\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Modern day bikes use twin front discs and only one at the rear. With both calipers flushed with new brake fluid, hold in the lever one final time, crack the nipple and make sure that there are no air bubbles in the tube, then re-tighten. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Motorcyclist may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Inspiration Friday: Privateer Contingency Racing! By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. However, be forewarned that the manufacturer of your motorcycle put a lot of time and effort into developing your braking system, and there is no telling what a different type of pad material might do to your rotors or how well different pads will work with the overall design and setup of your bike. The first step is to make sure your throttle hand is in the wrist down position. Take it to a licensed mechanic. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. View our Privacy Policy here. Now press all the pistons back into the caliper. on Inspiration Friday: New World Adventures. Use more Brake Parts Cleaner to clean properly around the pistons now that they are accessible. To prevent injury, you should adjust your brakes regularly to keep them in top condition. on Introduction, Really beautyfull motorcycle! IT IS A PAINFUL JOB GETTING THE PISTON BACK IN. Various manufacturers make all kinds of different types of replacement brake pads for todays motorcycles. Bleed at the bleeder screw, repeat 4-5 times. Even though holding the clutch in will help you slow down, it will not activate your brake lights. Internals of Rear CaliperOnce the two mounting bolts have been removed, the caliper should easily slide off the rotor. Motorcycle Brake Maintenance Tips to keep your motorcycle at peak condition. Consider signing up for one if you havent taken one already. There is a small spring and a nut attached to it. You just need good pressure between the flared faces. To adjust the drive chain: 1. Tip: Brake fluid absorbs moisture over time and becomes less effective. Tighten the rotor against the axle flange. All rights reserved. Step 5. Allow the lever to come almost. If air was in the system, then bleeding the hydraulics would fix the problem. Hydraulic Brakes Adjust the front brake lever using the rotary adjuster on the lever pivot. This will help break the stickiness or not depending on the kind of luck you have. To adjust either pedal's height, loosen the locknut (s). First remove the caliper from the bike. Step 7: Once all the tiny air bubbles are gone hold pressure on the brake level and re-tighten the brake fluid nipple to close it off. Roll the bike forward and backward checking on the brake action. Then spray brake cleaner all around the outside of the pistons to displace as much dirt as possible. Increasing Tension. When the brake lever is released, the seal restores its normal shape causing the piston to be pulled backward. 3 - Loosen up the bolts on your motorcycle's brake caliper bracket . $26.79. 3. 1 - Put your motorcycle on its center stand if you have one or the side kickstands if you don't. 2 - Make sure that your rear brake is engaged securely so that the rear axle sprocket cannot move when you're trying to loosen up the bolts on the brake caliper brackets. home improvement and repair website. Step 6: Keep the volume of the master cylinder constant (near full) as to not have it empty. Every time you apply the brakes, the pistons press the brake pad against the rotor creating friction which slows the bike down and also results in loss of material on the brake pad itself. Your email address will not be published. Now get to work on the remaining pistons, one at a time until they are all free. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. To brake properly on a motorcycle, make sure you give yourself plenty of time, since it takes a few seconds to come to a complete stop. Then remove the tool and see if the rotor is rubbing. Step 4 - Check the Brake Pads. Step 2: Attach the brake bleeding kit to the brake fluid nipple located on the brake caliper. Step 3: Loosen the nipple so the fluid is free to flow down the brake bleeding kit tube and into the small container. Now compress the spring and place it over the end of the exposed pin and the other end presses up against the far side brake pad. Adjust the tension bolts (4) evenly on both sides until correct tension is achieved. The reason pumping works is because the first pump moves the piston outward as much as the hydraulic fluid pushed into the system from the hand lever allows, and the second pump forces additional hydraulic fluid in behind the piston which moves it out to the pad and generates enough friction to stop the motorcycle. Your brake lever will feel much firmer. Put on the new brake disc. Repeat for both. This is the so-called ratcheting action of the hydraulic brake system. When new, they should perform perfectly, but over time they'll start to give, resulting in a less direct feel at the lever. Apply downward pressure on the bike to ensure the frame and axle are in contact. Loose spokes will contribute to a rim going . Tightening