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2004 1150 rt abs

Davesbmw

Member
I am considering a 2004 1150 RT.

I do not care for the servo assist on these models but really like the bikes otherwise

My question is has anyone tried to replace this unit with a later model without the servo,or removed it and gone the non ABS way.

If so how did it work out?

Thanks for your comments in advance
Dave
 
Hello Dave,
Yes, I totally removed the ABS system on my '04RT couple years ago and would do it again in a minute. Now I have very powerful and predictable brakes and I especially don't miss the linked brake feature. I wish the '04 R1150 would have had ABS as an option. That said I also have a pristine '94 R1100RSL with a very fine ABS system and I have no plans to remove or otherwise modify this system. Typical BMW, they just had to re-invent the wheel on the 1150's rather than stay with what worked. The police departments wanted nothing to do with the ABS system as it appeared on the 1150's, can't blame them.
 
The police departments wanted nothing to do with the ABS system as it appeared on the 1150's, can't blame them.

Now there's revisionist history!

Way I heard it was ABS was a California requirment and was what put BMW in the Authorities bike business in the USA and most other jurisdictions just copied the CA requirements.
 
Now there's revisionist history!

Way I heard it was ABS was a California requirment and was what put BMW in the Authorities bike business in the USA and most other jurisdictions just copied the CA requirements.

Hello Kent,
I don't know could be law enforcement folks wanted ABS but the servo assist linked brakes version failed to impress. The ABS version as it appeared on the 1100's and later 1200's is, imo and others, much easier to live with than the afore mentioned un-popular fiasco system common to the 1150's.

I remember the day I took delivery of my R1150RT. The dealer politely suggested I use his parking lot to familiarize myself with the bike before going down the road. He should have phrased it: Going down ON the road. I declined stating that I am a long term and quite capable road warrior, no problem. Well, at the first stop light controlled intersection I very nearly put her on her side. Then, within the first two months of ownership, I bought two rear view mirrors and a paint touch-up kit all because of those GD linked brakes. If I didn't have a very comfortable Russell saddle and if I hadn't succeeded in transforming the beast into the smoothest running motorcycle I have ever owned, without ABS, I would sell it and keep my pristine nearly new '94 R1100RSL with ABS brakes that work when you need them and stay in the back ground when you don't.

Does this qualify as a rant?
 
so there were no problems using the stock front and rear master cylinders to get good braking on par with your R1100?? what about the brake lights I've heard thet the R1150 has that wired differently. Did you just unplug the lights which would flash showing the ABS is faulting???

More info on removing the system.
 
so there were no problems using the stock front and rear master cylinders to get good braking on par with your R1100?? what about the brake lights I've heard thet the R1150 has that wired differently. Did you just unplug the lights which would flash showing the ABS is faulting???

More info on removing the system.

OK, the front and rear master cylinders provide all the braking power you could ever want. The way I handled the brake lights was to use a Darlington transistor as a switch to light the brake light with the front and rear brake micro-switches connected in series so that if either one or both opened the darlington went into conduction with the brake light as the load. another simpler way would be to just use a relay connected so that when you turn on the ignition switch the relay energizes with ground applied through the two micro-switches again connected in series. Then, if one or both switches interrupts the ground side of the relay coil a relay contact would close applying ground to the tail lamp. You would use a normally closed relay contact. You also need to buy a longer brake line to connect the rear brake to the rear master cylinder and a connection bracket assembly to allow both front brakes to be connected to the front master cylinder. This connector assembly is a BMW part. if you wish to proceed I can give you part numbers for the brake line and the connector. When I converted my brakes I removed all traces of the ABS system and sold the modulator on the MOA Flea Market for 500 bucks. Also, I could tell my bike had shed some top heavy weight without the modulator which is fairly heavy at around 20 pounds if memory serves so for me it was well worth it and I haven't missed the ABS system not once and when I bleed and flush my brakes now I'm done in 30 minutes. As far as a comparison to my 1100 goes the 1150 brakes are every bit as powerful but with no ABS like the 1100 still has. Oh, bleeding and flushing the ABS system on my 1150 is every bit as simple as the 1100 is with its earlier ABS system.

Remove the ABS relay from the fuse relay box under the seat and no more ABS lamp flashing or otherwise.

