FJR brakes - not as powerful as I thought...

[ionbeam]

Perhaps your brakes still need bedding in.

Perhaps the brakes don't have as much initial bite as you expected. But, both the front and rear brakes are more than capable of locking up the wheels at any speed with only moderate lever pressure. How much more brake do you need after that?

 

[drjfjr]

Coompared to what? :dribble: My SV is under 350 lbs and stops better than my FJR :yahoo: . My FJR stops better than my Concours (94 version) :yahoo:

Need a reference to go by h34r: .

Folks -
New FJR rider here (08 model). I am a bit surprised the brakes are not as strong as I thought they might be. I remember an article in Motorcycle Consumer News that compared the FJR, ST1300 and C14 and the FJR brakes came out on top. But they seem a bit weak to me. What is the subjective opinions out there regarding the brakes? Is it just a new bike phenom and I need to 'scrub' them in or is this just the way the FJR is.

Kind Thanks

Hope I'm not starting a Friday dogpile or heading to the NEPRT! :drinks:

 

[Falcon124]

Let me put it this way - I was riding to work one morning recently on a fairly busy thoroughfare we call Indepedence Blvd. Speed limit is 45 mph. I'm cruising along at around 50-55 keeping up with the flow of traffic which is typical for this road at 7:15 am. I'm a little more than a car length behind the car in front of me. All of a sudden I see brake lights and I have to stop right now. I slam hard on the front and rear brakes, bike nose dives, ABS pulsates as expected but no lockup of either wheel. I stopped within inches of the car in front of me. Oh and what caused this person in front of me to stop so suddenly? The car in front of her had to stop suddenly to let some friggin' geese cross the road :madsmiley: When you need 'em, trust me the brakes will be there.

 

[FJRBluesman]

My Duc had the best brakes bar none! I compare all to that.

Having said that, I can tell you my 92 Fatboy took two states to stop. My 95 BMW K1100RS only took a couple zip codes. My 05 FeeJ stops when I want it to. In other words, for a 500+lb bike it's got awesome stopping power.

 

[Cal City FJR]

Six puck calipers would have been a welcome addition. My REX is quite a bit lighter but it has the six puck set up. Heavier bike needs more stopping area and power.

I agree with the poster they are kind of weak considering how heavy this bike is.

 

[Wicked Webby]

Nothing weak about the FJR's brakes.

 

[jjsC6]

I think the brakes on my FJR are awesome.

 

[madpage]

Trading in a 00' ST1100 (non ABS) for a 07' FJR (ABS)....

00' ST brakes were "O.K." - as long as you weren't going that fast, you were on a dry road, the cager in front of you didn't stop too fast, ect. ect.

07' FJR brakes can stop on a dime and spit you out change!

I don't know if the Feejeer's brakes are the best in the world, but from what I'm used to, I'm pleased with them.

I guess another question you should ask is, what were your expectations for the bike? If you don't believe what you read in MC review is true, go out and test your bike. Record the stopping distances of your bike. If the numbers are the same from what you read (or close to them), maybe its more of a "feel" problem then an "actual" problem.

 

[feejer222]

Folks -
New FJR rider here (08 model). I am a bit surprised the brakes are not as strong as I thought they might be. I remember an article in Motorcycle Consumer News that compared the FJR, ST1300 and C14 and the FJR brakes came out on top. But they seem a bit weak to me. What is the subjective opinions out there regarding the brakes? Is it just a new bike phenom and I need to 'scrub' them in or is this just the way the FJR is.

Kind Thanks

Hope I'm not starting a Friday dogpile or heading to the NEPRT! :drinks:

Pads? Mine are fine with me and Mrs Feejer and luggage.

 

[Fred W]

Let me put it this way - I was riding to work one morning recently on a fairly busy thoroughfare we call Indepedence Blvd. Speed limit is 45 mph. I'm cruising along at around 50-55 keeping up with the flow of traffic which is typical for this road at 7:15 am. I'm a little more than a car length behind the car in front of me.

Hopefully you were seriously underestimating the following distance here.

If you were going 50-55 and were really only 15-20 feet behind the car then you deserve to be in the guys backseat when he hits the brakes. At 50 mph you are traveling over 70 feet per second. That means you were following less than 1/2 second behind the car in front of you? If so, you are completely insane...

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

Let me put it this way - I was riding to work one morning recently on a fairly busy thoroughfare we call Indepedence Blvd. Speed limit is 45 mph. I'm cruising along at around 50-55 keeping up with the flow of traffic which is typical for this road at 7:15 am. I'm a little more than a car length behind the car in front of me.

