FJR 2006

[catiadan]

I am not familiar with linked brakes. Do the brakes work the same if you hit just the front or just the rear brake only? Or is the maximum braking done with simultaneously hitting both front and rear?

Dan

 

[teerex51]

catiadan,

The most common systems in use will activate the front and rear brakes simultaneously by simply pulling the brake lever with your right hand.

Most of the braking action will typically be in the front. The front/rear percentages vary with the different bikes that use this system (Honda, BMW and now - it seems - Yamaha)

The brake pedal will only activate the rear brake.

Stef

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

One of the reasons I bought the FJR over the BMW was BMW's incredibly touchy/non-ergonomic braking. I hope Yamaha puts out a "Yamaha feel" to their linked brakes. I guess they would, being Yamaha and all ;-)

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

I don't know if what Yamaha means by linked brakes has been explained. BMW & Honda XX linked brakes, the rear pedal activates one front caliper. The front activates both front brakes, and (Not sure) the back ???

 

[radman]

There are some here who bitch about the complexity of ABS systems. Can you imagine the complexity of a linked/ABS brake system? Not hard to figure where that extra poundage came from.......

 

[Woodstock]

IIRC (and I'm sure someone will tell me if I don't)...

The Honda ones worked by having 3 pistons per caliper, and only the middle piston would compress if the "opposite" lever was activated. It required running dual lines to each caliper. Again, I could be completely off my rocker here, I just remember reading something like that.

 

[Ignacio]

Since the ABS already has a metering block affair it might be possible that they do the linking magic within it and don't have to have extra pistons or lines.

That said, I'm not sure if I like the idea of linked brakes. I'd want to ride and try before I'd buy.

 

[madamosmalone]

I also was not a fan of linked braking and had "believed" that it was taking control away from the rider. Fast forward a few years and due to age, arthritis and a neck injury I find myself on a GL1800 that has both linked braking and ABS and for me at least I have not found there to be any problem with having the linked braking. You still need to use both front and rear to get max stopping power as the front lever applies as I remember the front brakes and via a pivioting r/h caliper and a secondary master cylinder the rear are partialy applied and then you can add more rear braking as required/desired. Applying the rear brake will also supply pressure to 1 of the front brakes. The biggest downside is yes it adds a lot of complication and extra piping and some extra weight. Not that you would notice on a Wing but on a sport bike :detect: just a observation YMMV

Paul :beach:

 

[B12Bill]

word I got from a Yamaha DM is that the front brake lever activates just the front brakes. The rear operates the rear and one pot on one front caliper. Its done hydraulically and apparently can also be disconnected.

 

[twowheelnut]

IIRC (and I'm sure someone will tell me if I don't)...
The Honda ones worked by having 3 pistons per caliper, and only the middle piston would compress if the "opposite" lever was activated.  It required running dual lines to each caliper.  Again, I could be completely off my rocker here, I just remember reading something like that.

Ding, ding, ding! Mostly.

 

[BrunDog]

None of you guys have given any of us credit!

We have figured out how some crazy shit on this bike. What makes you think we wont find a cheap, easy farkle to de-unify the brakes?

Even WC said that they figured out how to do it on the XX. We'll get it here, too.

Now, just to convince my wife of the trade up...

-BD

 

[sks700]

Now, just to convince my wife of the trade up...

The wife or the FJR ?

Lee

 

[MrVvrroomm]

IIRC (and I'm sure someone will tell me if I don't)...
The Honda ones worked by having 3 pistons per caliper, and only the middle piston would compress if the "opposite" lever was activated.  It required running dual lines to each caliper.  Again, I could be completely off my rocker here, I just remember reading something like that.

Ding, ding, ding! Mostly.

This is the way the Goldwing works. I agree, I had one. I am assuming this is the way it will be on the new FJR.

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

sks700, you have any trading up wifes success stories? I'm interested!

 

[jestal]

del

 

[yanktar]

Yamaha's first attempt at linked brakes years ago on the touring Venture was not that great. My brother had one that he put a LOT of miles on and he put up with the linked brakes for awhile and then replumbed the system to get rid of it and liked it much better.
My main bitch about linked brakes is the inability to apply the brakes separately when you are moving very slowly on slippery surfaces....like the wet grass from my basement to the driveway. Even touching the front brakes doing down the slope is a disaster and I wouldn't want to try it with linked brakes. My brother had a similar situation that finally convinced him to disable the system. Maybe with the ABS it is better but I'm doubtful that the ABS would work at crawling speeds where you like to use discrete front/rear braking.

Jestal:

My very thoughts! I had a '91 Venture Royale with linked brakes. The back worked one disk up front as well, and the front worked the other disk. It was HORRIBLE! The idea that you ALWAYS want the front is criminally moronic. On any kind of slick surface, even a gravel road, you stay off the front brake.

Not only that, it worked for shit. I ended up relying on the hand-brake far too much. No matter how much I adjusted and tinkered with it, it simply did a terrible job on both the back and front brakes.

So, if you link the back to the front lever, then in cornering situations where you should ONLY use the front, you are just plain screwed. And if you link the front to the brake pedal, you are screwed on slippery surfaces.

Linked brakes sound, to engineers, like a great idea. And, if you only test them on dry or wet but clean pavement, they seem to work GREAT. But it's like guessing when you'll have a flat--and preparing ONLY for that situation.

Unlinked ABS on FJR is much, Much, MUCH better than the linked brakes. However, the Venture had true CC built in and proper self-cancelling turn signals.

 

[catiadan]

Thanks for the comments everyone...interesting reading. I guess I would like to ride a linked brakes abs hard to determine whether or not I will want that feature. I also spoke with a friend of mine who say modifiying to remove the linking is an option like some of you mentioned.

 

[Kevin]

Y'all with ABS speak up. What happens if you jab either brake on gravel doing 10 MPH? Does it slide, even momentarily? That's half the answer here.

 

[Bounce]

What makes you think we wont find a cheap, easy farkle to de-unify the brakes?

Several Wing owners have de-linked the GL1500 brakes in the past. I'm unsure about the GL1800.