| Author | Message | ||
     Steeltech |
Well guys, its a sad day. Started working on my brakes (by the way I recommend the pitbull front stand with the #3 pin. Worth the money). I finished the front and moved to the rear. The reason I was doing the brakes was because of the rear, but I wanted to replace the front as well. I had already noticed the rear pads had disintegrated which botched the rear brake disc. Now that I have taken the caliper out far enough to see and inspect I have now found the whole caliper to be useless scrap. The stock exhaust has fully cooked the caliper just as I had feared it would when I first noticed the exhaust port location. How do I know it is cooked? The caliper pistons have warped so the will no longer move back it and are now chipping away like clay. The aluminum they are comprised of has actually been heated enough that it just brakes like dry clay. I am amazed that this has happened after only 9k miles. O well. I'm not to concerned. I am really really hoping the whole rear brake system from the line to the disc gets replaced under warranty. If the warranty can pick up all of that I'm gonna put in for an FMF exhaust.... I wasn't REALLY in the market for an exhaust, but if the stock one is gonna have me replacing calipers every 9k miles then I can't have that. I know there has been some buzz about the FMF system. Any recommendations for it or against it? How about the noise level with and without the reversion cone? Has anyone ordered from this site and can vouch for their service and the quality they received: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/5/88/11844/ 24575/PITEM/FMF-Apex-Slip-On-Exhaust-2009-Buell-11 25R-Parts.aspx Also, anyone thoughts on why this shouldn't get fully warrantied? If I'm not still in my factory warranty period...then I also bought an extra 2 year parts warranty. So as far as I can tell...I should be straight for a full replacement. Has anyone else had this problem yet? I wish I could offer pictures, but I have not camera. Just trust me when I say it is pretty damn bad. Bad enough that I am already shopping the exhaust and bad enough that if it can't be warrantied then I'm gonna have to foot the bill for all previously mentioned brake parts as well. Any comments are appreciated. ST | ||
| Froggy |
You could get the Keda Designs exhaust tip turnouts, or his MT-1 exhaust if you don't want to go crazy with a pipe, also it won't fall apart after a few thousand miles like the FMF. | ||
| Brumbear |
I doubt it's gonna be a problem for me I don't even know where my rear brake is  | ||
| Steeltech |
eh....if I'm gonna change up exhaust I might as well change it up...the FMF is cheap and repacking every 6k is just another maintenance item....I just don't like riding around with my rear brakes melting. I would consider a drummer or something in a slightly higher price bracket...if they wouldn't make me go deaf. Loud pipes aren't funny to me anymore. I'm looking for good tone, not to loose any power, not very loud, not gonna break the bank, and not gonna cook my rear caliper :/. There are many Pipes for the bike to increase performance, but I don't want to ride with earplugs. I am open to other pipe options, but I wasn't looking to modify the stock pipe. In fact, if anyone has some good pipes that might fit within the previously mentioned areas of interest I would like to hear them. I haven't been actively shopping, but now that I am having all my options would be helpful. Also, anyone that would know more about the brake issue (if this is a problem others are having and if I should have trouble warrantying it next week). That is sort of my big concern at the moment because it is gonna be a big chunk out of my pocket and means I can't ride even though the weather just FINALLY got good enough to do so. I will be ordering some sort of pipe though within the next few weeks because I just can't have this happen again. | ||
| Ron_luning |
I'm not so sure that the exhaust is to blame for this heating. How hot is the exhaust temp as felt by the brake caliper? There is air circulating from the atmosphere that provides cooling while the bike is in motion. I would bet that your rear brakes were stuck "on" without you noticing it and the heat buildup as a result is what damaged everything. There was a guy on here from Europe maybe 6-9 months ago that had his rear brakes just melt like that. If it was the exhaust, we'd all have this problem. | ||
| Steeltech |
this is something I considered. I did have the rear brake stick once. Then it cleared up. Maybe it stuck again. But what would cause this? It looks like it is the exhaust dumping carbon and heat on the rear brake. Carbon build up and heat may have caused the sticking. The sticking appears to be in the caliper itself, as the pistons have swollen and cannot rebound as they should. As you state, air circulation should cool the rear brake, but what about if you get stuck in traffic? I don't like traffic, but I ride on the streets more or less...so I run into some. I don't know the exact cause. Possibly a combination of the two theories with one causing the other. The exhaust causing it to stick then the sticking causing excessive friction and thus adding to the problem. But it pretty much went from no problem one day to destroyed caliper the next. Again, this all within 9000 miles. So...I'm not ruling out possible causes...i just want to fix the dang thing smartly and carry on. And I don't want a repeat in another 9k. If service continues to be a pain in the butt though I might be looking at other bikes. (not that buell did bad work with this, but I'm having to work out of a parking lot at a barracks room...which isn't so easy on a sportbike) | ||
| Anonymous |
