r1150rs barbaks installation

[bmwsean]

i purchased bobs bmw barbaks, and i can't install them without r1150gs front brake lines, i search the US dealers for them but not in stock, i can't wait till july , do you know of another co. that makes a different brand of barbaks?

[dbrick]

I'm fairly sure that the barbacks you've got - rectangular aluminum pieces - are the only style availabe. And even if another style were available, the problem of a too-short brake line would still occur...because what the barback does is move the grip back. No matter the design of the barback, that will increase the distance between the grip and the block to which the brake line connects.

You might consider replacing the brake line, not with a GS (or maybe RT?) line, but with a stainless steel one. Several companies make them, and they're carried by dealers. They can be longer than stock, or even can be built to the dimensions you require.

[bmwsean]

thanks dave, i was going to go with speigler but my dealer said it would void my warranty, maybe i should look for another dealer.

[dbrick]

Yeah, they all (mostly) say that. My dealer had no difficulty, however, installing the steel lines when I took delivery.

If you presented a warranty claim because some part of the bike failed - and you'd modified that part with a non-BMW part - BMWNA could deny the claim if it felt that there was a causal relationship between the non-BMW part and the failure. Here's an article by Rob Lentini which discusses the same issue as it applies to tuning the bike with a non-BMW method:
http://www.ibmwr.org/r-tech/oilheads/lentini2851.shtml

Many of us have added steel brake lines to ABS bikes with no difficulties, and an improvement in brake feel. However, it's certainly possible that the ABS system isn't designed for and will prematurely fail with the installation of steel lines, and it's *certainly* possible that if your bike suffers an ABS failure and you've got steel lines, BMWNA could decline warranty coverage. I haven't heard of those things happening, but they might. Most conservative course would be to wait until the bike's out of warranty before installation. But there's quite a few of us who went right ahead up front and did it anyway.