servo brakes

Hi Guys , was riding my sons 2005 r1200 gs the other week before the snow, the servo brakes are to my mind far too powerfull, can this be undone and bring them back to standard brakes with or without the abs thanks in advance Jimmy

From Canada, you're likely aware of winter tires for cars ... softer compounds, more sipes, use 45 degrees F and lower.

Such tires for motorcycles I think are available in Europe, but have never seen their availability in North America. Would be quite an expense if a second set of wheels was used.

So many riders think long life/mileage is what is needed from motorcycle tires but in truth the #1 criteria should always be handling safety ... which is pretty much incompatible with hard rubber compounds, and for sure is at low temperatures. A few years ago there were reports on a K1200LT forum that guys weren't able to get out of their neighborhood without crashing in cold weather with hockey puck high mileage tires fitted. I'd also think many GS tires more equivalent to "all terrain" tires, which are tires with extra tough rubber to survive rocky roads and other off road hazards. Something again not really for cold weather.

Later bikes than yours now have selectable throttle by wire settings that may help in low traction settings, but I'm unaware there are braking adjustments for same available. That's what ABS if for of course, but know of no "adjustable" systems.

Don't think you'll find anywhere a motorcycle manufacturer advertising their bike is super handling wise for cold weather riding.

Pretty sure you'll lose more than you gain removing your abs system.

There are several people on this forum whose life or limb and/or bike has been saved by ABS and "boosted" brakes - and yes I'm one of 'em - who believe that one does not really want to excise this feature. I've even personally witnessed a CHP (California Highway Patrol) motor officer literally do a "Stoppie" when some old guy turned left in front of him.
But yeah, it can be done... not "switchable", though.
And if you have a wreck and the insurance inspector spots the change, they may not pay out Anything At All.
It's a rather small learning curve - just get used to them.

Shorter stopping distances are always a good thing, so I don't think "too powerful" is even possible.

Adjust your expectations and inputs.

Two finger braking is a joy.

My LT servo experience.

I had servo “whizzy” brakes on a 2005 LT, I read a great deal about their capability before I bought the bike and wasn’t sure what to expect. Many comments about how great they were but also on that heavy model if a rider would grab too much front brake at low speed the you could drop the bike in literally a heartbeat. I only needed the front end to dive on me once to modify my approach to braking. I worked from that point on using my rear brake for all slow speed Manuevering, this was a critical component to my using the servo system and I believe actually enriched my braking skill. I did develop an appreciation for them and don’t think I have had brakes that would compare to them since. Good luck.

Chris

I heard about "grabbing too much front brake" in grade school when I got one of those "French" bicycles.

It was ridiculous then and it's ridiculous now.

Especially with ABS.

But yes, there remain those who use nothing but their rear brake. They are clueless regarding physics and are a danger to themselves and others.

You don't slam the brake pedal on your 4-wheel vehicle. Don't do that on your motorcycle either. ABS will help you if you are physically challenged and can only "slam."

lkraus said:

Shorter stopping distances are always a good thing, so I don't think "too powerful" is even possible.

Adjust your expectations and inputs.

Two finger braking is a joy.

Click to expand...

It was like learning to drive with power brakes, back in the day.

I have an 05 RT and I like that with me, my wife and all our crap on it, I can haul it down from very illegal speeds with one finger. There's no way I'd give that up. I also have a Ducati 916 and I can say that despite that bike's racing heritage and full Brembo setup, the RT is every bit it's equivalent, if not better, because it has ABS. IMHO, the RT is easy to modulate, but it's more like flying a helicopter where big motions aren't what you want.

Best tips: Don't use the back brake unless you're in a parking lot and be careful with that first squeeze until it feels normal to you.

thanks guys,

well not that i ride it much , but heard the servo motor can fail meaning no brakes, scary thought thats why im wondering if it can be modified thanks guys its my sons bike concerned for his safety, bye for now Jimmy

Several people have cautioned against doing this (and I would concur), however coming back to your original question – it’s actually a fairly straightforward thing to do. The servo/ABS unit is removed and then a good brake shop can fabricate bypass lines to connect the original control input lines to the output caliper lines for each front and back circuit.

You will end up with a permanently brake failure message on the dash display, but I suppose you could put a skull & crossbones sticker over it or something.

Then you have manual, no assist, no ABS, no linked brakes to take you to the scene of the crash.

