BMW K 1200 Rsport, Rider'S Manual

Page: 80 / 162

To optimise stopping dis-
tance, apply the front brakes
rapidly and keep on increas-
ing the force you apply to the
brake lever. This makes the
best possible use of the dy-
namic increase in load at the
front wheel. Remember to
pull the clutch at the same
time. In the "panic braking
situations" that are trained so
frequently braking force is ap-
plied as rapidly as possible
and with the rider's full force
applied to the brake levers;
under these circumstances
the dynamic shift in load dis-
tribution cannot keep pace
with the increase in decel-
eration and the tyres cannot
transmit the full braking force
to the surface of the road.
ABS has to intervene to keep
the front wheel from locking;
this increases stopping dis-
tance. Rear wheel lift
Even under severe braking,
a high level of tyre grip can
mean that the front wheel
does not lock up until very
late, if at all. Consequently,
ABS does not intervene until
very late, if at all. Under these
circumstances the rear wheel
can lift off the ground, and the
outcome can be a highsiding
situation in which the motor-
cycle can flip over.
Severe braking can
cause the rear wheel to
lift off the ground.
When you brake, bear in mind
that ABS control cannot be
relied on in all circumstances
to prevent the rear wheel from
lifting clear of the ground.
What is the design
baseline for BMW
Motorrad ABS?
Within the limits imposed by
physics, BMW Motorrad ABS
ensures directional stabil-
ity on any surface. The sys-
tem is not optimised for spe-
cial requirements that apply
under extreme competitive
situations off-road or on the
track.
Special situations
The speeds of the front and
rear wheels are compared
as one means of detecting a
wheel's incipient tendency to
lock. If the system registers
implausible values for a
lengthy period the ABS
function is deactivated
for safety reasons and
an ABS fault message is
issued. Self-diagnosis has
5
78
z Riding