BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

So where is that quote from, or is it your personal opinion? I have done 2k now on my bike and I can report the brakes work fine. Hayes have been supplying callipers for years for Harley and there has been no reports of any issues with their brakes from Harley owners. I don't know why BMW have changed to Hayes callipers and unless someone on here actually was part of the decision making process from BMW to change, its all just speculation it was a cost cutting exercise.

One thing I find very odd is the decision to have BMW branded Hayes on the front and Brembo on the back, looks very odd

I came across a comparison of the 1200 and 1250 GS. The tester found the 1250 needed another 3 metres to stop from 70 mph.
Although the review comes with a number of caveats, e.g. not the same tyres or exactly the same model of GS, it isn't a ringing endorsement for the new brakes.

https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/r ... speed-test

David. wrote: "Keen-eyed BikeSocialists will have spotted the 1250 front calipers say ‘BMW’ instead of ‘Brembo’. This is because they’re now made by Hayes in the US, who are better known for mountain bike brake systems (although they make a few motorcycle brake calipers and parts)."

Hayes have two divisions, one specialises in Mountain Bike brakes, the other is the motorcycle division. Hayes have been supplying brakes to Harley for years, so if there were any issue with their brakes it would be well known by now. I've just been in Scotland and covered over a 1000 miles in 3 days, I can report my brakes worked fine and I found no difference between the brakes on my 1250 vs the brakes on my 2014 RT. As for the report quoted from the GS test, that is not really a valid test, even if you put two people on the same bike, there would be different results, now put two different bikes side by side, two different riders, different tyres and reaction times, there will be a difference. Again though, whatever callipers BMW chose to put on their bikes, they must have all gone through the same testing and specification process. If I had any doubts about the front callipers, i would buy some Brembo ones and swap them, but as I said, the brakes work fine

Since when do Harleys have brakes that actually work? :))

Pabst wrote: Since when do Harleys have brakes that actually work? )

They have 'Brembo' s' on the touring models.

David. wrote: "Keen-eyed BikeSocialists will have spotted the 1250 front calipers say ‘BMW’ instead of ‘Brembo’. This is because they’re now made by Hayes in the US, who are better known for mountain bike brake systems (although they make a few motorcycle brake calipers and parts)."

My father worked for Hayes in the 80's until he retired.
They were the innovator of the disc brake for semi trucks. They hold patent's on disc brakes. The quote makes them seem like they are fly by night, or some little bicycle brake manufacturer.  These guys been building brakes for a long time!
You have to remember they built and re branded the calipers to BMW specs. We will never know the truth.  Was it the manufacturer or the designer/specification to blame for these issues?
Either way I do not understand the mix on a bike?  I mean if you need to run stock out why would you not buy the mates, and then use the rebranded front and rear on later bike runs?  I would not think it performance related as the rear is not doing much work in the overall process of braking.
I just dont get it at all?

I can report that the brakes on my 1250 work just fine. I'm not bothered who makes them as long as they work

Pabst wrote: "Hayes have been making callipers for many years and Harley have been fitting them also for many years with no issues"



Harley dumped Hayes and went to Brembo 13 years ago.  We all know how great Harleys brakes used to be so not much of an endorsement. )

There were still Hayes callipers on my 2014 Road King, so unless it was a parts bins special, some Harleys still had them. And I can confirm the brakes are working fine on my 1250.