Grabby Front brakes
in [Motorcycles]
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From: don (Calgary) on 27 Jun 2010 16:19 Last summer while on my way home from Russell Manitoba, the Venture's front brakes started acting strange. When I pulled the lever it felt like it would hit a stop, while only slightly engaging the brakes. I was only a few hundred miles from home so I nursed the bike back to the shed using mostly the back brake. Given I had the RK to ride I didn't get around to checking the Venture's brakes before winter set in. Having a little free time this weekend I finally got around to checking them out. I thought the pads might have been worn out and the pistons were extending too far. Since I had some new pads in the closet I started by installing them. The old ones were actually still in pretty good condition, showing maybe 50% wear. After giving the calipers a good cleaning and installing the new pads the problem remained. Let me try to explain what the lever action feels like. The pull on the lever is smooth up until strong force is applied, as you would apply in a rapid stop. Then the lever action makes a creaking noise and tends to move in successive jerks. It definitely feels like the restriction is in the lever or the master cylinder, not the calipers. I tried lubricating the lever pivot points with silicone spray. That seemed to help a bit, but not significantly. Next I hit the lever pivot points with some penetrating oil. After this and by working the lever several times with firm pressure the action gets smoother, but it is only temporary. Has anyone had a master cylinder react in a similar way? My next attempt to fix it will be removing the lever, giving the apparatus a thorough cleaning and lubrication. I'll bleed the lines and replace the fluid too. It is getting pretty old. After that I guess I would have to look at rebuilding the master cylinder. I am not even sure if they can be rebuilt. On another minor mechanical note, last week, somewhere in Utah, the shifter linkage on the RK decided to fall apart. It is kinda disconcerting to try to down shift and discover the shift lever is flopping around on the floorboard. It was a three wire tie roadside fix. Yesterday I picked up a couple of new parts and did the proper repair. Two morals of the story. 1. Never ride anywhere without wire ties. They are more versatile than duct tape. 2. There is a sense of satisfaction in being able to do your own mechanical repairs. While still a novice, I am getting better at this mechanical stuff, and it feels good.
From: sean_q_ on 27 Jun 2010 18:08 don (Calgary) wrote: > Has anyone had a master cylinder react in a similar way? Sort of... on the Electra-Glide. The brake caliper actuator somehow wedged itself angleways in its cylinder. HTH. YMMV. TUDA. GL (YNI). RILYSI. HAGD. SQ
From: S'mee on 27 Jun 2010 19:18 On Jun 27, 2:19 pm, "don (Calgary)" <hd.f...(a)telus.net> wrote: > Last summer while on my way home from Russell Manitoba, the Venture's > front brakes started acting strange. When I pulled the lever it felt > like it would hit a stop, while only slightly engaging the brakes. > > I was only a few hundred miles from home so I nursed the bike back to > the shed using mostly the back brake. Given I had the RK to ride I > didn't get around to checking the Venture's brakes before winter set > in. > > Having a little free time this weekend I finally got around to > checking them out. > > I thought the pads might have been worn out and the pistons were > extending too far. Since I had some new pads in the closet I started > by installing them. The old ones were actually still in pretty good > condition, showing maybe 50% wear. After giving the calipers a good > cleaning and installing the new pads the problem remained. > > Let me try to explain what the lever action feels like. The pull on > the lever is smooth up until strong force is applied, as you would > apply in a rapid stop. Then the lever action makes a creaking noise > and tends to move in successive jerks. It definitely feels like the > restriction is in the lever or the master cylinder, not the calipers. > > I tried lubricating the lever pivot points with silicone spray. That > seemed to help a bit, but not significantly. Next I hit the lever > pivot points with some penetrating oil. After this and by working the > lever several times with firm pressure the action gets smoother, but > it is only temporary. > > Has anyone had a master cylinder react in a similar way? > > My next attempt to fix it will be removing the lever, giving the > apparatus a thorough cleaning and lubrication. I'll bleed the lines > and replace the fluid too. It is getting pretty old. > > After that I guess I would have to look at rebuilding the master > cylinder. I am not even sure if they can be rebuilt. > > On another minor mechanical note, last week, somewhere in Utah, the > shifter linkage on the RK decided to fall apart. It is kinda > disconcerting to try to down shift and discover the shift lever is > flopping around on the floorboard. It was a three wire tie roadside > fix. Yesterday I picked up a couple of new parts and did the proper > repair. > > Two morals of the story. > > 1. Never ride anywhere without wire ties. They are more versatile than > duct tape. > > 2. There is a sense of satisfaction in being able to do your own > mechanical repairs. While still a novice, I am getting better at this > mechanical stuff, and it feels good. warped disk?
