I am gelling with the Daytona after a shaky start (needs new tyres, and a bigger set of balls for the rider), but the thing that's really bugging me right now are the brakes. They worrrrk. Sort of. But the lever is coming most of the way back to the bars before they apply. With summer gloves this might not be such an issue but with my thicker winter gloves they just aren't contacting well enough. And yep, I've got the the lever adjusted for the furthest reach. Apart from braided lines, are there any other ways I could improve the bite point and feel?
When you leave it overnight (or longer), pull the brake on as hard as you can and then hold the brake lever in place for the duration with a tie wrap/bungee cord/knicker elastic/ string/ rope etc - you choose - and see if it has improved. This often works as if by magic. Or you could just bleed the system. Both methods have worked for me in the past.
I'll try bleeding first. Maybe it is because all my other bikes have braideds and Im just not used to rubber hoses now. I know how much difference braideds did on my trackbike. Cheers!
Unless they've been changed you WILL have braided hoses, though they might not look it. I would change the brake fluid so it's up to date and bled at the same time.
Oh, they're stealth braideds? I have to admit, i was surprised when I saw them. Right, I'll bleed the little bleeders. HH pads too, the bike has been sitting 18 months, maybe the pads have degraded.
If you pump the lever does it improve? if so then deffo needs a bleed, I'd change the fluid as a matter of course, but also is there an adjuster grub screw that the lever depresses on, this might want half a turn out, or more. It goes onto a plunger in the reservoir. Also make sure the pads in the caliper move freely and the pistons are free
The brakes are free, they're fine. The roundy thing on the lever is as far out as it will go. Not really tried pumping it, I'll give that a go, but I may as well bleed anyway.
I'm not talking about the round lever travel adjuster, all my bikes have an adjuster on the plunger that the lever presses on, I'm trying to find you a schematic of what I mean, does it have aftermarket levers fitted?
Yes. Only time it has so much pull is when there's air in the system or failing that a nice bulge in the flexi hose!!
Or if the fluid level is very low,had that on my bike recently,mmmmm, not too long after having it serviced,topped up and all ok again.
I was just about to say that Triumph have braided hoses on them as original equipment - if postings elsewhere (different forum?) are to be believed. Okay, they don't look like it, but ..... Then I read thebiglad's post (up there somewhere^). I'd forked out for and fitted Goodridge hoses on my Trident, and then found out the above! My inner Yorkshireman spent several weeks sulking and kicking any neighbours cat he could find. Even finding out several years after fitting didn't seem to placate the miserable old sod!
When you bleed them, there may also be a bleed nipple near the master cylinder/brake lever. When I changed the oil on my bike I didn't realise straight away and couldn't get anymore air from the calipers. Then I found the nipple near the brake lever and there was only a little pop of air that came out but the result was very solid and responsive brakes.
There are a few tricks to bleeding bike brakes. Because in relative terms the master cylinder is much higher on a bike than a car and the master cylinder is much smaller & moves tiny amounts of fluid's relative to a cars, the first thing to do is slowly slowly pump the lever, release bleed nipple after several pumps and then quickly re tighten, refilling reservoir regularly, it may take many repeats before lever goes hard on application. If this work's but the system never quite gets to that fully hard feel, do stevethegoolies trick pump until it goes as hard as it's going to get and then tie off the lever, leave it for several hours !! This works because gases under pressure act the same as bubbles @ great depth in the ocean, they expand as they rise! This causes them to flow back up to the reservoir! Now the next trick you need rags wrap them about/near the banjo union at the master cylinder out line, pump lever and when hard release/loosen banjo let air out directly from the cylinder. Do all of this slowly moving the lever,(rapid pumping can ruin the rubber's in the MC piston and cup) slowly allows fluids to lubricate everywhere that requires it. And slow movements encourages air to move in singular/large bubbles. Rather than smashing the air into broken up smaller bubbles which takes more repeated pumps to get out. So key word is Slowly. It's quicker in the end game.
On my Hyperstrada the manual states that pushing back the brake calliper pistons, purges any air trapped in the ABS system that normal bleeding wont shift. There has been a lot of talk on the forum about this too, spongy brake lever and double pump issue, resolved by following the piston push back procedure and also cable tying the lever back over night after bleeding. Not sure if your bike has ABS but hope this helps.
I found that HH pads on my old girl (Sprint 900) worked great as a stopper but I had judder and vibration from them after a few weeks so went back to my ,not so good stoppers, ceramic pads. No more judder.
HH really need to be kept warm to work right. I have them on my trackbike and theyre great... not so great on the Guzzi. The brake feels consistent, and works OK, just seems to pull a looooong way before activating. Im off tomorrow so Im going to bleed the system and try the plunger adjustment.
I completely forgot to. I have to pop out today, will get some fluid and bleed them hopefully next week. Im not in a massive dash, not riding anywhere much in this weather anyway!
