Non-servo ABS brakes - improvements since 2007 ?

[tw99]

My bike (MY2007 GS w. non-servo ABS and no ESA) is in the dealers today for a service. I've got a MY2010 GS ABS+ESA as a loan bike.

One thing thats very noticeable is the front brake seems way more effective than on my bike. It needs less lever pressure, and it's very easy to chirp/lock the front tyre. My bike seems to dive a lot more under braking, it's harder to chirp the tyre, and it doesn't feel anything like as planted. The pads/discs on mine are in decent condition.

Does anyone know if the brakes are substantially different MY2007 to MY2010 ?

 

[original_concept]

Weather?

I could chirp the front on a VFR with ABS very easily on hot days.

Never tried it on the GS; I'll give it a go when I head South of the Thames later today.

 

[cookie]

i have the same 2007 bike as you, only a GSA, and rode a 2010 GS this week also.

while i felt the brakes on the later bike might have felt a tad lighter to the touch, i think that could be due to a difference in weight. braking otherwise felt much as my own bike

 

[tonkatoy]

How much do you use your brakes, and where do you do most of your riding ?

Years ago, a mate brought his Guzzi round to see me because "the brakes are crap" I tried it and he was right. I took it up the road a bit and got the brakes very hot with repeated high speed stops and gave it him back. He tried it again and was delighted.

What was the problem ? He was riding it around town mostly and because twins have good engine braking he hardly needed the triple discs. Result was that the pads and discs got glazed. Getting them good and hot busted the glaze a bit and got the brakes stopping again. So, even if you don't use them much normally, make a habit of getting them hot fairly regularly, otherwise they get bored and stop bothering.

HTH

 

[Brian ROSEN]

Brake changes

I had a 2004 GS with the servo brakes; Without the servo (they could be switched off) they were OK but required a lot more effort; of course the servo was 'dropped' and when i had a new bike in 2008 I was delighted to find that the brakes, now without servo, were every bit as good as on the previous bike with servo. As I live in a very hilly area the brakes do get a lot of use and I have been thoroughly satisfied on both models;

 

[tw99]

I checked the parts list on realoem.com and the discs and calipers on the facelift 2008+ bikes are different (although the pads and the pistons seem to be the same). Maybe that's enough to make a difference...