The front brakes on the tracer always felt a bit spongy and didn't really inspire.. At all! I could easily pull the lever almost all the way in to the grip on all but the widest setting.. Being a new bike I never really though much of it, they worked well enough to bring it to a halt quick sharp so I just rode on, I assumed it was just the way the Tracer was!
Recently I changed the front tyre, a simple enough job with the right tools. Some soapy water, a Givi S450 repair kit (for the CO2 bottles) and a pair of motion pro bead breakers/levers (which are really worth the investment). 15 Minutes later tyre all changed, bead popped on, inflated to 30 lb good enough to ride to the nearest petrol station. I reassemble the front end and pump the brakes back up (take up the clear space twixt the pads and discs), scoot off across the car park but when I brake the lever pulls all the way in to the grip and no braking occurs. A couple of pumps gets them working again but a tad bit further down the road the same shit happens again.. This is proper scary.. After a bit of messing around I whip the calipers back off and squish the pads and pistons all the way in then pump them back out, in, out, in, out, in, out... About 5 or 10 times each side..
This is the best part!
Now the brakes feel like I expected them to feel.. They actually grab quick and I can stop in half the distance! The front end dive is a bit harsh and I've never noticed that before because the brakes have NEVER worked properly! This basically means the pistons in the calipers have ALWAYS been like this since I first got the bike! I'll be stripping and cleaning them over this weekend.
This is the level of service I have come to expect from dealers these days.. Can't even PRI and road test a bike properly. Thinking about this the back brake feels a bit weak too, I really have to stomp on it to have any effect, could this be suffering the same "sticky piston" problem!
Anyway, a question! 4 pot calipers are supposed to move in unison aren't they? IE; all 4 pots should move in and out when you brake?
Recently I changed the front tyre, a simple enough job with the right tools. Some soapy water, a Givi S450 repair kit (for the CO2 bottles) and a pair of motion pro bead breakers/levers (which are really worth the investment). 15 Minutes later tyre all changed, bead popped on, inflated to 30 lb good enough to ride to the nearest petrol station. I reassemble the front end and pump the brakes back up (take up the clear space twixt the pads and discs), scoot off across the car park but when I brake the lever pulls all the way in to the grip and no braking occurs. A couple of pumps gets them working again but a tad bit further down the road the same shit happens again.. This is proper scary.. After a bit of messing around I whip the calipers back off and squish the pads and pistons all the way in then pump them back out, in, out, in, out, in, out... About 5 or 10 times each side..
This is the best part!
Now the brakes feel like I expected them to feel.. They actually grab quick and I can stop in half the distance! The front end dive is a bit harsh and I've never noticed that before because the brakes have NEVER worked properly! This basically means the pistons in the calipers have ALWAYS been like this since I first got the bike! I'll be stripping and cleaning them over this weekend.
This is the level of service I have come to expect from dealers these days.. Can't even PRI and road test a bike properly. Thinking about this the back brake feels a bit weak too, I really have to stomp on it to have any effect, could this be suffering the same "sticky piston" problem!
Anyway, a question! 4 pot calipers are supposed to move in unison aren't they? IE; all 4 pots should move in and out when you brake?