Brake trouble

[Max Preload]

You wouldn't need much, the square-sectioned piston seal is there to do the job, right?

But you don't want it racking over and damaging the caliper housing...

[xwhatsit]

True.

Dude! Where in the North Island are you? So many uses for a lathe

[racefactory]

True.

Dude! Where in the North Island are you? So many uses for a lathe

hey dude,

i'm in Auckland.

Yeah i guess there are a lot of uses- someone come over and make some shit!

[motorbyclist]

is it in your garage or at work? i've got one at work but it's buried in a corner and you spend more time looking for tools than actually using the thing

tis great for making nylon pocket rocket pegs though

[racefactory]

lol ohh is that how they make them? I've got some on my modded to hell B1.

It's in my garage a... personally i'd love to learn how to use it so, as has been said, if you want to make some shit- come on over!

[racefactory]

Ok if i've got a rear brake lever that works but you just have to press it quite a bit further/harder than most - does that mean bleed brake system? Or is that more likely pads?

Because i don't want to go buy this brake bleeder kit until i know the cause.

Thanks!

[imdying]

Might mean your caliper is partially seized.

[racefactory]

not sure man it don't drag or anything a... it just requires more travel and isn't 'solid'.

[imdying]

Personally, if I had an 18 year old NC30, I'd strip the entire system front and rear, replace any old rubber hoses, assess the pads and replace if required, and replace the calipers seals that've been through a zillion heatcycles (the profile of the square section orings in the calipers degrades with time and makes them slow to retract, contributing to bad brake 'feel'). Then bleed it with fresh fluid, and she'll be stopping like a good un in no time. Probably take the best part of an afternoon, so not time consuming, probably cost a little under $200, so not expensive either.

Sports bikes should stop as well as they go, and brakes require regular maintenance.

[Subike]

Check that the caliper slide is not binding. If it is clean, lube and reinstall.
If not, rekit the caliper.
Dismantle it, clean up the piston with some 600 or higher wet/dry sandpaper, also use the paper on the inside of the caliper, blow out with air, reassemble and bleed.

Dont use petrol to clean the piston use brake fluid on a cotton cloth,

[motorbyclist]

Ok if i've got a rear brake lever that works but you just have to press it quite a bit further/harder than most - does that mean bleed brake system? Or is that more likely pads?

Because i don't want to go buy this brake bleeder kit until i know the cause.

Thanks!

wtf are you buying a brake bleeder kit for?

your pads may be oily, the seals dodgy, caliper needs serious cleaning, the disc rooted, the new/foreign pads not yet being worn to the profile of the new/foreign disc, or of course bubbles/crappy fluid which you can bleed without buying some overpriced kit for (and if you really want to use a kit, just borrow one)

heck the previous owner may have got silicone spray on the disc by mistake


as others have said, pull it off and clean her up, do the seals and flush the fluid. then you'll know the brakes are 100% and won't need doing again in the near future. do it one and do it proper

(this is neel's bike yeah? tbh the front brake isn't as sharp as it could be either, felt like the pads were less than effective. yeah he cleaned it before i rode it but i gave her a fair test. the NC30 will pull 1g of braking force if she's set up right... like my old one was)

[racefactory]

feels good to me- it can lock the front wheel alright that's for sure... whether the IRC tyre can handle 1g braking force is another story.

So when you bleed the brakes- do you need to submerge the other end of the tube that's in the jar in brake fluid?

[Subike]

yes, so that air cannot return back up the pipe when you release the brake lever. Pumping it will pump the air out, and any crap in the pipes and slave cylinder, ensure you keep the master cylinder full while you do this with clean new fluid. The fluid that comes out into the jar will be contaminated with moisture, dust ,tiny air bubbles etc. It may look clean, but it is toss away material. Take your time and make sure you have rags around any area where fluid "may" spill. ensure that the master cylinder cap is clean, dust free and a snug fit when you replace it.

[motorbyclist]

i'd suggest using a bottle rather than a jug

put some tape to block neck/hold tube and that's one disaster averted.

and read a manual for the proper technique rather than us all arguing over it. i've seen/tried a few different ways and they all seem to work (unless of course bleeding wasn't the solution in the first place)

- i find just pumping the lever is totally inneffective as the fluid gets sucked back up as much as it gets pushed down.
-try pushing down, close nipple, return lever, open nipple, lever down (as specified in my yamaha manual) (could experiment with sealing reservoir with hand instead?)
-i've found using a large capacity syrnge works well in both directions (got that one from family)

[Tony W]

oops, sorry answered wrong thread.