jorstin
Well-known member
I lost my back brakes 3 times on the 26 percent downgrade on sonora pass last week, no fluid leaked, was it the heat or the altitude I known one thing it scared the (*&^ out of me (2005 fjr) 15000 miles
back brake failure at 9000 feet
- Thread starter jorstin
- Start date
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SkooterG
Purveyor of Crooked Facts
Well, it wasn't altitude, as I have done Sonora pass many times as well as passes much higher with no rear brake issues.
Heat? Maybe. Are you over-using or dragging your rear brakes?
The answer to the big quesiton I want to know is when was the last time you bled your rear brakes?
Regardless, 9 times out of 10 a flush/bleed will rectify any brake problems.
Heat? Maybe. Are you over-using or dragging your rear brakes?
The answer to the big quesiton I want to know is when was the last time you bled your rear brakes?
Regardless, 9 times out of 10 a flush/bleed will rectify any brake problems.
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jorstin
Well-known member
You maybe right, I been over coal bank pass in colorado with no problems, I have never bled them and I was riding them hard I guess, and I lost them the same week coming down out of Sequoia national park, I guess its time to bleed them, they came back after I let it set a few minutes or just uset the front brake
thanks for the help
ionbeam
2 FUN
There are only two reasons that very hot brakes would fail and then recover, one is air in the line and the other is water in the brake fluid. Air would cause your brakes to feel spongy all the time. Water could live in your brake system and you would never know it except for corrosion and brake failures when hot.
When you go to bleed your brakes start with a large factory sealed bottle. Continue to bleed the brakes until you feel that you have replaced all the fluid in the rear brake system. (Or, ask your dealer to flush your brake system.) Since your rear brake fluid is suspect I would consider servicing the more important front brakes at the same time.
When you go to bleed your brakes start with a large factory sealed bottle. Continue to bleed the brakes until you feel that you have replaced all the fluid in the rear brake system. (Or, ask your dealer to flush your brake system.) Since your rear brake fluid is suspect I would consider servicing the more important front brakes at the same time.
SkooterG
Purveyor of Crooked Facts
Dude! On an 05?
You are WAAAAY overdue. They should be bled at least once every two years, if not sooner. Not bleeding will not only eventually have an effect on braking performance as you found out, but can cause other issues like muck in the system, as well as corrosion.
Bleed them brakes, and bleed them well!
bramfrank
BramFrank
What size speedbleeders would one use on Gen-II (06) bikes?
If you'd ride that thing more, maybe you would have done your 16K already and that is one of the things that gets done. You weekend warrior you......Clarence even says you should be riding that thing to work more. You afraid of a little rain, oh wait, we haven't had any of that lately. You afraid of a little traffic! Get her fixed so you can ride to Big Bear with us you sissy...... 
El Toro
Innocent Bystander
+1
Brake fluid absorbs water. That's why they tell you to only use brake fluid from a previously unopened can. The water that has been absorbed over time in your brake fluid actually boils when you have heavy braking which introduces a lot of heat into the system, and the liquid water transitioning to water vapor leads to immediate brake failure. When the water vapor condenses back to liquid, the brakes work again.
Folks are telling you to bleed your brakes, but as Ionbeam points out, you need to do a total brake fluid replacement. Its supposed to be done every 2 years on most bikes. I think the FJR follows that schedule too. Make sure you use the correct DOT fluid spec. Its usually on the reservoir cap, but certainly it is also in your owner's manual.
WBill
Well-known member
Definitely replace the brake fluid. Also, it might pay to clean the rotor with disc brake cleaner. Mine had a whole lot of accumulated stuff on it, and recent cleaning cured the pulsing it was doing.
While you're at it, can't hurt to replace the clutch fluid, eh? Same fluid.
While you're at it, can't hurt to replace the clutch fluid, eh? Same fluid.
jorstin
Well-known member
If you'd ride that thing more, maybe you would have done your 16K already and that is one of the things that gets done. You weekend warrior you......Clarence even says you should be riding that thing to work more. You afraid of a little rain, oh wait, we haven't had any of that lately. You afraid of a little traffic! Get her fixed so you can ride to Big Bear with us you sissy......
Dave, thats me the weekend warrior, Clarence is a real motorcycle rider, when is the big bear thing anyway
Iam going to change my brakes and completly replace all the fluid, next weekend, I will be in vegas next week losing some money
Stweve
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