Brake Failure?

[Vanhelsing]

I remember on one of my trips through Flores I watched anxiously as the wiry bus driver exerted all the force he could muster onto the brake pedal as we came down a mountain, signalling perhaps the requirement for brake maintenance.

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[Jarno]

Had a similar experience during a trip from Bukittinggi to Lake Toba. The lunch stop somewhat half way got extended by an hour asthe driver and his helper were busy changing brake pads. When I asked what the reason was: Brakes not working! Reassuring if you just spend the past 8 hours going up and down mountains with a million and one turns

 

[Vanhelsing]

Had a similar experience during a trip from Bukittinggi to Lake Toba. The lunch stop somewhat half way got extended by an hour asthe driver and his helper were busy changing brake pads. When I asked what the reason was: Brakes not working! Reassuring if you just spend the past 8 hours going up and down mountains with a million and one turns

The Bukittinggi - Toba (Parapat) Trans-Sumatran by bus is a baptism by fire for anyone new to Asian long-haul bus journeys.It's a hellish twenty hour torture ride that once completed should be a travel badge worn with pride. I've done it three times - there won't be a fourth.

 

[Bad_azz]

Maybe not quite so spectacular but my brakes on the scooter died on me coming down the local mountain... it was very scary & I wore out my boot heels using them as brakes
I lived to tell the tale. Turned out to be something to do with an airbubble or something in the brake fluid.

 

[Jarno]

The Bukittinggi - Toba (Parapat) Trans-Sumatran by bus is a baptism by fire for anyone new to Asian long-haul bus journeys.It's a hellish twenty hour torture ride that once completed should be a travel badge worn with pride. I've done it three times - there won't be a fourth.

I've only done it twice, 2nd time was by far most interesting as the by then Mrs to be decided it was a good idea to have Nasi Kapau before getting on the bus. She hasn't eaten it since

 

[waarmstrong]

The Bukittinggi - Toba (Parapat) Trans-Sumatran by bus is a baptism by fire for anyone new to Asian long-haul bus journeys.It's a hellish twenty hour torture ride that once completed should be a travel badge worn with pride. I've done it three times - there won't be a fourth.

Slow learner?

 

[Vanhelsing]

Slow learner?

Many who know me will testify to that.

 

[macvert]

I wore out my boot heels using them as brakes

Wilma Flintstone ..... lol

 

[Zavia]

For those who do experience it while driving, use gear breaking (and heel breaking if on bikes too as bad_azz mentioned) to slow down. Basically down shift your gears one by one (if at say 60kmh downhill, go to 3rd or 2nd gear, your engine rpm will rise and the increased friction slows it down). For autos, go to "2" on your automatic gearbox thingy.

Go to 1st gear or "L" once it has slowed down at the gear number above it.

Consequently, dont speed on mountains.

 

[waarmstrong]

Many Iowa communities (and I suspect elsewhere) have laws against engine braking, commonly referred to as dieseling, by large trucks. Dieseling to a stop after down-shifting produces a horrendously loud and annoying rumble of a noise.

Just an aside. Using lower gears in the mountains for descent is standard, acceptable practice.

 

[vocalneal]

The Bukittinggi - Toba (Parapat) Trans-Sumatran by bus is a baptism by fire for anyone new to Asian long-haul bus journeys.It's a hellish twenty hour torture ride that once completed should be a travel badge worn with pride.

Great trip on a motorbike though.