It really still irritates me that I paid good money for the lousy ABS system used on the 1150 bikes. Thanks for nothing BMW and just see if I ever in my life buy another one of your lousy bikes new!:banghead:banghead Not freeking likely! Oh, I hear that if BMW bikes fire you up you should avoid their cars like the plague which they are!

Wow, this does qualify as a rant.
 
ABS is one of the reasons I still have my 04 R1150RT-P. Too many close calls with bad drivers pulling in front of me or being stopped in the road around a curve or over a rise with other bikes. While I got used to it quickly, I wouldn't mind losing the servo part. Neither the servo nor the linked brakes have ever caused me to lay the bike down. The abs has kept me from going down a few times on wet leaves and concrete.
 
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04 1150 RT Brakes

Have to tell you I love my "Whizzy" ABS brakes on my bike. Took a little getting used to but I have nothing but good things to say about them. May be the best brakes on any vehicle I have ever owned. I was worried about the bleeding of the system but even that was not bad when I got into it.

Ken Denton
 
I've owned three bikes with ABS, and I never really cared for it. My R100RT and my Harley don't have ABS, but my new 2012 GS does. What I like about the GS is you can turn the ABS off. Its always been my opinion that ABS gives a rider a false sense of security.
 
Well then, I guess you will never experience the joys of riding and owning an airhead.:cry

If you would read my signature you will see that I do own an airhead. I said I will never buy a bike without ABS. When I bought the airhead, ABS wasn't even thought of on cars. My 82 R100RT does have ABS on the rear brake. No matter how hard you step on it it won't lock up.
 
I love ABS and will not have a bike without it. There are now leaves on the roads, and sure enough someone barreled out a driveway very fast without a look last year bout this time. There were lots of leaves and I was able to break hard and steer some without worry.

There were some getting used to it problems, the best tip I can give is never use more than one finger below 15 mph or when parking. (or people watching.

Next tip is turn off the bike with the key at about 15 mph in a safe place and feel how the bike feels without the servo. Do this enough times you develop some muscle memory. Refresh your skills from time to time. I have done this from 60 MPH and you can still stop very fast, just takes a mighty squeeze. You 04 will have the less sensitive type.

Rod
 
I have a 1980 R100RT and a 2003 R1150RT. I certainly would not trade the brakes on my 1150 for the brakes on my R100RT. I love the brakes on my 1150RT. Just my opinion. I'm glad we're all free to choose!

SAM
 
I have a 1980 R100RT and a 2003 R1150RT. I certainly would not trade the brakes on my 1150 for the brakes on my R100RT. I love the brakes on my 1150RT. Just my opinion. I'm glad we're all free to choose!

SAM

I too own a 1981 R100RT and I wouldn't trade the brakes on the '81 for the brakes on my NON-ABS '04RT either. With or without ABS the brakes on the oilheads beat the airhead brakes, no doubt and no argument there. I am not opposed to ABS brakes only the ones attached to the 1150 oilheads. I like the ABS on my '94 R1100RSL and I know I would like the ABS systems that came after the R1150's. I think the newest versions of ABS is a giant leap forward and I especially like the feature that allows the rider to turn off the ABS system. I also think linking the front to back brake in such a way that application of the front brake also applies pressure to the rear brake is a good thing but not the other way around like on the 1150's.

The long and short is the 1150 ABS system just sucks, imo and a few others as well.
 
I also own an 81 R100RT and an 03 R1150RT. In my opinion the 1150 is a love/hate feeling with the brakes. Had to do a serious learning curve to even start to feel comfortable at parking lot speed.

There is no feel. I have yet to try the ABS function. The bike stops so fast it's hard to hold on. And the 81 rear disk, well that's another story in itself.
 
Thanks

Well I just wanted to know if someone had changed the ABS system on these bikes and so for one person has removed it and is fine with it.

Thanks for all the comments

I understand some folks love them and others do not, my query was a technical one.

Dave
 
Hello again Dave,
I should say just one more thing about the 1150 ABS brakes and that is if I could have found a way to dis-able or put another way un-link the brakes I would not have opted to go the way I did and remove the complete system. Or if I could have partially dis-abled the link so that when I apply back brakes I would not have engaged the front brake but application of just the front brake would have applied pressure to the rear brake. I don't think it is possible to do this without replacing the modulator or somehow modifying it.
 
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