Question about rear brake pedal - R1100S

[zustation]

Does anyone know if the rear brake pedal is adjustable? I find that at it's resting position it feels very high - to get my foot on it I have to point my toes deliberately skyward before sliding over onto the pedal.

I'd like to find a way to adjust the angle so it's resting position is a little bit lower. Can that be done easily?

[markjenn]

Originally Posted by zustation

Does anyone know if the rear brake pedal is adjustable? I find that at it's resting position it feels very high - to get my foot on it I have to point my toes deliberately skyward before sliding over onto the pedal.

I'd like to find a way to adjust the angle so it's resting position is a little bit lower. Can that be done easily?

Yes. Just look at the linkage - the adjuster is quite obvious.

- Mark

[zustation]

Alright then...thanks. I'll look again. I didn't see it, must be blind.

[Ciocc]

On the drawing, the brake height adjuster is part number 10, and 11 is the lock nut. Loosen the locknut, then screw out the height adjuster to lower the pedal height. Before doing this, you should release the locknut on the brake rod going into the master cyclinder (at the very back of the brake pedal, master cylinder and rod are dimmed in this picture), and back that off. Once you have the brake lever at the height that you want, then adjust the actuator rod so that there is 0.2mm (BMW specified gap) of free play between the height adjustment screw (11) and it's stop from the pedal at rest to where the rod first engages the master cylinder piston as you depress the brake pedal. If you lower the brake pedal without adjusting the actuator rod, you could end up with the rear brake locked or dragging. I don't remember how the brake light switch works, so check that as well. You don't want your brake light stuck on. It sounds more complicated than it is.

Ciocc

[throttlemeister]

There is a bolt just in front of the pivot point. You can use that to set the pedal height.

Just don't forget to readjust your brake light switch.

[markjenn]

I'll confuse things further with my $0.02. There are really two adjustments: an "at rest" adjustment (#10 and #11) and a working height adjustment (the rod and lock nut going into the master cylinder). The working height adjustment is where you want to fiddle to get the brake pedal feeling in the correct position when you are pressing on the pedal and the other adjustment is where you get the free play so that you don't have excessive travel before engaging the brake nor have the issue where you're always applying the brake. And yes, when you're done, you may want to make a third adjustment to the brake light switch.

As said, it's really pretty obvious when you start fooling with it.

- Mark

[roger albert]

I just ovaled out all the holes

Interestingly many people have complained about rear brake drag on the R1100S, it could stem from incorrect adjustment here at the foot lever?

Cheers,

Frank

[PFFOG]

My pedal is a lot shorter than the one in the picture and beveled too

[throttlemeister]

Originally Posted by markjenn

I'll confuse things further with my $0.02. There are really two adjustments: an "at rest" adjustment (#10 and #11) and a working height adjustment (the rod and lock nut going into the master cylinder). The working height adjustment is where you want to fiddle to get the brake pedal feeling in the correct position when you are pressing on the pedal and the other adjustment is where you get the free play so that you don't have excessive travel before engaging the brake nor have the issue where you're always applying the brake. And yes, when you're done, you may want to make a third adjustment to the brake light switch.

As said, it's really pretty obvious when you start fooling with it.

- Mark

You are absolutely right, I forgot about that one, but what you describe is exactly what I did to adjust it.

[markjenn]

Originally Posted by fastfrank

Interestingly many people have complained about rear brake drag on the R1100S, it could stem from incorrect adjustment here at the foot lever?

It could, although I would think the feeling of having no free play before the brake starts working would be strong clue to the rider that its not right.

- Mark

[bradzdotcom]

mark~
for some riders it can be difficult to feel the brake pedal, especially if they're wearing boots with very stiff soles or with dual-purpose cleated soles. a foot just "resting" on the pedal is enough to do the job if the pedal is incorrectly adjusted for the rider.

i've fondled many a boot that belonged to a motogp rider (not while attached to said rider....just the boot) and noticed that one element of these custom made boots that differs from production boots is the sole. apparently if they could get away with it, some of these guys would have a thin layer of lambskin on the bottom. many run thin soles so they can feel with their feet.
when we were testing yamaha's first abs system at a track, we wore (don't tell anybody) nike wrestling boots so we could better feel the pulses from the rear wheel's abs. was almost like riding barefoot. awesome feedback.

on the opposite side of the spectrum, many of the mx and particularly supercross pros will run a very stiff sole, since they don't use the rear brake very precisely, and the stiffer sole protects them when they don't clear a triple (look at their footpegs sometime...they're sharp enough to cut your finger).

some of the cheaper made boots have an extra stiff sole insert, to make the boot feel "manly" when it's on the store shelf. wearing those boots feels like you've got a couple of 2x4's nailed to your feet. can't feel nada.

i think it's possible that some riders unknowingly drag the rear brake while riding. depending on how the brake light switch is adjusted, they could drag the pucks and the brake light wouldn't come on, so your riding buddies wouldn't even know.

personally, i use the brake pedal mostly to hook my toes underneath in tight left hand turns. other than that....it's just another piece i have to clean.

ps: bike not equipped with stock brake pedal, nor standard brakelight bulb neither.

[PFFOG]

Originally Posted by bradzdotcom

mark~..............
i think it's possible that some riders unknowingly drag the rear brake while riding. ...............

From my experience with the tours in Europe, it happens more than you think.

For one ne rider we replaced 2 sets of pads on a R12GS in about 1200 miles of mountain riding, he was primarily a dirt bike rider too, that might have contributed.


But there were several others that after a day of riding had turned the oxidation on the rotor from brown to a red color. And we always had the pedals adjusted low.