Brake lock up

[Guest HdHtr]

Going down the road this morning on my sorta still new to me RSV I happened to think I wanted to take a right at a fast approaching street. Hit the brakes. Not hard, not panic kind of braking just good pressure on fronts and rear brake.

 

Dang if it didn't lock up. And of course slid. Surprised me. So I tried again, once again way easier than I ever thought it would take to lock them up ... front and rear locked up and slip sliding away we went. Controlled but still. Do all of these RSV's lock up this easy?

 

Understand I am used to a First Gen. But I am getting used to this RSV fast.

[ReinyRooster]

I have been on this new to me RSV since last fall and never experienced any lock-up with the brakes. Think you have some work to do.

[ACE50]

NEVER

[YamahaLarry]

My new to me '99 RSV is rather stiff on the front brakes. I have locked them up once when a lady, oops, woman, tried to squeeze me in the right lane. But, I have to squeeze front brakes rather hard.

 

They are not spongy and the pads look good. Thinking maybe PO used some off the wall brand of pads.

[eusa1]

your first gen would have had the front and rear brakes linked together and be much harder to lock up.

I also had to adjust my braking habits when I got my first 2nd gen:080402gudl_prv:

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

In my last rider training I was doing so called panic stopping with just front brake on my 02, slight slippage but only just. The rear...oh yes it locks easy. Factors would be tires, pressures, track or road temp as well as tire temp.

 

If they lock up maybe time for calliper service, new pads, fluid chage.

[Venturous Randy]

You may also want to look at what type pads you have on the bike. If the PO put EBC HH pads on, they are a lot more aggressive and may increase your lock up tendencies. You may want to pick up some organic pads and maybe someone on here will have some suggestions.

From what I have seen, this is pretty common on the 2nd gen of having the rear brakes lock up, especially when it is a panic stop situation. I was lucky many years ago with a 2nd gen behind me that locked the rear brakes up and all I saw was the bottom of the bike coming at me after it went down and I was able to move forward enough.

Oh, one other thing, you were very smart in doing what you did and at least get a feel for how your brakes react. Keep in mind that it is not an if, but a when that you will jump on the brakes to avoid some idiot.

RandyA

[CMCOFFEY]

I did most of my quality learning time on sportbikes, so I am pretty heavy on the front brakes which lightens up the rear. I slide my back tire all the time. I have only slid the front once. (completely stock set up with brakes/ E3s for tires front and rear) I slid the front before I got new tires.

[Guest HdHtr]

Oh, one other thing, you were very smart in doing what you did and at least get a feel for how your brakes react. Keep in mind that it is not an if, but a when that you will jump on the brakes to avoid some idiot.

RandyA

 

I have had to avoid and idiot or two in my day.

[Guest HdHtr]

your first gen would have had the front and rear brakes linked together and be much harder to lock up.

I also had to adjust my braking habits when I got my first 2nd gen:080402gudl_prv:

 

This is certainly a true thing. I am adjusting ...

[dingy]

Rear brake lock up is rather well known with the RSV's, of course depending on your riding style.

 

Rick Butler has a post in the 2nd gen tech section of a way to reduce the tendency of the bike to lock up.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13098

 

Rear brake lockup can be a very dangerous situation. When rear wheel locks up, and front braking is also being applied, the rear end can slide out of line with the front end. If this is felt quickly enough brake pressure can be reduced on rear and back end will come back in line. If rear slide comes out far enough, the bike will start to lean over and get closer to going into a lay down with front wheels leading. This is not a real bad way to lay a bike down. Never preferable though to lay one down. Bad things happen when the bike is washed out and rider releases rear brake completely, this can cause the rear end to snap back in line with front end, then the inertia of the rear end moving can cause rear to slide back the other direction, then causing bike to lay down in a 'high side' position. This is often a rather violent serious of events where rider finds themselves being slammed into ground with the bike in a wheels trailing position. Due to the force that a high side creates, the bike sometimes starts flipping or other undesirable movement, this all happening while rider is sliding in front of the careening bike which will go farther than the rider does.

