Brakes Failed Today!

[Arthurwg]

No Residual Brakes

..... I tried the brakes, both front and rear, and discovered that indeed there was virutally no braking available. Fortunately I was able to coast to a stop. If there had been a real reason for using the brakes at that speed I probably would not be here to tell about it. The braking force required at speed is far greater than anything the so-called residual brakes can deliver.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Re: No Residual Brak

It would be nice to believe that the R1200GS has adequate residual braking when the servo malfunctions, as Johnny Boxer says. But that was certainly not my experience. I was traveling at 85mph when I saw the brake failure warning come on.

Sorry Arthur.........I was trying to explain that there is a difference between the residual brake retardation on 1200's and 1150's.

It was certainly stronger on the 1200's I've tried..........but I've only owned 1150's..............however not sure how it would translate into an emergency situation.

Just my observations

 

[cattell]

This could be expensive, I had the same problem on my K1200RS. It is really un-nerving as you don't know when they are going to fail. I took my bike in and they reported errors, these were cleared but the brakes still kept cutting out. In the end I left my bike with the garage and borrowed a 03 1150GS adv. I decided to keep that bike (pre servo). BMW coughed up for the servo (bike over 3 years old & 36000 miles), but it cost me £608 for fitting (should be cheaper on a GS). Sorry to be so chearful.

 

[franco]

Residual braking?

Hmm, I've got a Dec2003 1150ADV, and quite often freewheel it down the drive with the ignition off, and there IS residual braking. Fair enough, you do have to squeeeeeze the brake lever, but it definitely stops you. The drive is a lot steeper than it looks here too...So, as it worked with no electronic assistance, I hadn't been too worried about the servo brakes...now, however?....

 

[~Stef~]

Not a nice thought, but how long before some poor sods killed, through brake failure ?

 

[craigfuel]

BIG STORY ABOUT THE BRAKES !!!

BMW Integral Brakes – Big Story "MO" GERMANY

BMW Motorräder Nr. 13 ("MO")

Contains 3 pages interview with BMW.
9 pages about the bloody brakes!

 

[BlackBetty]

Re: Residual braking?

Hmm, I've got a Dec2003 1150ADV, and quite often freewheel it down the drive with the ignition off, and there IS residual braking. Fair enough, you do have to squeeeeeze the brake lever, but it definitely stops you. The drive is a lot steeper than it looks here too...So, as it worked with no electronic assistance, I hadn't been too worried about the servo brakes...now, however?....

I have the 2002 GSA with ABS. WIth the ignition off it has good residual braking. A marked difference yes, but after the surprise you get from not getting the accustomed feedback, good enough to do the job in all but emergency.

So why are other 1150's with a similar setup having problems?

Are you sure you just weren't caught out in the surprise factor. I used to have a Golf TDI (ABT) that would suffer from engine cut out in low revs. When I first got the car I swore that when this happened I had no steering or brakes. Not true. They were heavier, but they were there.

 

[Steve B]

Re: Re: Residual braking?

So why are other 1150's with a similar setup having problems?

Are you sure you just weren't caught out in the surprise factor. I used to have a Golf TDI (ABT) that would suffer from engine cut out in low revs. When I first got the car I swore that when this happened I had no steering or brakes. Not true. They were heavier, but they were there.

Well, the brakes weren't the same as normal. Just like ignition off (i.e. no servo) but no change in pressure on the brake lever (although I was squeezing for dear life!!).

CW BMW informed me today that after me giving them the failure codes from the diagnostic check they contacted BMW and were told to replaced the servo unit without question.

Result!

But a BIG question mark against my confidence in the bikes braking system.

Steve B

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Re: Re: Residual braking?

I have the 2002 GSA with ABS. WIth the ignition off it has good residual braking. A marked difference yes, but after the surprise you get from not getting the accustomed feedback, good enough to do the job in all but emergency.

So why are other 1150's with a similar setup having problems?

No wonder you're confused................your 2002 GSA won't have a Servo on it (AFAIK)..............Servo ABS Power braking only came in from mid 2003 1150's onwards......that's why your 2002 bike has good brakes on it (my old 2002 1150GS with Evo ABS had awesome brakes)

Try a 2003/2004/2005 GS or GSA with Power Servo ABS brakes - next time you're in a dealers and you'll sure find a difference, even pushing it around with the ignition off.

Then try a 1200GS and their Servo's behave differently again from the ones on 1150GSA's............

 

[Dr.ABS Brake]

CONFIDENCE ????

But a BIG question mark against my confidence in the bikes braking system.

Steve B

Steve,

how can YOU have confidence after what happened to YOU? Do you trust YOUR brakes now?

