I traded my 1200 in yesterday on a 2012 Street Glide. Absolutely love this bike. It has the abs brakes and i have to get use to the way they feel. When i apply the brakes i feel the pumping, but as i start to stop and squeeze brake more it almost feel like the forks are compressing a small amount. Am I squeezing the brake too much? Am i applying too much brake? Maybe i need to lightly squeeze brake?? I am not applying brake any differently than i did on my sportster. Am i doing any thing wrong? If anybody has any advice on getting use to these brakes would be great.

Thanks!

 

If you are feeling ABS pumping you are braking too hard (unless there's something wrong with your ABS)

When you brake, fork dive happens long before ABS kicks in.

 

Go find yourself a nice big parking lot thats free of traffic (the local high school on the weekend works well) and try a few panic stops at increasing speeds. ABS on a bike gives the similar feel as a car when ABS engages, pulsation thru the pedal or handle. When you get comfortable with it when its dry, do the same thing the next time it rains. You will be amazed at how well it works. Check out the instructional DVD that should have came with your bike also.

 

If your just applying brakes without any potential lock up ( on dry pavement, not panic braking) you should not be feeling any pulsation. My 2013 Road King has ABS, and I only felt a little pulsation 1 time on wet pavement over a painted line while braking. Otherwise, brakes should feel normal.
I had a 1999 BMW K1200 LT with ABS, and I rode 15K miles, never knowing what ABS would feel like. A service tech recommended I apply brakes hard on a wet road ( with no cars ) to feel the ABS. I did just that, and they pulsed, but brought me to a safe stop from 35 MPH.
From that point on, my bikes will all have ABS if available.

 

Sounds 100% like poor technique. You are "snapping" your front brake lever, and thus not getting any weight transfer.

It's exactly what the rider on the far motor in this video does:


The closer motor is braked with proper technique. You can see the forks compress as the weight transfer occurs (look at the front end come back up, once I come to a full stop; and notice that doesn't happen near as much on the far motor). The far rider simply snaps the front brake lever, and "stomps" the rear brake pedal. Since weight transfer doesn't occur, ABS activates. Mind you the stopping distance with improper technique is just over 70 feet. The average rider is incapable of getting stopped from 40 MPH in that distance. But, with just a little practice, you don't have to be an average rider.

Mind you both motors in the video are equipped with ABS, but proper braking makes it so ABS isn't needed, and thus does not activate.

So, it's not that you're "applying too much", it's that you can improve your application. If you "squeeze and progress" your front brake application, weight transfer will occur, and thus the motorcycle will be able to use all the friction available.

The reason you're having the issue is not because your motorcycle has ABS and the Sportster didn't. It's because the Brembo brakes on the Street Glide are a significantly better brake. However, the better brake needs to be used properly. If you didn't have ABS on your new motor, and were braking the way you are, you'd be getting a front wheel lock-up.

The good news is that just a little practice can resolve the whole issue.

It's important to understand that every time ABS activates, it is preventing a locked wheel skid. That is the reason I say that ABS activation always indicates a braking error on the part of the operator. The nice thing is ABS lets it be a cheap lesson. If it weren't for ABS, the lessons have to potential to get expensive, or even deadly, in a hurry.

Please send me an email at:

motorlessons@hotmail.com

and I'll send you the PDF of my (free) booklet, with all sorts of stuff, including quite a bit more on ABS.

Harris
Denver, CO

www.youtube.com

 

Thanks for the information. I may have to clear up some of my problem. I just got back from a parking lot working on my braking. It seems that i get the pulsing when i am trying to roll very slowly while applying the brakes. Like trying to ease up to a stop light or stop sign. If i am running any speed and hit the brakes, i dont feel it until the bike gets close to stopping. I guess the best way to describe it is, as i start to stop the brakes feel "grabby" I guess i have alot to learn on these brakes.

 

You have warped rotors.

 

Mine never pulse unless the ABS engages. And it only engages when it's supposed to... Sudden and hard application of the brakes, you know, like the time the bear jumps out in front of you and you come to a damn near full stop... Or when the tire isn't making great contact with the road whether it be on sand or a rutty surface.

 

+1 on the potential for warped rotors. Pulsing like that isn't the ABS activating unless the ABS is faulty.

 

Iyou are talking about low speed, like parking lot, with very light lever pressure then it sounds like warped rotors. My 2010 work bike warped two sets for some reason. i'll admit that I am hard on the bike at work, but, two sets was a bit much. Hope the new '12 we have won't have the same issues. If the bike has a warranty then it should be covered.

Neil
RDMC