My recently acquired K75 is fitted with ABS braking. It carry's out its checks on start up and all is well. Or is it? How do I know they will work if ever I really need them? Do I find a quiet, straight, wet road and stand on the brakes? or is it safe to rely on the start up checks. John

I have to ride mine down a gravel track for 800 meters before I get to tarmac - they get tested every trip! Lots of muddy roads in your area, I used to live near there.

It's pretty easy to get the rear to work and you'll know it's working by the clattering sound.

I'm not sure why you need the reassurance of knowing that it's going to work? The best thing is to ride as though it doesn't work and if you ever get into a situation where it does kick-in and it limits the harm, then it's a bonus.

Yes, your quite right, I'm no hard rider relying on the brakes, its just that its a novelty. John

Actually, John, it's surprising how hard you can brake (without ABS) before the front wheel locks. I can do it on the outfit, but I'd never brake that hard on the solo.  

Perhaps some stabilisers for testing??   

Paul.

When I first got my K, I had 10hrs one to one instruction with a retired Police motorcycle instructor.

His comment on braking was if your brake lights come when you are not in the final stage of stopping it indicates that your skills of observation and anticipation could be improved.  I now apply this skill to riding and driving - one benefit is the pads and discs seem to last indefinitely.

He was no slouch his "Making progress" = bat out of hell in my book.

In 9 years (37k miles) of having my K I think the ABS kicked in once when "blind" person pulled out of side road - so nice to have it 

There is one thing I always do though is use the brakes when slowing down to activate the rear brake light. Mostly engine braking and the right gear will slow you down but the only warning to following traffic is the brake light. The trick is actually to try driving as if you have no brakes. Anticipate everything but in a lot of traffic that will frustrate other road users. You cant win but you do stay alive as they say.

I know that this is going to raise some debate but:

Brakes are for slowing down.

Gears are for acceleration and maintaining a desired speed.

MikeP wrote:I know that this is going to raise some debate but:

Brakes are for slowing down.

Gears are for acceleration and maintaining a desired speed.

 
I would prefer to say that BMW gave you brakes and gears - use them how you want to, and not how someone else tells you they should be used.

true that 92 ....

quite often I use the rear brake pedal to indicate to riders behind that im slowing down or .. that its a "pucker up" type corner at the speed that we are travelling at, for bike mates behind  ...three times before the big brake event ...or just as a warning to get heads up ...should the need arise ...like heading into a oblique bridge crossing with sand across the road , that just took out the rear end a little...  

we tend to ride with a good distance between us ..thankfully,  rather than the ...if I fall... im taking you with me types.

quite often im on the down shift fairly solidly already, rather than the brakes .  for many of the k s, they are sewing machine quiet from some distance to the rear ..so no engine braking noise  apparent-feedback is happening ...till you get behind seanii or alby ..... with that loverly cackle .......grin

Using acceleration sense to roll off the throttle, remaining in your current gear, until the desired speed to negotiate the hazard is reached, and then selecting another more appropriate gear if necessary is very different to just changing down through the gears on the approach to a hazard.

'Gears to go, brakes to slow (when acceleration sense is unable to provide enough deceleration)' is a very sensible mantra.  If there is following traffic, then enough brake to just illuminate one's brake light is also a good move.

In slippery conditions, many riders and drivers resort to coming down through the gears rather than brake - this is not good practice as it concentrates the desired amount of braking force through only one wheel (or pair of wheels if in a 2 wheel drive car).  It is far better to spread that identical amount of slowing force over all the vehicle's contact patches by using the brakes.  By all means roll off the throttle at an early stage if it is slippery and use acceleration sense to get to the correct speed, but do not just bang down through the 'box.

Ettore Bugatti once remarked, when one of his cars was criticised for poor brakes, "Why would you want brakes? They slow you down."