Help! Front Left Hand ABS Calliper locking on - 2007 R1200GS

BSR67

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All,

I have just bought a 2007 GS with 59k miles. The ABS unit was rebuilt in February, so I understand.

I have done 55 miles on the bike. Took my wife for a spin and within 2 miles of home, the bike ground to a halt - the front brake was locked solid. The lever too was solid.

I recall this happening to the seller (a friend) just before he took it in for the ABS unit to be rebuilt.

I managed to free the calliper, and my elder son picked my wife up and took her home. On the 2 mile run home, it jammed again - I did not touch the front brake at all. My son brought tools out to me and I pulled the pads out. It is only the left hand calliper that is jamming, the right is free. The left has the ABS ring.

I rode home the half mile carefully and I figured the pistons were probably seized and the brake was dragging and jamming due to heat. WRONG. I managed to get the pistons back in (had to release the bleed nipple on the calliper) and I put the pads back in. As soon as I turned on the ignition and pulled the front brake, I could hear the ABS Servo and run and the left hand front brake jammed solid again.

I've messaged the seller (as I say he is a friend who will be horrified). Is this common, and what is the fix. As I said, the ABS unit was apparently rebuild in February. There are no warning lights on the dash. I don't have a GS-911 reader so am not sure whether there are any fault codes.

Help!


Thanks

BSR67
 
I just discovered something .....

The end of the brake lever was fouling the hand guard - holding it in fractionally.

Suspect it was enough to build heat and lock the brake.

I didn't touch the brake in the first half of the journey back, and it locked again. I think there was just enough pressure on the brake lever for the brakes to heat and lock.

Because I cracked the bleed nipple, I now have not brake pressure at all. Will bleed the system and try again, with the hand guard/lever position correctly set ....

When I bought the bike, the lever was set too low so I rotated it up a fraction. Suspect the fouling is the issue.

Thx

BSR67
 
it could be just the front brake flexi on that side starting to fall to bits inside causing a one way valve
 
fizzer said:
it could be just the front brake flexi on that side starting to fall to bits inside causing a one way valve
Click to expand...

More likely the lever fouling on the guard as he stated in the post above yours, my clutch slipped a few times long long ago, discovered the lever was fouling on the hand guard, 100.000miles later and I'm still on the same clutch.
 
Worth checking as well that the caliper pistons are moving freely and not jammed!! That is the more usual cause

Weird that you were able work out which caliper was jamming

"Salts" build up behind the outer wiper ring and force the rubber against the brake piston

You apply the brake and the piston or pistons cannot retract all the way and that caliper overheats rather than both
 
BSR67 said:
I just discovered something .....

The end of the brake lever was fouling the hand guard - holding it in fractionally.

Suspect it was enough to build heat and lock the brake.

I didn't touch the brake in the first half of the journey back, and it locked again. I think there was just enough pressure on the brake lever for the brakes to heat and lock.

Because I cracked the bleed nipple, I now have not brake pressure at all. Will bleed the system and try again, with the hand guard/lever position correctly set ....

When I bought the bike, the lever was set too low so I rotated it up a fraction. Suspect the fouling is the issue.

Thx

BSR67
Click to expand...

You posted a video to highlight the clicking noise when you pulled the clutch lever. Could it be that the clutch lever is also fouling the handguard?
 
All

I did 180 miles on the bike today - I kept the handguard and lever clear and had no issues.

On other forums, there is a track record of the levers fouling the hand guards, including an unfortunate chap hat suffered four broken ribs, a damaged shoulder and broken ankle when his bike turfed him off.

It's why BMW issued, in 2008, a letter and set of stickers to go inside the hand guards to remind/ensure that the lever does not foul the hand guard.

Thanks

BSR67
 
steadysteve said:
You posted a video to highlight the clicking noise when you pulled the clutch lever. Could it be that the clutch lever is also fouling the handguard?
Click to expand...

No, the noise comes from the clutch itself, not the lever. I think it is 'one of those things'.
 
theoneandonly said:
strange that it only affected 1 caliper ?
Click to expand...

Agree, but I'm not planning to investigate further. Having had a successful 180 mile trip with slightly more than obsessional checking that the lever and guard were not fouling, I'm satisfied that that was the issue. Suspect the tolerance on the left discs was slightly less. Both the discs and callipers were extremely hot when the brake locked.

Thx

BSR67
 
ABS gives up at low speed... the info from the sensor is less often, and if it kept going to zero you'd have no brakes
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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