Front brakes on 2002 R1150 non ABS

[f4tweet]

I hope you all can help.
I bought a used 02 R1150R from a dealer that was on consignment. I got a great deal. I noticed that I had to pump the front brakes a little to get the lever all the way out. Even with the lever not all the way out, I had plenty of brakes. I had a friend bleed the brakes. It was better for a while, but the problem came back. Hmmm. We bled the brakes, same scenario. So two years later I had the dealer rebuild the master cylinder and bleed the brakes. Same scenario. This seems to be an annoyance issue more than safety, but I don't want to be distracted when I need to brake. I am open to any and all suggestions. Thanks.

[hank]

When bleeding the front brakes on my 1150r I push the pistons all the way back into the caliper and put blocks of wood in place of the brake pads to stop the pistons moving. This reduces the caliper volume and ensures that there is nowhere for air to get trapped inside. Result, a solid brake lever and no need to pump to get brakes working.

Have you tried adjusting the brake lever span setting? It can be adjusted by turning the small wheel where the lever pivots. I think setting 1 places the lever closest to the bars and 4 is furthest away.

[f4tweet]

Yes, I have set the span setting to four. It is like an old car from the 60's, you just pump a couple of times and the lever is all the way out. Both bleeds were done by BMW trained mechanics. ????

[AZBMWRIDER]

Do you still have the OEM rubber brake lines ??
If you do, I would suggest replacing them with braided stainless lines when you can get around to it .
I replaced the brake lines on my '02 1150R in April, when the line from the master cylinder to the 'splitter' for the ABS on the right side of the 'frame' broke at the fitting .

[f4tweet]

Yes, I have the original rubber lines. I had been looking at Spiegler this week and they are about the same price as stock. The shop thought the return line in the master cylinder was clogged, so we rebuilt it. Nada.

I just don't want to replace the line, and rebleed, ($$$$), to find out the calipers need to be rebuilt. more ($$$)

[vitaminC]

After nearly 14 years of service, you should replace the rubber lines no matter what. They may look fine, but they are probably not fully up to the task any longer.

[CycleRob]

f4tweet, You describe the symptoms of a bent brake rotor. It happens when the bent rotor pushes the pads and pistons further retracted as it wobbles from side-2-side. Then you have to pump the lever to get a normal full "pedal". On the centerstand, put some weight in the bags or on the passenger seat to elevate the front wheel. Then hand spin that wheel and watch for left/right movement of the disk rotor while listening for an uneven scuffing sound. I bet you'll find that you hear and see just what I described. You may even have noticed a pulsing variance in the braking force on light application of the front brake - - - another indicator of a bent rotor.

The cure, unfortunately is the expensive replacement of the bent rotor(s). The cause is almost always a clumsy bead breaking operator at tire change time -or- a riding accident.

[f4tweet]

I went to the dealer yesterday. The service writer said the same thing. S##T.

[f4tweet]

My back has been having spasms and pain for the last couple of days. The last time I drove my bike I parked it on the sidestand. I usually park it on the centerstand. I rode my bike today and the front brakes were perfect. They did not need to be pumped all during my ride this afternoon/evening. ??????? Ideas?

[CycleRob]

The (slightly?) bent disc rotors are floating on their mounting buttons. If the force required to depress the caliper pistons is greater than the force needed for the bent rotor to be slid sideways on those mounting buttons then the pistons will not be moved. Putting on the brakes harder may change that. Also, the rotor may not be bent that much.