Started the bike up today (2012 Anniversary with C-ABS) and went for a quick run round the block to blow the cobwebs out... First corner, ABS gives up and starts flashing... Fine I think... Turn off, start up, ABS says fine... Come up to a stop, ABS gives up and starts flashing again.. Always on the front brakes, rear doesn't seem to mind. So... Is it poked? Or just a bit of dirt perhaps? or annoyed it hasn't been bled for 12 months? Or something else? Maybe it's time to rip out the Honda C-ABS and replace it with something that is reliable.
Can't help with diagnosis, but I am alarmed that yet another problem with ABS can be added to those already posted.
I think it's a 'known' problem.Or at least one that people have found previously. I found a youtube video of what looks like exactly the same thing. His was a 2010 I think though from the speedo. But exactly the same. get to speed, put on the brakes, ABS gives up and throws the wobbly light... Turn off, restart again and repeat ad infinitum. But, yeah, I get your point... More fecking faults on the Honda C-ABS.
Everytime this has happened to mine, it's been air in the system. Only fix is the full laborious bleed. Ok if you can do it yourself but about £300 at Honda if you can't! Once air is in the system you'll start getting brake failure, mostly at low speed but I've had it twice at high, and then it's new pants time.
Battery seems fine... It starts the bike no probs, which takes a lot more Amps than ABS (And has been on the trickle charge all winter). It's only about 10 months old too...
Hmm... Better than a replacement of the unit I guess. I think it's been 2 years since the last bleed so it's probably due to have the fluid replaced anyway. This would match the symptoms too (Although the brakes when failed actually seem better than not... Go figure) with back brakes working and front only affected (I grabbed some spec there's apparently no hydraulic connection between front and rear so air in front would leave rear working until you try to use the front). Also considered a dirty sensor on the front wheel, but surely that would stop it from activating on takeoff from start too.
I think service manual says new brake fluid every 12k or 2 years so yours is defo due. Mines gone before that though in the past. I'm a 100% confident that is the issue mate.
Once the air is in the system, what usually sets it off is any application of front brake. Usually a light touch is enough, then lights flash etc. But the second you release the brake and then pull hard back, it restores full braking power but leaves the light flashing till as you mention, you turn off & start again. Trouble is it'll get worse & worse, the last time I had it it went off about 4 times in quick succession & I ended up riding v carefully home with it all flashing. There's a pdf of the bleed/change procedure somewhere on here I seem to remember & it's pages & pages long
Loz, when you say 'every time' it makes it sound like a regular occurrence. How often? And have you ever worked out how air is getting in, because it's not as if yours sits in a damp shed over winter; you're on it all the time. Just a curious question from one who will soon have ABS - but not by choice.
Air can only get in if fluid is getting out Because brake fluid is hygroscopic it will deteriorate and the water content will boil causing vapour lock I am not convinced mounting part of the ABS between the motor and down pipes was a good idea, when I had the abs fail on mine it was after spirited riding in the alps followed by slowly trickling through a town, which would cause heat soak into the system I think Hondas system is basically flawed
Yeah. Fingers x-ed it's just air in the system... How? Honda ABS... No need to say any more... Booked in for the 13th (MOT & service, so hopefully ABS will be sorted easily too) H
Shouldn't worry about abs on the new blade it's bosch. The one that's caused the problems has been Honda's own system. By regular I mean that once the system has started failing again, it continues to randomly do it. There's no pattern to it. Only fix is a bleed. My last full bleed & change was May last year & I've put 8k on since & all's well up to now.
https://www.1000rr.co.uk/threads/im...-2009-onwards-model.11881/page-12#post-427501 https://www.1000rr.co.uk/threads/im...-2009-onwards-model.11881/page-12#post-427583 Bit of light reading if you fancy doing it yourself
Is it possible to bleed the ABS brakes in the conventional way? The bumf says that if the abs fails then the brakes operate in the conventional way.
You might have spoken too soon. There's one story on the long ABS warning thread (~Jan 13th) that the Bosche system on the 2017 model suffers from a similar issue. WTF would buy a Honda any more? H
Hi Kiwi. Yes, I read that thread also. But it didn't stop me from venturing toward a new ABS Honda. I concede there'll always be that 'niggling wonder' whether there might be a brake issue, but for me, there's more positive to Honda than negatives. Perhaps of greater concern is the reported 'disownership' of Honda itself in acknowledging and treating these reported problems. I am more than fortunate that I have a GREAT local dealer - but even they would be hog-tied by Honda if an issue came to the crunch. I truly hope yours will be sorted at its service on the 13th.
Yep I saw it....that's the reason I'm loath to buy a brand new bike.....of any brand. Easier to wait till its been on the market a few years & niggles have surfaced & been sorted. Although saying that...I did go & buy the abs blade without knowing the problem's durrr I still love the Honda brand though & apart from my abs issue, it's a fantastic reliable bike...& there'll always be a blade in my garage
The short answer is yes you can but it wont fix the issue. I don't understand the mechanics of it I'm afraid Kev. The first time mine started playing up after I bought it, I took it to my usual garage. I'd briefly read on here about the problem being air, but not that it required the huge Honda bleed system. So I dropped it off asking for new fluid, briefly mentioned issues with air and they just did a conventional bleed etc. A week later, off it went again, so I read up in full about it all & saw the lengthy pdf''s etc. Showed them my mechanic who basically said whatthefuckityfuck...who invented this! So the situation was, that they could do it again from the manual but because it would take them longer than Honda...(who've now developed a system & tools to get it down to 3hrs)...it would end up the same cost, even though Honda charge double per hour.
