Poor brakes....

[bikermike1411]

Right...
From memory I didn't have any braking issues whatsoever on my last storm.. This one just doesn't want to stop...at all. Theres no bite at the lever and with the span adjuster right out the lever still comes almost back to the bar...... They work, but you've gotta pull hard and panic braking isn't an option....

Positives....

1. I've replaced the pads with OEM honda ones
2. I've bled the system, using an 'ezee bleed' valve at the caliper end. No more air seems to want to come out. Ideally i'd bleed them backwards, using a syringe to force fluid back to the master cylinder, but the kit's at my old man's, which is in Blackburn, and i'm not....
3. I bunjeed the lever back to the bar overnight to allow any small air bubbles to work upwards - a *slight* improvement but nothing to shout about.

Negatives...

1. Overspray on the disc surfaces from when I sprayed the disc rims might have contaminated the pads when I scrubbed them in - they don't appear glazed though.
2. The discs have a small amount of pitting, but they're not worn or scored.
3. The brake lines are now over 10 years old, but i've never subscribed to the idea that they deteriorate that badly.

Short of stripping the calipers and rebuilding them with new seals (at great expense) what can I do? How good are your brakes? Has anyone got a set of braided hoses they'd like to sell to me (cost allowing!)?

[warby221]

If im understanding you right you have a good firm leaver and you are having to pull excessively hard on the brakes to get any type of bite off them

If this is right then it sounds like the brakes are contaminated with some thing
The usual suspect is carbon from some thing being burnt off with the heat the disks generate I.e., the over spray has now been burnt off turn to carbon and is acting like a lubricant
Best thing to do is give the disks a good clean using some think like cellulose thinners
Things like gunk can leave a film behind so there best avoided
Unfortunately your new OME pads could well be contaminated too so will probably need changing you could try cleaning them with thinners to on the face of them let them dry then go over them with some rough sand paper be careful not to breath any of the dust in
You’ll need to bead the pads I again so go carefully for the first few stops

If on the other hand the leaver is springy and not firm then you probably still have air in the brake system and need to bleed them again first thing to do is bin that easy bleed pipe there utter crap only used one once bleed the brake 3 time each time there was air in it.
The only type of mechanical bleeders I would recommend are the ones that force fluid in at the master cylinder or a vacuum one that sucks it out at the bleed nipple
Rip the valve of the end and do it the old fashion way

You need a helper or at a push the Mrs

Place the spanner on the bleed nipple then attaché what’s left of the easy bleed pipe
Now get your helper to pull the brake lever in and hold it with a bit of pressure on it
Release the bleed nipple and let the fluid run in to a jar “you did put the end of the pipe in to a jar didn’t you” you will feel the pressure fall off and the lever move back to the bar hold the lever there and retighten the bleed nipple then you can release the lever repeat till no air bubbles come out.

[bikermike1411]

Cheers Warby! Just after I posted I went back out and did it the old fashioned way - including ripping the anti-return valve off the end and using the pipe that remains. It's nice to know someone else thinks in the same light as me! Also discovered that a B+Q bucket (99p) is a perfect height for resting my brake fluid coffee jar on, allowing single person brake bleeding! RH caliper is easier than the left, but got there in the end!

Didn't use solvents but I did give the pad faces a serious sanding. I also 'blocked-off' three pistons in each caliper in rotation and pumped out the remaining one (not all the way, of course!). One piston in the RH caliper seemed very lazy, but a bit keener once they'd been pumped and pushed back in a few times. I know brake dust is to be expected, but the insides of the calipers were thick with the stuff. I agree that It's likely that the overspray has burned and remained behind and that the pads may well be contaminated. I wouldn't have thought solvent would remove carbon deposits - but i'm thinking that more sanding might be the way forward!

[warby221]

Sorry if I went over the top with the instructions you never know how much mechanical savvy people have when they post on here so try to cover step by step

Seems you have it well under control their m8y hopefully there sorted now

[Kitch]

Nice post there - will come in handy for the next "brakes feel a bit iffy" post to point to here. Also, I might give mine a good going over as I need to put new pads in soon anyway.

That said, I can defimitely vouch for upgraded brakes - GSXR 6 pots and SP1 master on mine and if I squeeze hard I'm lucky if my eyes dont fall out.

(cost less than 100 quid too for everything - though I shelled out on top of that to get Roger to fit mine)

[adfski]

That said, I can defimitely vouch for upgraded brakes - GSXR 6 pots and SP1 master on mine and if I squeeze hard I'm lucky if my eyes dont fall out.

Do them gsxr6 pots fit straight on to the storm mounts kitch? What models can you upgrade from with a straight switch?

If all this is in another thread - sorry for being useless.

[Beast]

GSXR1000 K1/K2 2001/2002 model only will bolt straight on as far as i know.
2003 onwards are radial so will not fit.