My brake pedal goes down easily but won’t return. As long as the pedal is down the rear brake applies. I bleed the system. (it hadn’t been done in 3 years). A lot of dark fluid came out. I removed the pedal unit with piston and refill tank and disassembled and cleaned everything including the pivot for the pedal and put it back together. Could it be the return spring for the pedal is shot?
Also Where can I get a real shop manual for my bike? I bought a Honda manual that covers maybe a dozen different bikes and is about 200 pages. Just enough to get me in trouble! Thanks.
I had the same thing happen recently, and I just carefully squirted some lithium grease around the piston and it solved the problem. Try not to get too much in there...you only need a little.
I had thought it was something with the brake pedal, so I took the whole thing apart and cleaned it really well. But it didn't solve it. The piston probably had a bunch of brake dust built up inside the caliper housing.
Thanks guys for the immediate responses. I'll try the grease and the website for the info. This just goes to show the fine class of people this bike attracts. MR VTX I'll be getting back to checking your bike out a little closes. Very Sweet. I can learn a thing or two on improvement on mine.
Also Where can I get a real shop manual for my bike? I bought a Honda manual that covers maybe a dozen different bikes and is about 200 pages. Just enough to get me in trouble! Thanks.
I had the same thing happen recently, and I just carefully squirted some lithium grease around the piston and it solved the problem. Try not to get too much in there...you only need a little.
I had thought it was something with the brake pedal, so I took the whole thing apart and cleaned it really well. But it didn't solve it. The piston probably had a bunch of brake dust built up inside the caliper housing.
I'm sure it is, but where I squirted the white lithium grease there were no rubber parts, other than the rubber o-ring inside the caliper where the piston slides.
I had the same issue with my 04 1300c and it ended up being the heat shield on the front pipe of my Cobra pipes was right up against the brake pedal where it pivots.
Be careful with solvent based lube in spray cans.
Caliper piston seal in the bore is sensitive to anything but brake fluid and can swell locking the piston in place.
You'll be better off pushing pistons out, cleaning the bore, o-ring groove, and polish pistons to new condition.
The O-ring also acts as return spring, as it pulls the caliper piston back.
There cannot be any foreign matter bonded on the piston in the way of this action.
Teflon / silicone grease works well (non-spray) during assembly,
and helps keep moisture out.
If replacing pads, do not simply push pistons in to make space.
This is what ingests rust, dirt into piston seal.
Push them part way out first to make sure pistons are fully clean 360.
Then apply lube and push them in.
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