| Author | Message | ||
     Motorbike |
I have a buddy with an 08 R with about 3,000 miles on it. He says that the rear brake is real weak and knows he cannot lock the tire up at any speed over 10 MPH. He has had it back to the dealer and they cannot find anything wrong. I ride a Ulysses XB12XT and, although the rear brake is not real powerful, I know I can lock the rear tire up at 65 MPH, DAMHIK. The 1125R doesn't have anti-lock brakes, does it? Any ideas so I can help my buddy out? Thank you. | ||
| Jdugger |
> Any ideas so I can help my buddy out? Yea: Don't use the rear brake for setting vehicle speed. | ||
| Thurstonbuell |
The 1125 has a rear brake ? lol I only use my rear brake for low speed ( under 10 mph ) maneuvering or holding the bike at a stop lite . I suggest using the front brake , or a riders course .... | ||
| Gofastalot99 |
I use the rear brake a lot as I am just used to it when riding other bikes. Early on I did a break-in with a few slow downs from 40-60MPH to about 10-20MPH. That seemed to help. While I still don't have much stopping power from the rear it does slow the bike down a little. I use it to slow/stop from low speeds, to hold on a hill, and to adjust speed slightly when at higher speeds. If I want to STOP though the front is the main braking power used. | ||
| Motorbike |
That's kind of what the dealer told him. They said "Well, the front brake is working good!". I realize that Buells have a very good front brake and most of the stopping power on any bike is in the front. But, it still seems that the rear brake should at least work, shouldn't it? This buddy of mine has been riding for quite some time on several different bikes and claims the Buell has the worst rear brake, by far. I think something is wrong with it and will ride it my self next time he brings it over. Thanks. | ||
| Gunut75 |
I have an XB, and this has been brought up a few times. I have no idea what the problem is. I use my rear brake to settle the chassis before a turn, about 10% of regular stopping, and have NO problems locking up the rear tire. Maybe mine just works?  | ||
| Blk09r |
Locking up the rear brake is generally a really bad idea. That's why the rear brakes on most sport bikes a pretty weak. Tell your friend not to worry about it and maybe take a rider course as Thurstonbuell suggested. | ||
| Gofastalot99 |
I don't think there is a problem as much as it was just designed that way. On the track the rear isn't used much or at all. | ||
| Nillaice |
i agree that the rear brake is not very powerful. my XB rear brake was allready broken in and the pads seated to teh rotor when i bought it (second owner). when i got my 1125 new, i was surprised by how weak the rear brake was. the front was also new, but not as seemingly weak. after braking-in/breaking-in the pads and rotors, the rear brake has more than doubled in stopping power, but still doesn't hold a candle when compared to the stopping power of teh front brake. maybe it's just the difference between front/rear makes it seem to your buddy that the rear is less than what it should be? | ||
| Ogobracing |
My personal opinion is the rear brake on the 1125r is very weak in comparison to any other bike I've owned. Having said that, it really doesn't matter. The rear brake has the strength to settle the rear under very hard braking, which is all you need and really as effective as it gets. I have another bike that has a rear brake that is way too touchy and strong. I much prefer the Buell's. | ||
| Motorbike |
Yeah, maybe. I guess I will just try it out myself when he gets it back from the dealer for the second time with the same complaint. I know locking up the rear brake is not a good idea, as Blk09r mentioned but I think my buddy feels like this thing should at least work a little better than it does. One of my brothers has an 09 R. Maybe I can arrange for him to ride the 08 and do a comparison next time he is in the area. Thank you. | ||
| Froggy |
Most of the people that complain about the rear brake haven't broken it in correctly. Once it is broken in, it stops the bike fine. | ||
| Boogiman1981 |
or in my case a little to well. what temp does forged stainless glow white? | ||
| Motorbike |
Froggy, do you think it would be wise to just replace the pads and then do the proper break-in procedure? I'm not sure what the procedure is anyway. If there was one for my XT, I guess I didn't do it. Thanks. | ||
| Mikellyjo |
+1 Froggy. My rear brake works just fine when used as it's supposed to be used. And when not properly used I have inadvertently locked it up on occasion...nothing like a little fish tail in the morning to brighten your day. | ||
| Milleniumx1 |
I think with rear brakes, it is what it is. I used to think mine was pointless and wouldn't do anything beyond hold me still at a stoplight. But the day two stray dogs crossed in front of me at 'slightly above posted speed limit' speeds, I found out that rear brake will lock that back tire with the best of them. Mike | ||
| Daniii |
Froggy, what is a good break-in regimen for the (now essentially worthless) rear brake? | ||
| Nukeblue |
the rear brake on these things feels EXACTLY like the tuber rears. hardly anything there. i'm thinking its normal. imo the xb rear is too strong. i used to lock it up lots | ||
| 09_1125r |
