Guide to Motorcycle Brakes Maintenance
The brakes on your motorcycles are a crucial part of the machine and have to keep functioning smoothly to ensure that you stay safe on the road. There are plenty of bike brake maintenance steps you can take without needing a specialized set of tools. Before you begin, always consult your owner’s manual to ensure you know any specific recommendations or suggestions for your model.
At Cycles of Jacksonville, we like to help our patrons take good care of their bikes with some simple DIY tasks. Read on to learn how to maintain your brakes or if you need professional motorcycle service and repair in Jacksonville, FL, get in touch with us and talk to one of our trained technicians. If you’re looking for motorcycles for sale in Orlando or St. Augustine, our sales staff are always happy to assist you!
NOTE: When working on your bike, make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area so you don’t breathe in fumes and dust. Keep your eyes covered for the same reason. For cleaning, use a rag and spray brake cleaner instead of an air blow gun. Be careful when working with brake fluid as it can harm the paint on your bike if it makes contact. Wash off with water quickly if that happens.
Pulsing Brakes
When you use your brakes and feel them pulse, you need to get down to some motorcycle maintenance. Brakes tend to pulse when they’re dragged or used heavily. This makes their discs become overheated, which then get warped. It’s possible to fix this, but it’s often a better option to simply replace the warped rotors. They can be a bit expensive but if you shop around, you will come across some cheaper options. Also, before you change the rotors make sure it’s not sticking caliper sliders and pistons that are causing the problem.
Squealing Brakes
Sometimes when you brake hard, your motorcycle brakes might emit a squeaky, grinding noise. This occurs when the brake linings get worn out. As they start to wear down, the caliper pistons start to extend, which lowers your brake fluid levels. Check your brake pads with a flashlight. You can even take them out to examine the thickness. This is why there are patterns on them, so you can see how much they’ve worn down.
Other times your brakes will start to squeal if the brake pads start to vibrate in their calipers. If that’s the case, you should remove and sand both the pads and rotor(s) with a 120-grit emery cloth and then apply an anti-squeal product to the back of the brake pads. Then replace them properly. This should reduce the squealing sounds and improve performance while braking.
Wearing Out Quickly
If you notice that the brake pads on your motorcycle begin to wear out too fast, your caliper piston or a slider may be sticking. You should clean and lubricate any slides and pivot points before applying a high-temperature silicone brake grease. If your bike has floating calipers, you should unbolt them to check and replace brake pads. Remove the caliper bolts and slip the caliper off to get to work.
If you’re planning to remove the old pads, first gently pray them to push the pistons back. If the pistons stay in place, you might have to get the caliper rebuilt or replaced. If you push the pistons, you can end up causing the master cylinder reservoir to overflow. To avoid this, connect a small hose to the bleeder and let it drain in a can. Open the bleeder just as you start to pry and close it as soon as the piston is retracted.
Bleeding Brakes
With time and use, your brake fluid will end up absorbing moisture, which reduces the performance. This fluid should be replaced every year or two depending on how frequently you use it. You can get a small brake bleeding kit and keep a can/bucket ready to catch the fluid. You should never let your brake fluid get too dark. Before you begin, keep in mind that brake fluid can damage plastic and paint so cover those areas of your motorcycle and have a rag ready to wipe it off anything it gets on.
Connect the bleeding kit to the brake fluid nipple on the brake caliper. Then loosen the nipple so the fluid can begin to drain into your can. Remove the master cylinder cap to refill brake fluid into the master cylinder as you bleed the brakes. Keep this level up and pump the lever until you see the drained fluid become clear. Ensure there are no air bubbles and then maintain pressure on the brake level and re-tighten the brake fluid nipple. Replace the cylinder cap and remove your bleeding kit.
Hopefully, this information will help you take care of minor brake maintenance at home. If you want to learn more or need professional motorcycle service and repair, contact Cycles of Jacksonville to get expert bike care. We welcome all our friends who are looking for motorcycles for sale in Jacksonville, Orlando and St. Augustine!