'06 FJR linked brakes must be OK

[Constant Mesh]

Yamaha must have gotten it about right when they modified the brake control scheme on the '06. Otherwise you'd expect to hear a lot of bitching and moaning about the minimal linkage.

Yamaha gets a lot more things right than wrong.

 

[Luke]

I can't even tell they are linked unless I intently study it while braking. Pretty much invisible. They got it right.

 

[S76]

My 06 has linked brakes?

Whoda thought!



Next thing you know someone will try to say it has ABS too.

 

[Midlifefjr]

All I know is my 2007 stops in about half the distance as my cruiser - I can't tell they are linked

 

[Dan23]

I am not a fan of linked brakes; never have been, never will be. The handlebar lever does the front, the foot pedal the rear. That is the standard set up and it ought not-- IMO-- be amended or deviated from.

However, the way Yamaha has linked the latest was acceptable to me or I would not have bought the bike. I've even found one significant advantage: riding through a parking lot at low speed (using only the rear pedal), an inattentive car driver suddenly cut in front of me and when I applied additional pressure to the foot pedal, some front brake came in and helped me to stop more quickly.

OTOH, to say that one cannot notice the onset of the same when using rear brake at speed makes me wonder....

Fortunately, I seldom apply enough "rear" brake to have the extra pad kick in up front. So, I guess in a lame sort of way the linked brakes are ok.

Had the brakes been linked such that front application gives some rear application, I would have kept looking for something different.

 

[wpbfjr]

Next thing you know someone will try to say it has ABS too.

my '06 has bad brakes...the foot pedal does a ratchiting/clicking thing whenever i stomp on it to avoid a bdc...

 

[sprint_st]

I really like the way these linked brakes work. My last bike had no linkage and the rear brake was purposefully made weak. Because I'm not a track rider and I ride a lot in new territory at a pretty quick pace, I trail brake a lot. This setup when applied judiciously allows speed and line correction in a very confidence inspiring way. Whether the brakes are linked, have ABS or divine intervention, the brakes on my 06 A model are fantastic.

 

[6mmbr]

I went Sat to a local parking lot to practice emergency braking.

Started slow speed stops but eventually got up to 50 and then grabbed & stomped everything for all its worth.

I could feel the stutter of the ABS but stopped in a dead straight line every time.

...after about 4 of these I was getting nauseas from the deceleration it was stopping so fast.

(I don't do well on roller coasters anymore either; inner ear gettin' old & crusty).

I was impressed

 

[zzzzip]

My experience with ABS on a car/motorcycle is:

If you are a really good rider/driver you can ride circles around somebody who has ABS and is not that good.

If you are a really good rider/driver with ABS, you can ride circles around somebody who is good, but doesn't have or know how to use ABS.

My 2 cents.

B)

 

[sprint_st]

I just introduced myself to a neighbor when I saw his bike parked in the drive. He works for a major European car manufacturer as a driving/riding instructor for both cars and bikes (street and dual sport). In his spare time his job includes racing their cars also. He just got back from a business trip to Sweden where he spent a week driving cars on ice. Tell me he doesn't have a job to die for. So what does this have to do with linked brakes? It just so happens he tests bikes too and he told me of some of the tests they did with novice riders and old time riders using ABS and linked brakes. One of the more surprising things he said was that you have to train using ABS just like you do with non-ABS because most people under utilize them. He said distances decrease after a few times where the rider grabs the brakes hard from increasing speeds and gains confidence. The ABS actuation needs to be experienced and confidence needs to be gained to get all the benefits it has. The most surprising thing he said was they actually did tests with the bike in a turn using hard ABS braking. I would have thought ADIOS, Goodbye, bike and rider part company. He said it was feekin' amazing, but the bike just actuated the ABS and slowed down to a stop. All I know is this Old Dog IS learning new tricks, these brakes are great!!!! Did I say that before??? Yea, but I was right both times :lol:

 

[6mmbr]

as I mentioned above, I was practicing my fast braking and ...

(you old dogs will know this already) what shocked me more than anything was how loud it was.

Not the brakes, but when emergently pulling the front brake for all its worth and the clutch, pegs the tach at full throttle - and that is loud! It was unnerving at first until I began to expect it.

 

[mike25]

The most surprising thing he said was they actually did tests with the bike in a turn using hard ABS braking. I would have thought ADIOS, Goodbye, bike and rider part company. He said it was feekin' amazing, but the bike just actuated the ABS and slowed down to a stop. All I know is this Old Dog IS learning new tricks, these brakes are great!!!! Did I say that before??? Yea, but I was right both times :lol:

I would bet, the test bike was outfitted with outriggers.

 

[Geezer]

as I mentioned above, I was practicing my fast braking and ...
(you old dogs will know this already) what shocked me more than anything was how loud it was.

Not the brakes, but when emergently pulling the front brake for all its worth and the clutch, pegs the tach at full throttle - and that is loud! It was unnerving at first until I began to expect it.

I'm confused. Why use full throttle while braking?

 

[Thumperbike]

Had the brakes been linked such that front application gives some rear application, I would have kept looking for something different.

It is my understanding that this is just the case and that linking works both ways.

 

[sprint_st]

Had the brakes been linked such that front application gives some rear application, I would have kept looking for something different.

It is my understanding that this is just the case and that linking works both ways.

I had a similar understanding until Warchild made it perfectly clear and pointed me at the section of the Service Manual that also states it. The rear brake is linked to the front but the front is NOT linked to the rear. If you don't believe me, put your bike on the center stand, start the engine, put it in gear and apply the front brakes. The rear brake WILL stall the engine, the front will not.

 

[Thumperbike]

From the Yamaha website for the 2008 FJR A

Standard equipment Unified Braking System w/ABS: The front brake lever activates six of the eight front braking pistons and two rear pistons; the rear brake pedal activates two rear pistons and the other two front pistons—for balanced anti-lock braking in all conditions.

By the way, I love the brakes.

 

[SkooterG]

From the Yamaha website for the 2008 FJR A
Standard equipment Unified Braking System w/ABS: The front brake lever activates six of the eight front braking pistons and two rear pistons; the rear brake pedal activates two rear pistons and the other two front pistons—for balanced anti-lock braking in all conditions.

By the way, I love the brakes.

This was discussed previously and recently in another thread.

The info on the Yamaha website is wrong. The U.S. website that is. Check the Canuck version and they have the info correct. Regardless, look it up in the service manual and they go into great detail on how the linked brakes work. And it describes how the front lever DOES NOT actuate the rear brakes.

 

[JohnB]

If the front brake lever doesn't activate the linked braking feature, does this mean that all pistons will be activated in the front when useing the lever?

 

[sprint_st]

If the front brake lever doesn't activate the linked braking feature, does this mean that all pistons will be activated in the front when useing the lever?

No!

Like I said before, for all doubting Thomas', put your bike on the center stand, crank it up, put it in gear, release the clutch, and squeeze the front brake.