How should freshly bled brakes feel at the lever?

RCS

RCS

Joined
Jul 3, 2008
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Location
Stamford, CT
I've now done my second brake bleed - one at 12,000 miles and the most recent at 23,500 miles. Used a vacuum bleeder and followed the Service Manual.

Took the bike for a road test in a school parking lot to try some emergency braking. Went from 30mph to 0mph in less than 5 yards -- several times, so the brakes stop the bike. Interestingly, ABS didn't engage as I thought it would/should. And, I'm sure the abs system is working.

Since this is my first road motorcycle I don't know what to expect in terms of brake feel at the lever/pedal. With my mountain bike, a squeeze of the brake with one finger will lock up the brakes. Lever feels solid when the pads engage.

With the ST1300, a squeeze of the brake lever with one finger will stop the bike fast but won't lock the wheel or engage the abs. Lever doesn't feel solid - like hitting a rock - when the pads engage. It doesn't feel spongy either. The lever feels like the brake pedal in my car - kind of in between rock hard and spongy when the pads hit the rotors.

Is that normal?
 
Sounds about right.
While you are practicing your emergency braking, try to develop a smooth application of the front brake so you don't stab it in an emergency situation. You don't want them to come on all at once, but load up the front suspension as the brakes are coming on. More weight transfer up front more available stopping power.
 
I have noticed that with the LBS there is much less front end dive compared to similar bikes with separate braking systems. The ABS is icing on the pie.
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If the brakes felt rock hard, it wouldn't give you any feedback to properly modulate the brake .
Too spongy and the brake lines might be over expanding and need to be replaced.
( for clean fluid )
 
Yeah, I think they sound about right. On my 1100 I brake only with 1-2 fingers so I don't have took much leverage in an attempt to prevent locking the front wheel. There is much more weight on the 1300 and a bigger contact patch. Add in the linked brakes and I would say good luck trying to get the ABS to kick in on asphalt. It isn't going to be much like a mountain bike. Now, it can be done, when I did brake work a couple months ago I was going up and down my driveway testing the brakes and was able to get ABS to kick in a few times.
 
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