Back brake smoked...

Trebek · 06-21-2008, 09:57 PM

Today I went for a long ride up a different canyon. After about 9 miles I noticed that the bike wasn't climbing hills worth a darn. I parked it and noticed that the back brake was smoking. Knowing what burning brake fluid is capable of I tried in vain to find some water to cool it down. The brake was friggin' hot!!! I didn't notice it was dragging because of the roughness of the terrain. The canyon stream was dry so I used some yellow colored human water to cool it down (it just vaporized). I waited for about 20 minutes and removed the brake caliper and tied it to my right passenger foot peg with my bungee cord.

Then limped on home using my front brake...

and avoided shaking hands with anybody...

katoranger · 06-21-2008, 10:13 PM

Congratulations. You have the rear brake problem. Pack your 8mm wrench so that you can relieve the pressure with the bleeder. The problem is the adjust on the master cylinder. You need to adjust the plunger bolt all the way out. My master failed completely finally and I put a honda cbr1000 master on it.

Been working fine since then. Took a little grinding to make it fit.

Allen

1wickedmedic · 06-21-2008, 10:15 PM

Do a search on this. There has been a lot of discussion about it. My buddies Komoto did the same thing. You would ride for about 20 minutes and then the back break would begin to lock up. His was a simple fix, just need the foot pedal adjusted by the adjustment screw. Some have found that the break fluid that the bike came with is inferior and have changed it to a better grade and this fixed it. When it first happen we called the company and they told us that the master cylinders where hanging up. Luckly this wasn't the case for him. There is also an adjustment at the master cylinder that could need adjusted. I would try adjusting the pedal first.

katoranger · 06-21-2008, 10:18 PM

Try the adjustment first. You can turn the plunger bolt with a pair of pliers. Turn it all the way out. Then turn the pedal adjuster all the way back too.

Allen

dieselhead · 06-22-2008, 12:58 AM

Be sure your resivior is not overfull (as mine was right to the cap)and get used to having about 2 an a half to 3 " of free petal. Smoked my disk 3 times before I put enough petal in it!

Trebek · 06-22-2008, 01:43 AM

Cool, sounds like an easy fix!

It didn't do this until It got dropped on the bike hauler the other day.

alonzo · 06-22-2008, 10:46 AM

in the future try to avoid cooling the brake down with any water type substance. if the rotor is hot enugh you will squelch the steel and make it really brittle and suseptable to cracking and or shattering. :!:

06-21-2008, 09:57 PM	#1
Trebek Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 150	Back brake smoked... Today I went for a long ride up a different canyon. After about 9 miles I noticed that the bike wasn't climbing hills worth a darn. I parked it and noticed that the back brake was smoking. Knowing what burning brake fluid is capable of I tried in vain to find some water to cool it down. The brake was friggin' hot!!! I didn't notice it was dragging because of the roughness of the terrain. The canyon stream was dry so I used some yellow colored human water to cool it down (it just vaporized). I waited for about 20 minutes and removed the brake caliper and tied it to my right passenger foot peg with my bungee cord. Then limped on home using my front brake... and avoided shaking hands with anybody...
	0

06-21-2008, 10:13 PM	#2
katoranger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Altamont, Kansas Posts: 15,103	Congratulations. You have the rear brake problem. Pack your 8mm wrench so that you can relieve the pressure with the bleeder. The problem is the adjust on the master cylinder. You need to adjust the plunger bolt all the way out. My master failed completely finally and I put a honda cbr1000 master on it. Been working fine since then. Took a little grinding to make it fit. Allen __________________ You meet the nicest people on a Honda Clone.
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06-21-2008, 10:18 PM	#4
katoranger Join Date: May 2007 Location: Altamont, Kansas Posts: 15,103	Try the adjustment first. You can turn the plunger bolt with a pair of pliers. Turn it all the way out. Then turn the pedal adjuster all the way back too. Allen __________________ You meet the nicest people on a Honda Clone.
	0

06-21-2008, 10:15 PM	#3
1wickedmedic Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 16	Do a search on this. There has been a lot of discussion about it. My buddies Komoto did the same thing. You would ride for about 20 minutes and then the back break would begin to lock up. His was a simple fix, just need the foot pedal adjusted by the adjustment screw. Some have found that the break fluid that the bike came with is inferior and have changed it to a better grade and this fixed it. When it first happen we called the company and they told us that the master cylinders where hanging up. Luckly this wasn't the case for him. There is also an adjustment at the master cylinder that could need adjusted. I would try adjusting the pedal first.
	0

06-22-2008, 12:58 AM	#5
dieselhead Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Catskill Mnts NY Posts: 85	Be sure your resivior is not overfull (as mine was right to the cap)and get used to having about 2 an a half to 3 " of free petal. Smoked my disk 3 times before I put enough petal in it!
	0

06-22-2008, 01:43 AM	#6
Trebek Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 150	Cool, sounds like an easy fix! It didn't do this until It got dropped on the bike hauler the other day.
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06-22-2008, 10:46 AM	#7
alonzo Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 527	in the future try to avoid cooling the brake down with any water type substance. if the rotor is hot enugh you will squelch the steel and make it really brittle and suseptable to cracking and or shattering. :!:
	0