Awesome Brakes/Awesome Maintenance

[Bogdan]

As a result of encouragement - Towerworker - and specific advice - Sykospain - I attacked the brake fluid change last Saturday. Boy...what an odyssey. Did the clutch as well. I was fortunate to have the experience and extra hands of another R1150R guy working with me throughout; he didn't know what he was getting into but was a great sport.

I did install the speed bleeders and I'm glad I did. I got the funnel from Beemer Bone Yard. The dummy spacers I manufactured based on information from this site were too small; they needed extra shims. Perhaps the dimensions given were base on different calipers.

It was 2 years since the last fluid change, the fluid was pretty clear - except for the rear brake circuit which seemed a bit brown; I do wonder why that was different than the others. It does seem that doing this arduous task every 2 years is enough. Also....there is a minuscule amount of fluid in the circuits - metering and control - whose bleeders are around the ABS unit. Are those circuits bled every time as well ? Do some guys just do the main circuits ? I was thinking that the wrenches at the dealer might leave that part of the job out.

It took all day; my thigh muscles are still sore from squatting so much. Anyway....everything seems to work, so hopefully the job was done mostly right. I do like the brakes on this bike - 2 finger stops - but this sure was a lot of work.

[towerworker]

Congratulations!
That's a big milestone when it comes to doing it yourself. Next time will be easier. You may remember I had to pull my ABS system because I wasn't able to do the required service due to an illness. The system isn't very forgiving to a lack of regular service. And expensive. It was always my experience that there was always a darker fluid coming out of the rear.

And yes to a latter question....bleed ALL the circuits! And do it annually. BMW recommends annual as I recall. As far as I know the iABS system pump is not currently able to be rebuilt. And $2500 or so for a new pump. Mine failed and forced me to pull it.

[Buckster]

It is supposed to be done every year. Clutch can go every two although I just do mine annually anyway. Congrats on doing it yourself. It only gets easier the more you do it.

[sykospain]

Actually, there IS a firm that still rebuilds that pesky iABS pump / secondary computer. But at inordinate cost.
They're in Germany, natch.
It's a well-established, professional workshop founded in 1994 by engineer Rainer Hutterer. Called RHelektronik.de

Located in the pretty riverside southern town of Hattenhofen in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg.

But personally, despite the clear safety advantages offered by a bike fitted with ABS over an ordinarily-braked vehicle, I'd just ditch the whole darn thing and have better overall braking pefromance, without that irritating whine every time you touch the lever or pedal. OK ABS might save your life in a sudden emergency, so just avoid sudden emergencies.
Tommy Cooper: "Doctor, my arm hurts when I lift it up like this."
Doctor: "Well, don't lift it up like that."
AL in s.e. Spain

[EasyBee]

Change the brake fluid every year, especially the iABS part! No excusues and pray they keep working or break down before riding out.
I was on a roadtrip with a few friends when my iABS failed while braking hard for a red light. I braked hard but no or just a little braking power left.
I crossed the street just missing a few cars and a truck.
Went home and had the iABS system removed and steel lines placed instead. Brakes are fantastic without iABS. Two fingers and no whining anymore.

[sykospain]

Awesome fotos, too. Excellent.