From: CS on 27 Jun 2010 19:40 "don (Calgary)" <hd.flhr(a)telus.net> wrote in message news:6uaf26phmum2bdr3m4i4lkuq0rcieagca3(a)4ax.com... > Last summer while on my way home from Russell Manitoba, the Venture's > front brakes started acting strange. When I pulled the lever it felt > like it would hit a stop, while only slightly engaging the brakes. <snip> > Has anyone had a master cylinder react in a similar way? > > My next attempt to fix it will be removing the lever, giving the > apparatus a thorough cleaning and lubrication. I'll bleed the lines > and replace the fluid too. It is getting pretty old. > > After that I guess I would have to look at rebuilding the master > cylinder. I am not even sure if they can be rebuilt. <snip> They can be rebuilt. The kit costs $50 if I remember right. I didn't trust myself to do mine (97 RSTD) so I brought it to a shop. Turns out I didn't have to worry, as it wasn't significantly different from when I did car master cylinders 20 years ago. Pull the stuff out, replace everything with new stuff, then put everything back the same way it came out. I did this because the brakes were mushy, and no amount of bleeding would fix it. I also rebuilt the calipers and replaced the pads. Seems this is a common complaint with the Royal Stars. Even brand new ones feel that way. Installing stainless steel brake lines cured the mushy feeling. Now it's nice and solid. I think I spent around $600 in all for the front brakes, mainly because I was too chickenshit to do everything myself. Otherwise I could have gotten by on $200, which would have left me enough for new rotors. I don't regret spending the money. I learned a few tricks, and I have a safe bike. Still, next time I'm doing it all myself. CS
From: don (Calgary) on 27 Jun 2010 19:46
On Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:18:39 -0700 (PDT), "S'mee" <stevenkeith2(a)hotmail.com> wrote: >On Jun 27, 2:19�pm, "don (Calgary)" <hd.f...(a)telus.net> wrote: >> Last summer while on my way home from Russell Manitoba, the Venture's >> front brakes started acting strange. When I pulled the lever it felt >> like it would hit a stop, while only slightly engaging the brakes. >> >> I was only a few hundred miles from home so I nursed the bike back to >> the shed using mostly the back brake. Given I had the RK to ride I >> didn't get around to checking the Venture's brakes before winter set >> in. >> >> Having a little free time this weekend I finally got around to >> checking them out. >> >> I thought the pads might have been worn out and the pistons were >> extending too far. Since I had some new pads in the closet I started >> by installing them. �The old ones were actually still in pretty good >> condition, showing maybe 50% wear. After giving the calipers a good >> cleaning and installing the new pads the problem remained. >> >> Let me try to explain what the lever action feels like. The pull on >> the lever is smooth up until strong force is applied, as you would >> apply in a rapid stop. �Then the lever action makes a creaking noise >> and tends to move in successive jerks. It definitely feels like the >> restriction is in the lever or the master cylinder, not the calipers. >> >> I tried lubricating the lever pivot points with silicone spray. That >> seemed to help a bit, but not significantly. Next I hit the lever >> pivot points with some penetrating oil. �After this and by working the >> lever several times with firm pressure the action gets smoother, but >> it is only temporary. >> >> Has anyone had a master cylinder react in a similar way? � >> >> My next attempt to fix it will be removing the lever, giving the >> apparatus a thorough cleaning and lubrication. I'll bleed the lines >> and replace the fluid too. �It is getting pretty old. >> >> After that I guess I would have to look at rebuilding the master >> cylinder. I am not even sure if they can be rebuilt. >> >> On another minor mechanical note, last week, somewhere in Utah, the >> shifter linkage on the RK decided to fall apart. It is kinda >> disconcerting to try to down shift and discover the shift lever is >> flopping around on the floorboard. It was a three wire tie roadside >> fix. Yesterday I picked up a couple of new parts and did the proper >> repair. >> >> Two morals of the story. >> >> 1. Never ride anywhere without wire ties. They are more versatile than >> duct tape. >> >> 2. There is a sense of satisfaction in being able to do your own >> mechanical repairs. While still a novice, I am getting better at this >> mechanical stuff, and it feels good. > >warped disk? No, the front end stuff seems to be in order. Every time I have experienced a warped disk I have felt a pulsating motion in the pedal or lever. The clicking/creaking in the lever/master cylinder that coincides with the jerky lever and grabbing brakes seems to narrow the problem down to one of those. I should add there is no fade in the application of the brakes that might indicate a problem with the master cylinder. I have a club meeting tomorrow evening and our resident Venture mechanical expert should be there. I'll see if he has seen this before. |