Questnikon about ABS brakes on 94 K75

[Bokobob]

I hope to get a good number of opinions and responses to any or all of the following questions from K75 riders whose bikes have ABS brakes and/or anyone with knowledge about them.

How reliable have you found the brakes?
Do they need much maintenance?
If they ever fail and I would want to disable them and just have "regular" brakes, is that possible/easy/hard/expensive?
I am told they prevent skidding during a panic stop...please share your experience..

Thank you.

[johnny]

abs... im rolling the canyons... come around a corner and there is a chp heading towards me... without warning he pulls across my lane and stops to make a 3 point turn like he never saw me...

im full on front and back brakes... no other out of this mess... click click click till my front tior is 1" from his door... his eyes wide open... finishes his turn and takes off all lit up... im certain i would have t boned him without abs...

what i suggest is go to a clean stadium parking lot that is painted for parking... start abouts 20mph and count how many spaces to flatt foot with abs and without abs... increase speed 10mph each pass till 80mph... then bump it to 100mph...

if your results are similar to mine... the brakes act differently as you increase speed... and the abs will be the winner every time...

on numerous occasions i had to try to lock them up... yeeeeehaaa for abs... i will never own a non or inoperable abs motobrick...

these things need to be ridden... if you ride it often and bleed the old fluid with new once per year... the abs system should last forever... they like clean fluid...

j o

[Bokobob]

Thanks , Johnny.   That is what I wanted to hear.....I am likely going to
buy a nice 94 K75 and it has them installed...seller said they worked fine the two times he had to use them in an emergency....

[K75RT Keith]

Other than old brake fluid, ABS is not a fan of weak batteries. 

You still hankering that over priced 11000 mile K?

[Motorhobo]

I think Bob has his sights on the far superior Brick Of My Dreams..I am mystic red with envy.

[K75RT Keith]

Down the street form me.  http://cleveland.craigslist.org/mcy/4497941486.html

[Bokobob]

definitely not the yellow one with 11k miles...way too high priced...
The one I hope to buy is near Atlanta...

If anyone has had any maintenance cost experiences with K75 or K100 ABS brakes, please chime in.
Thank you.

[johnny]

greetings bokobob...

why are you abs ocd...


j o

[Bokobob]

Johnny somebody or other said that the maintenance on the ABS is a nightmare...not on the forum, but by phone..forget who..it was the other day
Thanks for asking.

[Motorhobo]

Maintenance on ABS is near zero -- they either work or they don't. If they don't, you have to fix them -- that can be a nightmare -- just search "ABS" on this forum. But unless something breaks them, generally they will work for the lifetime of the bike. Keep fluids clean.

I have a K75 with and one without. I got the one without only because I intend to put a sidecar on it eventually and the ABS isn't good on three wheels 'cause the extra momentum of the sidecar pushes the stopping distance out too far --  I'm with Johnny that I'd much rather ride a K-bike with working ABS.

My ABS story was when I took the advanced MSF safety course, the one where you ride your own bike -- they make you hit the rear brake to see if you can recover from a skid. Everybody did it and struggled, one guy fell. I did it -- my bike went thunk thunk thunk thunk as the ABS kicked in and rolled neatly to a stop -- everybody applauded. That was back in 2001 when MC ABS was still pretty rare.

It kicked in recently -- that's always a warning for me that I'm riding recklessly -- It's a good safety check.

[Bokobob]

 :riding:
Again, my thanks to all..I have satisfied myself on the ABS front and have rented a car one way to well on the east side of the Atlanta outerbelt roadway...(the side of Atlanta closest to my town)....If bike I am interested in passes muster as expected, then I will get it paid for and signed over and stay the night in a hotel so I can be fresh when starting back, and also would be arising about 4 AM to start out as I do not well in heat...overnight temps are about 70 degrees this time of year....I'd likely be home by 8 AM....In the unlikely event the bike does not pan out, then I have a backup plan to see another bike in the same area, in fact quite close..

What I do in buying and selling bikes makes no sense practically speaking (15 since 2008 and have two left) an I have lost money on each one, but I enjoy it, can afford it, and don't spend anything on other hobbies...I figure I'm living the dream...

[Motorhobo]

Who doesn't lose money on bikes? I always tell myself I'm saving so money on fuel but I know it's total bullsh1t.

Look forward to seeing some pics of that new brick of yours on the Front Porch ... If it's as good as it looks on the pics you got exactly what you wanted for +$2k less than the $6500 that other numbnutz wanted for his.

Mystic red...chicks dig that...and I don't mean HD chicks...I mean the kind with taste 

[Bokobob]

I am glad you approve....at my age - 78 - I don't have to worry about "chicks" and in fact do remember once having an interest, but the "champ" is now a disabled veteran... :dunno 

I'll post some photos in due course of time...


 

[johnny]

greetings bokobob...

does your rental car have abs...

j o

[Zipster]

....the "champ" is now a disabled veteran... I'll post some photos in due course of time...

Any pics of the bike would be better ;-)

[Motorhobo]

More than enough chicks in the over 65 age bracket who are beyond having an interest in anyone's champ -- mystic red k75 -- nuther story.

[Bokobob]

Johnny, cancelled trip (not),,,,,,,,rental car has no ABS..... :hehehe

Motorhobo:  5 years ago had a Kawa nomad 1600 cruiser and took a very chunky lady for a ten mile ride.....She had never been on a bike and wanted to say she had done so....It was a decent ride but I was plenty careful and kept it slow.......won't be trying that again...

Looking forward to finding the bike as nice as advertised and bringing her home on Tuesday, July 8th..

[Bokobob]

Bike did not meet my expectations for the money being asked and will continue my search elsewhere...
thanks for all responses..

[johnny]

need to increase your range...

the best ones will be from the snow belt and beyond... short riding season... nesting in heated garage for 5 months a year and ridden just enough to keep everything good the other 7 months...

they are out there... the snow belt and beyond...

j o

[Bokobob]

Thanks for suggestion, Johnny.....I found a few in Minnesota Iowa and thereabouts.....I'll just keep looking..they are like busses...another one comes along every so often..

[bocutter Ed]

the best ones will be from the snow belt and beyond... short riding season...

... someone say snow?

[Motorhobo]

Thanks for suggestion, Johnny.....I found a few in Minnesota Iowa and thereabouts.....I'll just keep looking..they are like busses...another one comes along every so often..

Actually, they're more like women (or better said 'partners' but since I'm straight that would mean women) -- if you don't pick one you'll never have one.

That spoken by a middle aged guy with no wife but 2 K75s.

So what was wrong with the red one in Suwannee? It sure looked sweet in the pics and lots of quality extras...

[Bokobob]

I don't want to go into particulars about the failed transaction.....Lets just say there were a number of little things, certain statements, etc., etc., that made me decide to let some other lucky SOB get this particular bike...

Thanks for asking though..

 

[Motorhobo]

Sorry it didn't work out...sometimes it's just a personal thing. I've never bought a bike from a guy I disliked.