- your description of your front brake use indicates a problem somewhere.
- C14 owners don't seem to have any complaints about the brake when they use the front brake lever (which actuates both front calipers and rear together)
Does this linked braking cause its problem at walking speeds? Those are the speeds I'm using the rear most effectively and the front the least. Keeps the suspension from pitching excessively = stability
No, because the linking doesn't take effect at parking lot speeds, from what I remember reading on this forum.
I've been reading on the forums about how to disable the link without causing other problems and have come to the conclusion that if I just disconnect the rear brake lines going to the ABS motor and replace them with a line directly from the rear master cylinder to the caliper (from a 2010 non ABS) and plug the holes on the ABS motor it will be the fix I'm looking for. Of course I won't have ABS on the rear anymore but I can live with that.
Hard to unlearn 20-something years of using both. We shouldn't have to. I hear the Ninja 1000 ABS isn't linked....
If I remember correctly disconnecting or disabling the ABS won't affect the traction control because that is controlled by the ECU and secondary throttle plates [butterflies].
- imho , whatever it is , maybe unlearn using the brake pedal and learn to use the front lever for braking.
This is horrible advice for a motorcycle rider. You should *always* be using the front brake lever and rear brake pedal together for stopping. Linked brakes or not... This is proper riding technique for maximum braking in any stopping situation. (including just stopping at the local 4-way stop...) The only exception would be for "specialized" riding...as in trail braking on track day....
Keeping my '08 ABS unless some new huge feature comes to a new model C14. Hopefully they will listen to their customers and add a "disable linked brakes" feature along with the two other modes....
Aaron
You guys are killing me. I'd run track days on my C14 with linked brakes.
I've railed the mountains of colorado on it and there weren't any guard rails with quite the ways down.I was comfortable. Slayed the Dragon in TN/NC infinite times on the linked brakes.
I don;t expect the suspension, slipper clutch, nor the brakes to handle and perform like my track bikes have. But they're manageable on these big behemoth bikes
This is horrible advice for a motorcycle rider. You should *always* be using the front brake lever and rear brake pedal together for stopping. Linked brakes or not...
- on a linked C14 , using the front brake lever actuates the rear brake too ... automatically. You can squeeze as hard as you want and not lock either the front or the rear when you have abs.
- the "use both brakes" lesson went out , imho , with linking systems & ABS.
- you are of course entitled to do whatever you like since its your bike and your ride.