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VTX 1300 Brake Issues

8K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  vtx13rider 
#1 ·
I have a 2007 VTX 1300C purchased brand new with 6700 miles on it. Recently, After being garaged all winter (Ohio weather) I pulled the bike out (about a month or two ago).

I did all the normal stuff, checked the oil which I had changed at the end of last season, checked all the fluids and everything appeared ok.

As I was riding to work I felt the bike start to bog down and initially thought I was having engine trouble. I pulled off into a parking lot with what felt like almost zero power thought the bike sounded like it was working VERY hard. After a quick inspection it looked like the front brake was trying to lock up. I limped the bike home using the rear brake and decided to look into it over the weekend.

I removed the front caliper and did some general clean up, the brakes looked fine so I put them back on and buttoned it up.

Last Tuesday I was riding home and the same thing started to happen. I pumped the front brake a bit but this was no help. I figured since I limped it home using the foot brake last time I would do the same this time.

This is where it gets interesting. When I tried to press the foot brake it was VERY stiff. It almost felt like it wasn't going to move. After I pressed it a couple time it finally went down and the foot brake worked. The bike immediately picked back up and started running like a champ. I stopped at the next light and looked at the rear brake rotor and it was black and gold from the heat being generated.

When this happened I was on a long stretch of road with approx 15 min of non-stop riding. I did not apply the foot brake at any point during the ride and had very little hand braking. I can't fathom an reason as to why the brake would be applied without my interaction.

Please help, I DON'T want the rear tire locking up while running down the interstate! I am sure none of us do.

Looking forward any help I can get.
 
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#2 ·
It sounds like the caliper pistons are not retracting back into the caliper, which dirt and grime can be the cause. My rear caliper's piston was doing this and so I squirted some white lithium grease near the piston and "worked" it in with the rear brake pedal until it was back to normal. I would actually use some silicone spray with one of those long straws attached to the can's nozzle...white lithium grease was probably not the best thing to use. But that was a long time ago and the problem has not resurfaced since then. In your case, do both the front and rear calipers. Carefully direct and squirt the silicone near the pistons...and try to keep it off of painted surfaces just in case.

And welcome to the addiction! :congrats:
 
#3 ·
:agree:That should help. The service maunual says to use silicone grease on the seals and put some brake fluid on the pistons before inserting them when rebuilding the caliper. :dontknow: At this point, you could use some brake cleaner and brake fluid on the pistons. Push them back in after cleaning and lubing to get them sliding again. A word of caution: brake fluid eats paint...real fast.
 
#4 ·
Could there also be a problem with the cylinder not retracting on the master cylinder. I wonder what position the brake pedal was in when it wouldnt move????All the back or towards the bottom???
 
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