Hopefully you were seriously underestimating the following distance here.

If you were going 50-55 and were really only 15-20 feet behind the car then you deserve to be in the guys backseat when he hits the brakes. At 50 mph you are traveling over 70 feet per second. That means you were following less than 1/2 second behind the car in front of you? If so, you are completely insane...

Maybe....? Maybe it's the commuter traffic that's insane?

Try to leave several car-lengths space between you and the vehicle in front of you and someone will switch to your lane (in front of you) to fill that space and 'get ahead'. Essentially, making you 'go backwards' in traffic.... :huh:

Maybe the FJR's brakes are a little better than most car's/truck's brakes? Maybe the FJR rider's a little more aware? :blink:

 

[ionbeam]

This horse has been repeatedly beaten. Type BRAKES into the search bar and kill the rest of the weekend.

Here is a link to one 'fact' based brake analysis: >>REPORT<<

<spew>

Braking test results are wildly variable depending on tires (temperature, pressure, wear, type...); road surface (condition, material, temperature, wear...); motorcycle (weight -- rider? gas tank full? test gear attached?, weight balance/distribution/location, suspension settings...); brakes (wear, rotor condition, temperature, hydraulic system); design of the hydraulic system (bore, stroke, lever travel…) just to name a few things.

Then there is perception based on feel. Grabby brakes can give the feeling of power, but they can be hard to modulate. Brakes with softer initial bite will feel like they have less power, but are much easier to modulate. Wave rotors will enhance initial brake bite, as will different brake pad compounds resulting in the feel of better braking. The Gen II FJRs have a different master cylinder bore, different fluid volume, different pistons, etc which will also affect feel. Heck, changing brake lever styles will change brake feel.

Probably all modern ST bikes can lock up the brakes, so absolute brake force is moot. Once the brakes lock the wheels it just becomes a matter of speed, weight and friction (plus the luck & skill not to end up on the pavement). With ABS allowing the wheels to turn with a slip angle of ~85% braking distance is all about weight and friction, the brakes will be applied to the point of impending wheel lock-up. If you were to put on very large diameter rotors, 8 piston calipers and a hydraulic system that could clamp hard enough to halt a 10 ton truck your stopping distance will still be limited by impending wheel lock-up.

</spew>

 

[shuswaper]

Zenwhipper...it`s still early in the game for your brakes. A year ago, I traded my `o4 in for an `o7. I immediately noticed a somewhat soft response from the new brakes and was disappointed. You see, the brakes on the old bike were awesome. In any event, I had to remind myself: there is more than just the engine that gets "broken in". And, speaking of breaking in the brakes, there is a right way and a wrong way to use new components. Well, after about 500 kms, the braking system on my new generation machine was equal to (and possibly better) than my ole bike. That is to say, the FJR`s braking system is incredibly powerful. I doubt if you can find a better stock setup on a bike of this weight. :clapping:

 

[Knifemaker]

Maybe....? Maybe it's the commuter traffic that's insane?Try to leave several car-lengths space between you and the vehicle in front of you and someone will switch to your lane (in front of you) to fill that space and 'get ahead'. Essentially, making you 'go backwards' in traffic.... :huh:

Maybe the FJR's brakes are a little better than most car's/truck's brakes? Maybe the FJR rider's a little more aware? :blink:

If a car moves in front of you while you both are going with the "flow of traffic" you are not going backwards... if you have to slow down some to retain a safe following distance you might be taking a few fractions of a second off your arrival time, but you will end up arriving in one piece.

Sounds like you just don't like cars going faster than you are?

Most cars/trucks can out-stop a motorcycle. As long as they are not huge or carring a load, more tires equal more rubber on the road, and at least the ability to outbrake you.

Being aware will mean nothing if that SUV in front of you locks up his brakes, you'll be in his ass faster than gay salior.

I always leave extra space in front of me, and if the guy in the slower lane sees that as his chance to get ahead so be it.

Even if the odds of someone locking up their brakes in front of you in highway traffic is small, the chances of them "straddling" some piece of crap on the road is real good. When it appears out from under their car your odds of hitting it is directly proportional to how much time you have to react.

I commute daily in heavy traffic, 20 miles of highway with seemingly alot of folks in a hurry..I define my space and if needed , make adjustment to maintain it, even if it means I will be 37 seconds late getting to my destination.

