Brakes!! Lack of

PC1

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Out today got almost to Bury Hill when brake failure warning light came on. Pulled over and stopped retarted still on. I rode round a carpark but had hardly any brakes. Stopped and started a couple of time and the brake light went off and I had brakes, all the time the servo is 'whining' as normal. Got to Bury had coffee, came to ride home , no brakes. Tried stopping and starting but nothing so rode 30 miles home with no brakes. Got back home stopped and started again everything back working again. Tried again 5 mins later no brakes. Will book it in tomorrow but has anybody any ideas. Bike is due a 24,000 mile service.

Thanks
 
Check the front brake lever isn't catching inside the hand guard (the classic).
 
Worth checking the rear brake light cluster. The electrical connection at the back is completely exposed and can get covered in crud etc from the back wheel. A similar thing happened to my bike and it was traced to the brake light causing the problem and resulting in error messages to the ABS unit. Changed the bulb which was corroded and cleaned up the fitting then covered it in electrical grease to stop it getting worse. Been fine since.
 
Brakes

Checked lever and lights I don't think it's an electrical problem as I had no braking pwer at all. Even pulling really hard on lever I struggled to stop the bike at even walking pace.
 
If you have no brakes at all it could well be a faulty master cylinder, not common but it has happened recently to another 1200 owner ( intermittent problem).
 
As the servo on a GS is electric not hydraulic dodgy connections can cause
It to give fault codes. What you have is" residual brakes " I think it calls it in the manual, this is German for fek all!!
 
If your brake light is constantly on (especially when you turn the igntion key 'on' and the bike does it's system checks) then it is probably a brake light switch problem if the lever isn't being touched by the hand gaurd. This has happened to me a couple of times now. You can remove the switch from the lever and test it. Sometimes the switch seems to shift a little and a bit of fiddling can cure.
 
ianran said:
As the servo on a GS is electric not hydraulic dodgy connections can cause
It to give fault codes. What you have is" residual brakes " I think it calls it in the manual, this is German for fek all!!
Click to expand...

Not the case on the 1200, but the lever does need a firmer pull than normal to get a decent braking effort.
 
Bob Southgate said:
Not the case on the 1200, but the lever does need a firmer pull than normal to get a decent braking effort.
Click to expand...

I beg to differ, having had the servo fail on me there is fek all braking worth talking about. Post servo no problemo!!
 
Servo failure

ianran said:
I beg to differ, having had the servo fail on me there is fek all braking worth talking about. Post servo no problemo!!
Click to expand...

I have to agree with Bob Southgate; When my servo 'failed' (due to lever touching guard) my 'residual' braking was quite reasonable and I set off for the BMW concessionaire about 20 miles away - then I realised, and a slight twist on the guard and it was all systems go.
No doubt all will be revealed shortly - but even a badly leaking master cylinder should not affect BOTH brakes, should it?
 
ianran said:
I beg to differ, having had the servo fail on me there is fek all braking worth talking about. Post servo no problemo!!
Click to expand...

Not the case when I tried out the braking effort on my bike with the ignition switched off. When sufficient effort was applied the braking force was more than adequate. The earlier servo equipped bikes were said not to be very good in this respect, but it was much better on the 1200GS.
 
I have a 2006 1200GS with a faulty ABS module, see thread pasted below. Residual brakes are not f*ck all..... rubbish. You can ride the bike quite safely with residual brakes as long as you are careful. I'd say it's 30% of normal effect. Minehas been like this for about four weeks now - if I can manage ....

What I have issue with is when the brakes fail and you don't know if you have residual or not - but that is not the same issue as some people are bleating on about here.

Mine gets fixed Thursday - new ABD module care of BMW - can't wait to have 100% again :-)

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2646834#post2646834
 
Bike booked in next Wednesday for 24,000 mile service hopefully they can find the fault. They ran diagnostics there and then but so many error codes came up they couldn't tell what was wrong. Will post any results.
 
Hi All,
Update on brakes. Advice needed.

2005 1200 GS 25,000 miles.

Bike has been in for a full service and brakes still not working. Brake system has been stripped down all parts checked and it can only be the modulator. The fluid doesn't seem to have ever been changed despite having a nearly full main dealer service history. (only missing minor sevice last year)

The options are as follows.

A. Pay out £1600.00 plus for new BMW ABS modulator and have bike back to the way it was.

B. Payout £285.00 plus fitting (£100.00?) for secondhand modulator, bike back to way it was but no guarantee on part not failing again.

C. Payout about £250.00 junk servo and abs and just have a straight forward braking system.

When I was looking for a bike I wanted ABS and have got used to the servo, if I now take it off, it's not the 'same bike' also what impact will it have on the value when I come to change or sell it.

Any thoughs advice will be appreciated
 
Advice on brakes

Hi All,

Advice needed.

2005 1200 GS 25,000 miles.

Bike has been in for a full service and brakes still not working. Brake system has been stripped down all parts checked and it can only be the modulator. The fluid doesn't seem to have ever been changed despite having a nearly full main dealer service history. (only missing minor sevice last year)

The options are as follows.

A. Pay out £1600.00 plus for new BMW ABS modulator and have bike back to the way it was.

B. Payout £285.00 plus fitting (£100.00?) for secondhand modulator, bike back to way it was but no guarantee on part not failing again.

C. Payout about £200.00 junk servo and abs and just have a straight forward braking system.

When I was looking for a bike I wanted ABS and have got used to the servo, if I now take it off, it's not the 'same bike' also what impact will it have on the value when I come to change or sell it.

Any thougths or advice will be appreciated
 
I suggest...

B. Payout £285.00 plus fitting (£100.00?) for secondhand modulator, bike back to way it was but no guarantee on part not failing again.
 If you can get one from Motorworks or similar you should be OK.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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