Right- I have sieved through all posts old and new, consulted the great oracle of infinite internet wisdom (aka Google) and even scratched my head- still none the wiser. My blade is a 06 Since upgrading my brake lines with a nice new red set of HEL's I now have a weird issue. When I use the front brakes (brake lines in 'race setup') there is a very noticeable wobble going through the front. Its intensity changes depending on speed i.e. when braking at higher speed it sometimes is less intense, but sometimes shakes the front properly. The brake lever is NOT pulsating. The best way of describing the feeling at low speed is as if the pads would hit a slippery bit of disk and then get a grip again. I know that I have bled the lines properly there is no sponginess or fading etc. and I even tied the lever back over night and bled again, no change. The issue only started with changing the lines, so warped disks are very unlikely. The pads have plenty of life left, but I have bought a new set of EBC HH pads anyway- had no time to change them yet, but hopefully this weekend. Also ordered WD40 brake cleaner, just in case and while I am at it. Despite all precaution I wonder if I might have accidentally dripped brake fluid on the pads...weird! Has anyone had anything like this before? UPDATE: After spending 3 hours cleaning all rivets, the discs, taking out the pads and cleaning them as well as the pistons (basic) I tested and- the problem had gone away so much so that I would not have noticed a just ever so slight shake had I never known about the problem- result! The following Monday I rode to work, and after approx. 10 miles the problem was back- bugger! When I inspected the pads- I was planning to replace them initially as I thought they had nearly worn down anyway- I found they had still about 70% of life left, so I decided to clean them with Surfex HD (1:1 water) and put them back in. Not sure if it may help, but I will probably take them out this weekend and put the new ones in. More to follow.
Useful info sinewave , wonder if it's worth cleaning these regular so they don't end up like the ones in this vid ?
My 07 starting doing similar last year after having the pads changed due to fork oil contamination. I had the bearings swapped as a precaution and the problem has gone.
Just been out to inspect these on my bike at this hour , they don't spin round on my bike and it's only 3 months old ! Mmmmmm puzzled as my brakes are 100% spot on
You need a bolt tightened up on them to spin, you cannot do it with finger pressure.....making an assumption here Stevie, which probably means I have made an ass of myself!
Bearings Hi, thanks for the advice- do you mean the wheel bearings or steering head? Do you remember how much you paid for the job? Thanks!
Hi Kentblade, yes that's the idea, the bolt/washers clamp them down as you tighten, and then you would be able to rotate them (clockwise ) Having said that, I just tried to turn a few and they turned, although it felt like grinding grit, so will defo try to clean them up this weekend. Cheers
I reckon it's possibly a combination of factors, the rotor buttons just being one of them, but I guess keeping them maintained is a good idea as such, and may extend the life of other components such as rotors, pads etc.
Wheel bearings. Sorry don't know the costs as it was part of a bigger job: fitting tyres; chain; sprockets; and bearings combined.
could be number of things,but sounds like a warped disc to me or a build up on the discs.clean the discs first off and check your pads are wearing evenly and aren't glazed.
WD40 on your brake discs. Hmmmm........ If there's any residual left in the nooks and crannies, which ways it going to go when the wheel starts spinning round? Bad idea boys!!!
I agree with what Ninja is saying- which is why I decided to wash the bike with particular attention to the front wheel after I had applied tiny amounts of WD40 to each rivet, as WD40 is of very low viscosity, hence it will not cling much to where it ought to be on a fast spinning wheel. With hindsight I should and will use a wax based chain lubricant instead!
So- after cleaning the disks, buttons, calipers etc. and replacing the pads (EBC HH) I still have the same problem Interestingly the problem is less prominent right after cleaning the disks etc. and gets gradually worse after a few miles. Therefore, I think the question I need to is: 1) Do I look into replacing the disks. 2) Or should I get the steering head bearing checked first? Any experience or suggestions the valued audience would like to put forward shall be much appreciated- thanks!
easiest way to check the head bearings,put brake on and rock the bike forwards,you might get a little movement from the floating discs,but if it's exccesive then prob your head bearings.i still think it's a warped disc,it can be hard to tell but if they aren't too bad they can be straightened by someone like motorliner.you can send them off,they will check them and fix them if needed.