Absolutely no way the exhaust did this to your brake. Probably you are resting your foot on the lever and dragging it. Exhaust outlet temp is thousand degrees F lower than brake temps. | ||
| 03fatboy |
Hey Steeltech, I know Columbia is a bit of a haul but if you ever need a place to work on your bike just let me know. You could bring it up and have some beer and BBQ while wrenching and we all know that will fix everything  | ||
| Steeltech |
heh, well thanks for the offer fatboy. Problem is when things like this come up I can't really ride out to far to fix it. And again anon, I'm not saying the exhaust is entirely to blame for the cooking of the caliper, but I do feel that the excess build up that it caused in the caliper created a failure in the brakes ability to relieve the pistons after I depressed the lever. Idk if anyone else has noticed such a build up, but my rear wheel turns almost black with the cooked on road crap because my rear wheel is pummeled with the exhaust. The exhaust just helps it stick. If the exhaust wasn't the thing causing that, then why doesn't the front wheel have the same amount of build up as the rear? So, my belief is that build up cause the piston to stick out. If the brake piston stuck out, then the rear brakes were rubbing on the disc. Hence the failure. Also, no I don't ride with my feet on brake pedal and no I don't ride with my hand on the clutch. I've been riding for 7 years and I was a motorcycle mechanic for a few as a profession. I understand that some people create those problems by doing such things, but rest assured this isn't one of those times. It is a brake failure, whether the exhaust is to blame is just how I am perceiving the problem. | ||
| Dirtwheels |
Same thing happened to me. After a 30 minute freeway ride, I apply the front & rear brakes and the rear was hard to push. With a little extra pressure to the rear pedal, it locks up the rear caliper. The Buell dealer ended up replacing the rear master cyl.,caliper, disk & wheel assy. under warranty. I only had 6000 miles on it with stock exhaust. The dealer didn't seem to know the cause of the problem. It seems to be a common problem but don't know if it is related to the exhaust or not. | ||
| Steeltech |
Thanks for the comment Dirt, was wondering if others had the same issue. I'm still gonna look for an exhaust to shoot away from the rear wheel cause I'm tired of cleaning the rim. And again, if its getting on the rim, its definitely getting in the brakes, cause it shoots more at the brakes than it does the wheel. Problem now is I have to wait till Monday to talk to the dealership as I found the problem at 5:30 on a Saturday :/ | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Yet another reason to stay away from the rear brake! | ||
| Kicka666 |
Steeltech, I have an FMF & have had no problems like people have reported, its F'n loud. Repacking is about the same as any carbonfibre pipe you would purchase. | ||
| Cobradave93 |
The redirected exhaust tips off of ebay would be another fix that would be cheap if you are happy with the sound of the bike now. | ||
| Bueller4ever |
Put your hand in front of the exhaust at idle, it's not that hot. If it were, then your swing arm would fail as well. | ||
| Steeltech |
Kicka, you say its loud but would you say it requires earplugs? Also...are you using the reversion cone they provide? Its a little cone you can put in 2 ways to bring the noise down a bit....to bad it also brings down the power a bit. If it is just ridiculous loud...then I might as well get a drummer. Its loud but boasts a power increase. Not that I was really looking to spend 1k. (Message edited by Steeltech on May 02, 2010) | ||
| D_adams |
Quiet option with some thump, welded in. No change in power from stock, no ear plugs required.  Not so quiet, definitely more power, ear plugs recommended. Both the RT-1 and MT-1 in one pic for comparison.  Finished MT-1 pic.  | ||
| Kicka666 |
Steeltech, any free flowing pipe that you put on a 1125 will be loud, the FMF is loud but not offensive loud I love it.. with a revised tune Im getting 141HP@ 10K. If I had the $ I would go the full Titanium Termignoni system just to be different, cos I have not seen 1 on a 1125 in Aus yet. | ||
| Zac4mac |
As has been said, the exhaust didn't do it the brakes did it... I had a Yamaha XS1100 Special that the PO did the same thing to - Back disk was brown/blue down to the fastening bolts and the caliper was melted. All from long-term dragging of the rear brake. Z | ||
| Steeltech |
Well, as I have said as well I just can't rule out the exhaust as a cause for the dragging. Something caused my rear brake to drag. And it has only been doing it for a brief amount of time because I commonly do a 'once around' on my bike to check tires and brakes. Since it is a sportbike those two areas go quite fast. Normally I see no issue, but I got off the bike after one night of riding and it was cooked. Maybe it wasn't the exhaust at all, or maybe carbon build up helped cause the drag. Either way I'm tired of cleaning carbon of my rear wheel so I'm looking at my alternatives. And as I said before, if its all over my rear rim what is keeping it from getting into my brakes and causing drag? Honestly there is nothing covering the rear caliper to keep carbon out, so why could this be a possibility? I am just trying to look beyond the symptoms and determine if there is a further cause. Story...a guy bought a new harley...after a few miles he comes back with a bent pushrod. They replace it and send him back out. He comes back with the same problem. They do the same thing and send him back out. Happens another time. They ended up finding that there wasn't a hole drilled into the rocker to allow proper oiling. The cause wasn't the immediate issue. I'm not trying to start arguments, I'm trying to get the dang thing straight so I can keep rolling and not have to worry about more build up causing another brake failure or maybe bearing failure. As far as the cans go. I just don't want to lose any more hearing than I've already lost (or attract any unnecessary attention for the fuzz). I might give the FMF its shot as $400 really is chump change for half an exhaust system. Nothing compared to the 1.7k for the buell race exhaust or the 2k for the fmf full race set. Thanks for the feedback so far. Any more on the subject is appreciated. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I think the information is there...you just don't want to hear it at this point. You, and *one* other person so far, have experienced this. It's not "common", nor is it "the exhaust's fault". Could it be rider error? Sure. Could it be a bad caliper, totally on it's own accord? Yep. Could it be the exhaust? I'm gonna say not a chance, since - again - it's you and *one* other person who have had rear brake failure. And my advice for everyone out there - USE the rear brake. Letting it sit dormant can lead to sticking and operational problems, more than using it could. Use it, it stays free and active. That said...my rear brake works just fine. I bedded it in (the right way) and it will stop the bike with no problem. So do my tuber rear brakes. And my Ulysses. And I use 'em all. | ||
| D_adams |
There are others out there that have had the same thing happen. I'm one of them, I reported about it a long while back, it was last year some time. Totally smoked the rotor, pads and caliper. All replaced under warranty and I know for a FACT that I wasn't riding around with my foot on the rear pedal. It took maybe 50 miles to do that amount of damage, but the dealer took care of it right away. No problems since then either, at least 6k miles on it since. | ||
| Foxy |
i noticed that the rear brake pedal doesn't have a return spring as most bikes do so it is easy to "drag" the brake. Really poor quality. Usually i keep my rear brake pedal slightly high so that i need to physically move my foot to brake. It stops acting on instinct and locking the wheel if something like a deer runs out in front of me. My rear brake was sticking despite not riding in the salt, thats how i noticed there was no return spring on the lever. | ||
| Dktechguy112 |
"That said...my rear brake works just fine. I bedded it in (the right way) and it will stop the bike with no problem. So do my tuber rear brakes. And my Ulysses. And I use 'em all." how do you "bed in" the rear brake. I noticed that mine doesn't work very well, i'm wondering if there is something i need to do. | ||
| Pittsburgh_guy |
If you're in the market for an exhaust, I would wait until Al's shootout later this month as he will be testing most exhausts for the 1125R. Maybe then, with his results, you can make a more informative decision. As others have stated, I would look for something else other than FMF's slip on... Do a search I believe there's been 3 blown up last month. | ||
| Steeltech |
3 blown up? I haven't heard anyone say that yet. I heard 1 guy said it came cracked, but that's a shipping issue. I also heard one guy said the packing wore out pretty fast. Got links to the posts/threads? Really there are other pipes i like for fit, finish, and performance. The termignoni looks like a nice item, but it cost 1.1k. They offer a bolt in db killer that brings it down to 96 dB. Then there is Drummer for 1k. He offers no dB killer. Both boast a performance increase. The drummer however require repacking where as the termignoni I don't believe does. So for those two i'd get the term...if I want to drop 1k on a slip on. Anyone know a good place to find it cheaper? | ||
| 03fatboy |
I think with enough miles the carbon being blown from the exhaust onto the caliper and it is obvious that it does could quite possibly effect the operation the caliper. Part of the reason I bought the exhaust turn out, and not having to scrub that crap off the rim. | ||
| Usanigel |
I feel the exhaust "output" directed at the rear brake needs changing, can't be good for any "junk" to have a chance to buildup on the brakes or rim. The brakes on my 1125CR are far from balanced, lots of power from the front to the point of "must be gentle when using". Th rear brake is ineffective and takes loads of pressure to do anything, I find it hard to believe its working as intended! My other two bikes rear brakes will slow you down, not as effectively as the front, but they work with feeling and feed back. Triumph and Harley V-rod | ||
| Usanigel |
Steeltech I have ordered from the site you posted and no problems at all, more than few times.. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Bed them in like any other new pad/rotor setup - a series of medium-speed "panic" stops. Get 'em hot; release; get back up to speed, do it again; release; back up to speed; release. I do it five or six times every time I have new brakes, car or bike. Helps seat the pads and keeps them from "glazing" right off the bat. And yes, I can lock my rear brakes at will on any of the bikes. Progressive and when I WANT to...but they will all lock up if I tell them to. Now for brakes that seize...I've had front brakes do that. How'd that happen? There's no exhaust on a front brake! But, to read this thread...if a brake locks up, it has to be because of the exhaust. I don't argue there may have been brake failures...but there are not enough of them, nor are they similar enough to each other, to consider the blanket statement "the exhaust is doing it". And, proper fluid level / properly bled lines are all the "return spring" me and my size 13 steeltoes have ever needed. |