 

Gary

[Freebird]

I had Ricks fix on my bike and it works great. I'm surprised that so many have posted that there is something wrong with the bike and this problem doesn't exist. It has been discussed extensively here in the past. Hey Yammer Dan, you may not even know it but your '99 has Ricks system on it.

[playboy]

Talk to Skydoc about a set of EBC kevlar pads. I switched to them and loved them and very simple to do. Dramatically reduces the tendency of the rear brake to lock up on the 2nd gen. But don't take my word for give Earl a call and talk to him great guy.

[Guest HdHtr]

Talk to Skydoc about a set of EBC kevlar pads. I switched to them and loved them and very simple to do. Dramatically reduces the tendency of the rear brake to lock up on the 2nd gen. But don't take my word for give Earl a call and talk to him great guy.

 

Last time I saw Earl he was leaving my garage and heading North. Course that was a few years ago. One of these days I will check the pads on this thing. In the mean time I am gonna bees a little lighter on them brakes!

[Guest HdHtr]

Rear brake lock up is rather well known with the RSV's, of course depending on your riding style.

 

Rick Butler has a post in the 2nd gen tech section of a way to reduce the tendency of the bike to lock up.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13098

 

Rear brake lockup can be a very dangerous situation. When rear wheel locks up, and front braking is also being applied, the rear end can slide out of line with the front end. If this is felt quickly enough brake pressure can be reduced on rear and back end will come back in line. If rear slide comes out far enough, the bike will start to lean over and get closer to going into a lay down with front wheels leading. This is not a real bad way to lay a bike down. Never preferable though to lay one down. Bad things happen when the bike is washed out and rider releases rear brake completely, this can cause the rear end to snap back in line with front end, then the inertia of the rear end moving can cause rear to slide back the other direction, then causing bike to lay down in a 'high side' position. This is often a rather violent serious of events where rider finds themselves being slammed into ground with the bike in a wheels trailing position. Due to the force that a high side creates, the bike sometimes starts flipping or other undesirable movement, this all happening while rider is sliding in front of the careening bike which will go farther than the rider does.

 

Gary

 

So Gary ... you trying to say if you clamp on them brakes they lock and ass over tea kettle you go bouncing down the road with the bike chasing you??

[MiCarl]

Think about the brake pedal on your 1st Gen, you pretty much had to use your toes. On your 2nd Gen you can put your leg into it - way more muscle power than you could apply to your old bike.

[dingy]

So Gary ... you trying to say if you clamp on them brakes they lock and ass over tea kettle you go bouncing down the road with the bike chasing you??

 

No, read it again. There is a series of events that sometimes take place when rear end is locked up. It rarely results is in a high side, but when it does, it will hurt.

 

It is something that is extremely difficult to practice for. Very fine line between getting it right and getting hurt. It's something I learned from a young age to do. It's a controlled reaction to feather off rear brake.

 

I am a fanatic about having brakes that are more than adequate to stop one of these bikes. Situations like I described are a result of rider needing to use all the braking ability the bike has, when faced with that, it is counter intuitive to reduce braking power.

 

Gary

[Yammer Dan]

I had Ricks fix on my bike and it works great. I'm surprised that so many have posted that there is something wrong with the bike and this problem doesn't exist. It has been discussed extensively here in the past. Hey Yammer Dan, you may not even know it but your '99 has Ricks system on it.

 

 

 

Yeah I've been pretty pleased with the way the thing stops!!! Now if I could figure out how to make it Go!!! And get it to stop lying down when it stops!!!

[videoarizona]

Regarding rear brake lock up and sliding out. If you can't keep yourself from feathering the rear brake to avoid the lockup...you can learn to keep your head up and looking straight ahead. Doing so will keep you going straight...instead of laying down.

 

Try it on an empty parking lot some day. It does work. But best bet is to use both...feather the rear and keep head straight...