Notchy Front Brake

Evening all. Seems my bike has developed a small issue. When pulling in the front brake it isn't
smooth like it should be but feels a bit 'notchy'. I can't really describe it any other way... The
lever seems to jump in little bits at a time. Makes stopping in a hurry kinda interesting...

Does anyone have any (useful) suggestions of things I should look at?

Thanks

Aaron
'02 ZX6R

 

warped disk

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 09 Jun 2004 20:13:12 +1000

Try greasing your brake lever pivot, and make sure that everything is
straight and moves freely and isn't binding.

Another possiblity is a problem with the master cylinder seal, although
that's not all that likely.

Zebee

 

Gidday,

I had the same thing when I bought the CBR600 second hand.

SCM Lane Cove told me it was the front disks warped. $350 we'll take em off,
send em to Melbourne and be back in a week.

Took the bike to Freedom M/C in Brookvale, It's your chain, dead dry. It has
a tight spot in it.
He lubed it for free, got a little better, but still not good.

I went back to Brookvale and had a new chain fitted. $160. Problem fixed.

I could only feel the jerky braking on the front brake not the rear, and
only at slower speeds. Like pulling up the lights.

 

I should mention it also happens when pulling the lever in when the bike is stopped. I can't imagine
it is warped disks or a dodgy chain.

Gunna check it's all straight (should be, hasn't been dropped) and chuck a bit of lube around and
hope for the best. Worst case there is a service mob who have moved in right behind work, might see
how good they are...

BTW bike is a late '02 with about 13k on the clock.

Aaron
ZX6R

 

Well there's your problem... probably seized up from lack of use.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R

 

Well Nev, not everyone requests the factory option 17 digit odometer when
they order their bikes.

 

Fixdit.

A bit o lube on the lever pivot and she's just like new again. Zebee strikes again.

It might be an idea for me to go over the bike and lube any bits that require lubing. What do people
suggest for a general purpose lube (aside from KY)?


Aaron
ZX6R

 

Aaron, I wasn't going to mention it because our bikes are so totally
different but I had EXACTLY this same problem on my XJ.
It got quite dangerous sometimes as the suspension's so soft on the Yam
that it would really upset the attitude of the bike if you crossed that
"notch" while easing on the brakes while changing direction.
I tried greasing the pivots etc. but I think there was something in the
bore of the master cylinder causing the problem.

It would go away for a while if I bled the crap out of the system or left
it overnight with the lever tied in to the grip but it always came back.
I put in new pads and I even put new cups and seals into the
master-cylinder but all fixes were only ever temporary.

My eventual fix (so far still holding) was to get braided steel lines.
Now the braking system is so stiff that the lever never gets in far enough
to encounter the "notch". (But my old lines were 18yo and would visibly
swell when you squeezed them [like most 18yos I know...] so I was happy to
change the lines anyway and the "fix" was just a bonus).

I think I need a new master-cylinder or, at the least, the old one honed.
Clem

 

**** **** **** **** ****!!!!!
I just wrote a whole epistle about how it wasn't the lever pivot!
****!
Clem

 

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
'81 Suzuki GS450-s
'87 BMW K100RT

www.dmcsc.org.au

 

Heh. This is getting to be a habit, Clem.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Thu, 10 Jun 2004 18:24:59 +1000

Depends....

For things like cable nipples I use moly grease, because I had to buy a
tub of it for something years ago, and you don't go through that stuff
very quickly!

I also have a can of graphite spray which I use on things I can't get
the grease to, or for cables.

I don't use WD40, it's not a lube it's a water displacer.

Zebee

 

*THREE!* ah ah ah, *THREE MISTAKES ON USENET!*

;-)

big (I _love_ to count...)

 

How about chain lube? I have tins of the stuff.

Aaron
ZX6R

 

In aus.motorcycles on Sat, 12 Jun 2004 10:06:32 +1000

I don't, so have no idea!

I think it's probably too runny to stick around, so not much use for
cable nipples and lever pivots, but probably fine for lubing cables.

Zebee

 

WD40 is also a lube albeit a light one but still lubicates.

 

That's what I use on the lever pivots. Works well. Also works well in
the bonnet catch of the Fairlane, but that's another story ...

Rusty

 

Interesting. Is that liquid, or powder?

Gary

--
Wealth without Work
Pleasure without Conscience
Science without Humanity
Knowledge without Character
Politics without Principle
Commerce without Morality
Worship without Sacrifice

The Seven Deadly Sins of M.K. Gandhi

 

In aus.motorcycles on 18 Jun 2004 19:55:37 +1000

Aerosol, liquid. (I dunno you have have a powder spray)

Got it years ago at a bike shop, never seen another can.

Zebee