| Author | Message | ||
     Impala |
My 99 X1 rear brake is horrible. I replaced the fluid with DOT 5 (per the cap) and installed new pads. I have bled the system many times with a Mighty Vac which worked like a charm on the front. The brake pedal did not improve at all. If I press quite hard on the pedal it will slow the bike down but not by much. A search did not help much. So a few questions. The old fluid was honey colored and the new was purple. What color is DOT 5 normally? Also the pedal does not change pressure under any circumstances. Possibly the master cylinder? Thanks! | ||
| Grovskopa |
Mine is also useless, but it is only used for wheelieng anyway ;) | ||
| Littlebuggles |
The rear brake is pretty much useless, I took a safety class when I bought my bike and they wanted me to lock up the rear, I had to stand on the thing to do it. I have since put a braided line on the bike and it improved things. I don't recall the color DOT 5 should be, but most fluids become more brown to black as they age. | ||
| Mick |
I've got an 02 cyclone and it specifies Dot 4 fluid? Also I had the same problem, I took out the Pin that the caliper moves on, greased it up and problem solved. I think it was sticking and not allowing the caliper to move as it should. | ||
| Warlizard |
Buell now recommends Dot 4. Early models came with Dot 5. My rear brake has been pretty much non existant since new. Not much you can do. Though cleaning the pin like Mick said certainly wouldn't hurt. You could upgrade to the 4 piston PM, not cheap. What I did was put the Lyndall gold pads on the rear while keeping sintered up front. Now I at least have some rear brake. | ||
| Grovskopa |
Still don't understand what you want rear brake for? In my opinion using rear brake is just dangerous and nothing else. | ||
| Mick |
You can trail a bit of rear brake while cornering, helps the bike turn in. | ||
| Impala |
I understand the single piston caliper is not the best for stopping the bike but I would at least expect it to work. It is useful for cornering and general stopping. A bike will stop faster with 2 brakes instead of 1. I was just thinking possibly the master cylinder because I thought the pedal should at least have resistance and be able to build pressure... | ||
| Langperf |
The only time I found the rear brake useful was while test riding my buddys HD Road King, I grabbed a handful of front brake and squeezed with all my might and the thing was barely slowing down, I then jumped on the rear brake and it helped bring it to a stop(what a pig)I guess if your bike is so big and heavy and your front brakes are so pathetic, you'll need a good rear brake to help stop you. On the buell. 2 fingers on the front an I can lift the rear wheel, not much point in a massive rear brake | ||
| Jos51700 |
The color change is normal. THe bottled DOT 5 is purple, the OE fill is amber. Perfectly normal for HD and Buell. All tubie's rear brakes are weak. It's intentional, normal, if you have a little, everything sounds, well, right. It may not be right for you, but it's like it was supposed to be. | ||
| Langperf |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZFpIpaFMlc&feature =related Good HD rear brake video ...lol | ||
| Fullauto |
Dot 4 after '99. I've got race pads and a Braking Wave disc. It's still crap. Never use it anyway. | ||
| Langperf |
"I thought the pedal should at least have resistance and be able to build pressure..." Impala...you are right ... the pedal should have resistance and the master should build pressure} | ||
| Djkaplan |
Good for you guys who offered help with the problem. I use the rear brake in lots of situations and consider its proper function important. If you're sure the system is free of air (bleed it a couple times) I'd take the pads out and see if the piston is actually moving when you apply the pressure to the pedal. If it doesn't move and you can't push it back in, it' probably frozen in the caliper. If the piston moves in its bore, check further up in the system. If the master-cylinder can push fluid out and the pedal still feels weak, inspect the brake line for ballooning. As far as rear brake usage, there are plenty of pros that give the rear brake quite a workout in racing situations. Some tuners even put larger discs on the rear for their riders and some riders use thumb levers to give them even more options for rear brake usage. Disregard its use at your own disgression. A good rider (and racer) will use all the tools at hand to their greatest advantage; not limit them. | ||
| Ducxl |
Hear,here! My X1 is my favorite in my fleet,even though not the fanciest. Good rear brake,too.I employ a Mity-Vac | ||
| Cyclonemduece |
yeah i am with duc, a mity vac will be a welcomed addition to any mans tool box. | ||
| Impala |
Well I think I got it figured out. I think the new pads had to seat a little and I tapped the system lightly because I read that air can get trapped in the switch area. I can now lock the rear tire if I really wanted to. Not the greatest rear brake I have used but it works fine by my standards now. BTW the Mighty Vac rocks. I split the front caliper and could not get it to bleed. A trip to the auto store and 10 minutes later it was done. Shoulda' bought one years ago. $30 to save hours is fine by me! | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
I have a wave rotor and Lyndalls. Have followed all advice given here ( on another thread long ago) and neither love nor hate the rear brakes. Find them useful in setting up the suspension for corners and slowing when necessary. Left alone they do become quite useless. Given the little attention they require, work just fine. I would never tell anyone to abandon them, merely show them what it takes to make them work properly. Your on the right path Impala. I love this place, dont you? | ||
| Bad_karma |
Have you guy ever seen Keith Codes video? Has a short take on brakes that is interesting. Joe |