Pretty easy to make your own brake lines if you choose. The “new” copper/nickel line is easy to shape and with the matching flaring tool, all you need to do is match the ends.
There is also a chance the pre-made lengths will work for you.
OM

jimwjarmour said:

well not that i ride it much , but heard the servo motor can fail meaning no brakes, scary thought thats why im wondering if it can be modified thanks guys its my sons bike concerned for his safety, bye for now Jimmy

Click to expand...

Anything can fail, but I would not give up ABS or power brakes on my car just because they might fail, someday. Typically the servo brakes start to show error codes before they quit working, and even if the servo fails completely you still have brakes, it just requires more effort.

Yes, many people switch these to non abs when the servo motor fails, and they don't have the money to replace it. You'll find videos on how to do it on YouTube and quite a bit published about it if you look around.

jimwjarmour said:

Hi Guys , was riding my sons 2005 r1200 gs the other week before the snow, the servo brakes are to my mind far too powerfull, can this be undone and bring them back to standard brakes with or without the abs thanks in advance Jimmy

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Not sure if there are rubber brake lines on that bike but if you do, replace them with Speigler braided steel lines asap. Deteriorating rubber brake lines are a prime cause of servo brake failure. That, and lack of maintenance. Change the fluid at least once every two years.

If your own bike doesn't have servo brakes I can understand how you might think they're too powerful. To my mind, there's no such thing as brakes which are "too powerful".

And no, I do not believe one can deactivate the servo brakes without also deactivating the ABS.

Whizzy brakes were an option and they are linked to the ABS system. The workaround is a simple bypass and a pipe part that is OEM stock - see https://www.bobsbmw.com/store/microfiche/DisplayImage.aspx?Size=Full&Type=Z&ImageID=427170 - parts 5 and 8. Best of luck and you will ride forever with wooden brakes, no ABS and a bloody perma-warning on the dash. Or, take the time to tweak your low speed riding skills and familiarize yourself with this braking system.

Yes, there have been reports of the pumps failing - $2500 US to replace. Plus shop time to do. Hmmmm, methinks why they have the "reputation" of failing is due to a subset of BWW owners who don't service them promptly on 20K interval and then whinge about the resulting pump block failure (this is a fave rant of mine with this marque - forgive me - I've lost track of listening to this type of BMW owner who feels just because they've splashed out mega-dollars on the machine off the showroom floor, this bloody expensive great German gear is immune from wear 'n tear and doesn't require a penny of normal servicing at OEM intervals..... grrrrrrrr..... then they hit the forums and bitch out their expensive bikes faiiiiiilllllinnnng....grrrrrrr).

Whizzy brake equipped bikes are a pain to service yourself - you needed to dismount the front wheel, dismount the brake caliper from the fork leg, block the pads in the calipers (fab up a set of hardwood blocks in dimension) and purchase a funnel-with-stopper from Beemer Boneyard. Warm garage. Table set up to hold all the tupperware and the gas tank that has to come off the bike. Get good metric brake bleed nipple wrenches - don't try with bonker tools from the local hardware. Follow the instructions in the service manual. Eight brake circuits have be bled - in the pump block and to the front and rear calipers - it will take you and a handy buddy about 4-6 hours to do this the first time.

You will drink many a hydrating beverage, both of you will swear and invoke many malediction on "Hans and Dieter" - the fabled hash-pipe smoking BMW brake engineers who came with this FUBAR/SNAFU over-engineered solution - but after all, its just brake fluid, hand tools, patience and some greasy forehead sweat - buttoned back up and back on the bike, the brakes are marvelous and it is truly "two fingers" to haul these machines down.

Rant off!

I have had three bikes with the whizzy brakes and never had any problems with them, but I serviced them once a year.
Cheap insurance if you ask me. I do that on my other vehicles as well. Living in a humid climate with hydroscopic fluids makes this a no brainer. YMMV

I just bought a 2006 R1200GS, equipped with servo brakes. Prior to the current bike I had three GSs with "regular" ABS brakes, those bikes stopped just fine but the current bike's servo brakes are superior in my opinion. I haven't driven the 2006 much yet (busy doing some minor repairs and maintenance), the little I drove it I had no problems with excessive brake pressure.
My bike is 16 years old, 72K miles and still has the original ABS/servo unit. I guess what helps is that the brake fluid was replaced on a regular basis (every other year). also, I read through the flushing procedure, and it appears to be straight forward if you have the threaded fill funnel.