Judder from front brake

[scapaflyer]

Hi guy, I have just taken delivery of my 99 plate VTR and on the whole I am over the moon with it.
However there is one problem that needs to be sorted, that is the fact that under slow speed braking there is is a judder from the front end, as if there is play in something.
There is no judder when braking from high higher speeds, there is no play in the headstock and seems to be none in the forks, also there is no pulsing in the lever when braking.
The fork seals were done just before I bought the bike and I assume the oil was changed at the same time, but I feel that the front end maybe a little soft.
I am interested in any help you can give both with the judder and the best way to set up the front end.
Many thanks in advance.
Mick
Scapaflyer

[bsabloke]

Hi & welcome to the mad house.
Sound like you could have a problem with a warped front disc. Some other things to check but eliminate that first. Plenty of info about for you to digest. Keep us posted how you get on.
Add your location to your details. Local people may help you

[lloydie]

Hello and welcome . Check play in the brake pads and give them a good clean up .
Free up the disc bobbins too . Yes the forks are soft as standard this you can fix with a nice new set of weighted linear springs :-)
Or send the forks off to revolution racing for a good tinker and from what other members have said it's a right good mod

[Wicky]

Greetinngs

Check the workshop forums for front end set up and refurb. If you can afford it get the forks Rogered* to get them optimised for how you ride and your weight etc.

Also download the Honda service manual PDF from the workshop knowledgebase and go through your front end/braking component/systems methodically to ensure they are all within spec. When the fork seals were replaced were the bushes done as well?

*Roger Ditchfield at Revolution Racing > http://www.revolutionuk.co.uk

[scapaflyer]

Thanks for the speedy replies guys, it looks like one problem maybe that none of the bobbins are free in the disks.
How do you guys free then up without damaging them, I was thinking to put a nut and bolt through them and use it to turn them, or will this compress them.
Cheers and thanks for the welcome

[lloydie]

That will work well and use brake cleaner to spray in them while turning

[Miztaziggy]

I have a similar problem though it's on a GSXR and not a storm.

I had a really bad high speed judder when I went to Storm Scotland, felt it between 70 and 50mph and at slow speeds could feel it pulsing through the lever.

I bought new Armstrong wavy discs and Brembo pads. The judder went away and hasn't come back, however now I get a small judder at very low speed. If I brake with medium pressure from any speed down to a stop, I feel a 'sharp' judder very briefly between maybe 10 and 0 mph. There's no pulsing through the lever that I can feel. It doesn't feel like the sort of judder I had before, more like a tyre slipping along the surface or something.

Someone told me it may be bearings, but I have new wheel bearings fitted so it's not that. Ady reckons it's the Armstrong discs and the cuts in them that give an on / off type braking effect that can only be felt at slow speed as they go through the pads more slowly.

Maybe you have similar pads or discs?

As for the bobbins, I thought it might have been that on my old discs as I couldn't turn them, however I still can't turn them on the new discs and they're fine.

[scapaflyer]

It seems there is play in the fork bushes that maybe causing the judder.
So I've got the forks out but cant get the damper bolt out of the bottom of the first one as the damper just turns once its loose. The normal thing to do would be ram a brush stale down the tube to hold the damper but you can't do that as there is a damper rod down the middle.
Any ideas guys

[VTRDark]

Here you go http://vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php ... 30#p315670

(:-})

[lloydie]

Tighten the damper back up if it won't come out as you can separate the fork with the damper in place

[scapaflyer]

Tighten the damper back up if it won't come out as you can separate the fork with the damper in place

How do you separate the fork with the bolt still in as I thought it was the one thing that stopped you doing this.
The bolt will neither come out or tighten back up, I am beginning to think it may be cross threaded in there as I have jammed a bar between the tube and the damper to stop the damper turning, the bolt then turns but still does not loosen or tighten.
I cannot jam the bar any tighter as it looks like it may already of damaged the edge of the damper.
Hope some one can help as I am meant to be going away on Friday for a bike run.
Just my luck

[VTRDark]

Follow the link I posted above and all will be revealed.

(:-})

[lloydie]

The big C clip holds the oil seal in and that holds the upper bush in . Once the C clip is out use the stanchion as a slide hammer to separate them .

You may end up drilling the bolt out if the info in the line Carl posted don't work .

[scapaflyer]

I understand the concept of pulling. However with the damper jammed against the tube so that it could not turn I thought would of done the same thing.
Just trying to work out how I can exert enough pulling force to lock it out with what I have as I am about 15 miles from my nearest garage on a remote part of the island.
To be honest with the damper jammed against the fork tube and the bolt turning with very little resistance, it is beginning to feel like there are no threads left on it.
Oh god I hope that is not the case but the damper was jammed tight to the extent it has dented the outer edge.
I am now beginning to think the damper will probably need replacing.
Oh well you pay peanuts and you get monkeys and I do love peanuts

[lloydie]

How do you separate the fork with the bolt still in as I thought it was the one thing that stopped you doing this

When the fork is compleat the top cap and lower bolt hold the damper together and the C clip stops the bush pushing the seal out so on forks there is no need to remove the lower bolt unless you want to give the damper a good clean .

And I now won't remove that fecking bolt unless I need to remove the damper as I've had the same as you a few times now and had to drill the head off it so I can remove the damper then grab the damper in a vice and mole grip the remainder if the bolt out .

If it is cross threaded drilling might be the only way