Iffy back brake

[bikermike]

After reading the previous thread I decided to bite the bullet and ask....has anyone else had the misfortune to have intermittent rear brake effectiveness?
I have a '99 1150 GS 8K miles (yep..only 8K...and it looks mint!!) where was I???..oh yeah..I've noticed that a couple of times when I've gone to use the rear brake...theres been little braking action and I've had to resort to heavier front use to compensate, which has been....disconcerting??!! I've only had the bike three weeks and havn't noticed anything on the boards about this (apart from the ABS / servo brakes stuff), has anyone else had this happen, or have any sensible suggestions for curing this???

 

[Steptoe]

8k miles in 6 years - perhaps your pads have calcified

 

[bikermike]

Mmmmm!!

8k miles in 6 years - perhaps your pads have calcified

I should have guessed...OK...I have only just bought the bike, and the previous owner looks to have used it very infrequently, but kept it spotless, hence the mileage comments. Right....any more comments? advice preferred.

 

[Spout]

I think you'll need to give a more detail description of your problem.

Good pressure but bad braking means there's a pad / disc interface problem reducing friction. Has the past owner been a bit excessive with his polish?

A large brake lever movement but then good braking could point to a slightly warped disc or bulging brake lines/fluid problems.

I'd start by cleaning the caliper and bleeding the system.

Good luck................

 

[Steptoe]

I think you'll need to give a more detail description of your problem.

Thats why i gave a smart arse reply - not enough info -

Are you applying the rear brake so hard that the abs is working ?

very easy to do on the rear brake .

Also the previous owner may have been a good polisher, but was any "real" maintanence done to the bike in all those years i.e. brake fluid changed and the whole ABS system purged .

 

[Mick_rw]

I Had...

a similar probelm, when back brake applied it was as if there was nothing there, so took it to SPC, thinking my servo assist was not working on rear brakes, turned out to be glazed brake pads, once cleaned up worked great.

 

[bikermike]

More info.

Sorry folks, tried to be precise / brief, but forgot the vital stuff.... be gentle with me..I am new to GS ownership!!
Non-ABS model, so not that.
The problem has only occurred two-up 'cos thats been the majority of my riding on it so far. 99% of the time its working OK, but out of the blue, the rear decides to throw in the towel and theres hardly any feel and little or no braking.
Might strip the calipers this weekend and have fivepenneth worth of look-see, and if necessary, a new set of pads might be "summoned" from Steptoe Towers...LOL

 

[guitarman]

The rear brake on mine has always been shit. It'll hold me on a hill but is next to useless as a brake. My first set of pads lasted less than 6000 miles due to a sticking pin. The new set (with pins nicely coppaslipped) has been in for 2 years and 20,000 miles and when I took them out a couple of weeks ago to check and clean them there was virtually no wear so it shows how much I actually use the rear brake anyway.

I have to say that they've always been crap and it wasn't improved by changing the pads and fluid.

Cheers

Dick