KM

 

[Fred W]

Let me put it this way - I was riding to work one morning recently on a fairly busy thoroughfare we call Indepedence Blvd. Speed limit is 45 mph. I'm cruising along at around 50-55 keeping up with the flow of traffic which is typical for this road at 7:15 am. I'm a little more than a car length behind the car in front of me.

Hopefully you were seriously underestimating the following distance here.

If you were going 50-55 and were really only 15-20 feet behind the car then you deserve to be in the guys backseat when he hits the brakes. At 50 mph you are traveling over 70 feet per second. That means you were following less than 1/2 second behind the car in front of you? If so, you are completely insane...

Maybe....? Maybe it's the commuter traffic that's insane?

Try to leave several car-lengths space between you and the vehicle in front of you and someone will switch to your lane (in front of you) to fill that space and 'get ahead'. Essentially, making you 'go backwards' in traffic.... :huh:

Maybe the FJR's brakes are a little better than most car's/truck's brakes? Maybe the FJR rider's a little more aware? :blink:

Mega,

You should not reduce your personal safety (by reducing the following distance) just so that some other driver won't take advantage of the opening. In the above example you would have less than 1/2 second to stop or swerve to avoid trouble. 1/2 second is barely enough time to recognize that a hazard exists, let alone react to it and respond. It doesn't matter how good your brakes are if you don't leave yourself time to use them.

Most driver / rider safety programs recomend a gap of at least 4 seconds. Granted, that is near impossible in city traffic, but 2 seconds is my bare minimum. If someone jumps in and steals my gap, I slow down and back off or change lanes. This is equally true in a car or on a motorcycle.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

At 50 mph you are traveling over 70 feet per second.

Most driver / rider safety programs recomend a gap of at least 4 seconds. <snip>... 2 seconds is my bare minimum.

Hmmm.... 70ft/sec and 4 seconds = 280ft between me and the vehicle in front of me in busy commuter traffic? -- I don't think so?

Even 2 seconds @ 50 (you say) 140 ft -- not in any reality I've seen....

Are you sure about this.... :huh: :blink:

 

[user 213]

I'm thinking this isn't the thread for a discussion on safe following distances and traffic patterns gents. This could easily head to NEPRT land. We all have a different take on the traffic in our areas and how to deal with it. What's ideal, and what you end up with aren't often the same in commuting traffic. We all have to choose how we manage that.

 

[odot]

What we can't highjack a thread?

 

[FJRBluesman]

What we can't highjack a thread?

CRAP!! 2 miles to services!!! I got to PEE!!!!

 

[ionbeam]

Well, since this thread is NEPRT, let's dive in...

At 50 mph you are traveling over 70 feet per second.

Most driver / rider safety programs recomend a gap of at least 4 seconds. <snip>... 2 seconds is my bare minimum.

Hmmm.... 70ft/sec and 4 seconds = 280ft between me and the vehicle in front of me in busy commuter traffic? -- I don't think so?

Even 2 seconds @ 50 (you say) 140 ft -- not in any reality I've seen....

Are you sure about this.... :huh: :blink:

I'm thinking this isn't the thread for a discussion on safe following distances and traffic patterns gents. This could easily head to NEPRT land. We all have a different take on the traffic in our areas and how to deal with it. What's ideal, and what you end up with aren't often the same in commuting traffic. We all have to choose how we manage that.

In the car world the general rule of thumb is 1 car length per 10 mph. That would be roughly 60 to 72 feet at 60 mph. Braking distance for 600-700 lb class motorcycles is in the 120-140 foot area. Add a 0.4 to 0.6 second reaction delay for a perfect rider. Add a lot more reaction delay if there are any distractions.

When commuting, leaving one entire, whole car length between you and the vehicle in front of you is an invitation for a car to cram into the space. Heck, in Massachusetts leaving half a car length space is begging them to get cut into the space at 80 mph. Leaving a space is not practical in rush hour traffic in any city I’ve ever driven in. This doesn’t suspend the laws of physics, everyone that fails to leave sufficient space is at risk of rear-ending the vehicle in front of them. Listen to the traffic reports, it's evident that many people run out of luck every day.

Given a chance I try to leave a 2 second interval up to 40 mph then extend it to 4 seconds approaching 60-70 mph. Most training classes will recommend the 4 second interval. On group rides I try to maintain the longer spaces and hope that others around me will do the same. There are times when a group may violate this spacing to keep the ride together but only as necessary.