keep seeing the term linked brakes. what exactly does this mean??

 

Like a cage...step on one pedal, both ends activate at the same time in some proportion predetermined by the engineers.

 

Linked brakes as said, when you step on the pedal, the rear caliper and some of the front calipers will be squeazing the rotor.
For example, the Honda VTX has linked brakes.
Front calipers are 3 piston caliper on both sides of the wheel, for 6 pistons up front. Rear caliper is a 2 piston.
Squeaze the brake lever on the bars and you actuate the outer 4 pistons on the front calipers.
Step on the brake pedal and you actuate the rear caliper AND the center pistons on the front caliper.
It has been guessed by some that it is about a 70/30 split rear/front

 

I've had it on several BMWs I've owned and liked it. But BMW does it differently than Honda on the VTX. Appling the front brake gave you 100% on the front brakes nad about %40 on the rear brakes. Additionally if you were to apply the rear brake you would only apply pressure to the rear brake. You would use this in a situation where you needed more rear brake such as when you were ridding 2up.

Some people like it, some people hate it.

Re'

 

Means the front & rear brake are linked. If you pull the front brake lever you get both front & rear brake action, & if you press the rear brake lever you get both front & rear brake action. Different manufactures approach it with varying degrees of success. BMW (in my opinion) has the best with a proportioning valve that allows easy use of either brake without activation of the other, but increased pressure on either will act proportionatly on both.

 

Absolutely hate linked brakes. Too many times when I want just front or just rear brakes. Not a fan of ABS either. Same goes for air-bags on motorcycles. And all the other crap from automobiles that somehow find their way onto bikes these days. If I wanted the comforts of a car, I'd drive my car.....

 

Where can a person buy linked brakes for a Harley. I have a buddy that rides a 79 shovel trike and is confinded to a wheel chair! He only has front brakes and there have been times where he could of used rear brakes to assist in stopping!

 

What about a radio? Good or bad thing?

 

Radio = good
ABS = better

 

Pulling a camper trailer, I absolutely loved the link brakes I had on my Venture. In their system, applying the rear brake also applied one front caliper. The brake lever applied the other front caliper. It also had a proportioning valve, so as weight transferred forward, more brake pressure went to the front caliper.

When stopping while pulling the camper, I used only the rear brake pedal, allowing me to keep both hands firmly on the handle bars to deal with any "trailer push" that sometimes occurred while stopping.

The new Victory Vision has a similar setup to the one described earlier on the VTX.