Brake test

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Wed 15 Dec 2004 13:38
Brake test - Robin Reliant
I had my bike Mot'd this morning and it passed, with even a comment from the tester that it was in really good condition for five years old. When I got home I checked the certificate which was in order and pinned to it was a slip telling me my brakes had been tested on a Tecalemet Motorcycle Brake Tester.

This gave a readout of 110kg brake force on the front, and 105kg on the rear. However, the brake efficiency was measured at 37% and 35% respectively, which seems rather low. I am not worried, as the brakes are as good as ever with pads and disc's which have plenty of life left in them and they did pass without comment. How should one interpret these figures, does it mean that the brakes fitted are not reckoned to be particularly good, or would a figure of 100% mean they would have the effect of hitting a wall when you touched the lever and would therefore be dangerous?

Just curious as to what figures would be the norm and how low they could go before they were unsafe.
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Wed 15 Dec 2004 16:55
Brake test - Hugo {P}
I seem to recall that for car MOTs the braking efficiency on each wheel was given as a percentage of the wight of the car.

If memory serves me correctly, the sum of all the wheel efficiencies must equal or exceed 50%.

However, I may be wrong, and probably will stand to be corrected.

Hugo
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Wed 15 Dec 2004 21:59
Brake test - martint123
They have the bike MOT manual on line now

www.motuk.co.uk/mcmanual_330.htm

The efficiency of each system operated by a single brake control is the ratio of the total retarding force generated by that system divided by the weight of the machine and rider

Reason to fail
a. an efficiency of less than 30% when one of the brake controls is operated. This will normally be calculated from the retarding force at either the front or the rear wheel, [see information column)
b. an efficiency of less than 25% when the other brake control is operated. This will normally be calculated from the retarding force at the other wheel (see information column).

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