the screw moves the lever closer to the handlebars. To do this, remove the calipers from the rotors by unscrewing the two main bolts that are holding the calipers to the forks of your motorcycle. If the road surface is wet, give yourself twice as much time to stop. If one is present, inspect the dust boot on the caliper piston, and check for cracks and tears. Then slide the pads out. Repeat this process until your fingers are in the right position on top of the brake lever. While drum brakes could be adjusted by tightening the cable, hydraulic brakes must be bled to remove trapped air or contaminants. One piston may have more friction than the others and stay back in the caliper. Total Motorcycle is my pride and joy and being able to reach out 375 million people has been incredible but I could not have done it without the support of my visitors, readers and members, thank you so much! If you accidentally open the master cylinder cap or otherwise introduce air into the brake lines, you will need to bleed the brake line (refer to your owner's manual). The result is that the brake lever activation point moves closer and closer to the handgrip. I am. The ratcheting action is lost. Step 5: Clean the fluid pathways. Replace brake fluid every one to two years and your brakes will preform the best they can. After removing the brake pads, I used the brake lever to push out the two pistons. Copyright wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. The steel disk floats in the wheel so it can accommodate the temperature influences which a cure while braking. DoItYourself.com, founded in 1995, is the leading independent wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Your braking distance can also be affected by road conditions. The steps also show the removal and re-installation of the brake pads, so you can use this guide for changing your brake pads as well. Adjusting Brake Pedal Height. ", https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/dl655/mcycle_htm/abilities, https://www.motorcycletesttips.uk/riding-tips/motorcycle-riding-on-wet-roads/, https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/overcome-fear-on-street-or-trail-5-tips-for-starting-on-hill. As long as you practice using the brakes and stay aware of the road conditions, you can ride your motorcycle safely! How to take off disc brakes? Use Brake Parts Cleaner to clean the rest of the dirt from the caliper and remove the brake pads. It helps prevent putting pieces in backwards when re-assembling. Install the caliper in its mounting bracket. Reach adjust. Double check everything. Its an easy guide to understand how they can manage the stiffnes. You also need to undo the disc brakes using a couple of Allen bolts. Step 2 Locate the Span Adjustment Knob. 9 years ago References. In this position, the hand brake lever should rest on the front knuckles of your fingers. Additionally some bikes now also have ABS (anti block system). This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. The hydraulic brake lever is positioned on the handlebar similar to conventional or non- hydraulic levers. Then pump the lever so that the piston moves out about ". For a long time motorcycles were stopped by drum brakes which work by pushing shoes up against the inside of a drum and cause friction slowing the motorcycle down. To do this, you'll need to use the lever span adjustment knob. Feel free to bleed your own brakes as that is a easy operation to do. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Step 3: Remove the seals. If the simple fix doesn't work, more invasive surgery is required to unstick the pistons from the seal. Be very careful to make sure the new pads are firmly mounted in the caliper and are held securely at both mounting locations. Stop to the side rather than the center of a lane, rapidly flash your brake light by tapping a brake lever, keep the bike in gear and your right hand on the throttle. Tip: You can also try tying the front brake lever with the grip. All the pistons should move outward and stay outward. Warning: Avoid using your brakes in the middle of your turn or else you could skid. Ensure that the rotor is torqued to the manufacturers specifications. Take out the pin that is holding the pads in place, remove them, and replace them with new ones. This will increase or decrease tension in the cable. Brake problems are some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents in the United States. Backlight the caliper to make it easier to see. Do this by moving the lever in the same direction the cable would pull it. ONCE OR TWICE IS ALL YOU NEED TO SEE IF IT IS STUCK OR NOT. 3 Remove the brake pads. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). If your bike has an anti-lock braking system (ABS brakes), then your stopping time and distance may be slightly shorter. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. How do I make my bike brakes easier to squeeze? . 4. At this point you are done and you have created a new ratcheting position for your brakes. We welcome your comments and There are two set screws that keep the brake pad retaining pins in place. