(PBR, Curling, Crak 600) I'm an idiot : Motorcycle Brakes!!!!!!!!!!

[patsfan1379]

So I got my brand spankin new R1 on Saturday.

I noticed the front brake fluid level was a bit low, so I decided to top it off.

Things I did wrong.

1. Topped it off too high.
2. Noticed AFTER I filled it I used DOT3 fluid and the recommended was DOT4.

The price I paid:

Front wheel lockup at 25 mph (thank god) no drop no crash.

You wanna feel the power of sheer adrenaline? A co-worker of mine was thankfully behind me, he pulled over and i picked up the front of the 375lb. bike while he sat and balanced it, and I dragged it close to 50 yards by myself.

Fucking insane.

So for the biker guys, here is my question.

Brake lever felt spongy in the morning on the way to work. At lunch it seemed a little stiffer, everything seemed normal, then WHAM! lockup.

After lockup the brake lever wouldnt budge, it was fucking stiff as hell. It seemed like a bit of brake fluid had disappeared. I left the bike down the street for two hours, and after the rotors seemed to cool the calipers released a bit and the front wheel would rotate a good bit.

Anyone have any idea WTF I did wrong?!!!!!

 

[patsfan1379]

^^

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Your calipers could be sticking. If the bike is brand spanking new, take it back to the dealership and tell them what happened. They assemble the bikes when they arrive and there could still be air in the lines. I wouldn't mess with it at all considering it's brand new and still under warranty.

As far as I know, the only difference between DOT 3 and 4 is the amount of heat it can take and still function properly.

So those are my 2 guesses without messing with the bike myself - sticky caliper or air still in the brake lines. It could also be a bad master cylinder.

Dealership - STAT!

Good luck and glad to hear you're ok.

 

[patsfan1379]

sorry, i should have said it was new to me, actually it is an '01 R1.

Would air in the lines cause them to lock up like that?

 

[CENTURION44]

sounds like you got air in the lines....just bleed it thru and fill it up correctly....whenever you add..you have to bleed the lines......

 

[Buddy_Christ]

sorry, i should have said it was new to me, actually it is an '01 R1.

Would air in the lines cause them to lock up like that?

Air in the lines can do funny things. You can have spongy brakes one minute, stiff the next, failure the next, lockup the next....

Unless you've got one of the vaccuum pumps to get the air out of the lines, you'll have to bleed them manually. Do you know how to bleed brakes? I won't go into an explanation if you already do. I will say this, you are going to want to open the bleeders a little, open the master cylinder, and keep pouring fluid in while it leaks out steadily. That'll help get the air out before you even go to bleed them.

You can also try removing the calipers and send all the pistons back into place, see if they all go with ease when you clamp them and crack open the bleeder. Again, I'll go more indepth if you need the explanation. Might not get to you on it til tomorrow though, I've got shit to work on tonight.

 

[mr.linky]

Im a bike junky, and all that is (like everyone has said) its just air in the lines. Just bleed them all the way through and filler back up with DOT4 fluid..

Andru

Enjoy and ride safe

 

[curling]

Dang patsfan. I had the same problem with my chopper. I can give you a hint for a temporary fix. Keep the tool that bleeds your brakes under your seat so you can release the pressure so you won't be stranded on the road.

The only way I got my problem fixed was to actually replace the master cylinder and the caliper. It sucks because you have to 2 calipers to replace instead of one. But man, I had it repaired, bled whatever three times. And I got sick of sitting on the side of the road. I don't see how the dot3 could hurt so bad anyway but I wouldn't trust those breaks anymore. I mean what if you were doing 150 or so when that happened.

 

[Buddy_Christ]

Im a bike junky, and all that is (like everyone has said) its just air in the lines. Just bleed them all the way through and filler back up with DOT4 fluid..

Andru

Enjoy and ride safe

Maybe it's air in the lines, maybe it's a stuck piston. He won't know for certain until he checks it out.

 

[genarr3]

Lots of things . . .
Bad brake hoses - interior swollen not allowing fluid to return to the master
Sticking caliper
Bad master cylinder - swollen seals (same as hoses but less likely)

Unlikely there's air in the system; this would give you a spongy brake lever, not lock your brakes.
Considering this is a motorcycle and your front brake not working could easily get you killed or maimed change the front brake hoses and calipers. That would be the prudent thing to do.

DO NOT ride the bike until this is fixed.