I was on my way home and got caught in a heavy downpour - when I needed to slow down, both brakes were out. I kept operating both brakes and downshifted till I had slowed down enough to stop. Fortunately, I was slowing down for a stop sign and did not an emergency stop.

As I was less than a mile away from home, I went in really slow and made it in ok. I kept pulsing the brakes all the time and it dried them out enough to get some stopping power from them.

I thought this s**t was not supposed to happen on newer bikes.

 

New bikes' rotors are impervious to rain? You have water coating cold rotors... The less miles you have on 'em, the less pad material you have on the rotors, which makes it even worse.
You need to wipe 'em clean every now and then by pulling in the brake lever occaisionally, like you're beading in a new set of pads.

 

Never lost both brakes in 30+ years riding, this is news to me.

 

+1 Ditto.

 

This was a first for me in 30+ years too. I am sure glad I had all those years behind me. I have ridden several bikes in heavier rain many times, and have also gone through standing water that covered the brakes and did not experience this before.

My dad had warned me about something like this, but he had been talking about the family car with asbestos brake liners...

 

It has happened to me on a honda. It does happen and this was not anew bike, nor new brakes

 

Good thing you were slowing down and you kept your cool. some people would have freaked out and really had some issues. I had this problem about 20 years ago on a honda i had as a kid. i was comming up on a busy intersection and had to put it down in the grass.

 

Mine tend to get a little spongy when it's wet out, but I've never had them quit working. Crazy