Crap rear brake

[duckspeed]

Might be opening a can of worms here, but here goes.
The rear brake in my 06 GSA is Crap, have to press too hard to bring to a halt.
The 1150 would happlily stop the last one metre, using only the rear brake.
the 1200 just seems to run on.
I have had the brake in pieces to free off slider pins, (not siezed by the way) and fitted new BMW pads.
It does have ABS servo brakes, maybe they are all like this?

 

[Fanum]

No, they're not.

No fault lights on the dash?

Turn off the ABS, and in a safe place and at a safe speed, see if the rear can be locked up easily.....you'll still have servo assist (assuming it's working) so it ought to be fairly easy to lock up the rear for a second.

If you know anyone with a GS911 diagnostic unit, that will tell you if there's a problem that isn't being flashed up by the idiot lights on the dash (there's a remote possibility that you've got a bulb failure as well as a servo failure I guess)


It doesn't sound right though, especially as you've changed your pads

(AFTERTHOUGHT- Check surface of disc for wear/oil etc...clean off with brake cleaning fluid and retry)

 

[duckspeed]

No, they're not.

No fault lights on the dash?

Turn off the ABS, and in a safe place and at a safe speed, see if the rear can be locked up easily.....you'll still have servo assist (assuming it's working) so it ought to be fairly easy to lock up the rear for a second.

If you know anyone with a GS911 diagnostic unit, that will tell you if there's a problem that isn't being flashed up by the idiot lights on the dash (there's a remote possibility that you've got a bulb failure as well as a servo failure I guess)


It doesn't sound right though, especially as you've changed your pads

(AFTERTHOUGHT- Check surface of disc for wear/oil etc...clean off with brake cleaning fluid and retry)

Thanks for that Fanum, the disc looks in good order, and measures in spec with a micrometer.
The bulb failure thing has me thinking though, I bought the bike with an LED bulb replacement in the rear lamp, knowing how sensitive CAN-BUS can be I am considering reverting back to bulbs.

 

[Fanum]

All I was wondering was if you had a coincidental failure in two systems....it's highly unlikely, but at some point, it will happen to someone.

Yours would be the rear servo circuit, and the bulb which would normally indicate that failure.

You will be able to rule that out if you turn off your ABS and do a controlled lock up of the back wheel though......it should be fairly easy to do, especially with a slightly loose surface (that's safest too as it won't try and come around on you too fast)

A diagnostic plug in would tell you the same info as well, reporting a fault that the bulb should be showing.....I don't know enough about the 1200 system to guess whether the bulb failure in the brake system warning light would show up, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did.

If it was mine, I'd do the rear-wheel lockup bit tomorrow......if it does lock up well enough, it shows the rear brake is ok and maybe you are comparing apples and oranges between the 1200 and the 1150........if it doesnt lock up, it shows the rear brake is as crap as you think but also that a combination of bulb failure and or rear servo circuit failure is present.

The balance of a 1200 is different to that of an 11xx.....the 12s are lighter at the front Which may affect your feeling about the rear braking capability as well.

It still should be fairly easy to lock up the rear with the abs off though.

 

[mcinlb]

Hi Duckspeed,
I also thought the rear brake on my 1200 was weak, but I rarely use it. On the '10 1200 the rear is tied in with the use of the front hence I do not touch the rear lever much. BUT when I have there does not seem to be much bite.........

 

[jwpzx9r]

I have always thought that the rear brake on most of the bikes I have owned were for decoration only. I rarely if ever used the rear brake on any of my sport bikes other than as a steady in the corners the fronts are so powerfull. I never saw the need for the rears which, by comparison, you would be as well putting your feet down to the tarmac... it would have about the same effect. I can understand the need off road but on tarmac I just squeeze the front lever great front end braking and of course its linked to the rear anyway so you get what ever its capable of as well.

 

[swissrob]

i found the rear brake really crap, even with new std bm pads. i changed to ferodo platinum pads and its a massive improvement.

 

[Tbolt]

i found the rear brake really crap, even with new std bm pads. i changed to ferodo platinum pads and its a massive improvement.

Thanks for the advice to change type of pad.

I have a non ABS and the rear brake is a waste of sspace. My last bike was R1150RT with the linked servo and touching the rear was very effective and could catch you out

I also mostly use the front and 6 pot Billet brakes on my FJ1200 were amazing.

I have never known a bike with such a poor back brake even drum brakes on old Brit bikes are better.

 

[Nutty]

The rear brakes work very well on both my 1200's.

And I use them a lot.

 

[Constane80]

The rear brake in my 06 GSA is Crap, have to press too hard to bring to a halt.

 

[littleredrooster]

The rear brake in my 06 GSA is Crap, have to press too hard to bring to a halt.

There's an echo in here. Someone else said that too!