servo brakes/pump

[ornk]

on another website I read how there are a lot of servo/pump failures on the bmw assisted braking systems- in a previous post I have told about my 02 r1150r being in storage for the past 4 years- on the last ride the brake system worked fine- will I have problems when i restore the machine to service? it has 10k on it and the brakes work fine with the motor off- in the next few days i am installing a battery to assess what needs to be done. can the pump go bad from sitting for 4 years? it has been stored in a heated basement- no cold - no rusting- would appreciate some input- thanks!

[f4tweet]

I would be sure the ABS brakes system is bled correctly before you ride it.

[ornk]

well- i will have the brakes bled- but just for now- i just want to get the bike running- it isnt registered- and see if the brake servo pump works- i may take a brief ride up the road for lest- less than a 1/4 mile to see if the system is functioning properly- thanks 4 the response

[towerworker]

Being in a climate controlled basement is a very good thing. Most likely the ABS unit will be fine. I see no problem with a short test ride, I guess you know you have to get the bike moving over 1 or 2 mph before the ABS brake service light will stop flashing? You'll hear all the funny whirring and squealing sounds as the pump does it's thing.

After making sure it's still working (as f4tweet has pointed out) a good complete ABS flush and bleed is very important! I'd be sure to do that before further riding. Brake fluid can become easily contaminated with moisture(even in a sealed system) and so regular bleeding of the system is a very good thing. The cost of a new ABS pump is a big % of what an 8 or 10 yr old R is worth.

Good luck!

[ornk]

thanks for the input- maybe I shouldnt ride it at all- or possibly only a very short distance- like a 1/16 of a mile ? I talked with ea dealer and he said it should be o
however it should be brought in for a full service ASAP including oil change brake system flush- valves. i managed to drain all the gas from the tank except for a little- i opened the cap and it still smells like gasoline and when i rock the bike on its centerstand i can hear some slushing around- so hopefully after draining the rest out- putting in fresh fuel with injector cleaner and new plugs- I should be ok

[towerworker]

You'll probably be fine for a short ride as long as everything seems ok after a startup. When you refill the tank with gas and put some injector cleaner in be sure to use ONLY the recommended amount of injector cleaner. For example most bottles of cleaner are sized for the average sized CAR fuel tank. They say use the full bottle to a full tank of fuel. That's figuring on a 16-20 gallon tank. Be sure to use the right amount for 4-5 gallons. Not long back on this forum a fella put a full bottle in his R's tank and in short order he destroyed his motor. New jugs and pistons were necessary as I recall.

It's very easy to make that mistake and very costly. The dealer is being cautious as well as protecting himself. Nothing wrong with that. But this isn't rocket science, what you're needing to do is ALL very doable by you. Did you say in an earlier post that you had owned an earlier BMW 1100?
If you've serviced an earlier machine this one would not be terribly different I think.

[ornk]

thanks for the tip- I will only use a few ounces of injector cleaner- or better yet- none at all for the initial startup- thanks for the tip