BMW Motorrad R 1250RT, Rider'S Manual

Page: 184 / 379

178 ENGINEERING DETAILS
GENERAL NOTES
To find out more about engin-
eering go to:
bmw-motorrad.com/techno-
logy
ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM
(ABS)
Fully integral brakes
Your motorcycle has fully in-
tegral brakes. With this system,
when either brake lever (hand-
brake or footbrake lever) is ac-
tuated both the front and the
rear brakes are applied.
The BMW Motorrad fully
integral ABS Pro system adapts
braking-force distribution
between front and rear
brakes to suit the load on the
motorcycle whenever braking
requires ABS intervention.
ATTENTION
Attempted burn-out despite
Integral braking function
Damage to rear brake and
clutch
Do not burn out tyres.
How does Integral ABS work?
The amount of braking force
that can be transferred to the
road depends on factors that
include the coefficient of fric-
tion of the road surface. Loose
stones, ice and snow or a wet
road all have much lower coef-
ficients of friction than a clean
and dry asphalt surface. The
lower the coefficient of friction,
the longer the stopping dis-
tance.
If the rider increases braking
pressure to the extent that
braking force exceeds the
maximum transferable limit, the
wheels start to lock and the
motorcycle loses its directional
stability; a fall is imminent.
Before this situation can
occur, ABS intervenes and
adapts braking pressure to the
maximum transferable braking
force. The wheels continue to
turn and the driving stability
is retained irrespective of the
road condition.
What are the effects of
surface irregularities?
Humps and surface irregu-
larities can cause the wheels
to lose contact temporarily
with the road surface; if this
happens the braking force
that can be transmitted to