????? Spongy Front Brakes ?????

[Fixitbaz]

I have been working on the R3 over the last couple of months having some painting and chroming done. I stripped and had the callipers powder coated and when rebuilding them I fitted new seals in the callipers and master cylinder.

The problem is I can't remember how they felt before I stripped them down. I have bled them with dot 4 fluid and upgraded the hose to braided Goodrich hoses.

When I pull the front lever the brakes start to engage instantly but they still feel a bit Spongy. In the manual its says they should not feel spongy and the lever should not be able to be pulled back to the bar.

HOW HARD SHOULD YOU PULL IT ????. If I pull it I can get it to touch the bar but if my wife or daughter pulls it they can't get it to touch the bar

I have checked them for air and any leaks and all is fine. So am I losing the plot here :kk::kk::kk: or is there something wrong with the brakes

Cheers
Barry

 

[HellFire]

They should really be pressure bled with a vaccula system. Getting all the air out with the standard pump and bleed method is not effective with multi piston systems.

 

[TOMCAT]

Thanks for that advice...i'm just about to have spare set of calipers anodised silver... so good to know.

 

[Captain Bob]

I had the same issue with my previous 05 Rocket standard. I had OK brakes but the lever was always soft. I bled the brake several times, could never get the solid feeling it is supposed to have. I even went as far as getting a rebuild kit for the master cylinder but never installed it. A Honda Accord ended the life of my old R3. My new R3T does nto have that issue. I still have the rebuild kit if you are interested.

 

[atomsplitter]

It is possible to use the standard bleed method to get the last of the air out but it requires a lot of DOT fluid. The key is doing a slow return of the lever to full out to allow the fluid time to fill the piston chamber without drawing in more air. Bleed the left caliper first, then the right side. You can also use a spray bottle nozzle with the trigger rubber banded back and the hose end over the bleed port. The check valve in the sprayer housing should prevent air going back up the line. I've used that and it works pretty fair.

The vacuum method works better because it evacuates the air before filling with fluid.

 

[Rayvin]

Yeah Baz, take a trip to a local auto parts place and pick up a mityvac. Well worth the time and relatively small cost if you do any brake work at all. Works well for hydraulic clutch work, too, if you have anything in the garage running those (my '92 vmax comes to mind).