R1100GS (1995) ABS - fix or remove?

gog

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Having picked up a new-to-me GS yesterday, I notice that the reluctor ring for the ABS has been removed. The brake pipes run from the MC to a junction under the front mudguard and direct to caliper. The bike still makes the 'clank' sound when taking off, which i have read is the ABS testing itself, so im assuming (i have not had time yet to strip bits off to investigate) that the modulator unit is still there - is it this that makes the 'clank'?

It must have been disabled by a PO for a reason, i would think, so something else is likely not working. Would it be recommended to buy a second hand reluctor ring, sensor, re-route the hydraulic pipes and see if the system works? It would be handy if there were some test I could do on the modulator unit to test it before buying more bits, which may be ultimately not needed.

It is a system I would like to have working correctly, as its a heavy bike, but if im going to keep it as a 'non ABS' bike, I would rather strip out the modulator to save weight and stop the unneccessary 'clank'.

I have no experience with ABS on a bike, nor in fact much about the oilheads at all. What would those in the know recommend?

Cheers
Gordon
 
The "older" type of ABS is usually a simple cheap fix, even if an ABS modulator is needed they're cheap and in plentiful supply and pretty bullet proof.
Unlike the later ABS/Servo units which are a nightmare, expensive and used abs/servo modulators are notoriously unreliable .
 
Thanks Neil. Being a '95 vintage, I assume that mine would qualify as 'older type'? Do you have, or know where I could source, replacement parts or test whether the existing parts I have are servicable?
 
thanks for the thread bump UF. full service tomorrow, I'll see what's there and still connected. keen to keep the ABS but would rather know if it's feasible before buying new braided lines, the non abs ones on it look not that old.
 
my service guy is useless, mostly because I'm the service guy :D yeah I may well try speaking to motorworks, always found them helpful and I've been buying from them for years.
 
This might be of some use to your service guy :green gri

it does give good exploded diagrams and part numbers,

https://user.xmission.com/~wendell/R1100GS/

Hopefully someone who knows lots about fixing ABS (in Scotland ?) will be along shortly with some sage advice?

In the meantime, ride it as is, and just remember that you have to ride it like a "normal" bike :rolleyes:

My ABS failed whist on a trip to Wales (due to starter motor drawing too much power from the battery on startups) , and I did lock the front wheel on some kerbside dust whilst braking (not overly enthusiastically either) so it's easily done with the paralever suspension.
 
cheers for the link. I'll get the abs sorted but in no rush, never had abs before so happy to ride to conditions
 
All your ever need to know about ABS for your bike at your finger tips.

Print them all out for future reference.

Read them carefully, some cover earlier and later models of ABS.

abs reset procedure
http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/ABSResetProcedurev1.0.pdf

Abs Startup rewrite
http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/ABS_Low_Voltage_Fix.htm

Abs modulator repair
http://advwisdom.hogranch.com/Wisdom/BMW ABS II D&A.pdf

How your ABS works
http://www.largiader.com/abs/abs2.html

Abs faults
http://www.largiader.com/abs/absfault.html


:thumb2
 
excellent thanks. looks like even if any one of the components is kaput, it shouldn't cost much to sort with the early system. good news.

it would be good to be able to diagnose whether the modulator is functional without having to buy the reluctor ring, sensors and pipework but not seen anything that suggests it's possible.
 
You can.

If you connect a read out light on the ABS diagnostic connection, you can count the number of times the light flashes. This will tell you what the fault is.

It's all explained in the ABS Faults

:thumb2
 
I should really read things fully before commenting. it's too easy to make yourself look foolish on the internet after 6 pints of decent IPA, someone should really invent something to avoid such unfortunate things ;)
 
I would print them all out if you can and stick them with your manual.

I find that a lot of the electronic information is starting to disappear. It's mainly the pictures, as the links to them get broken over the years.

If I find something, I either save it as a PDF to fix it, or print it.

:thumb2
 
I have access to a big colour laser printer at work so I do tend to print stuff, or at least save to PDF. there's a useful tool to see stuff that's been deleted online, search for 'the wayback machine' - it caches old stuff and I've managed to find and print a lot of deleted webpages (including images) using it.
 
Uncle-Fester said:
This might be of some use to your service guy :green gri

it does give good exploded diagrams and part numbers,

https://user.xmission.com/~wendell/R1100GS/

Hopefully someone who knows lots about fixing ABS (in Scotland ?) will be along shortly with some sage advice?

In the meantime, ride it as is, and just remember that you have to ride it like a "normal" bike :rolleyes:

My ABS failed whist on a trip to Wales (due to starter motor drawing too much power from the battery on startups) , and I did lock the front wheel on some kerbside dust whilst braking (not overly enthusiastically either) so it's easily done with the paralever suspension.
Click to expand...

Not meaning to hijack OP's thread, but this is interesting - does the paralever design create or transfer forces so dramatically differently to normally-suspended bikes that lock-ups (on a non-ABS bike) are more likely to happen?
 
PhaedrusMC said:
Not meaning to hijack OP's thread, but this is interesting - does the paralever design create or transfer forces so dramatically differently to normally-suspended bikes that lock-ups (on a non-ABS bike) are more likely to happen?
Click to expand...
I don't think so. But it isolates the braking forces from the suspension, so you don't have lots of dive to tell you how hard you are braking. There might be some subtle differences in weight transfer, but for me the change in feedback is the biggie. Took a while to believe my wr250 could actually be stopped in any sort of hurry...

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
 
Ian J Hartley said:
You can.

If you connect a read out light on the ABS diagnostic connection, you can count the number of times the light flashes. This will tell you what the fault is.

It's all explained in the ABS Faults

:thumb2
Click to expand...

His problem is that everything has been disconnected from the abs so impossible to check anything using any diagnostics
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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