General Category > GS-911

2006 BMW R1200RT Brake and ABS Bleed

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Jughead:
Why is it that the ABS cannot be powered up?  You unfortunately do need to power it up to bleed it correctly, as the valves need to be activated to clear the air.

What I normally do is re-assemble the bike to a point where I am about to put the tank back on. i.e. all electrical plugs/sockets have been re-connected and the battery has been re-installed and connected. 

Power up, bleed the brakes, power off and complete the re-assembly.

RoyB:
I believe I have sorted this out with help from those in the know.  The ABS will not activate if there is air in any of the lines, so the air mist be bled out the lines manually.  I started with my Mity-Vac and gave up on that idea.  Instead I did the typical pump and bleed by opening each of the valves in the proper sequence as outlined in the document called BMW Integral ABS Systems Flushing and Bleeding 101.  By following the process multiple times as suggested, I was able to get the ABS to activate.  Once activated, I rolled the bike off of the lift and tried the brakes with the ignition on.  The ABS activated as hoped.  I have other loose ends to tie up prior to reassembly but the bike should be back on the road in the next week or so.
Thanks to everyone who provided feedback.  I hope this helps anyone else who finds themselves in this situation.

Jughead:

--- Quote from: RoyB on May 07, 2021, 04:36:24 PM ---I believe I have sorted this out with help from those in the know.  The ABS will not activate if there is air in any of the lines, so the air mist be bled out the lines manually.

--- End quote ---

That statement is a little misleading.  The ABS WILL activate if there is air in the system.  In fact, it will even activate without any of the brake lines connected to the pump.

It will, however, not activate if the pump senses a low fluid status.  There are 2 floats under the black cap on the pump that activate the "Level Low" switch.  Just topping up the fluid levels would have resolved the issue.

RoyB:
Good point worth noting.  There seems to be a great deal of little known facts and details regarding this system. 

Desmondtully:
Can someone who has a functioning ABS bike help me out with a couple of things?

I am looking for pictures of the front brake MC switch and the pigtail that goes to the harness. I'd like to see what the connectors on both sides look like and what their pinout is.

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