S
swilson143
Guest
Overall I'm really pleased with the 2002 R1150RT I bought a few weeks ago. While the brakes are excellent... having the front calipers activate while depressing the rear brake lever is TERRIBLE. I'd probably just let myself adjust to it if it weren't for the fact that I ride a R1150GS-P 40-hours a week at work, and it has Partially integrated brakes.
With partially integrated brakes, when you pull the front brake lever, both front and rear brakes are activated. However, when you press the rear brake lever all you get is rear brake. IMHO, this is the best of both worlds. You get the exceptional integrated braking when combo braking (or cheating and only using the hand lever). But you maintain the ability to use the rear brake for really right turning manuevers or parking manuevers and can also use it to slow yourself a bit if you've set yourself into a turn too fast and need to drag off some speed.
So, I set out on my quest for Partially Integrated brakes for my RT. Unfortunately I didn't find any info on this online. I went to the two nearest BMW motor dealers and spoke with the techs, but they were no help either. My agency had sent me to CHP for their 80 hours school for certification, so I've spent about 40 hours on one of their R1150RT-P models and knew they had the Partial integral brakes, not the fully integrated brakes.
I started calling bike recyclers all over the place, but couldn't find any with an ABS modulator from in RT-P in stock. I located an RT-P ABS modulator on Ebay and won the auction, but the seller admitted it came from a wrecked police bike and it was unknown if the unit had been damaged in the wreck. Anyway, I installed it today.
I had no surprises during the installation, though I had never had the misfortune of going through the factory brake bleeding process before... sheesh! Nine bleed screws? What were they thinking?!
The RT-P modulator swap has done the trick. I now have integrated brakes when I pull the front brake lever, but only rear brake when I press the rear brake lever. Its heavenly. But, I have one abnormality... and its gotta get solved.
BRAKE GURUS... HERE'S WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP!
If I slightly pull the front brake lever and leave the lever there about 1 second or more, the upper Red brake warning light blinks rapidly and the rear brake pump (or servo) stays on. The only way to correct this is to turn the ignition off and on at the key and reboot the brake system. I can also get the error if I've activated the brakes at a normal pace, but then release the front brake lever slowly and hold it for more than a second where its just short of entirely released.
I took the bike out for over an hour tonight and FLOGGED the brakes. They're working absolutely great except for this weird thing I described above. I even tested the ABS... rear only and then front and rear together. Worked as it should.
Anyone know the solution? I'll be thrilled if the answer is I didn't bleed the brakes well enough or something like that.
Scott
With partially integrated brakes, when you pull the front brake lever, both front and rear brakes are activated. However, when you press the rear brake lever all you get is rear brake. IMHO, this is the best of both worlds. You get the exceptional integrated braking when combo braking (or cheating and only using the hand lever). But you maintain the ability to use the rear brake for really right turning manuevers or parking manuevers and can also use it to slow yourself a bit if you've set yourself into a turn too fast and need to drag off some speed.
So, I set out on my quest for Partially Integrated brakes for my RT. Unfortunately I didn't find any info on this online. I went to the two nearest BMW motor dealers and spoke with the techs, but they were no help either. My agency had sent me to CHP for their 80 hours school for certification, so I've spent about 40 hours on one of their R1150RT-P models and knew they had the Partial integral brakes, not the fully integrated brakes.
I started calling bike recyclers all over the place, but couldn't find any with an ABS modulator from in RT-P in stock. I located an RT-P ABS modulator on Ebay and won the auction, but the seller admitted it came from a wrecked police bike and it was unknown if the unit had been damaged in the wreck. Anyway, I installed it today.
I had no surprises during the installation, though I had never had the misfortune of going through the factory brake bleeding process before... sheesh! Nine bleed screws? What were they thinking?!
The RT-P modulator swap has done the trick. I now have integrated brakes when I pull the front brake lever, but only rear brake when I press the rear brake lever. Its heavenly. But, I have one abnormality... and its gotta get solved.
BRAKE GURUS... HERE'S WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP!
If I slightly pull the front brake lever and leave the lever there about 1 second or more, the upper Red brake warning light blinks rapidly and the rear brake pump (or servo) stays on. The only way to correct this is to turn the ignition off and on at the key and reboot the brake system. I can also get the error if I've activated the brakes at a normal pace, but then release the front brake lever slowly and hold it for more than a second where its just short of entirely released.
I took the bike out for over an hour tonight and FLOGGED the brakes. They're working absolutely great except for this weird thing I described above. I even tested the ABS... rear only and then front and rear together. Worked as it should.
Anyone know the solution? I'll be thrilled if the answer is I didn't bleed the brakes well enough or something like that.
Scott