For what its worth... I noticed a lot less grab plus rear brake howling during break in when the moisture from the exhaust hit the rear rotor. After break in and some hard rear braking I no longer get the howling, ever, even when warming up. | ||
| Usanigel |
The rear brake is junk to be sure! I think its dangerous as it is because it has no feel or feed back. Mine feels seized, like a stuck piston, but all the parts move easy. Maybe its just me but both brakes should work in balance with each other. At the moment the front is super powerful and the back is nothing. How can you brake evenly and under control with that setup! | ||
| Jdugger |
> At the moment the front is super powerful and the back is nothing. > How can you brake evenly and under control with that setup! Well, you don't. Work on your front brake skill. Greater than 90% of your stopping power should be coming from the front brake at all times in all situations. In fact, at optimum braking, it's likely none of your stopping power is coming from the rear brake. | ||
| Fast1075 |
+1 Jdugger. The easiest way to get a nice violent high side is to have the rear come around and hook...rear brakes are largely cosmetic...but they are handy at traffic lights and to settle the suspension entering corners. A locked up rear brake only serves to paint a stripe from the point of panic to the point of impact. | ||
| No_rice |
every buell i have will lock the back up if i ask it to. i think alot of it has to do with people never using it regularly and it getting somewhat contaminated or whatever you'd like to call it from things, then deciding they want it to work great randomly some day. i use the rear brake plenty as im coming up to an intersection(along with the front) or to set up the chassis, or just plain to hang the rear out coming into a turn. and the rear brake arguments get old. many fast guys use it, many fast guys dont. find your own style and run with it. | ||
| Anonymous |
The rear brake works and passes all Federal and International vehicle standards requirements. You have to push hard on it, but it will lock up at any speed. Of course it should be hard to lock up the rear brake, since locked rear brakes lead to loss of control. And since the front brake is strong and transfers a lot of load off the rear, we biased it to the higher end of the Federal scale. Set up a rear brake to be sensitive and low effort, and I guarantee a lot of riders will crash in an emergency situation. | ||
| Jramsey |
>>we biased it to the higher end of..... I gather from the "we" you worked for Buell. | ||
| Easy_rider |
FWIW, My 2008 will lock up. Shocked the hell out of me. I don't think it did in the beginning so it must be due to break-in. I apparently need to become a better/smarter rider, now. | ||
| Bad_boy |
I talked to Mike on the phone at Erik Buell Racing and was told the rear pulley the idler pulley the left peg bracket that holds the idler pulley and belt have to be changed. | ||
| Dannybuell |
I have a 96S1 with 95Kmi and a CR with 5600mi. The rear brake complaint has been on every site since my s1 was new. The rear brake is designed to effect weight transfer/balance in the middle of a turn. It has no stopping power by design. The riders course remarks are based on the common knowledge that 90% of braking is done at the front. | ||
| Anonymous |
FYI, the rear brake has all the stopping power required by law, and will easily do much better than the FMVSS 122 requirements for rear brake only stops. That's correct, there are federal and international requirements that the each brake individually be able to stop the bike within a specific distance. Within a specified pedal force range. What the brake won't do is lock the rear wheel with normal pressure. Guess what, locked wheels may make cool skid marks, but a skidding tire is not slowing you down like a tire that isn't sliding. You have to push hard to stop, but within the prescribed limits of pressure mandated by world safety organizations. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Don't use the front brake, it might flip the bike............How many of you rear brake proponents came from a cruiser background where fear of the front brake is the norm? | ||
| Dannybuell |
THX. maybe your brakes have not been bedded in properly. In a safe place with no traffic around, try to heat up the rear brake a bit with several rear only stops. Start out with a few 20-25 mph stops. The grip should increase a little more each time. When it starts acting like a rear brake you have bedded your brakes. You may also want to occasionally use the rear brake to keep it clean. (Message edited by dannybuell on September 19, 2010) | ||
| Dman |
I've ridden 2 Rs and 1 CR and all had "weak" rear brakes, by which I mean the least sensitive I've ever felt. Now, I'm sure that's due to it being so well engineered as a track machine, so I don't take issue with it really. But for ex my 1125R vs my 07 R1 rear brakes are way different. But I do feel that mine must have been bed in wrong or something, I can't lock it up if I put my heel on it & load my body weight. I'll change pads & do my install, I expect mine is a symptom of the HD dealer prep lack of competence or something. It's not a big issue at all, hence my having not even addressed it as yet, I mean I swapped swingarms & didn't bother to play with pads, so it's really a non-issue overall. |