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Use clamps to secure all but one piston. Repeat with the second pin. Do not apply the brakes if you lose control of your bike this way since it may make the problem even worse. Now is a good a time to replace them if they are close to the wear limit. Disk brakes are much friendlier for a motorcycle rider, less prone to overheating and require little (or no) adjustment. Step 8: Replace the master cylinder top cover. In most cases this is not necessary. Lift the motorcycle's front wheel off the ground, using a service . He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Then do a slow (very slow 5mph is plenty) test ride to ensure you have proper function of the brakes before you taker a longer test ride. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Turn the steering of the car towards the wheel and loosen the bolts. Locate the jacking spot close to the rear wheels and place a jack to lift up one side of the vehicle from the ground. 3. With 3 pistons clamped (some calipers have 6 pistons and some only 2 so what you are trying to accomplish is to have only one piston free at a time), pump the lever and observe the behavior of the free piston. How do you change a brake caliper on a motorcycle? problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Take out the brake pads. Larger discs will allow for more brake torque as the brake pad will apply pressure at a larger radius, allowing for a higher moment. Tips to Fine Tune Your Motorcycle Fit and Comfort There are a wide variety of easy and simple adjustments you can make to most any motorcycle to achieve better motorcycle fit it to your body shape and size. If you are not comfortable with the position of your hand brake levers, adjust them to suit your needs. Clean the brake disc. - Generally this nut can be moved with your hand by pulling the arm. If all you need is a minor line correction - say, to tighten the corner and get the front pointed where you want to go - using the rear brake can help. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Then, squeeze the front brake lever with 2 fingers. % of people told us that this article helped them. Apply a few drops of good lube, like tri-flow, to the pivots. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'totalmotorcycle_com-banner-1','ezslot_3',121,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-totalmotorcycle_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'totalmotorcycle_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',121,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-totalmotorcycle_com-banner-1-0_1');.banner-1-multi-121{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:5px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:5px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Also check the thickness of the brake pads. A couple of tips I would offer: Take photos of the caliper as you are taking it apart. Home > Motorcycle Maintenance Guide > Motorcycle Brake Maintenance Guide. Tighten or loosen the barrel adjuster by turning it clockwise or anti-clockwise. Crikey, a lot of words to describe this problem. The rear pads are held in place by one bolt on one side of the caliper and are held at the other end inside the casting of the mounting bracket that the caliper is bolted to. The downside was/is (especial during the early days) that wet weather didnt let these motorcycle brakes function as well. This lets other traffic know that youre going to slow down more. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Line pressure. Some manufacturers use cotter keys or retaining pins to hold in the brake pads as well. Over time the disk pads need replacing which is just standard maintenance. Internals of Front CaliperOnce the calipers are free from their mounting locations, it is time to disassemble them and remove the brake pads. How to change brake discs in 11 steps. Turn the adjuster clockwise to tighten them. These typically have an Allen key head. - As you keep tightening this nut, the play in the . Try to keep your bike vertical instead of falling on your side in an emergency stop. Over time spokes will loosen or tighten, which can cause the rim to come out of round. The speed at which the piston retracts back into the caliper due to elastic action of the seal is quite slow so 2 quick pumps on the brake lever generally result in the pistons making contact with the pads, and the lever works at the correct distance from the handgrip. Depending on the amount you need to correct your line, you may not even need to release the throttle. Required fields are marked *. So on with the fix. tighten the locknut. Repeat this process (pump out wipe and push back) until the piston can move outward and stay outward when the brake lever is released. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. While this 'ible will detail the repair process for the front brakes, the procedure for the rear brake caliper is the same. Elevate the bike, spin the wheel, and sight the gaps between the rotor and pads. Supporting over Motorcyclists and Motorcycling for 23 great years. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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