03 1150 RT ABS Rear Brake touchy

[sonofdennis]

Ever since I purchased my 03 1150 RT the rear brake has been extremely touchy. Give it a tap and it about puts me into the handle bars. During the 36k service the BMW tech noted on the report that the rear brake was touchy. Pads look good and rotor straight and average looking. My buddy who rode it a couple of days ago said it was so touchy he just stopped using it. Any one else have a rear brake that acts this way?

 

Alan

[Ken H.]

It's a bit of a characteristic of the R1150RT linked brakes in general. One thing that will help some is to lower the position of the brake pedal.

[Yankee_Dog]

Yes, it is unfortunetly normal for the bike. I hated it when I first bought mine and considered getting rid of the thing. I was used to the anemic back brake on my Triumph which I could stomp on without fear.

 

After a while I got my right foot recalibrated to the new brake. All is fine now. The missus no longer donks me in the back of the head with her head. I love the bike. The comfort and handling more than make up for the lousy brakes.

 

yankee Dog

[texastopper]

" The comfort and handling more than make up for the lousy brakes.

 

yankee Dog "

lousy brakes? lousy brakes would be brakes that you stand on the pedal and it don't stop.

[redryder]

Ken has gotten it right again! The rear brakes on my linked 02RT are very touchy to say the least. The first two or three weeks I owned the bike had me looking very closely at my windshield. But, you will learn to modulate that pedal after a few miles. Actually, I really don't use the rear brakes much at all, there's no need, the front lever does it all too, and with just one finger I can haul "Artie" down to a stop from ludicrous speed. To help me keep in practice during normal riding, I have found that if I set a level of braking with the front lever, I can add a little more with the back pedal without it being too sensitive.

[philbytx]

Here's my suggestion.

Go out for a ride and try at all times to use your rear brake ONLY....

I know this sounds a little nuts but you will "body learn" the rear brake much faster this way. Obviously you will take quiet road(s) with light traffic etc.

[blaisew]

'So glad that it's not just me! Switching from my 96 RT to a 02 RT has me learning all over again how to use the back brake. There doesn't seem to be a problem as long as the speed is above 10 or 20 mph, but at walking speed, front brake only! I've not yet had a chance to ride at a sporting clip on a curvy road, but I'm going to take it real easy to start with because if I get into a tight spot and try to trail brake as on the 96 there could be some seriously unpleasant results. Over the Thanksgiving weekend I'll get an opportunity on the river road between Lajitas and Presidio down in the Big Bend area.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

It is not that the rear brake is touchy, it is BMW's linking system on those bikes that causes application of the rear brake to apply FRONT brakes, even if that is not your intent. IMHO, one of the dumbest control systems ever devised and yeah, I know all about BMW's survey of rider's habits in not getting the brakes on hard enough or soon enough or in the right sequence to allow maximum effort braking. FWIW, they toned it down on the 2004 and later bikes as well as providing only front to rear linkage on the GS models.

[ully211]

Artie,

 

I rode my '02 RT the same way with my front brake only, but wound up needing new front brake pads at only 31,000 with my rear pads looking "still brand new" according to the tech. I say "only" based on the reading I've done on this web site with folks not needing new brake pads until at least twice that number.

 

Am now using my foot pedal quite a bit, and getting much more comfortable every day. Hopefully this will even out the wear a little.

[Yankee_Dog]

" The comfort and handling more than make up for the lousy brakes.

 

yankee Dog "

lousy brakes? lousy brakes would be brakes that you stand on the pedal and it don't stop.

 

I prefer to STOP with my front brake. Stopping with the rear brake leads to highsides. I like to use the rear brake for control. With my 02 1150 I dont have that option.

 

I have discovered one adavatage to the system however. When you are hot into a bunch of twisties you dont need to release the throttle to get on the front brakes hard to slow you down. The link from the rear brake will do the job just fine.

 

Yankee Dog