HP4 Brake Issue

S1000RR  FORUM

Help Support S1000RR FORUM:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Stevie76

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Messages
115
Reaction score
0
Location
Warwickshire
So my HP4 has developed a serious issue with the brakes just after 600 miles service.

I live in Rugby and planned a trip with my wife to Wales for the bank holiday weekend. Nearing our destination going through a small village in 5th gear at circa 40mph my HP4 decided it was time for an emergency stop all by itself!! Thankfully I never came off the bike and stopped in the middle of the road. The front brakes were locked solid. Could not push the bike and a local helped me drag it off the middle of the road. After about 10 minutes the brakes started to release and by 20 minutes they were free. Had the bike recovered to our holiday location, so as not to totally spoil the weekend, and BMW recovering both the bike and I tomorrow to head home where the bike will be further transported to Wollaston BMW. Very scary and very lucky it never happened a few miles earlier when I was enjoying some more spirited riding.

Anyone seen, experienced or heard of anything similar? Guessing one of the brains has thrown a wobbly but thought there were failsafes for abs issues.
 
Presume they are the original pads, and that the reservoir was not topped up recently as it can hydraulically lock everything on if it's too full.
 
Yeah still stock pads. I did think about hydraulic lock but bike was not really being used in anger and fluid levels seem fine. I thinking now it's an electronic problem.
 
Scary and dangerous, will be interesting to find out what caused that to happen.
 
Any feedback on this yet mate!?

Sounds miserable to say the least!!!!!!!!
 
Not yet......got the bike recovered home yesterday and never got a chance at work to make contact with Wollaston to discuss next steps but have emailed them tonight outlining the issue and will speak to them first thing in the morning to arrange recovery of the bike and then see where we go from there.
 
Have to agree it sounds mechanical (brakes dragging and heating up enough to bind solid?) as I presume when you were trying to push it off the road, the ignition was off. Not sure if there'd be a valve in the ABS which would actually trap pressure in the line especially with no power going to it - although I might well be wrong.
 
Yes....when i was trying to get it off the road the ignition was off. I actually cycled it a few times wondering if it was an electronic fault that might get reset but that made no difference. Was just a case of waiting and then they slowly released. Due to my work commitments its unlikely to get into the dealership until the weekend for a review. One things for sure I absolutely 100% need to know whats caused this and be fully reassured that its not going to happen again as I suspect even when its fixed this is going to nag at me for a while until i get some confidence back in the bike.
 
So my HP4 was picked up this morning and is on route to Wollaston BMW just now.....going to be interesting to see what they say after investigation.
 
Yeah got an update today after a couple of days of investigation and Wollaston liaising with BMW Technical. Having checked the calipers, Master cylinder etc Wollaston started testing the ABS pump and I have been told that when trying to test the pump which involves running a bleed test (?) that the front seemed to respond as expected however the rear failed to respond for upwards of 20 minutes and then started to work. Same process was repeated a few times which BMW Technical have advised should not be the case and that the ABS pump needs to be replaced. I have not yet established how an issue with the pump could cause the lock up (i picked up a voicemail today with this detail but never got a chance to call back) so thats a job for tomorrow. Still cant get over that a faulty with that could have thrown me off the bike or worse.

In some respects on the other hand i am glad they have found something wrong....telling me that there is nothing wrong would have started a long debate how i reject the bike etc.

Will post a further update tomorrow when i get the detail.....cant surely have been the only person that this has happened too.
 
Getting my HP4 back on Saturday....apparently the bike has been 'comprehensively tested' and no faults have shown up so BMW are confident that the pump was the cause of the problem. Time will tell i suppose....i just hope if it happens again i am as lucky as i was the first time. Cant say its not damped my experience so of what was supposed to be my dream bike.
 
I have never heard of anyone having the brakes lock up like you have. I think it might be a rare event, particularly if bmw tech got involved. I thought that if the pump failed you would lose hydraulic assistance with the brakes, not a full on lock up. Weird.
 
So got the bike back on Saturday and all would appear to be ok with it. I have done about 70 (tentative) miles on it and not had any further problems so fingers crossed it was the ABS pump which has now been replaced. Suspect its going to take me a few miles to get my confidence back in the bike as i do keep thinking its about to brake on me so riding very differently to how i normally would.

I have exchanged a few emails with BMW Customer service who really failed to acknowledge that the issue could have easily resulted in significant injury but i being honest i did not expect anything else as they were hardly likely to say 'we are sorry your brand new top of the range BMW motorcycle could have easily killed you'. I have clearly indicated that if it has any other issues however that i will be rejecting it and expecting a full refund.

Fingers crossed it's problem solved and i can move on.
 
Back
Top