I know I know I'm an idiot. With fresh pads I can lock the rear up no problem. I was wondering if there is an adjustment or trick for the disc brakes to get a little better stopping power. The pads on it are barely worn and I'm full of fluid but I can't get it to lock up right now am not sure why.
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Any oil mist or such blowing back thataway, slicking up the disc?
Hi Brew,
At least you got a brake, eh?
I read that Philipino teenagers wear sandals cut from old car tires and their bicycles don't have any brakes.
They stop by holding one of their sandalled feet against a tire.
Mind you, it is a FRONT tire.
OK, your brake looks OK but it don't work as well as it did?
First thing I'd look for is brake pads contaminated with spilled brake fluid, engine oil or tire lube.
Wash the pads off with acetone or pads is cheap, WAY cheaper than collision damage and hospitalization or even gravel rash so replace them.
Then I'd bleed the brake real good to make dead sure there wasn't any air bubbles in the system.
At least you got a brake, eh?
I read that Philipino teenagers wear sandals cut from old car tires and their bicycles don't have any brakes.
They stop by holding one of their sandalled feet against a tire.
Mind you, it is a FRONT tire.
OK, your brake looks OK but it don't work as well as it did?
First thing I'd look for is brake pads contaminated with spilled brake fluid, engine oil or tire lube.
Wash the pads off with acetone or pads is cheap, WAY cheaper than collision damage and hospitalization or even gravel rash so replace them.
Then I'd bleed the brake real good to make dead sure there wasn't any air bubbles in the system.
Yes pads are often contaminated in the rear I have never gotten an oil soaked pad to work again, overhaul the whole system, it IS the only brake you have. The good news is that it's functionally identical to the late model fronts so these threads give you the how to.
MC rebuilds
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?p=417294"]caliper rebuild
be sure the slide pin is moving freely
MC rebuilds
http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?p=417294"]caliper rebuild
be sure the slide pin is moving freely
pamcopete
Ride.Enjoy.Life is Simple
I never thought of this. I have drums on all my bikes, but this is a good reason to not have rear disk brakes in the first place.
pamcopete
Ride.Enjoy.Life is Simple
I had an oil pressure gauge mounted on my '74 Honda CB750 (50 PSI oil pressure). The fitting on the gauge came loose and oil was pumped straight out and down and soaked the front disk brake with at least a quart of oil as I did not notice it right away until I tried to stop.
I used a product called "CRC Brakleen" on the caliper and pads and they were completely cleaned of any oil. Brakes worked great after this treatment. I now use it routinely on all my bikes front brake about once a year. Really improves braking. Also cleans off that black residue from the pads and makes the calipers look like new.
PS: I removed that oil pressure gauge.
Why not disconnect the front brake lines on your car or truck, you also drive, so you can have that same "living life on the edge" feeling. Less unsprung weight, so better handling, and better acceleration................its a win/win situation.
Max Midnight
XS650 Addict
Why not disconnect the front brake lines on your car or truck, you also drive, so you can have that same "living life on the edge" feeling. Less unsprung weight, so better handling, and better acceleration................its a win/win situation.
....until you need to stop in a hurry.
I've decided that things like no brakes can be a good thing, it helps weed out the stupid.
The same goes with most safety devices in cars, homes and industry.
They say you can't fix stupid, but we can remove the safety items and let things take care of themselves.
Leo
The same goes with most safety devices in cars, homes and industry.
They say you can't fix stupid, but we can remove the safety items and let things take care of themselves.
Leo
Yea untill they crash into the side of your wife's car on the way to dropping the children off to school
For some folks, even having a rear brake is too much...
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photo-gallery/one-gear-no-brakes-and-balls-of-steel/
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photo-gallery/one-gear-no-brakes-and-balls-of-steel/
angus67
Welder's penetrate deeper!!
why does everyone hate on someone ways of making their bike theirs? the op is asking for helpafter dmitting he is an idiot(i dont think so, its his life)lets help him with the current issue shall we?
fred, some dont ride the way you dorepetively harp on safety, and are hard set against hardtailing. please help with issue at hand.
