Product review: Traction Control Braking systems
August 27th, 2008
Front brake lock-ups have been the cause of many a catastrophe for motorcyclists - particularly beginners or those who have done little post-license training in how to manage today’s powerful brakes in a panic situation. Still, when the TCB brake system first hit my desk I’ll admit it seemed like an incredibly stupid idea.
The basic principle of the device is that it replaces one of the banjo bolts in your hydraulic brake system. The head of the TCB bolt contains a sealed air pocket, which is separated from the brake fluid by a high-strength but flexible membrane. Thus, when the brakes are on hard in a panic situation, that membrane is able to flex a little because air compresses when brake fluid can’t. In theory, this helps the brake pads not to grab onto surface irregularities on the discs - which can cause tiny pressure spikes that can initiate a tyre slide.
Um, isn’t that just spongy brakes?
So my first question to the system’s inventor Mark Lipski was: dude, doesn’t this just give you spongy brakes like you get if you don’t bleed them regularly? Wouldn’t it have the exact opposite effect to the steel braided lines many of us put on our bikes to remove any flex from the lines? I’ll reproduce the entirety of his response at the end of this article, but in edited form, he replied: (more…)