\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. This is achieved by pulling the brake lever. Topping up should only be done from a new, sealed bottle as brake fluid tends to absorb moisture over time. During a regular turn, lean your body and the motorcycle at the same angle. So on with the fix. Hang something heavy like a cement block off the rear brake. Nice photos and tutorial. Some claim to last longer, while others claim to give more feel and braking power. The photo shows the lever and cable assembly for an ATV with a drum brake for each front wheel. If there is a torque spec for your caliper - be sure to use it. Step 1 - Check the Front Brake Hand Lever Before anything else, you need to make sure that you are comfortable with the size, shape, and position of your front brakes hand levers. Step 1: Drain the fluid and loosen the caliper joining bolts. Loosen the Barrel Adjuster: If the lever starts sinking again over weeks and months of riding, repeat the process as needed. Keep the brake fluid-filled and the reservoir cover off. Remember to place the jack under the trailer frame, not the axle. Pump the brake lever until it is able to lock the wheel. The brake shoes wear out over time. home improvement and repair website. Crikey, a lot of words to describe this problem. Take out the brake pads. Damaging the steel disk can result in a costly replacement. Step 1: Drain the fluid and loosen the caliper joining bolts. Otherwise, they could fall out while you are cruising down the side of your favorite canyon road and ruin a perfect day, causing you to crash into the guard rail and go flying off the side of a cliff. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. To do this, you'll need to use the lever span adjustment knob. This ible details how to go about fixing your motorcycle brake caliper when the brake lever starts getting uncomfortably close to the hand grip with resulting loss of braking power. While this 'ible will detail the repair process for the front brakes, the procedure for the rear brake caliper is the same. Step 9: Remove the brake bleeding kit from the cliper and use the rag with water to clean up any spillage. 3. Once you get the cable loose try a little tension, then make sure that your caliper is not dragging. Copyright 1999 - 2023 | Total Motorcycle 12 Billion Hits 24 Years 400 million Readers 1 Great Motorcycling Community! Check all fittings and if you find a leak give it another 1/8 turn or so. I placed a paint stirring stick in where the pads go to prevent the pistons from popping out. Front brake caliper binds on rotor when mounting bolts are tightened to recommended 28 ft lbs on my 2009 HD FXD - I have to leave them read more. ONCE OR TWICE IS ALL YOU NEED TO SEE IF IT IS STUCK OR NOT. How do you adjust disc brakes on a motorcycle? 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. Notice the metal clips inside the caliper just beneath where the pads sit. You should apply the rear and front brakes simultaneously. Once the calipers are free, slide off brake pads carefully out of the calipers and inspect their friction material for signs of wear and tear. loosen the locknut (17mm) turn the brake pushrod (10mm) either direction to lengthen or shorten its length. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Motorcycle brake lines are typically made of rubber, with a braid inside to stop them swelling. How do I make my bike brakes easier to squeeze? Website operating Your email address will not be published. Check that the lever travel feels adequate to slow and stop the bike. Motorcycles accelerate fast and have a high top speed but it is your brakes that you depend on to stop you when you need it. Over time spokes will loosen or tighten, which can cause the rim to come out of round. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. These metal clips provide pressure on the pads to keep them from moving around inside the caliper. Step 3: Remove the seals. Apply both the brakes and clutch and promptly bring the gear to the lower position. Bachelor's Degree. This article has been viewed 48,924 times. After pushing the lever forward, turn the knob to your desired level. The web site for the bike build is here: http://midnightcustoms.blogspot.com. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. Disk brakes are much friendlier for a motorcycle rider, less prone to overheating and require little (or no) adjustment. Adjusting spokes on motorcycles should be part of your maintenance routine. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. 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. The simplest way to correct this problem is to clean the pistons with brake cleaner while the caliper is on the bike. As the lever is released, the cable will come out of the adjuster housing. To adjust the chain slack we need a pair of 12 and 14mm spanners. 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. Now slide the pin all the way through. It makes an impression :D, Reply Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be on All New 2023 Kawasaki Supersport Motorcycles! Repeat this process until your fingers are in the right position on top of the brake lever. Take out the old brake disc. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. on New Value 2023 Honda Models Announced! The cable should be secure in place once the bolt is tightened. Backlight the caliper to make it easier to see. We welcome your comments and Last Updated: December 3, 2019 How do you change a brake caliper on a motorcycle? But be sure to undo them enough so that the braking system becomes moveable from one side to another by hand. Using more brake power at the back would lead to wheel block ups due to the dynamics of braking. The front brake control is the handle directly above the throttle on the right handlebar of your motorcycle. Once the Oil is topped up the Brakes will Self adjust. 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. When adjusting the brakes of your motorcycle, do not forget to check the brake pads. You will see that as you are tightening the barrel adjuster, the brake pads have loosed slightly, this means that you are good to go now. (500ml should be more than enough). This will increase or decrease tension in the cable. Feel free to bleed your own brakes as that is a easy operation to do. Do not apply the brakes if you lose control of your bike this way since it may make the problem even worse. Step 2 - Locate the Span Adjustment Knob. To increase the tension, turn all of the spokes around the entire wheel 1/4 counter clockwise and then measure again. Allow the lever to come almost. Locate the jacking spot close to the rear wheels and place a jack to lift up one side of the vehicle from the ground. 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. If your bike has an anti-lock braking system (ABS brakes), then your stopping time and distance may be slightly shorter. How can I increase my brake power? Step 2: Remove the pistons. Once the calipers are free you can slide them off of the brake discs and inspect the amount of pad material and look for anything out of the ordinary. 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. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Most likely you will see the pistons slowly retract back into the caliper over time say 30 seconds or so. The motorcycle is a custom pro-street that I finished building last year. Take out the pin that is holding the pads in place, remove them, and replace them with new ones. Once these are removed, you can use a punch to tap the pins out. 3. No, you need not bring your motorcycle to the mechanic just to have the brakes adjusted. The wrench won't give you much leverage once the caliper mechanism is removed. On this particular setup there is one threaded metal pin that holds one side of the pads in place. You can easily make modifications to your brakes at home. Brake Fluid (check what type of brake fluid you need for your bike. Often asked: How To Carry Extra Fuel On Motorcycle? Although not the most difficult task in motorcycle maintenance, a careless mistake could cost you your life if the brakes fail. The pads are also fitted loosely in the clamp around the steel disk. Sep 2, 2008. Brake problems are some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents in the United States. How to Adjust the Rear Brake Lever on a Motorcycle intrepid Dan 468 subscribers Subscribe 1K Share 100K views 4 years ago How to Adjust the Rear Brake Lever on a Motorcycle When you first. Loosen the rear adjusting nut, then loosen the locknut on the front adjustment screw and tighten the front adjustment screw to lower the resting position of the brake pedal, then re-tighten the rear adjustment nut to tighten the brake.