My advise... get a drum brake; untill you do so, if you do-- crc brake clean the hell out of pads and disk, get a stainless line, and rebiuld your caliper.
I just rode my 71 tday, and was able to lockup the rear drum before i eben tried. i like front brakes;
fred, some dont ride the way you dorepetively harp on safety, and are hard set against hardtailing. please help with issue at hand.
My advise... get a drum brake; untill you do so, if you do-- crc brake clean the hell out of pads and disk, get a stainless line, and rebiuld your caliper.
I just rode my 71 tday, and was able to lockup the rear drum before i eben tried. i like front brakes;
Hi angus,
lessee now,
I'm sure Brew has a sense of humor and appreciated my little story.
And I did give him my best advice on his brake problem.
As to my repetitively harping on safety, I do believe it's everyone's duty to do just that.
"No man is an island - - - "
Some fellow gets injured or killed and it ain't only him that suffers.
All those who were part of his life suffer too.
I ain't particularly against hardtailing.
I've owned rigid framed bikes in the past, I just reckon removing a working rear suspension is plain daft.
Back to the technical discussion though, I can't agree that Brew should swap his rear disk for a rear drum.
Drum brakes don't thrive on neglect, they need the same level of care as disk brakes and disk brakes work better.
Shame on you angus, for encouraging this guy to ride a vehicle with no front brake. He may be a husband, father or brother, that needs to arrive home safely each day, and not end up in the hospital or worse.
Well done Fred, for harping on safety, you're my kind of guy!
"Get a drum brake"
...................well this continues your view point of degrading the bikes braking ability, as much as possible.
You guyz have it too easy. If all my departed female ancestors were to be suddenly reincarnated, we'd ALL get chewed-out for just being NEAR motorcycles. They were all members of the "banish motorcycles entirely" guild. Some would even argue, vehemently, that traveling faster than 45mph is impossible, an unsurvivable activity...
weaselbeak
XS650 Junkie
At least he got the title of his thread right.......and I see no difference between a drum or a disc on the rear. Either one will lock it up easily, the real work is up front.
Yes, of course, the majority of braking is done by the front brakes. With the back brake, its not desirable to be able to lock the rear wheel. The maximum deceleration occurs before lock up happens..............that's why ABS is certainly a good thing to have, on 4 wheel vehicles, and probably 2 wheel bikes as well.
I've had cars with 4 wheel drum brakes. How did they brake in an emergency from high speed....................absolutely terrible, not safe at all. Throwing out an anchor would have been better.
I've had cars with front disc and rear drums. How did they brake in an emergency..............reasonably well, so I felt some degree of safety. However, the front discs did all the braking. The rear drums never did any braking at all, because the self adjusting mechanisms just never worked, even though I serviced them regularly. Once a small amount of the shoes was worn down, there was no rear braking.
My present car (Toyota Camry) has ABS 4 wheel disc brakes, with engineering features such that the braking forces are balanced with just the right amount of hydraulic pressure going to the front and lesser pressure to the rear. This is the first vehicle I have ever owned that actually applied appropriate braking forces at all 4 wheels.
How is the regular and emergency braking..................very powerful, just superb, such that you feel very safe even at speeds above the legal limit.
I recall driving my 305 cc Yamaha 2 stroke. It had drum brakes front and rear, and braking was just barely acceptable, with not much of a safety margin, when at high speeds..
So, that's my experience with drum and disc brakes. I have a very poor opinion of drum brakes.............disc brakes just work so much better, self adjusting, they don't fade, and they're easy to service.
I dunno RG. . . . . it sure seems like you get in a lot of emergency's.
Maybe your best brake is a break?
weaselbeak
XS650 Junkie
"I've had cars with 4 wheel drum brakes. How did they brake in an emergency from high speed....................absolutely terrible, not safe at all. Throwing out an anchor would have been better."
I was raised on that stuff. While not as good as disc combos, they weren't THAT bad.
I was raised on that stuff. While not as good as disc combos, they weren't THAT bad.