At advrider.com the survey shows:

13 complete failures = Approx. 6%

Now, let me guess, you did not vote, did you?

Dr.

 

[jonnie comet]

Re..............Servo ABS Power braking only came in from mid 2003 1150's onwards.....

My 1150 is a late 2002 ( 52 ) and I was under the impression that it had the linked, servo assisted ABS. Now I'm not so sure. The brakes make a " whineing " noise when you use them ( very noticable at lights etc ) and are bloody useless with the ignition turned off. Having said all this, to date, they have worked very well when riding.

Any idea what sort of brakes I've got ?

Cheers

 

[jonnie comet]

...........Hmmmmm......Just read the original bill of sale and it says my brakes are ABS 11 EVO

O.K. or dodgy ? They work very well.

 

[Cheesy Mike]

Any idea what sort of brakes I've got ?

JohnnyBoxer is wrong.

Servo brakes came out in late 2002 and was first fitted to single spark ABS bikes. All twin spark ABS bikes have servos.

The easiest way to tell a servo single spark GS is to look for the light switch. If it doesn't have one it is has servo assisted integral brakes.

Mine is a 52 plate registered in November 2002 and is a servo single spark.

Mike

 

[Vern]

I've just seen this post,and I said it was a dodgey system when it first came out,but that's not the point.
Your nice shiney £10k bike,has almost tried to wipe you out,because it has a crap braking system,and those jolly chaps at the shop say they'll fix it WHEN...
Where's the replacement bike,why can't they fix it sooner,more to the point,why can't they fix it straight away.
I might be missing something here,but if that happened to me,I would ride it through their feckin front window,then make sure all the tabloids and bike press got hold of the story.

 

[(RIP) Shenzi]

I would ride it through their feckin front window,then make sure all the tabloids and bike press got hold of the story.

I saw some of the Watchdog programme on BBC the other night, they were giving BM some flack about a Mini, seems their pressure worked. Programmes like this love to get their teeth into large companies.
If Watchdog were contacted by someone about just how dangerous these servo bikes are it would be a simple matter for them to accurately test the residual braking.
If it really is so bad then someone will surely die because of it.
Has anyone complained to any magazine or even written to BMW about it?
Come on you guys with servo brakes, do something. If it becomes public something will happen very quickly.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I saw some of the Watchdog programme on BBC the other night, they were giving BM some flack about a Mini, seems their pressure worked. Programmes like this love to get their teeth into large companies.
If Watchdog were contacted by someone about just how dangerous these servo bikes are it would be a simple matter for them to accurately test the residual braking.
If it really is so bad then someone will surely die because of it.
Has anyone complained to any magazine or even written to BMW about it?
Come on you guys with servo brakes, do something. If it becomes public something will happen very quickly.

I said contact Watchdog about 6 months ago and got shot down in flames for being alarmist..................no brakes........who's alarmist !!!!!!

But I'm ok as my Servo ABS GS is sold and long gone.............would never trust it now

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

JohnnyBoxer is wrong.

Servo brakes came out in late 2002 and was first fitted to single spark ABS bikes. All twin spark ABS bikes have servos.

The easiest way to tell a servo single spark GS is to look for the light switch. If it doesn't have one it is has servo assisted integral brakes.

Mine is a 52 plate registered in November 2002 and is a servo single spark.

Mike

Sorry Mike is 6 months out ...............but did qualify it with AFAIK tag..........didn't realise it was as early as late 2002 and on single sparkers

 

[Stella]

Jebus some people really get their panties in a twist don't they!!!

All sorts of crap coming out there.....from Dr Boring fukker brake misquoting a totally spurious figure out of context (6% my arsehole.....stop talking shit!!!) to otherwise respectable people talking bollocks about the whole issue.

I don't trust big corporations, I don't trust statistics and I don't trust overly complicated systems, but I do trust corporate fear of litigation....this so called phenomena has been so well mis-documented that if there was actually a real problem, BWM would have shit a brick and recalled everything by now rather than have some fat Yank sue their arses off.

So much exaggeration, so many stories, I say Bollocks, it's all being vastly exaggerated....The last thing that goes through my mind when I jump on my servoed evo braked Adv is the possibility of a brake failure......I just want to ride.

You're like a bunch of ing old ladies sometimes.......pissing your pants at the slightest noise.

Stop carping on about it fer 's sakes, there are so many risks that outweigh this by so many times it's not worth bloody worrying about!!

Bunch of tossers!

 

[MikeO]

The last thing that goes through my mind when I jump on my servoed evo braked Adv is the possibility of a brake failure......I just want to ride.

Errm - isn't that the point though Stella?

Mike

 

[judge]