the problem. After about 30 minutes rest, however, the brakes returned to normal and worked fine for the rest of the ride. What could have caused this? It's not very comforting to think that a computer glich might cause the brakes to quit.

 

[Gecko]

I don't know if it is just me but I seem to be forming an opinion that the 12GS is pretty poorly put together. There have been horror stories concerning just about every aspect of this bike from wheels breaking, electrical problems, final drive failures, servo brake failures.....the list is long and very disturbing. I know every new machine goes through the 'guinea pig' phase but this is getting ridiculous. I can't imagine how enraged I would get if I had spent so much money on a new bike and I started to get these major problems. I am happy to say I bought one of the last 1100GS's just as the 1150 came out and I still have it. It's a peach of a bike and aside from servicing and consumables nothing has come close to any of the horrors that I keep reading about the 12GS. I know the faithful will now jump up and say how great it is and that they have not had any problems with theirs and I hope it stays that way but the general opinion seems to be the 12GS is a plastic tub of bolts and if you are lucky , very lucky you'll have a bike to ride some of the time but 'breakdown recovery' will become your friend before too long

 

[The Machine Cat]

I had a few problems but I still think that I ride the best bike on the market.

 

[Reggie]

Hi Arthurwg,

if you look at my post titled 'Unknown fault contact BMW' you'll see this is the same thing that happened to me, other than mine didn't revert to normal. The cause on mine was a faulty ABS pump and displayed the error code 10120.

Since it was replaced it all works fine but the lever pressure feels different!

regards

Reggie AKA The Cameraman

 

[Dinger]

Don't know what the problem is, mine's done 350miles and is trouble free.



Worried of Grimsby

 

[schnozz]

Had the same problem early on. Betcha it's the master cylinder.

 

[laughingBob]

Perhaps BMW designers should get together with Honda. If the GS had been built by Honda it would be a great bike and built properly!

 

[Panzer Patrol]

Perhaps BMW designers should get together with Honda. If the GS had been built by Honda it would be a great bike and built properly!

I must tell my mate with a VTR what you said. His explode the front cylinder resulting in one huge pile of scrap. Well put together indeed.
PS: Gecko, stop winding them up, you will only upset them you know

 

[ChrisK]

The problem sounds the same as I have had, which took a bit of solving. Front brake light switch could be the problem they are very sensitive. get the deal to adjust it or get a new one under warranty.

SLM change the whole front brake assembly in the end to fix mine.

 

[Pipen]

Hi Arthurwg I had the same problem a couple of months ago. I was fortunate that the failure occured a few yards after setting off
ie the warning light stayed on and the servos never came on. The bike went into Mill and I was told that the failure of one of the brake switches had caused the system to fail. Had no problems since then.

 

[MikeO]

I've never understood why BMW introduced servo brakes in the first place. It's an unnecessary and overcomplicated solution to a problem that wasn't there - but, more importantly, how did the DoT (or whoever deal with the Type Approval of new vehicles) pass a vehicle for use in the UK, whose braking system can apparently be effectively disabled by the failure of a single switch?

Mike

ps For the insecure - this post is not 1200GS bashing, it's BMW R&D bashing - OK?

 

[Arthurwg]

I think it's odd that a fault like this would completely disable both front and rear brakes. I would think that a computer/servo problem would let the brakes revert to a useful unassisted mechanical state, rather than complete failure. I was on the Super Slab at 80 mph when I noticed the failure message. Can you imagine what would have happened if I had to slow or stop quickly from that speed? Not a pretty thought.

 

[Arthurwg]

Bike has been in the shop for a few days now. A computer check revealed 30 to 40 ABS fault codes throughout the system. As a result, they have not yet been able to diagnose the problem.

 

[Reggie]

Hi Arthurwg,

ask them for a print out of the warning codes and see if 10120 is one of them and let us know.

Regards

Reggie AKA The Cameraman

 

[DBRMan]

Just picked the bike up new on Saturday - ABS diagnostic all looked fine. On Sunday, the front brake locked solid depositing me on the deck.

The front brake stayed locked solid for nearly 15 minutes. Could not move bike.

Now ABS light shows faulty ABS.

Anyone had a full lock-up?

 

[Arthurwg]

Yikes! DBR Man, I thought I had something to complain about, but your problem takes the cake! So now they tell me that they've discovered a loose ground connection that apparently scrambled the brakes and computer. AOK now, they say. I guess we've entered the age of the fully electronic motorcycle! Funny I can still remember when the only way you could loose your brakes was when the cable broke or the wing nut fell off the brake rod.

 

[Wraithwrider]

On Sunday, the front brake locked solid depositing me on the deck

Now that's pretty scary as I picked my bike up on Friday (same batch?)

Did you do any damage to yourself/bike? I would hope that BMW would be falling over backwards to compensate/sort this out/make sure it doesn't become too public.

Me I'm just imagining it happening at 75mph on an overtake

Any update would be appreciated by all I'm sure.

 

[Old Salt]

Hi
After reading your story on the brakes I personaly would sue the shit out of BMW,how can we keep on riding these Kamikaze bikes.
No brakes/ locked brakes.
How do we get BMW to take action on this issue?
I will sell my bike even i I like it very much and get some other bike with brakes that works the way they should.

Old Salt

 

[DBRMan]

Luckily the lock up happened at low speed - but yes the cylinder head is now scratched and so is the cover over the rear drive below the rear axle.

I should say that I picked up this bike at a BMW dealer in Malaga Spain where I have a home. Having flown back to the UK for a few days I have faxed the dealer with a formal complaint and asked them to arrange collection on a trailer.

I called BMW in Germany and they said they had never heard of this happening before. I suspect they would have said the same things about many of the issues on this thread. They advised me not to ride it again!

I need to make sure they replace the ABS equipment, servo and electronics otherwise I am not too keen on riding it again!

I will give an update but dont hold your breath - things happen slowly in Spain!

 

[Fanum]

ABS systems and servo assist brake systems are designed (and legislated to be designed) to fail safe.......


Locked up wheel due to eleccy failure???

How does that work then.......